Page 74 of Tag (The Golden Team #9)

Aponi

T he second Graves’ eyes shifted past me, I moved.

I fired, but he was already diving sideways, the round sparking off the rock wall. The lantern crashed to the ground, the glass shattering, and the light swung wildly, shadows leaping like predators across the walls.

Tag’s boots pounded into the chamber. “Aponi—down!”

I dropped just as Tag’s first shot tore past where my head had been. Graves returned fire, the sharp crack deafening in the enclosed space. I scrambled behind a half-collapsed support beam, my pulse a drumbeat in my ears.

Tag closed the distance fast, rifle up, his stance tight. Graves fired again, the shot grazing the metal beside Tag’s head. Sparks flew, and Tag didn’t even flinch—he slammed into Graves, driving him back into the wall.

The guns went flying.

Now it was fists.

Graves swung hard, catching Tag across the jaw with a blow that echoed in the small space. Tag answered with a brutal punch to the ribs that made Graves grunt and double over—only for Graves to grab a handful of Tag’s vest and try to throw him off balance.

I darted from cover, kicking Graves in the knee hard enough to make him stagger. Tag used the opening, slamming him into the rock again. Dust rained down from the ceiling, the whole chamber groaning like it didn’t like this fight any more than I did.

Graves snarled, his hand flashing toward a knife strapped to his belt. Tag caught his wrist mid-swing, twisting until the blade clattered to the floor.

“You’re done,” Tag growled, his voice low, lethal.

Graves just smiled through bloodied teeth. “Not yet.”

He drove his shoulder into Tag’s chest, shoving him back a step, and in that heartbeat, his other hand darted into his jacket. My stomach dropped.

“Tag!”

I grabbed the knife from the floor and launched myself forward just as Graves yanked a small black detonator into view. His thumb was halfway down when I slammed the blade into the meat of his forearm.

He roared, the detonator falling to the dirt. Tag kicked it away and drove Graves down hard, pinning him with a knee to the chest and his forearm across his throat.

“Over,” Tag said again, voice like stone.

This time, Graves didn’t smile.