Chapter 30 - I've Got Your Six
Eric
I thought I calculated, planned and accounted for everything regarding tonight.
It's a highly anticipated night for Dauntless every year. Even during the years that there hasn't been an initiation we ran war games instead just to keep the faction from feeling like it was missing out. For everyone that doesn't have to be involved in planning this crap out, it's nothing but fun and games, for me, it's always been a logistical nightmare. Not to mention the personal thorn in my side that losing to Four always turns out to be.
So leading up to tonight, I really wasn't expecting to be excited about it even with the addition of Kat. In fact, I felt a new level of stress when getting everything set up because of her.
Chase made sure to have control covered so we could have eyes in the sky over the area.
Zach made sure to get stuff to outfit Kat so that she wouldn't be too easily picked out as an initiate if one of the factionless did spot and target her, thinking she would be easy pickings.
I made sure that every member that was invited tonight was someone I approved of as being capable. I also arranged that Zach would be splitting off with Four and Lauren while I would have Chase on my team. That way, if for some reason I didn't get Kat on my team like I planned there was someone we trusted with Four.
Getting her to be as rested as she could be was tricky, but thankfully, turned out to be easily solved in our morning negotiations for her to have dinner at the apartment with us, take a few additional meds to make sure her ribs are all healed up and going right to bed. Which she did with little complaint, even if she looked put out we wouldn't tell her what was going on.
At dinner, I felt the first wave of excitement hit me as I tried to imagine her reaction when she finally finds out what we are going to be doing. Every time something new is introduced it's like seeing it for the first time through her eyes and I love it.
Sometimes it's the simplest shit too.
Like Chase bringing lunch that one time. It was just chicken! But she acted like it was the most wonderful thing she had ever eaten in her life.
Or the time I took her to the roof where we have discs we launch into the air and used for target practice. Her smile and energy were so bright it was like she swallowed the sun, she was beaming.
Sitting next to her at dinner I found myself looking forward to not only her reaction but the actual game, for once. I would even dare to say I was getting a little worked up about it, ready for dinner to be over, for it to be time to get her from the dorm along with the others.
I was ready. Prepared and anticipating her reactions.
Now I'm in the dorm and staring at her as she stays lying in her bed, hair down in waves around her shoulders, propped up in bed as she looks at me with wide and confused eyes. And the serious flaw in my plan becomes glaringly obvious to me when I realize I didn't plan for how her reactions were going to make me react.
I'm frozen right now wondering how I missed the fact that waking her up would involve seeing her in bed?
I feel Chase nudge me in my side with whatever it was he used to bang on the pipes with as I hear a few whispers from the group behind us wanting to get the show on the road and new question enters my mind.
Why didn't I realize that my seeing her like this meant other people would be too?
Yeah, that needs to stop right now, I decide angrily. I see her sister lying in her bed too and decide to let my anger and frustration out on her.
"Did you go deaf, stiff?" I bark out, sneering at her.
It was a dick move but it worked.
It gets her and Kat moving, as well as anyone else that wasn't. They start scrambling and I hear Chase telling the group with us to start heading to the tracks. He then orders Zach and Zeke to take the bags out there for everyone to grab their gear before they get on the train.
I watch in satisfaction as I see Kat starting to put on the clothes Zach dropped off for her while she was asleep. It looks like everyone is close to being done, except for that damn former Candor, Christina. She's getting dressed at the pace of a snail. My patience snapped when I see she doesn't seem to be in any hurry.
"Do you require instructions on the simple task of getting dressed, initiate?" I ask snidely while glaring at her and walking closer.
Instead of lighting a fire under her ass and making her scramble to get dressed quickly, she stops and turns to face me.
Inwardly I curse as soon as I see her expression.
I knew it was trouble when I realized she's been hanging around Lauren more often. Out of all the Dauntless involved with training that was the worst one for her to latch onto. She tries to give me one of the looks the older girl is known for. It's a ridiculous combination of trying to flirt and sneer at the same time that honestly isn't appealing at all.
I don't even bother giving her any kind of response, good or bad and let my eyes move away from her dismissively. Which actually seems to work better than if I had responded because she deflates and turns around to get dressed again.
From the corner of my eye, I catch that Kat's stopped getting dressed, so I turn my head to look at her. Only to see her glaring at Christina and tensed like she's seconds from leaping on her and clawing her eyes out. If she actually planned on doing that I'll never find out. Her sister must have realized something was going so she elbows Kat and frantically whispers for her to get dressed.
