extraction, I cover the exit and make sure we're clear. They know the sorts of things they could be facing in there, but it’s been silent since they breached a few minutes ago, and it’s making me twitchy as fuck.
I strain my ears, but I can't hear a thing beyond their almost silent footsteps and their breathing. If Bauer is still here, and alive, then he's unconscious. I'm aware that the rooms could be warded with silencing spells, but the guys know what they're doing. I just wish I'd maybe joined Delta with them so I was in there too. Not that they don't trust me, but they're like a well oiled machine. I'd likely get in their way, and I'd honestly rather this be stealthy.
Don't get me wrong, if I thought I could get to Archer and take him out of the equation, that would be my first move, but I'm not foolish enough to think he doesn't have a contingency in place, or that he's foolish enough to stay in one place for long now that everyone knows he's target number one.
Gun fire pops from inside the building, and I go on high alert, watching for anyone trying to escape, or even enter, the warehouse. I crouch, gun aimed, breath steady.
“Colt, be ready!” I hear Elijah shout, and seconds later the five of them are running at me, Bauer slung over Elijah's shoulder like a sack of nothing. “Move your ass!” He shouts as he runs past me and I take up the rear, keeping my gun high, but no-one else comes out of the warehouse.
We run the few miles through the woodland to where we left the trucks and pile in, Bauer is put in the trunk since he's still unconscious, then we peel out of there before anyone can find a trace of us.
I barely breathe until we've been on the road a while, driving around in circles to lose anyone who might've caught our tail. It’s the dead of night, so we're not exactly weaving through traffic, but unsurprisingly there's still enough traffic around that we blend in easily enough.
Elijah slows the car, making the last loop before we head back to my dad’s place. I let out a deep breath when we pull up into the drive, even though Bauer is still unconscious. Elijah has barely said a word, but jumps out of the truck once he parks and Danny pulls the other truck in next to us. I help Elijah with Bauer, then let everyone back inside. My dad’s still not around, though I'm not completely surprised, he did say about staying with Nate and Maddie for a while, something about family betrayal, but I wasn't really listening. He moans so much at the minute, I've just started tuning him out.
We get Bauer in the house, and Elijah lays him on the sofa while I grab some glasses and a bottle.
“Well, that was more fun than I expected,” Danny says, laughing. His friends join in, and they sit and talk war stories with Elijah while I half listen as I focus mainly on Bauer.
He needs to wake the fuck up already.
Doesn't he realize how much we need his help.
How much I need his help.
God knows we're wading through the biggest pile of shit I ever remember us facing. It was easy before, in other lives I've lived, there hasn't been anything like this. Sure, there was the war against the factions, but that was nothing like this.
And I wasn't the one in charge.
Remy's life wasn't in danger.
I wasn't in love with Fallon.
Everything seems so much more intense, extreme, fucking insane, this time around. It makes me wish for quieter times, but then, I wouldn't give up feeling the way I feel about Fallon just for a quieter life. Do I wish she wasn't in danger? Hell yes, but then, living this life, we're always in danger. Always have been.
I run a hand through my hair, which desperately needs cutting, I'm going to start looking like that bastard Creek if I'm not careful.
“Right, well, we should probably head out,” Elijah says, finishing his drink and standing.
“That's cool man,” I say. “Thank you all for your help tonight, sorry I'm spaced, got a thousand and one things I'm trying to work out.”
“It's cool, we get it,” Danny says with a nod. The rest of them stand and head to grab their guns from where they put them in the kitchen.
“If you need me, you know