Amplified (11 page)

Belly of the Beast

Sarah signaled to stop and wait, waving her hand out behind her.
It’d been three days since April had disappeared, and time was of the essence. They had waited as Elijah returned to Blaze’s hive and loaded them up with weapons. It had taken a while for him get back carrying so many supplies. The narrow canyon was only passable on foot. The rest of them had waited patiently and studied every possible route on the blueprints. Sarah had it all memorized within a day. Rye had spent his time pacing, ready to lose his mind in anticipation. Patience wasn’t his strong suit.

Sara
h jerked her head up and listened to distant footsteps pass down the hall they were about to turn into. Moments passed before she gave the all clear. She was swift and quiet on her feet, and Elijah was enjoying the view from behind. As though she felt his eyes upon her, she swung her head around, sending her long braid swinging over her shoulder, and threw him a knowing smile. Elijah pressed his lips together as she turned back and kept on. Rye came up next to him and threw him a shrug, smiling as he passed by.

Why was everyone so smug? Elijah held back a grunt as he followed behind. He
’d made it clear to Sarah that he wasn’t interested back in the City of Vida. The constant stress Katrina had put him under and their frequent missions to secure the Las Vegas Strip around their sanctuary underneath the Wynn was exhausting, leaving him little time to give much attention to the seductive redhead. Finding out that she’d been April’s best friend had surprised him. It had made him realize how little he knew Sarah. It’d been humbling to discover that she had her own fascinating secrets.

So maybe he was intrigued by her now. Things were vastly different outside the City of Vida. Where
they had lacked freedom before, they now thrived in it. April had been a wonderful tour director, introducing them to the entire city above ground, something they’d not been allowed to do much on their own before. This had loosened them up. Of the twelve hybrid human warriors he’d been commander of, four had remained in the Vida to keep it safe and under control, and one had died in the battle against Katrina. Of the other seven, only two had joined April on this trip to the Red Rock slot canyon fortress: Elijah and Sarah. Most of the twelve had worked in pairs. Mated or not, they had partners. Elijah had never taken a mate. He’d been the elected leader from the beginning and couldn’t show favoritism. It left an odd number, and Sarah had been left to do most tasks alone or with him, naturally making her his second. He’d never seen her as anything more than his second in command; it wouldn’t have been appropriate.

Now
things felt oddly different. Elijah wondered about the prickling of feelings stirring within him whenever he looked at Sarah. It was confusing, for he’d never liked her as anything more than just a friend. Maybe it was this newfound freedom to roam, to go wherever he pleased, which had released his repressed emotions. He couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but he knew he’d have to make a move for her sooner or later. The competition was growing.

Gla
ring at Rye as he slid into a doorway, he felt the grip of envy. Rye knew exactly who he wanted−April−and would do anything for her. It must be nice to know what you wanted. On the other hand, April wasn’t exactly reciprocating Rye’s affections. Elijah had briefly wondered if April would be interested in him but decided against pursuing her because of Rye’s dedication to the girl. It was obvious Rye would not be willing to let her go any time soon. Still, if she’d ever approached Elijah for a roll in the sack, he doubted he’d be able to resist the sassy, dark-haired beauty. She was every bit a woman warrior, and he liked that.

It was those
same traits he adored about Sarah. So why did Sarah cause such confusion? She’d always made it obvious she wanted him. It was hard to admit defeat and give into her. She was so beautiful with her pouty pink lips and voluptuous breasts, not to mention her well-trained physique. She’d been the object of many other men’s affections in the City of Vida, but she’d brushed them off without a second thought, as if they were just not good enough.

Maybe that was it. H
e didn’t want to mean nothing to her. He wanted to be good enough.

“Come on!” Sarah
’s hushed voice brought him back to face her. Her bright green eyes narrowed as she smiled, catching him staring at her. “Eyes ahead.”

He clenched his jaw,
hoping the dim lighting in the walkway heading out over one of the warehouses would cover his flushed skin. He avoided her eyes and peered over a short concrete wall, fingering the large hunting knife at his side. The massive room below looked like it was a storage area and infrequently used. There were several Jeeps in various states of repair or in pieces for parts. Several wooden crates were stacked up almost as high as the walkway and were arranged in rows draped with long swaths of drop cloths.

No hybrid vampires in sight. Elijah waved at the others as they continued their careful trek into the heart of the underground fortress.

“This feels too easy,” Rye muttered, gripping his sword. They were hoping to kill any resistance as quietly as possible. Something was wrong, and it ate at his nerves as they crept along. Why wasn’t anyone near the secret entrance? Christian and Mercer must have felt very secure that it wouldn’t be found if they left it unguarded.

“Where do you think they
’re keeping her?”

Sarah peered a
cross the room and pointed to a far door on the bottom floor. “That one leads to the main living quarters, right next to the cells where prisoners are kept. At least, that’s what the blueprints show.”

“We can
’t just walk into the living quarters. There’s an hour or two of daylight left. It’s probably filled with them right now.” Rye sheathed his sword and brought out his guns, knowing they’d be walking into a sleeping hive. It was best to be prepared to kill.

“I know that.
” Sarah rolled her eyes and smacked her gum. Where the hell did she get gum? Elijah smirked at her snarkiness. “What do you think I am, suicidal?” She pointed at a metal staircase. “This is the back way.” She took the stairs with swift, soft steps and was on the ground sprinting through the rows of cargo like she was running through a field of wheat. Elijah admired her carefree nature, even though she really wasn’t that naïve. It was her mask, a front to make others believe she was more vulnerable. If he hadn’t known her for so long, he would have wondered who the hell she thought she was. But he did, and it made him smile.

