Burned In Shadows (Shadow Unit) (28 page)

Chapter 35

J
es was in a chair between the twins who looked ready to skin their captors alive. They were supposed to be her back up. Who backed them up? If no one was coming they were in trouble.

“What happened?”

“What you see is what you get.”

“How long have you two been here?”

“Just a little over an hour give or take.”

Royce as ever in the face of
imminent danger was being sarcastic.

“You okay.”

“Mostly.”

That apparently was the wrong answer. He locked eyes with her and she
saw his anger building. Gone was playful, charismatic Royce. In his place was dark and deadly Royce. She’d met him once, when he killed Henrik. She hadn’t liked him when he slipped into that role. His real role. Funny Royce was a façade. This real Royce didn’t care about consequences, didn’t see enemy or friend. All he saw was destruction and chaos. She’d figured his game out, but thought it best to keep it to herself. That he was allowing her to see what he was truly about scared the shit out of her.

“Calm down.”

“Fuck calm.”

Before she got the chance to
say another word, the man that looked vaguely familiar took the stand to address everyone. Dark hair, dark eyes, and built like an athlete, he turned and pinned hateful eyes on the twins.

“The laws of
man do not apply to those like us. We deal with treason fast, and swift.”

There were nods from the crowd.
There were at least a dozen people looking on.

“We are not men
, and as such we should not be treated as so. Before us are traitors and an abomination. The Gods have given us true power, true will to exert over those weaker than us. The Gods have also wronged us. Enslaved us for their own personal needs, burned us so that they could use us like pawns in a game. Why should we submit? Why should we adapt because man is considered so fragile? Weak. Why must the Gods have all the fun? Waging war plotting our demise?

They we
re
actually
buying into this shit.

“
We should not adapt. We will rise. Rise up and put them down if they refuse to bow at our feet. Crush their armies under our heels. Long ago the Gods held my people in chains. Took everything from us. Were the fates there to look out for us? Any of you? Do you think we owe them our favor? We have our own minds, our own bodies. Destiny belongs to those who claim it for themselves. I say fuck them and fuck the fates!”

The crowd cheered him on as he continued to speak. It was like a sermon only worse
.

“Now The Agency has tracked us for years, thanks to the help of my sons, they’ve managed to keep tabs, compile lists and store da
ta on all our kind. Betrayers are what they are”

He pointed a finger at
Royce and Ronin. That’s when it hit Jes like a punch to the gut. This man was their father. This man was in league with the Red Sun Organization.

# # #

The darkness was no longer containable. No longer locked away, but free. He tried funny, tried for carefree. Shit was for the fucking birds. Sanya wasn’t dead, hadn’t been slayed, but held captive by his greedy ass father. His brother was just as confused as he was. She’d been human, and now she was not. How any of it was possible was lost on him. They’d severed the mental connection from their family the day they were given that ridiculous death sentence. Albanus Zarides still had a way with words. Royce meet the stares of everyone who’d seemed happy to condemn them. How did it always come back to this? He knew his dad was a radical, and to some degree he understood. He would have never guessed his old man was working for the reject organization.

The amounts of hatred that was traded back and forth between father and son
were harsh. He didn’t care if it still hurt a little bit. His father was in league with the bastards that had tried to kill Jes, and taken his best friend. Didn’t matter if what they said was true or not. What mattered was the way they went about expressing themselves. Humans were weak, but that was why they needed looking after. The strong enslaving the weak was stupid and useless. If they were able to co-habitat together in peace, there was no reason for war.

“I knew you two
would fuck up again. At least you didn’t make a liar out of me. That has to say something right?” His father sneered.

The darkness inside of R
oyce flamed rapidly to life. It didn’t need a warm up, just needed to be set free. His father was going to die. Not because he was a psychopath with a death wish, but because any chance at happiness he and his brother would have had was being threatened by the same man that tried to take it the first time.

“She is beautiful, even with dirt caked on her skin.”

Why was he looking at Jes like that? He saw Draven tense in the corner, his black eyes flashing green. The man may act like he didn’t care, but his emotions were all over his face.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” Ronin growled as he tried to free one of his arms. They were both nailed to a cross, leather strapped around their wrists and feet. It barely eased any pain
. The weight of their body’s holding them up as the nails tore against their skin. Streaks of dried blood covered both their arms and legs. Not once did they scream or cry out in pain. They’d been in stickier situations than this. Hell there wasn’t even an interrogation. They’d been slapped around by their father a couple of times and told they would stand trial. As always dear old dad needed an audience.

“She means more to you, than me?” Sanya asked him as she walked up and placed a
clawed hand against his chest.

“A rock means more to me than you, you fucking cunt.”

She flinched, and it served the bitch right. Letting them believe she was dead.

“I am better, stronger. This one stinks of fear.”

Royce nodded his head in Jes’ direction. He was doing his best to stay calm.

“If she’s
scared it’s only because she fears what will happen to us. My girls fierce, my girl is loyal. Stronger than any of you motherfuckers.”

Draven growle
d again and prowled closer to Jes staring down on her with menace.

“Thought I was your mate? Thought we had a daughter.”
His hand rose, and Royce watched as Jes braced herself for impact. But it never landed on Jes. No, he slapped the fuck out of Sanya. Sent her flying into the crowd. His black eyes darting towards Royce and his brother.