I watch this with a growing smirk and a sense of deep satisfaction when I realize that she was actually jealous of how Christina was looking at me. There's a part of me that's a bit offended and upset that she would think I would fall for that horrible and half-hearted attempt at flirting, but a bigger part that is pleased as fuck to see the possessiveness she feels.
I probably would've even let her get in a few good hits before pulling her off if she had gone after her.
Kat locks eyes with me and I don't bother to hide my smirk or look away, even though I probably should.
"You have five minutes to get dressed and meet us by the tracks. We're going on another field trip."
I turn away and walk out still wearing that smirk, looking forward to tonight that much more.
"You can't go for her as your first choice."
"I know, Chase."
"Four probably won't want to draw too much attention to pick her first either."
"We already talked about this, Chase."
"It might be better to make her your second or third choice, but don't wait…"
"Shut it guys, the initiates are coming out now." Zach sighs and I give him a grateful look while Chase just grins a little and rubs the back of his neck.
Still, I can tell he's not a bit sorry that he's been going over everything we've gone over already in our plan to make sure Kat's on our team. Honestly, I can't even blame him.
We settle in and wait for everyone to show up.
When I thought about seeing Kat's reaction to finding out what we are doing tonight I didn't expect to see anything before we got on the train. I even said as much to my brothers. While Chase agreed, Zach just smiled a knowing smile and shrugged.
Now I see why.
She comes out arm in arm with her sister with the last of the transfers and I see her searching the groups of Dauntless-born for her friends. Then her eyes land where we are standing and the tactical bags full of equipment at our feet. Her eyes lit up and she heads directly for us, pulling her sister behind her. But when Tris doesn't seem to be able to keep up she lets go of her hand and lunges for the first bag.
Standing beside these tracks and watching her bounce in excitement brings me back to my own initiation and the thrill I felt when I realized what we would be doing. I've never fought so hard to not smile and laugh as I do while watching her give a high pitched gleeful shout as she looks in and sees the guns we'll be using.
And it just gets better.
"Are we going to be shooting something?" Christina looks up from the bag with her lips curled in disgust and not for the first time I wonder why the hell this girl transferred to Dauntless.
I see the same flash of disgust cross Kat's face before she gets a wicked gleam in her eyes.
"If there is any justice in the universe we will be. Something…" she pauses and grins wickedly as her eyes lock on and bore into the other girl. "Or someone. "
Beside me, Chase is chuckling slightly along with me while we watch the two in a little face-off. One that sees Christina looking away but Kat isn't done getting her point across and she calls to the other girl, gaining her attention again.
"Hey, Christina. Wanna be my huckleberry?" She purrs out in the most deadly, and downright seductive, tone I've ever heard from her.
"I'm not going to last the fucking night," I mutter without thought.
Chase chokes on laughter.
Kat turned to face us with that fire she just faced the other girl with still blazing in her eyes. I smirk and wink at her before turning away, thinking that my brothers might be right and that I might want to reevaluate my timeline.
If I make it through the night, that is.
Chase and I listen to the arguing going on around us but keep silent. Even though I want to bang a few heads and tell them to get their shit together, I don't. The source of the arguing is coming from a couple of the loudmouth Dauntless-borns that have gathered their own little cliques together, trying to put themselves out there as leaders.
The transfers are silent. Which isn't unexpected really but there are a few of them that I expected more from.
Fuck it.
It's Kat I expected more from if I'm being honest.
She's off to the side, still arm in arm with her friend Mar. Peter is lurking near there while not actually being part of the little group she has going on. Edward and his girl joined them a bit ago, but even he isn't making any moves to step up. He's another one I expected more from. The only thing they seem to be doing is making quiet comments to each other, laughing or smiling about whatever it is that they're saying to each other.
All this is doing is pissing me off.
Between the numbskulls in the Dauntless-born being loud and idiotic with their outrageous suggestions and the other groups' utter lack of interest in making any suggestions, I snap.
"You got something to share over there?" I growled loudly, penetrating all the other noise and silencing them.
Every eye turns to me but I'm zeroed in on Kat's group as I slowly walked closer. I watch as Edward stiffens to attention and shakes his head in the negative, making me dismiss him with a sneer and focus on Kat.
I saw she stiffened too, going to attention, but she stays silent.