He made his way down the same way she
had gone, swift and light on his feet. His bulkiness made everyone believe he’d be rough and clunky on his feet, but that wasn’t the case. Being a hybrid had its advantages, including being able to move fast but quietly.

Sarah was crouched at the doorway, already sticking pins and her lock picking tools into the slots. This was a regular
doorknob without any kind of electronic key pad or lock. For a back door, it was simple and unprotected. Elijah just hoped it wasn’t a trap.

“Got it!” Sarah jiggled the lock once more
, and a tiny click resonated in the silence surrounding them. In the massive storage area, the sound felt like it echoed across the pallets and metal, amplified. She slowly opened the old door, and the hinges began to groan. She cringed and stopped, listening for anything or anyone who could be coming down the way. When nothing happened, she slid through the doorway, Elijah and Rye hot on her heels.

The darkness within shifted as their eyes adjuste
d, and they found themselves at the end of a very long hallway. Hopefully no one would be coming around the corner to trap them in this maze. It could be the end of a useless walkway that led to the warehouse. Either way, the far-off echoing voices were so faint, they seemed to come from quite a distance away. Rye took the lead, and they shuffled close to one another until they came to the bend in the hall.

Peeking around the corner, Rye
’s tension visibly relaxed. “It’s an abandoned barracks. Which way, Sarah?”

Sarah stuck her head out to scan the room
then pulled back to talk with them. “There’s a door on the end to the right. Through that door is the cell block. She should be in one of the rooms there.”

A small squeak on the tile made them all clamp their lips togethe
r and turn toward the barracks. Someone was in there, and the risk of discovery was high.

Rye pressed his back to the wall and dared to peek into the room again to find
out what was going on. He was so surprised to see April heading back to the cells, trying in vain to make her boots stop squeaking on the tile. Her face alone made his heart burst with love. It was obvious she hadn’t noticed them yet because she took each step swiftly and softly as she turned into another hallway right ahead of them and proceeded to leave the room. She was laden with a large army bag, half full but apparently heavy. She shifted the strap on her shoulder and cursed under her breath.

“April!” Rye called out softly, afraid she was being pursued.

She froze in her steps. He hoped she wasn’t about to shoot a weapon in his direction. They would be in plain sight if she would just turn around.

She
whipped around and held out a gun. He wondered where she had swiped it from. He stepped out into the room and held his hands up.

“It
’s me, April. It’s Rye.”

Her hands shook
, and she didn’t look as thrilled to see him as he thought she would. Still, who knew what she’d been through down there? He hoped she hadn’t been subject to the torturous experimentation her mother had endured. He waited and could feel the others hesitate behind him. April’s eyes were wild, like a frightened predator. Not exactly an invitation to run and hug her.

He waited, not sure if she was in a killing high or ready to pounce on him. Deciding the best course of action was to talk to her, he licked his l
ips and hoped it would shake whatever it was she was experiencing.

“April? Are you okay?” He swallowed, his mouth
dry.

“April
, it’s us.” Sarah peeked around Rye to study her friend. April looked like she hadn’t slept in days, even though she was clean and looked like she’d bathed. Still, the haunted look in her eyes made Sarah glance at Rye and then back to Elijah.

“Rye? Sarah…?” April
’s voice shook, and she dropped her hands, letting the gun dangle in her fingers. Bright, glistening tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed silently. “You shouldn’t have come.” She shook her head like they’d interrupted her train of thought. “You can’t be here.”

Rye took the
opportunity to run to her, and she collapsed into his arms. “April, we’re getting you out of here.”

She shook her head
again, her gaze searching his face as she let him hug her. “I can’t. I need to find the antidote before I leave. I lined the bunker with bombs. I have an hour left to find it and get out of here. Oh, Rye… I’ve made a mess of things.”

Rye brushed away the loose strands sticking to the thin sheen of sweat and the wetness of tears on her face.
She pulled away, and his heart seized.

“Let me go.” She stepped back
, eyeing him and the other two through her tears. “If you want to help me, thank you. But I’d rather you go now. If you can’t, I understand. This isn’t what you came for.”

S
he turned and held her gun back up, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

“
We’re going wherever you go. April, what’s going on?” Rye followed behind, keeping his eyes trained on her back, but as they entered the next hall, he ripped them from her to resume his scan of the surroundings. Stupidity got you killed. Losing control of emotions was a definite risk. So why was April losing it? He’d never seen her so distraught to see him. That couldn’t be good.

She only shook her head, making him clamp his lips together. Whatever had
her shooken up, it didn’t look like she was going to divulge what it was any time soon. At least, not here. It didn’t sit well with him and made his imagination run wild as they continued down the halls without a disturbance. April looked determined, and he wondered if she even knew where she was going.

“April,” he whispered, trying to catch her attention. “Where are you going?”

Her lack of response sloughed off his patience, and he tightened his grip on his guns. The place appeared abandoned, but thinking about April made him sloppy as they turned the corner, and he almost ran into her.

“
Crap, Rye,” she hissed as she did her best to not fall over. Footsteps at the end of the hall had them scrambling to press themselves against the wall as they came closer. The clicks of the boots on the tile floor had the count at about five of them. They could take them, Rye just didn’t want to bring anyone else to the fight while they were at it. He pulled out his swords after tucking his guns away. He handed one to April as she tucked her gun into her jeans. Her lack of weapons made him wonder how she thought she’d be escaping this place once she had managed to do whatever it was she was doing. Except for the lone gun she had acquired somewhere, she was weaponless.