Page 49 of Beta Team-The Saviors: Part One
“Holy shit,” Keon breathes through comms.
Tyler and I move toward the back of the apartment and find the three women huddled on the floor.
Ari moves his AK behind his back and raises his hands. “We’re here to help!” he yells over the screams. He gestures to all of us. “Good guys.”
Tyler wanders over to the window, peeking out. “We need to move. We don’t know how many people they have.”
Ari crouches down so he’s not towering over them. “Let us help you.”
One woman starts shaking her head and starts speaking rapidly in another language. Ari answers in the same language, and she seems surprised. She starts speaking faster and gestures wildly to another room.
“Shit,” Ari spits and stands up. “There’s more.” He jerks his head for me to follow him, and I pull my AK back up. We slowly approach the door, and Ari reaches for the handle. I nod, letting him know I’m ready for anything. When he pushes the door open, all the air whooshes from my lungs.
There are more women and some very sick-looking kids. They’re bruised, bloody, and look like they haven’t eaten in months. The oldest child couldn’t be more than seven years old.
“Ace!” Ari’s yell snaps me out of my trance, and I turn wild eyes to him. “Pull it together. We need to get them out of here. Now.”
“We have two unknowns moving toward the apartment,” Keon reports through comms. “Tyler and I will cover. Get them out.”
The one speaking to Ari earlier rushes into the room, and they have a hushed conversation. She runs out and returns with the other two women behind her. “Ace. Grab the kid on the bed.”
I walk over and almost lose my shit. This kid is maybe two, and his breathing is shallow. I sling my AK behind my back and gently slide my arms under him. His body is lifeless when I pick him up, and all I can do is beg him to hold on until we can get him help.
Shots ring out from outside the apartment, and Tyler yells that we need to move. As carefully as possible, I move to the fire escape. Our plan went all to shit now that we have more to rescue than we initially thought.
“Come on, buddy,” I whisper. “We’re almost safe.”
I move him so his head is on my shoulder and wrap my arm around his waist. With one hand, I start climbing down the fire escape ladder. “Pass him to me,” Keon whispers when I’m almost to the bottom. “Ari’s going to need you back up there.”
More shots echo through the night, and I gently pass him to Keon. I go back to the apartment, and one by one, we put them securely in the back of the van. We’re on the road when all hell breaks loose.
“He’s not breathing!” Keon yells, starting CPR on the first one I carried out. “Ari, fucking step on it!”
We skid to a stop in front of Betty’s house thirty minutes later, and everyone is already waiting to help. I stumble out of the van and hear the screaming but can’t make anything out.
“Gavin!”
There are too many of them sick, and we don’t have the resources to help them. We didn’t get to them soon enough.
“Gavin. You have to wake up.” I jerk up in bed, and a sob erupts before I can stop it. “Shhh,” Tyler soothes, jerking me into a hug. “It’s okay.”
“We didn’t get there quick enough,” I say, trying to get my shit under control. “They could have died.”
“They didn’t, though. They have a lot of healing ahead, but they lived.” I know he’s just placating me because it’s still touch and go with a few of them, including the one Keon tried to save in the back of that van. None of us can even open those doors because all we see is them. After Keon got him breathing again, they rushed the sickest to the hospital. I couldn’t move, and I felt fucking useless. “What can I do?”
“I don’t know,” I say raggedly, trying to push him away. He holds on tighter, and I feel my temper flare. “Let me go.”
“No. Let me fucking help you.” I let the fight leave my body, and he loosens his hold to help me lay back down. He crawls on the bed beside me so we’re face to face. I feel my eyes drifting closed, and he rubs his hand across my sweaty forehead. I lift my hand and flatten my palm against his heart. “Sleep. I’ll keep the nightmares away.”
I wakeup the following morning feeling groggy as hell. The nightmares always take so much out of me. I drag my ass out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. Turning the water on cold, I step inside so it shocks me awake. The same thing I have to do every damn morning. When my mind clears, I adjust the temperature and finish my shower so we can go to the college campus for Kira.
I loved seeing her having fun last night, and I knew she and Chelsea would get along. After Tyler’s impromptu half-ass strip tease on the bar, we all just hung out—no talk of missions or anything to do with the Saviors. We were just human for a couple of hours. We talked and laughed, making me feel normal. I hoped it was enough to keep the nightmares at bay, but I was dead wrong. That’s the worst they’ve been. I can usually wake myself up before it gets to when we were in the van, but last night, it wasn’t giving up. We don’t even know the little boy’s name because the women didn’t know, either. The intel didn’t match what we found, and we know something darker is at work. The women and kids were snatched at random, with nothing linking any of them together. But the lead that led us to that apartment went radio silent, and we couldn’t find anything else.
I climb out of the shower, dry off, and wrap a towel around my waist. Going to my bedroom, I get dressed and head downstairs to find Tyler. I step into the kitchen, and Ari is leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. “Morning.”
“Morning,” I reply, taking the coffee cup he slides across the counter. “Where’s Ty?”
“He already left for the campus. You’re with me today.”
