"You need to take the lead down here," she murmured. "I don't know the way, and I should probably stay downwind from you so we can make it topside."
"Glad you finally understand where I'm coming from," he said on a ragged breath, rounding her in the dark and taking the lead. "Wise choice."
A low flicker of light made Carlos and Damali start running faster. Moving bodies ran toward them, dragging wounded, and the numbers had considerably thinned. Carlos's line of vision narrowed, and he could sense her trying to see farther than was possible. Even with her unique ability, the night was his, and he had the advantage.
"Listen, D, brace yourself. There are only twelve standing, and not all twelve are completely standing. You started with a squad of nineteen. The reason we made it this far without incident is probably because they took the weight as decoys."
"Oh, no!"
"Yeah - but it wasn't your fault. That's their job... they're guardians. They have to be willing to lay down their lives for a Neteru."
Running beside Carlos, she let the remorse sink into her bones. No person should have to make that choice, no matter how honorable. Guilt dug into her side as the run sent a stab of pain through it. The battling, the stage, the run, were all taking their toll. The twinge felt like it was gouging her appendix, and she slowed her gait, and had to catch her breath as another shooting pain ripped through her abdomen.
Bent over, she heaved in air, and in slow motion, she watched Carlos stop, turn away from her, and growl.
"Get to your team! Now!"
She could barely breathe, much less run, and she pushed herself up and looked at the dim light that was coming closer. "I don't know what it is. I think I may have been hit... when I fell, some internal injury that just - "
"Get to your team," Carlos said in an agonized voice, but much softer. "Please, before they kill me. Run toward the light - I got'chure back."
Half running, half dragging herself, she brushed past him. Isis was making a line in the rock at her feet as Damali stumbled forward pulling it behind her, one arm in front of her waist clutching the dagger.
"Neteru!" the Templar called out. "Are you hurt?"
"No," Damali wheezed, making it to the border of light, her gaze counting faces, heads. "Roll call," she whispered, tears now streaming down her cheeks.
"Rider, Mar, Shabazz, J.L., Dan, Jose," Big Mike boomed, his breaths labored. "And me." He then fell quiet, breathing hard, as the blue knight stepped forward winded and exhausted.
Damali looked around as her assembled guardians each nodded upon Big Mike's roll call. All of them were leaning against portions of the jagged tunnel walls, trying to catch their breaths.
"They took the weight, li'l sis," Mike said while grappling for air. "Died with honor - said it was their job as front line. We're second line, and they held back things I cannot even describe. They helped us put down the guardian squad from our unit that had been nicked topside... so we didn't have to."
"Templar," Damali huffed, "we cannot begin to thank you and your men. There are not enough words."
"That you are still with us unscathed, Neteru, is all that we had hoped for," the knight said on slow, heavy exhales.
"We have to move, we only have a few moments to rest," Marlene whispered, drawing ragged inhales from the run. "D, you don't look good."
"I'm not." Damali winced. "But I'm not nicked. It's my side. I cut Nuit's heart out, after Carlos neutered him. But I think I hit a wall." Damali stopped mid-sentence, tried to catch her breath, and continued more slowly. "Might have some internal injuries. You're right, though. We've gotta move, the Vampire Council is looking for Carlos, and will flood the tunnels soon. We have to get back to the open cavern in the center and wait for a lift in a few minutes or less. I'll be all right."
"Where's Carlos?" Rider said, an odd level of concern in his voice.
"He left me, about twenty-five feet back and told me to run toward the light. He had my back the whole time - save one minor incident." She chuckled sadly. "But he's gone."
"He's not gone," the Templar warned, glancing around. "He's a master, and he's showing a lot of discipline, Neteru. Unparalleled restraint at the moment. If you can withstand the pain, we have to get you out of here before his restraint falters."
Damali doubled over again as another stab in her side ripped through her abdomen.
"Tell her, Mar," Shabazz murmured. "Once and for all."
Marlene looked at Damali and glanced at the darkness behind them.
"It's almost midnight - you were born at twelve-oh-one... and, baby, you're in the middle of Hell, and you just started ovulating - the first adult Neteru menses. It's a rough one on the human system, that's why it hurts so much - you aren't injured. You've gotta move, now, without us."
Damali's gaze locked with Marlene's.
"Baby, you can take a body blow, or a bite, and you can see in the dark... Read minds, and you are making him crazy. So, baby, run. We got your back; let Isis have your front. We're dragging wounded and will slow you down. You'll draw sharks in this cavern in the next minute or two. Run!"