“You fuck her?”

Neither of them answered. They had other shit to tend to. His father’s guards were fast approaching, and when his kind went feral all bets were off. Royce’s ribs were cracking. He’d had enough of this shit. Time to let his darkness fly free.

# # #

“Did you let them fuck you Jes? You
got two seconds to answer me.”

She
wasn’t answering that question, even if she wanted to. Things were completely out of control. There were guards rushing the stage, and Draven had his back to them.

“Watch out!” She shrieked as she pushed out of her chair and stood back. Draven tossed the guy over his shoulder and continued to stare her down. She rushed to Royce who was closet and tried to free him as Draven continued to go rounds with the guard.

Darkness, even when the lights were on rolled everything over. She’d seen this before, back at the plane when Royce had been about to kill Henri. She just hadn’t recognized it for what it was. She’d never seen the mask come off. Bones snapped, and his shoulder dislocated. Jes took a measured step back. He was in the process of breaking free when complete chaos erupted. There was a loud explosion. It shook the ground like a massive earthquake. People went into action to face off with the new threat. Draven pulled her in front of him just as another explosion rocked the foundation of the building. She had to hold onto him just to steady herself.

“I find o
ut they fucked you. I will kill them all and take my daughter from you”

“Well, you fucked Melissa. Does that mean I get to keep your daughter from you and kill that fucking bitch?”

His eyes softened, and he hooked his arm around her waist, lifted her chin up so she was able to look him in the face. His gaze was deep, knowing and green. The ground shook again, and Draven held her tighter.

“Not gonna kiss you when there is shit going down, but I will and it will be soon.” He quickly released her and put a knife in her hand.
Why did he keep giving her knives?

“Seriously? Another knife?

He shrugged and went to aid Ronin who was pissed off, majorly pissed off.

‘You know me
from before?” Draven asked.

“You
need to remember your friends and your family.” Ronin grumped. He cringed when the nails were pulled from his hands and feet. There wasn’t time to take in pain as fighting ensued all around. Ronin jumped into the fray but didn’t change into his hulking form. Jes was unable to find Royce, he’d gotten down on his own and was now facing off with his own set of opponents.

Draven turned her and said, “Don’t get
yourself killed. Lots to talk about you and me.” Then he was gone too.

Enri’s death walkers were out
en masse, and they too didn’t care who they took out. It didn’t matter if it was recruits or members of her team, everyone was engaged in some sort of hand to hand with someone else. She tried joining the battle, but chains were wrapped around her neck.

“Fucking
bitch!” Melissa snapped out.

“You don’t know when to quit do you?
”

The chain was making her slow
, but she managed to tug hard enough, Jes was seeing black spots.

“I was supposed to be his mate!
”

“No bitch, you weren’t meant for him
. I was.”

Jes tried to make her body become
pliant. Stepping back with her foot and using her hips she easily pulled Melissa over her shoulder bringer her to the ground. She placed her foot over the other woman’s throat and snarled. Yep, the fangs were back.

“I’d kill you bitch, believe me I want to, but Captain wants to see you first.”

“Jes!”

She looked up to see Belinda dressed in all black. Gun slung over her back, blade attached to her hip.

“Belinda all commando and shit.”

“Hush, this here is my first organized rescue attempt. But looks like you got this under control.” Bells tossed her a gun and a clip.
Jes quickly pointed it in the direction of Melissa’s head daring her to move.

“Bells, knock this bitch out for me please.”

“My pleasure.”

The butt of her gun came down
hard on the side of Melissa head. The other woman instantly knocked out.

“See Draven is on our side again.”

“Think it may be temporary but let’s just go with it.”

The fight was coming to an
end. Jes looked out in the sea of bodies checking for Royce. She still hadn’t located him, and any attempt to connect with him through their mind was blocked off. Enri’s death squad was obliterated. Bodies lay in pieces on the floor, and what little survivors were left had been secured and were all being herded away from the scene by Adam and Dietrich. Ronin was also looking for someone but seemed pretty upset they weren’t among the bodies. She could only assume it was his father and he’d somehow gotten away.

A shadow stretched tall in a corner.
It was throwing off powerful emotions that she felt all the way to the bottom of her feet. The giant had its back to her. As she approached it dropped it hands to it sides. The thing was hunched over something she couldn’t see.

“You need to step the fuck back.”

It was Royce, and he was angry. He pulled himself from the shadows. Blood dripped from his mouth. A clump of hair in his clawed hands.

“You do not call to Bells. Y
ou don’t bring her over here. Get me?” He said to Jes.

“Royce talk to me. I can help you if you let me.”

“I don’t have time for your shit. Fuck off.”

Well he was definitely
pm’sing. He grunted at her and turned back to his corner. She noticed blood was running in rivulets past his legs. She was going to chance and peek around his shoulder when Ronin grabbed her around the stomach and swung her around. He spoke slowly in her ear.

“Do not bring our
girl this way. Help with clean-up. Help Draven or even D. The both of you need to stay busy. I got this.”

He released her and pushed her towards the activities he mentioned in her ear and turned back to deal with his brother.

“Royce.”

Royce
didn’t move. Didn’t make a sound

“Jes I said leave.”

She didn’t. Her feet were rooted to the ground.

“Our entire life has been fucked over.”
Royce said quietly.