Page 81 of Leave Me Behind
I love you. I shouldn’t, but I do.
thirty-two
. . .
Nell
Bradshaw drawsout the map from memory on the tile floor with a marker. He circles our location and taps where the Ghosts’ headquarters is. “It’s a day and a half walk from the bunker we’re at now. If we keep close to the ridge line of the western mountain that follows near the remaining bunkers, we can keep an eye out for Eren and the rest of Malum.”
I nod, but worry sits cumbersomely on my chest. “What if they attack me? I’m not so sure Eren will be willing to talk.”
Bradshaw leans in close and smooths his hand over mine. I meet his gaze. “They won’t. Eren won’t tell them about his order to get rid of you. He’d never share the details of his shady side dealings.”
“Don’t you worry about what he’snottelling you?” I query.
He shakes his head as his brows knit. “No. If it’s important, I already know about it. Anyway, you don’t need to worry. I trust my brother.”
Well, that doesn’t make me feel better.
I doubt Eren tells him everything necessary. It’s sad how ignorant to corruption we all are when we care about a person. I never noticed how cold-hearted Jenkins truly was, not when I was by his side.
“You're betting my life on that? I think he wants me dead no matter what.”
Bradshaw lets out a breath. “Have faith in me.”
I roll my eyes. “Like I have any other choice. You know the way in once we find their headquarters, right?” Bradshaw shakes his head and I groan, adding: “We can figure it out when we get there. I’m more worried about Eren than a security system to break.”
He stares at the map for a few seconds before nodding and muttering, “Yeah, me too.”
The uniforms dry by nightfall. We’re dressed with masks pulled over our faces, ready to reenter the cold world above. My lungs are filled with fire. Who is targeting the dark forces? Eren knows, yet he won’t even tell Bradshaw. It unsettles me that Eren knew how lethal I was. If he genuinely knew about my hand in Abrahm’s death all along, why would he put me as Bradshaw’s second?
I mull over those thoughts while Bradshaw tightens his vest and he finally gives the signal formove out.He starts to climb the ladder. I grab a step and start to haul myself up behind him.
BOOM.
The ground shakes and the fluorescent lights switch to red before we can even react to the aftershocks. Bradshaw looks over his shoulder at me and makes the hand signal forfall back. I hold my M16 tightly across my chest and duck behind thebathroom door. Bradshaw is a second behind me and takes the other side of the door. We both watch the bunker hatch, guns raised and ready.
I focus, listening for any footsteps, but there are too many to determine how many people are up there. It’s an ambush. The Ghosts know we’re down here.Fuck!
“Here they come,” Bradshaw mutters as he pulls the pin to a flash grenade with his teeth. He times it perfectly, boots hitting the ground just as he tosses it. I shut my eyes against the flash of white. The second the light goes out I set my gun down and unsheathe my combat blade.
“Bunny, use your M16,” Bradshaw hisses at me, but the weight of his words is lost as two soldiers rush into the bathroom. They were expecting us to be behind the door, but not from so low. I don’t wait to see who it is and my blade is thrusting up before the man has any clue who he’s fucking with.
The soldier notices at the last second and blocks my blade from being buried in his gut. I twist my hold on the handle to keep him from knocking it out of my hand with his counterblow. The butt of his gun hits my forearms. Pain crackles through my bones and I gnash my teeth at the ferocity this man fights with.
They have specialized training, but their goal is obviously to detain us. I can tell he’s trying not to kill me.Big mistake on their part.
I sweep my leg across his feet and he hits the ground hard. His gun fires and shatters the mirrors.Shit!We’re in a metal box. Loose bullets will be a problem if they ricochet.
My eyes flick to Bradshaw—he’s wrestling a soldier to the ground and both their guns are two feet away from them. More voices sound from the other room. If we can’t get control in the next few seconds, we’re fucked.
His uniform looks familiar.It takes me by surprise. He takes advantage of my pause and grips my face mask. He rips it off,stinging the back of my ears. I clutch my knife and tear it behind the soldier’s knees, severing the tendons. His legs go limp and he screams in pain. I take the chance his hysteria brings and go for his throat. My blade glides smoothly across his soft flesh and his pupils enlarge with the endorphins.
His body slacks instantly to the side. I grab my M16 and put three bullets into the soldier beneath Bradshaw just as he snaps his neck.
“I had him.” Bradshaw glares at me, but I ignore him and kick him his gun. His mask was torn off in the scuffle, his bottom lip bleeding. He picks it up and stands in one fluid motion. “Night vision,” he orders, knocking his goggles down over his eyes and shooting out the lights above us. I pull mine down too.
Going dark is the best option we have.
