Page 74 of Green Ravens

Valor stalked around them, but he didn’t have time to knock them on their asses before the helicopter rounded the side of the building.

He sprinted toward the terrace and vaulted onto the railing, boots skidding as he balanced with the precision of a feline.

Below him, the city stretched in every direction, freedom within his grasp.

The chopper banked hard, its rotor blades deafening enough to drown out the guard’s attack. The wind whipped around him, tugging at his cloak, threatening to toss him over.

He clenched the hell out of the grappling hook and began to spin it at his side like a lasso.

The guard had his taser leveled on him and Valor didn’t hesitate as he yanked two blades from the harness strapped to his thigh and flung them toward him. He threw with such force that they disappeared into the guard’s chest. He staggered back and went down on one knee with a pained holler.

The last one took aim with his taser at the same time Valor hurled the metal hook toward his ride. He inwardly celebrated when it caught the landing step of the helicopter, but it was short-lived as Valor was launched off the ledge and gravity seized him.

The wind screamed in his ears as he plummeted several floors, the city lights rushing toward him before the line wenttaut and his shoulder was wrenched with such brutal force it almost took it from its socket.

“Hang on, Valor!” Jo screamed from the open door.

No fuckin’ shit.

The helicopter’s nose dipped as if the pilot struggling to regain control.

Other faces peered down at him from the aircraft, but he stayed focused.

Valor glanced below and saw two of the guards helping their wounded while the other fired a barrage of rounds toward him, but they went wide, lost in the madness of rotor wash and darkness.

As the helicopter swung around the building, Valor turned his head toward Zorion’s terrace.

Gunfire sparked, hitting tree bark and shattering glass. They were using lethal ammunition. Zorion was moving through the trees, a shadow slipping through the branches with stealth and swiftness. The guards tried to track him, but they looked confused and pissed.

“Try not to shoot to kill!” Valor heard. “We need him alive.”

“That’s if we can fuckin’ catch him!”

Valor would’ve laughed if he wasn’t suspended in midair, only his arm keeping him from plummeting to his death.

Valor caught sight of the same massive hawk that had warned them circling the terrace. He was black as night, his wings spread almost five feet, talons curved frighteningly as if about to catch his prey.

Zorion emerged from the trees as he made eye contact with him.

Come on, baby. I’ve got you.

“To the right, catch him before he jumps!”

A guard holding a taser kicked into another gear, as if running with all his might.

Zorion raced to the edge. He was just a few feet away when the guard lunged and got a grip on his shoulder.

No!

With unfathomable speed, the hawk dove with a piercing screech. It struck and sunk its razor-sharp claws into the man’s face, tearing at his eyes in a burst of feathers and fury.

The second Zorion was free, he leaped off the railing, launching himself into darkness. He spread his arms wide and the wingsuit flared open.

Like a hot blade cutting through butter, Zorion soared downward as bullets chased him. He twisted mid-glide, banking sharply as if he’d been using that suit for years.

Valor clenched his jaw. His timing had to be perfect.

The helicopter drew level with Zorion’s descent, and Valor angled himself against the rope’s tension. The wind tugged him and his shoulder screamed, but he wouldn’t let go. He’d never let Zorion down.

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