Come on, Kitten. I know you have something going on in that beautiful mind of yours.
It seems like the seconds I wait for something from her take forever. When I get nothing I turn away feeling deeply disappointed.
"Actually, yeah there is."
There's my girl.
"Really now? Well, I'm all ears," I say after turning back to face her. Probably a little too quickly in my eagerness to hear what she's come up with.
I see her nervousness and realize that's why she hadn't spoken out until now. It's a reminder that Kat isn't one to want attention on her. She only steps up to draw it when she's trying to distract others. Usually to draw it away from her sister and protect her in some way.
She clears her throat and lifts her chin in determination, looking me square in the eyes and I welcome it if it gives her the strength she needs.
"Four selected his team based on their builds. And I know for a fact that a good few of them are very fast runners. Making his team perfect for stealth. That got me thinking if I had a team that was fast and stealthy, what kind of approach would I take to win? What would be my first step? Being fast and stealthy won't mean crap if I don't know what I'm running into. The only way to get good information on an enemies position in our terrain would be either to send a scout team or…"
"To get high enough line of sight." Edward finally gets enough courage to speak out, interrupting what Kat was saying, to my annoyance. "A scout team with their numbers wouldn't be as advised but with the height of some of these buildings that gives them much better odds. Which isn't a bad idea for us too."
It seems this was exactly what my kitten had been thinking too and any nervousness or hesitancy melts away. Her eyes flashed with intelligence and excitement as her grin widened.
"Exactly!" She gushes loudly. "It would be good for us to get high to see if we can find their flag, but it's just as important to have someone act as a lookout and keep them up high. Most importantly, we need to make sure this person isn't the one with the flag. Since we don't have to keep the flag at any specific height we can put it somewhere that's easily defended and with limited ways of approach."
She finishes speaking, looking around at everyone. I can tell she's wanting the others to speak up now. She doesn't want to run the show and I'm pretty certain that what she's really wanting is for everyone to work together by hinting at a simple but very solid plan that can be added to.
"You're talking about a choke point right? Put the flag someplace that gives us the line of sight advantage with only a few ways in or out."
This comes from a Dauntless-born named Tank, who is built exactly like his name suggests. A strong but silent type that hardly ever speaks. He also has a slight reputation of being a gentle giant among his friends but he's not the kind you want to piss off or make an enemy of.
"That would be perfect." Kat agrees with a wicked smile. "But what would be even better is if we had defenders both on the ground and up high. Two really good shooters with an excellent line of sight with a chokepoint set-up could almost double our firepower just by good placement alone."
"Hell yeah!" Tank agrees with a grin that mirrors ones I see spreading across faces all over the group like wildfire.
All the groups that had separated from the others move back in until it's just the one group again. They all start to pitch in ideas or refine the ones that have already been put out there.
I don't need Chase to point out that even though everyone is involved now it seems like the others are looking towards the three that started this out for approval or final say.
Kat, Edward, and Tank have become the clear leaders of this group and they never even asked for it. Those three don't know it, none of the initiates know this, but they've just been marked as leader candidates if they make it in the top five by the end of initiation.
This is both a blessing and a curse for us. It's exactly what I want for Kat but it makes her even more at risk than before.
Once the initiates have their plan we move out to find the best place to set up. This is something that we, members and instructors, can help with since we know the area better than they do.
They wanted a choke point that had only one way to approach but at max two. We ended up finding a set of three buildings and an alley that had only one small off-shot into it as well. They put the flag up on the wall at the very back of the dead-end on the alley then posted a shooter on top of each building. For ground coverage, they used the various remnants of walls, old dumpsters, what looked to be burnt out vehicles and various other objects as cover for our people to hide behind.
During the planning, it was decided that the larger part of our group would stay as protection of the flag but we couldn't rely on just a defensive strategy. A smaller group would go and retrieve Four's flag. This was another area that I could and did have the final say on.
The group as a whole were split between wanting Edward and Kat to lead the group going after Four's flag or to stay behind and lead the protection of ours. It was a hard decision because they are definitely great shooters, even better than a few of the Dauntless-born.
The point that won out on them going after the other teams' flag was that they were the ones that came up with the plan and have proven they're quick thinking on their feet. Something I couldn't argue with but I did have a quick side argument with Chase on which of the two of us was going with them.
