Page 74 of Honor Bound

“They can’t,” Bantu replied grimly. “Not without crossing open corridors. I’m working on an alternate route, but?—”

Roan didn’t wait for the rest. He ran. His feet pounded against the conduit floor, each step a hammer blow to the tension clawing at his chest. His muscles burned, his shoulder and thigh protesting from his earlier wounds, but he didn’t slow.

He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not ever.

The light at the end of the conduit grew brighter, the metallic hum of the collapsing space lab vibrating beneath him. The charges Packu had set were going off. He sprinted harder, his breath coming in ragged bursts.

Suddenly, the conduit walls around him shuddered violently. A deep, guttural boom echoed through the metal, followed by a high-pitched whine. The floor tilted beneath him, nearly throwing him off his feet. He caught himself against the wall, his eyes narrowing at the flicker of orange light ahead.

A ball of fire tore through the conduit, racing toward him with blistering heat and deafening roar.

“Shit!”

Roan pushed off the wall, sprinting with everything he had, his heart hammering in his chest. Flames licked at his heels, the heat searing the surrounding air. His only thought—reach the next junction. If he could just make it?—

The fireball surged closer, swallowing the tunnel in a blinding inferno as he swung the staff in his hand.

CHAPTERTWENTY

Julia wiped her brow, sweat trickling down her temple as she prepared to neutralize the last containment unit in the lab. Her fingers worked quickly, adjusting the vial of neutralizing agent in the dispersal mechanism. Just one more unit and they could get the hell out of this place.

Her breath caught when she heard footsteps—heavy and deliberate—echoing from the corridor outside the lab.

No, not now.

Sergi and Josh moved in front of her, blocking her from sight as the door slid open. Six Legion soldiers stepped inside, their weapons drawn. The officer at the front narrowed his eyes.

“Identify yourselves.” His voice was sharp and suspicious. His eyes flicked from Sergi to Josh. “You’re not assigned to this sector. I don’t recognize either of you.”

Sergi glanced at Josh, his lips curling into a slow, mischievous smile. “Oh, we’re pretty memorable,” he drawled.

Josh raised an eyebrow. “Ancient Knights of the Gallant,” they answered in unison, their voices tinged with wry humor.

In perfect synchronization, they raised their staffs, releasing a blinding surge of energy.

Chaos erupted. The soldiers returned fire, bolts of energy from their weapons slicing through the air. Julia ducked low in front of the containment unit as several came within inches of her. Her heart pounded as she worked furiously to neutralize the last of the iROS. She forced herself to breathe evenly, her hands steady despite the chaos around her.

The officer, blood seeping from a wound in his side, stumbled backward. His hand slammed down on the wall-mounted alarm. The shrill wail of the alarm echoed through the lab.

“Damn it,” Sergi muttered.

At the same time, the ground lurched beneath them as the explosives Packu set began rocking the space lab. Julia stumbled, catching herself against the console as a low hiss filled the room. Her eyes flew to the containment unit. Her heart stopped when she saw the crack beginning to form.

“Sergi!” Julia shouted. “We’re about to have a breach!”

“Of course,we are,” Sergi groaned, spinning his staff to knock out a Legion soldier. “Because this day isn’t exciting enough.”

Josh ducked behind a console, dodging another laser blast. “Options?”

“Bantu, you need to stop the emergency lockdown,” Julia said into the commlink.

“The neutralizer is spreading—just not very fast.”

“Then wemove,” Josh ordered, covering her.

Sergi’s staff crackled with energy as he fired at the control panel located by the main door to the lab, short-circuiting it. The panel melted, locking out any re-enforcements heading for the lab.

“Julia, come on!” Josh called, holding out a hand.

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