Blood Vengeance

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Kinimaka ducked his head and shoulders as low across Hayden’s body as he dared. Any lower and he would lose his balance and go sprawling. Smyth and Komodo were ahead, tearing across the parking area toward an old but still sleek black Camaro.

“No!” Karin hissed from behind. “We won’t all fit in the bloody thing.” She shook her head. “Men.”

Smyth veered to the door of an old Suburban. They were certain the albino would have left men stationed down here and were expecting resistance at any minute. Sure enough, as Smyth smashed a side window and gave their position away, several heads popped up no less than a hundred yards distant.

“Got ‘em!”

The radio went flying as the man broke cover, compelled by urgent orders. Smyth jumped into the Suburban and fiddled with the ignition wires. As he fought to twist the engine into life, rounds smacked into the Suburban’s bodywork. Kinimaka jerked open the rear door, lifting Hayden. At that precise moment, a heavy volley struck the car, smashing windows and shattering plastic, tearing through upholstery and cloth. Kinimaka could neither duck nor turn away. He managed to drop his arms, laying Hayden down, and then Karin and Komodo returned fire, shredding the enemy.

Smyth twisted the wires once more. The engine roared to life. Karin jumped in, then Komodo, lying flat out on the back seat. Kinimaka climbed into the footwell, letting Hayden have the seat, and found his body wedged there. It was all he could do to bring an arm up to wipe the sweat from his face.

Smyth peeled out of the lot, cheering and giving the enemy the finger through the rear view. Karin and Komodo heaved sighs of relief, then the young woman’s face collapsed into grief as, again, thoughts of Ben and her parents flooded back. Kinimaka looked at the back of his hand and wondered where the blood had come from.

He tapped his head. Nothing hurt. That could mean only one thing…

Smyth threw the Suburban around a corner. “Where to?”

“CIA safe house,” Komodo said. “One of our old ones. One of SPEAR’s old ones, I mean.”

Carefully, Kinimaka rolled Hayden on to her side.

“No. Oh no.”

Blood stained the seat. Fresh blood.

“Got an address?” Smyth was concentrating on the road ahead.

“Yeah, hang on.”

Kinimaka pulled Hayden’s shirt up. The bullet wound was still bandaged, untouched. So where…

Hayden’s eyes fluttered open. Kinimaka nodded at the bandage. “Does it hurt?”

“Nah. It doesn’t hurt at all. It went straight through Boudreau’s old knife wound.” Her eyes smiled.

Kinimaka sighed with relief. “Then what—”

Hayden coughed harshly. “It’s the new one just under my heart that’s killing me.”