Page 58 of Wraith
Liam pointed to the right then the left.
One standing on the right—one standing on the left.
The voice moved closer to the door. Liam inched forward and Amelia followed, hunching down low. As one man came out into the doorway, Liam slammed a large fist into his face. He staggered backward and as he and Liam cleared the door, Amelia tackled the second man like a linebacker. She hit him hard, using her feet to give enough momentum and caught him in the side with her shoulders. The hit rattled her brain, but she couldn’t let it bother her. She couldn’t focus on the way her shoulders throb.
Once they hit the floor, Amelia punched him in the chest, but he slammed her hard sending her reeling back. Liam came to help but Amelia simple curled her legs forward, sat on the man’s midsection and sent a foot down into his forehead. Her assailant didn’t move.
Liam pulled her off him, but she ran back and kicked him hard in the ribs.
“Come on, Hummingbird.” Liam told her, urgency in his voice. “Do not use energy you don’t have to.”
Other voices could be hear echoing through the place now. Liam still didn’t pull his weapon. He moved like a soldier, precise, silent. She was having problems with the dim lighting of the hall, but Liam didn’t seem to have an issue. She moved silently behind him, holding against the loop of his pants. When he stopped suddenly, she crashed into his back. She released him.
“Stay here for a sec.” Liam whispered.
When Amelia nodded, Liam took off on a sprint. She peered around to watch as he slid across the floor like a baseball player to take out the legs of an armed man standing at the far door. It took mere seconds, but it was slow motion.
Other men came and Wraith handled them like a superhero—knocking men out, throwing a couple over rails. They landed with an ungodly thud. She winced. Before she could gather herself again, a man snuck up behind Liam with a rope and wrapped it around Liam’s neck.
Liam struggled against the hold but couldn’t seem to get out of it. Without thinking, Amelia grabbed a chair from the room she was in, tiptoed up to the man and brought it down over his back. The chair hadn’t broken like in the movies. But it had the desired effect. Liam was free and she ducked out of the way knowing he wouldn’t be pleased with what had been done to him.
True to form, Liam sent a high kick to the side of the man’s head then a roundhouse to slam the attacker into the floor.
Liam winked at Amelia who smiled. “Come on.”
“You okay?” Amelia whispered.
“I will be.”
Eventually they made it to the top floor. In a large bedroom, a man laid motionless on the bed. Amelia didn’t understand how he could sleep through the racket of a war just one floor beneath him. When they stepped in, Amelia locked the door behind them as Liam walked around the side of the bed and used a flashlight to shine down into the man’s face.
He growled.
“What’s wrong?” Amelia whispered.
“I know this man…” Liam explained. He turned off the flashlight and shook the man after using his free hand to heft his weapon.
Nothing.
Liam punched the man who jerked upright in bed. Liam turned on the light so the sleepy man could see the weapon.
“Hello, Melora.” Liam’s voice was like the rumble of an impending storm. “It’s so lovely to see you again.”
“Wraith!” Melora grumbled. “How the hell did you get in here?”
“Why am I not surprised you’re involved in this?” Liam asked.
“Ivan Melora?” Tex asked through the earpiece.
“The one and only,” Liam replied.
“Want me to get Wolf on this?” Tex asked.
“Not yet.” Liam eased a little closer.
Melora took that moment to lounge at Liam. Without emotion, Liam shot him in the left shoulder. Melora hit the bed like a sack of potatoes. “I’m running out of time. So each question I ask and feel you’re lying to me, I’ll add another bullet hole.”
It seemed Melora didn’t believe Liam, so he tried again. Liam fired once more into his right shoulder.