I think we both knew there was no chance in hell I would be letting Kat go out into the city without me but I knew it upset him that he couldn't go too. One of us needed to stay behind and it fell to him.
"Alright, listen up," I call after Chase and I hashed the rest of the details out. "My group is heading out now. Kat, Peter, Tank, and Edward you're all going to be with me. Keep your mouths shut and stay close. It's not just Four's group we need to watch out for. Let's rollout."
Allison was elected as our scout, along with Blake a member I picked to go with her. Those two climbed into one of the highest buildings we had available, about ten stories, and took up position on the roof. Once they got a visual of the flag they relayed that via Blake's communicator.
She caught sight of movement as well as the flag at the old amusement park located on the pier. This was a spot Four used about three years ago. The last time we had Capture with initiates playing. It's just more evidence in my mind that he influences them more than he admits, but at least this year I have Zach to tell me just how much information he's feeding them.
We move silently through the city with me taking the point in a diamond pattern formation. Peter and Tank have the sides with Edward bringing up the rear. Kat's in the center, something she was unhappy about but accepted after one look from me telling her that wasn't changing.
There are more open spaces and blind spots that we need to get past than I'm comfortable with. They do a good job in keeping quiet, moving fast and keeping low as we use what buildings there are for cover. It also helps that everyone, besides Peter, have some understanding of the hand signs I throw out at them. I already knew Tank would understand them and I had an idea that Edward would as well. I hoped Kat would and I was pleased to see that she knew a good majority of them and what she didn't know she picked up the meaning of pretty quickly.
This helped me to communicate to them quickly and quietly as we made our way to where the flag was spotted but it didn't stop the tension and worry I felt building in me. There's something in the air that's off from the normal energy these games bring to the city. It's the stillness around us that have the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.
In my worry for Kat I make a mistake. Thinking that putting more bodies between where an attack might come from and Kat is why I have us break formation with me and Peter on point for the attack as we move in closer. Kat is still in the center with Tank and Edward taking the rear.
Ahead and behind are covered, but I forget about our sides, and that's exactly where we're hit.
Hard.
It isn't until I hear people I know are on Four's team shouting for us to take cover that I realize this attack isn't part of the game. By the time they give their warning, it's too late.
I'm hit by something solid from behind that takes both me and Peter out and to the ground. The screaming starts immediately and I realize that it's Kat who slammed her body into ours, covering us both while she was hit.
It turns my blood to ice as I scramble from under her, desperately wanting to check on her but knowing I can't until we take out whoever attacked us. I did a quick assessment and saw that Edward and Tank were returning fire that we are still under. Zach and a few other members assigned to Four's team quickly move past me towards the group that attacked us, that are now retreating fast. They're all using their sidearms or rifles, not the guns with the neuro-stim darts as ammunition.
A quick visual gives me nothing on who they might be but knowing that Zach and the others are on it, I turn my attention to Kat. I'm almost afraid to look knowing that she got hit and it most likely wasn't the neuro-stim darts but real ammunition.
I see Peter bent over her and frantically trying to hold her convulsing body. "Eric!" He yells and turns towards me, fear on his face. "Something's wrong. She stopped screaming but now she ...I don't know man…"
He can't even talk straight right now and one look I know I'm not feeling much better. I make myself stay calm. The only reason I'm able to do it is catching sight of darts in her back and legs. Not bullet holes as I feared. Peter must connect the darts with her seizures and reaches to pull one out but before I can I shove him away from her hard.
"Back the fuck off. Tell Zach to contact Chase and wrap this shit up." I snarl my order to him but then think better of it. "Fuck it, just tell him to come back here and I'll give him my orders directly. You go join the others and wait."
I don't even wait for him to follow my orders before I lift Kat and carry her to an enclosure I see not far away. I just need to get her somewhere not so out in the open but I can't risk taking her too far without trying to figure out what's wrong with her. Zach has some medic training and I need him to tell me how we should handle this.
I make sure I'm careful as I carry her so that I don't disturb the darts in her. I want to yank them out right now but I don't know if that will make it worse. She continues jerking in my arms and even when I get her set down on the ground she's still doing it. The entire time she doesn't make one damn sound.
I know enough to check some of her vitals. Her breathing and heartbeat are erratic as hell. Pulling back her eyelids to check her responsiveness only shows me that her eyes are rolled up into the back of her head. Her jaw is clenched so tight I'm surprised it hasn't shattered.
