Page 33 of Dark Rebel's Fortune

With the wall out of the way, Max caught glimpses of the battle unfolding across the compound. Jade and the two Kra-ell females had engaged a group of Doomers near the main gate, the confrontation having evolved from a mere distraction into a full-fledged assault.

The Kra-ell were magnificent in combat, their physiology giving them advantages even against immortals. Rishba and Asuka moved with a lethal grace that was almost hypnotic, their slender bodies belying their incredible strength.

Jade fought with a ferocity that bordered on artistry, her movements so fast they blurred even to Max's enhanced vision. She had already downed three Doomers, their bodies lying in unnatural postures around her as she engaged a fourth.

Yamanu's blanket thralling had taken care of all the human guards, paralyzing them on the spot, so the only ones still resisting were the Doomers and perhaps the odd human or two who were immune to thralling.

Two Doomers rushed from the neighboring building with automatic weapons in hand, and Max took cover behind the fallen wall debris as they opened fire, their bullets chewing into the concrete barrier.

Max drew his own weapon and returned fire.

One of the Doomers staggered as Max's shots found their mark, giving Max the split second he needed. He vaulted over the barrier, closing the distance between them. The second Doomer swung his weapon around, but he was too slow. Max was already inside his guard, one hand seizing the rifle and wrenching it away while the other delivered a blow to the Doomer's throat that would have decapitated a human.

The Doomer fell back, temporarily disabled but far from defeated. His companion had recovered enough to re-enter the fight, and Max found himself engaged with both simultaneously in a deadly ballet of strikes, blocks, and countermoves.

In his earpiece, Kyra's voice cut through the din of battle. "I'm coming back?—"

"Negative," Max barked, ducking under a Doomer's swing and delivering a devastating counter that shattered the immortal's knee. "Stay put. We are almost done here."

That was a big-ass exaggeration.

He dispatched the first Doomer with a blade through the heart that should keep him down long enough for Max to finish his comrade. The second proved more resilient, landing a blow that sent Max crashing into a wall with enough force to crack the concrete.

Max shook off the impact, a savage grin spreading across his face. A part of him reveled in the pure, unfiltered violence of immortal against immortal. The Guardian Force had given him a purpose and a moral code, but it had also given him a sanctioned outlet for the predatory instincts that were inherent in all immortals.

Killing monstrous Doomers was the most satisfying channel for those instincts, and Max had no compunctions about indulging them to their fullest.

He re-engaged the enemy, their impact sending them crashing through the wall into a room that must have served as a clinic or laboratory. Max pinned his opponent against a steel table, one hand crushing the Doomer's throat while the other drove his blade through the immortal's chest with enough force to pierce the metal surface beneath.

The next part was gruesome but necessary. He removed the beating hearts from both Doomers.

More explosives sounded from the other buildings, the work of Yamanu, Jade, Asuka and Rishba.

Max made one more run through the building to verify that there were no more Doomers left and then went to locate the security hub of the compound. They needed to eliminate all recorded evidence of what took place here. The existence of the Kra-ell must remain hidden from the Doomers, and the existence of vampire-like immortals must remain a secret from humans.

Finding a thralled soldier, it was easy to find the information he needed. With his remaining explosives set, Max withdrew from the structure and detonated, eliminating all possible evidence of tonight's battle.

Max then rushed to see if his team needed his help.

He made his way through the compound, encountering no further resistance. The battle had shifted to the administrative building, where Jade and her team were still engaged with what remained of the Doomer force.

The Kra-ell warriors had the upper hand, dispatching their opponents with savage efficiency.

Outside, the night was only illuminated by the fires burning throughout the compound and the harsh beams of searchlights sweeping across thegrounds. Max kept to the shadows, making his way toward the breached section of the perimeter wall.

He found Kyra waiting just beyond the breach, her weapon ready, her posture betraying her tension despite her outward calm.

"I told you to stay with the hostages," Max said, checking over his shoulder for pursuit.

"And I decided that was a stupid order," she replied with a ghost of a smile. "Dima and Anton can handle securing the vans."

Max opened his mouth to argue further, then closed it with a shake of his head. He would have done the same in her position.

"Status on the rest of the team?" she asked. "Should we go help them?"

"Still engaged at the administrative building," he reported. "Jade's crew are almost done, and we will only be in the way." He grimaced. "You don't want to see the carnage they leave behind. It's gruesome."

They were making sure there would be no survivors to report what had happened and no one to alert other Brotherhood cells about the rescue operation.

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