Page 168 of Stand: Part One

Bringing the rifle back up, I fired it at the second gunman in the throat, then grabbed the top of the third gunman’s rifle, bullets firing from the barrel as I steered it around to fire at the first of them. Dropping my gun, I ripped my knife from my belt and shoved it into his trachea, yanking it out to cut more of his arteries than was necessary.

A body then slammed into me from behind, my momentum following the flow of energy to twist around and out of his hold. He lifted his leg to kick me, my body turning to the side to trap his leg between my arm and ribs before my elbow slammed down on top of his kneecap, breaking it in place.

Satisfied with his howling, a quick glimpse of his utility vest showed two grenades attached, prompting me to reach out and snatch the pin from one of them. I then kicked him into the next room, right into two more of his buddies, all three bodies crashing to the floor.

Picking my rifle back up, I bolted from the area just as the grenade went off, the sharp explosion activating the designated area sprinkler system and the familiar ringing in my ear. Increasing my pace, I leaped over debris as I followed the sound of Camaro’s bark until I heard it morph into a vicious series of snarls.

Fuck!

I abruptly halted in my tracks when I came upon several more gunmen, the barrels of their rifles moving low toward the ground. Two gunshots were fired, dropping one of the gunmen to the ground while the rest advanced.

“No!” Jaden’s panicked voice screamed just as Camaro came into my vision.

Firing off multiple shots, I sprayed my bullets into the backs of two men before they crumpled to the ground. I groaned as I realized my clip was now fucking empty, and I lacked the time to reload.

Advancing quickly on the others who had now scattered, I slammed the butt of my gun into the temple of the nearest one while kicking the rifle out of the hands of the one at my right.

Retrieving my hunting knife from my side, I ducked below a swinging fist and drove the serrated blade into their side, twisting it deep before yanking it back out. Blood sprayed across my face, the smell antagonizing that demon inside me, the one that lusted for carnage.

Quickly lifting my arm, I blocked the aim of the pistol directed at me just as it fired into the ground. Kicking in his knee, the gunman screamed as his body dropped low, giving me the opportunity to shove my knife deep into his throat.

Dodging another strike coming from my left, I grabbed the raised arm, twisted my body and hurled the fucker over my shoulder and into the torso of the last approaching gunman. Both men went down, their backs hitting the floor hard just as I drew my Berretta and fired a shot into each of their throats.

Moving between their mangled bodies, Camaro barked one hell of a snarl as she stood over Jaden, her teeth bared in warning. Rage ripped through me like lightning when I noticed she was wearing one of her protective vests that were also stored alongside Jaden’s. If she had time to armor her dog, then she had time to get her ass to one of the many panic rooms hidden throughout the house.

“Discedant,” I ordered, Camaro relaxing her stance and immediately backing out of the way.

Pocketing my pistol at my lower back, I crouched down to find Jaden staring blankly up at me, her amber eyes wet with fear as her hands clutched the wall she was clearly trapped under. Pressing my hands under the debris, I heaved it up, shoving it away with a crashing thud, dust swarming into the air.

Jaden tried to pull herself up, but I beat her to it by grabbing the shoulder strap of her protective vest and yanking her to me. She practically dangled on her toes as I took stock of her appearance, noticing all the magazines of different calibers strapped to her vest, accompanied by three knives, two Glocks, and a single grenade. She was also soaking wet, donning bits of dust and drywall in her damp hair while her skin was marred with even more scratches and bruises than before.

An ungodly amount of fury rushed through me at Jaden’s blatant disregard for my orders, clearly choosing to engage rather than run like I had literally just told her to merely two days ago.

When my eyes locked with hers, her chest shuddered as her glossy gaze filled with dread. I wanted to instantly strangle her all over again. And she knew it.

“You’ve disobeyed me for the last time,” I growled.

Hauling her in the direction of the nearest panic room, I whistled for Camaro to follow as more gunfire echoed in the background. My urgency to get Jaden under ground intensified as it drew closer.

“Darren, wait!” she pleaded as she tried to regain her footing while I practically dragged her across the floor. “I was trying to find one! But the house was blown to shit! There were gunmen everywhere! I wasn’t going to look for a panic room unarmed!”

My blood boiled hotter and hotter with every lie she spoke in her defense, unwilling to entertain a single word from her until I had her safely bunkered down.

The fact that I couldn’t kill Clive and Owen a second time with my own hands pissed me off even more. If they had handled the attack in Chicago better, they would still be alive to be here to protect Jaden from her own stupidity.

Fuckers were lucky they were already dead.

Movement at the far end of the hall caught my attention. Gripping Jaden’s vest, I shoved her through the nearest open doorway as I trained my pistol in the direction of the gunfire aimed at us. I gritted my teeth as a bullet grazed my arm before two of my own entered the skulls of the gunmen ahead of us, dropping them both to the ground.

Turning back into the room, I found Jaden trying to pick herself up from the floor, grumbling under her breath. Yanking her back up to stand, I didn’t wait for her to regain her balance as I continued to drag her down the hallway.

“Darren, wait!” she continued to protest as she uselessly pulled against my grip.

Ignoring her pleas, I practically threw her against the wall of what was left of the library. I reached down to remove the rug, concealing the hidden lever of the trapdoor underneath. Lifting the lid, I clocked my wife with a murderous glare and pointed at the descending stairway. “In. Now.”

“No, Darren, wait, wait! I don’t want to go down there! Please!”

I cocked a brow at her sudden refusal.