When I hear rapid footsteps coming our way I raise my sidearm as a precaution even though I'm pretty sure it's Zach.
"What the fuck happened?" He pants, out of breath as he slides into place next to us.
"I don't know, Zach. She's been like this since we went down. Kat must have seen it coming because she pushed us out of the way and took the hits." I fight to maintain control and stay rational but it's hard.
I watch as Zach does his own evaluation and determines it won't harm her to pull out the darts. From the first one I pull out we know they aren't the same as we were using tonight. Ten darts filled with some unknown serum all up and down her spine and a few in her legs. The needle that auto-injects the liquid serum to stimulate the nerves in a way that simulates a real gunshot is much shorter than the ones in Kat. These are longer and the serum vial also has more volume to it as well.
While I pull the darts out, Zach started calling in orders to wrap things up and get everyone back to the compound using the protocols that are already in place for instances like these. Members will team up and take smaller groups of the initiates back by the most direct routes possible. The groups around here can catch the train but my team will have to hike a good way before they can get to a jump point.
"She's still not moving or responding, Eric." Zach points out worriedly when he comes back to us.
He squats down to be able to look her over where I have her in my arms and reaches for her arm to check her pulse. Something I've done myself repeatedly as it seems to be the only thing keeping me somewhat calm right now.
All the other groups are well on their way to being back to the compound while Zach and I haven't wanted to move Kat just yet. We're going to need to move soon but I haven't wanted to. Not until I have some idea of what the fuck happened.
All Chase has been able to get from control was there was no factionless movement in the area and even Zach said the glimpses they had been able to get of the attackers were of people in black.
"Let's get her back to the compound." I finally agree.
It's when I start to move her, to transfer her to Zach's arms so I can get up, that she makes the first sound. At first it's just a soft whimper that soon turns to a louder one full of anguish.
"Fuck. We need to get her to the clinic…"
"Not a goddamn chance, Zach. We don't know who attacked us or what they were after and I don't trust leaving her in anyone else's hands." I guess I illustrate what I mean when I immediately take her from his arms into mine.
He sighs and doesn't comment on that move but I can tell it upset him a bit. Still, he agrees with me if only reluctantly. "Fine. Chase will make sure we're in the clear in control and I'll get what I can from the clinic myself but we need to move fast. The longer she goes untreated the worse it could be and we don't even know what that shit was."
I know he's right but I also have an idea of what she might have been hit with. I know better than most the kind of shit Erudite has come up with in the past. If it's what I'm thinking it is then all the clinic is going to be able to do for her is to hook her up to an IV and run pain meds through it to help with the pain she's going to be feeling until the serum works its way out of her system.
We move quickly towards the nearest train jump point and don't have long to wait for Chase to join us. All of us are on edge right now and it's showing in the way we bicker over something as simple as getting Kat onto the train.
Logically, I know I'm going to need to let go of Kat to get her on but I don't like it.
Zach and Chase are first on the train and both reach out to take her from my shoulder where I'm running along with her draped over it. Those anguished whimpers she made thirty minutes ago have been the only sounds she's made but as soon as I start my jog they start again. By the time they have her she's screaming and writhing in pain and I lose it.
Kat
I'm adrift and awash in pain. It feels like my very veins have been injected with acid or liquid fire. It's all I can manage to keep breathing through my screams. My entire body seizes up as the fire pumps through me. I don't know if it's my body or mind that shuts down first sending me into blissful darkness.
There are bursts of awareness of sorts where I think I might be waking up and can hear voices or something around me but the pain rises up to meet me in those moments and then I'm in darkness again.
I don't know how many of these I go through before I realize there's something more important to me than not feeling pain. I try to fight through this pain enough to find out what I need to know. But it's clouding everything and it's hard to focus on what is so vital to me. All I seem to manage clearly is one word. Not even a word really. A name.
Eric.
Bursts of clarity and pain collide together some worse than others but they are always accompanied by the name…
"Eric…"
Eric
Kat screaming my name before she convulsed and went silent sent me over the edge. Anger mixed with pain and came out as destruction with nothing to unleash it on. I could only tear at my hair and unleash curses while throwing anything in this fucking car that wasn't bolted down.
I only settled when Zach gripped me by the shoulders and shook me until I would listen to him. He got me to follow him back over to where Chase and Kat are. With a look from Zach to Chase, she was transferred over to my arms. I felt her breaths, ragged but there. I felt her heartbeat strong but still too fast for my liking. I heard their words, assuring me her being unconscious is a good thing. That she's in pain and her mind is helping her shut that out right now.
