Wild Hunt - Kali Argent Page 0,70
was the one to find him.
Dominguez stiffened at the name, and the smile slid off his face as he jerked his arm up to take aim. He was fast, moving with a fluidity that only came from years of training.
Cade was faster.
The shot reverberated through the trees, and the bullet found its mark, snapping the sergeant’s head back and dropping him to the ground. Before he’d even finished falling, Cade had the two-way radio off his belt. They were supposed to be for emergencies only since, by their very function, they drew too much attention, but the need for stealth didn’t matter anymore.
“They know we’re here!” he yelled into the handset as he darted off into the trees. “They knew we were coming. Fall back! Everyone get the hell out of there!”
His words echoed close by, followed by a burst of static. Changing directions, he ran east, calling out for anyone in the area.
“Cade!” Bleeding from a gash on her forehead, Thea scrambled up a slight incline toward him, three males following in her wake.
Another voice called his name as well, this one from the opposite direction. A moment later, Rhys emerged through the trees with Luca, both of them leading a group of seven captives. They, too, looked the worse for wear, which was probably why neither of them realized they were marching straight into danger until it was too late.
Their only warning was a metallic click, just a small noise on the edge of hearing. Luca yelled for everyone to get down, but frightened people never made the best listeners. So, it was two of the male captives who took the brunt of the attack as noxious fog assaulted the group from both sides.
The shrieks were haunting, but Cade could do nothing as he watched the skin literally melt from the men’s faces. Cursing, Rhys grabbed the nearest female and tackled her to the ground, but he wasn’t quick enough, and he screamed in agony as the aerosol swept over his back. The gas ate away his shirt within seconds, and huge, white blisters erupted across his skin a moment later.
“Rhys!”
“No!” Cade’s heart hammered up into his throat when the female dropped her radio and started running toward her mate. “Thea, stop!”
It was too late.
She was halfway to Rhys when she suddenly collapsed to the ground, crying out as she clutched at her right leg. The metal clamp was no ordinary bear trap. With deep, jagged grooves and long, pin-like spikes, it had been designed to hurt, to incapacitate.
“Shit.” Cade made his way to her, careful of every step. “Mendez, stop moving.” The spikes had pierced clear through her boots, and rivers of blood flowed down her leg, making the leather wet and shiny. “Mendez! Stop moving. Look at me. Look at me, Thea.”
He had to say her name three more times before she finally unscrewed her eyes and stared up at him. The pain in her gaze was profound, as well as the anger, but there were no tears.
“I’m going to get you out, but you have to be still,” he told her, placing his hands on the springs to either side of the jaws. “This is going to hurt, but when I open the trap, I need you to pull your foot free. Got it?”
She clenched her jaw and nodded.
“On three. One. Two.” He applied all of his weight to his hands, pushing down on the springs.
Thea let out a very cat-like screech as the jaws opened, prying the spiked teeth from her leg. Once free, she twisted to the side and jerked back, pulling her foot from the trap just before it snapped closed again.
“You didn’t say three,” she panted as she sprawled on her back in the dirt. She turned her head to the side, her gaze fixed on her mate. “Rhys?”
“He’ll be okay,” Luca called as he helped the werewolf to his feet. “We need to get the fuck out of here.” He urged the surviving captives to stay behind him as they trudged over to the rest of the group. “Has anyone heard from O’Malley or Webber?”
Both Cade and Thea shook their heads. He also hadn’t seen Lynk since the shifter had disappeared to deal with the sniper.
Rhys collapsed onto the ground beside his mate. “Hey, angel.” His voice was rough with pain, but he gave her a wan smile. “Come here often?”
“Idiot,” Thea muttered, but she arched her neck to press a kiss to his cheek. “How the hell are we