Page 88 of The Last True Hero
"The second they get in here, they'll realize someone died," Jake said.
Too much blood on the floor to hide.
"And we can't hide him." A thumb jerked toward McClain.
"Unless...." Ellie's gaze shifted to Colton. "They might think it's him, if we get Colton out of here."
"No way," Mia snapped. "They'll put McClain in their death match instead, and he's not in any condition to fight."
"Then what do we do?" Ellie asked.
Mia's gaze shot to McClain. He prowled the cage on two legs, hideously hunched over, his tawny fur rippling over obscene muscles.
"I don't know," Mia blurted. She'd never been helpless, but her brain felt like it was wrapped in fog right now. Like it couldn't make decisions.Shock, an analytical part of her mind said.
She needed to pull herself out of this. There was no time to work her way through the minefield she'd suddenly found herself in.
The truth was, they were in dire straits. They'd done their best to hide the reiver bodies, but there was too much blood on the floors. Someone would notice that Rykker and his crew were missing.
And they couldn't just leave McClain here for the reivers.
That didn't even account for the fact that Sage and the others were still trapped and her, Jake, and Ellie's covers had been blown. Fuck. How were they supposed to get out of this alive?
"Two hundred reivers," Jake murmured, looking at her with the same horror on his face. The last few days were taking their toll on him too. "We can't handle those odds. Not with only three of us, and everything up shit creek at the moment."
"Four," Colton pointed out.
"McClain's our fourth, not you," Mia snapped. "And we can't let him out of the cage right now. We need to regroup.
Colton suddenly cocked his head. "I can hear voices."
Funny how she'd never really questioned McClain's superhearing before.
Maybe you didn't want to?
"I'm not leaving without Thea," Ellie declared, but she looked so young in that moment. More determined than hopeful.
"Or Sonya," Sara declared, seeming to find her voice for the first time. She shrank as they all looked at her. "We can't leave them. Sonya stayed behind so we could get out. She thinks we're coming back. I can't leave her like that."
Mia's heart raced. "We need ammunition, a means of escape, and a distraction." Those plans still applied. Her gaze slid to Zarina thoughtfully. "Andwe need a hostage."
"Sage can work a shotgun," Jake replied, snagging the keys from Ellie and hauling open Zarina's cell. "We have to get the girls out. Fast. That gives us better numbers. We still have surprise on our side."
But that meant leaving McClain behind. There was no way they could handle a warg right now.
"You promise to behave?" Jake demanded, hauling Zarina to her feet. "Or should we just shoot you now?"
She surveyed them all, but her expression remained thoughtful. "I'll come. But no ropes."
"The ropes stay. You make one wrong move and I'll put a bullet in your back. Let's go," Jake told her, shoving her toward the cell door.
“No! I’m not leaving him.” Not like this.
Jake grabbed Mia by the upper arm. “If we don’t leave, then we’ll be outmanned and outgunned. How do we get Sage out then?” His face contorted. “I need you, Mia. I can’t rescue my wife alone. They're going to sell her tomorrow, if she's still here. To some Confederacy general. We'll never get her back then.”
"I'll stay," Colton said. "I can maybe put the amulet back on McClain, and try and talk him through the shift back. I'm probably the only one who can survive him in this state."
She stared at him helplessly.