They don't understand that her pain is unacceptable to me. This entire situation is unacceptable to me and someone needs to pay for it.
I put my hand behind her head, lifting it to meet mine and press our foreheads together while squeezing my burning eyes shut.
"I'm going to fucking kill them," I vow in a taut whisper. I lift my head and look at my brothers. "Whoever did this is dead. I don't give a shit about answers right now. I just want to watch the life drain from their eyes."
I don't need their words of approval or agreement because these are things that are going to happen regardless. But the fact that neither of them hesitates to nod solemnly just further seals our bond with each other and the one we have all formed with the girl in my arms.
I look back down at Kat with my mind working a little more clearly as I try and put the pieces together of what might have caused her to scream like she did before passing out.
"It was the combination of being jostled when I was carrying her and jogging to get on the train and then when I had to give her to you guys. Every time that she's made any kind of real sounds have been when her body is being moved. Specifically when her nerves are being stimulated."
Because of this, I tell them, we can expect a few more of those responses as we get off the train and carry her through the compound. Now that I know what to expect I can prepare and plan and I lay it all out.
Chase is going to head to control to start the ball rolling on getting reports and any information he can about the attack. While he's there he's going to scrub the footage of me and Kat as I take her to the apartment. Zach will help me get her there but then he's going to head to the clinic and grab the crap we are going to need for Kat and to get one of the darts analyzed so we know for sure what we're dealing with.
The only sticking point in the plan is the fact that I'm determined to make sure Kat gets pain meds. Zach understands and agrees but points out that when all is said and done we might have to deal with her being upset we gave them to her.
I'll take my chances and deal with that when the time comes but there's no way I'm leaving her like this. Something Chase agrees with just as much as me.
Our jump will be coming up soon. We picked a spot that it has to slow down significantly because of the buildings it passes between. This is also where an entrance is located that hardly anyone uses but it suits our needs perfectly to go unnoticed tonight.
"I'll be putting the apartment into lockdown so use that code when you come back," I inform the two of them before we get ready to jump off with me gripping Kat tightly in my arms.
There are times when I thank fuck that I'm such a paranoid bastard. Because of that particular trait, I have my apartment set up to be able to hold off some of a direct attack should one happen. The door to my apartment is made of reinforced steel. The panel and security system I rigged up has a lockdown mode that the normal master code of the leaders of Dauntless has won't work on. Even the other doors in my apartment are sturdier than the regular ones. I also have more weapons than the armory stashed in hidden places all over the apartment.
I had an idea when coming to Dauntless what Jeanine would be gunning for and I also knew that to meet her goals I wasn't going to be the most popular guy around. Then when I knew we would be tasked with hunting divergents, and according to her data Dauntless was one of the factions full of them in hiding, I knew I needed to make contingency plans and measures to keep me and my brothers safe.
I look at the two of them as we wait for our jump and think of everything we've been through together over the years. We didn't start out as close as we are now. That took time, on my part at least. Now I couldn't imagine how my life would have gone without them. They truly are my brothers and I would, and have done, much more than just take a bullet for them. There are things that I've done as part of our duties, our mission, that I wanted them to have no part of. I didn't want them to have that stain on them and if I sacrificed part of that humanity to do that, then so be it.
But Kat….
She brings out something in me that is frightening with how intense it is. Those long seconds I thought she was gone nearly crushed me with the weight of despair I felt. I could even say it was worse than when I lost my parents and I'm not sure what that means or how I feel about it.
Her reaction to us jumping from the train is pained whimpers. I carry her bridal style in my arms hoping that securing her against my chest and in my arms would stabilize her enough that she wasn't moved too much. The reduction in speed of the train made the jump easier for me to keep my balance while carrying her. It seemed to work and she immediately went quiet again after the jump.
I kept my pace a brisk walk and headed straight to the apartment. Zach only came with us to put the code in for me and open the door. As soon as I was in he shut it behind him and was off to the clinic. I carried her to my room and laid her on my bed as gently as I could on her stomach then moved away to quickly set the lockdown and get everything else I needed to get done before I could tend to her.
It didn't take me too long and then I was right back beside her thinking hard about my next course of actions. I knew her clothes would need to go so we could get her into something that would allow us to tend to any wounds the darts left and let us have easy access to them.
But I'm hesitating and I don't know why.
I've had to remove clothing off people under my command that have been wounded before, both male and female. This shouldn't be any different but it feels wrong to do this with Kat without her at least somewhat aware of why I'm having to do it. That's not going to happen so I suck it up, grab some of her clothes from the closet and get to work.
If I wasn't in such a state I would find it fucking amusing how hard I work to maintain her modesty while I get her changed. I make sure to look for any open wounds on her back and legs and while there are fairly large puncture holes that have already stopped bleeding, there aren't any open wounds. Besides the puncture holes, the darts have left large circular bruises, dark blue and purple in color all up and down her spine and on the bag of her legs where they hit too.
I memorize the exact location of them all and promise to make those responsible to pay tenfold for each one she has.
When I have her dressed and position her so that is laying mostly on her side, with pillows helping to brace her back so that there is as little pressure in those areas as possible. She whimpered a few times as I was working. She muttered my name at the end and it finally broke through the calm I established to get through that.
All I can do now is wait but at least I can do it from beside her. I ease myself onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, letting my head fall back against the solid surface and close my eyes. I hear the door being opened but know the only people that can get in are Chase or Zach so I don't bother getting up or opening my eyes. Not until I heard movement at my bedroom door and turn my head to see Chase looking over at us with pain all over his face as his eyes are locked on Kat laying in my bed.
I'm pretty sure most of that pain is for this situation and that she's hurt. I also know a good bit of it is seeing her in my bed too.
"This isn't a situation I would have ever thought we would be in, Chase. But I can't apologize for how I feel or what I want either."
"I know and you don't need to." He sighs heavily and steps further into the room and moves to a chair I have in a corner of the room to sit down. "Look, it was clear to me from the start there was something between the two of you. But tonight...it was your name she screamed, Eric. And then your reaction…" He shrugs and looks at me with his expression turning serious and dark. "I know how you are though when stuff gets too deep for you and I don't want that to happen here. Not just for her sake but yours too, brother."
I want to argue with him but I can't. He's not wrong about how I am and I agree that I hope to hell I don't fuck things up either.
"She's good for you though. Hell, she's good for all of us. I just need you to know that I would never…"
I waved him away when I saw he was struggling to get the words out. "I know you wouldn't, man."
I look away from him and back at Kat wondering what the rest of this night is going to bring.
He nods his head and sits back in the chair bringing his phone out and sighing again. "I put in the reports and called it into the other leaders. Raze is heading back in to help head up the investigation. Max is going to want to meet in the morning to go over everything over breakfast. We're going to try and keep things are quiet as possible but you know how it is, there's already chatter about it."
"Is there anything else that we've been able to find out about this shit?"
"There are some things that happened in both groups, movement that didn't add up until stuff went down. The group assigned to set up a loose perimeter around our team reported that there was movement near our area. A few of them went to check it out and said that they caught sight of a small group made up of four or five people but they got out of the area fast. One of the guys said that they swear they heard the order to pull out and that 'the target isn't there' before they hauled ass. They thought it was Four's group scouting for the flag."
I grit my teeth and close my eyes as I think about that new piece of information along with everything else we know, which isn't much, but I'm getting a picture. One I don't like.
A group scouting only to retreat when they find the target isn't there. There were no other points of attack other than my group. The chances of any of the initiates being the target are low and Kat was hit but only after she pushed me and Peter out of the way.
My eyes pop open and I jerked my head back around to look at Kat then Chase. "She knew. Chase, she saw the attack coming and threw herself in front of it to stop it from hitting me. They were fucking after me!"
If I weren't already sitting on this bed I probably would have gone to my knees with the enormity of her actions hit me.
"What was in those fucking darts that they used them and not real bullets, Chase?"
"Well find them and figure out what their goal was, Eric." Chase declares firmly while scowling.
"The serum in the darts isn't lethal, usually, but it isn't pretty either," Zach answers from the doorway of the bedroom.
Neither of us noticed him coming into the apartment but he has both of our attention now. He's looking over at Kat with such pain and worry in his eyes.
"Zach," I call out his name by way of asking what he means. I know he hears me but he won't look at me for a minute, not until I demand him to.
"Tell now, Zach."
He looks up with a nod after a long ragged sigh.
"It's a serum meant to target the nervous system…"