The others shifted uneasily.
Where were the assassins? He couldn’t risk checking the sky, because as soon as he took his gaze off the bugs they’d attack. He hoped Finley was locked down and safe.
A second bug darted forward. He swung his sword and dodged. Its mandible snapped together.
Sabin shifted again, and pain roared through his injured side.
A stalker charged.
Sabin sidestepped, and brought his sword down.
The bug screeched and raced away. He’d hurt it, but it wasn’t a life-threatening wound. The others had disappeared into the darkness.
Wincing, he gripped the metal chunk in his side and yanked it out. He groaned, fighting to stay conscious.
The injured bug eyed him, clearly sensing his weakness. Then, he heard a noise behind him.
He glanced around and saw a third bug circling around, heading toward the vehicle. Coming after Kaira and Roberts.
“Get away!” Sabin leaped over the tangled ruin of the vehicle and slammed his sword down. He skewered the bug and it wriggled on the blade.
He reached over and wrenched the door off the side of the SUV, then stopped to fight off a wave of dizziness.
He reached in and cut Kaira free.
Gripping her arms, he pulled her out, ignoring his pain. He lifted her, gritting his teeth, and set her on top of the overturned vehicle. Next, he reached farther in and pulled an unconscious Roberts out of the back.
He glanced over and saw that the injured bug was watching, waiting for something. Probably the assassins.
Then he heard a noise in the darkness. A skittering sound.
He hefted Roberts beside Kaira.
Sabin saw the first spider. Then another. Then another. He raised his sword and gritted his teeth.
A wave of spiders marched out of the darkness.
To borrow an Earth word, fuck. He leaped up onto the vehicle.
There wasn’t enough strength in his helian right now for him to form any flames. The spiders surrounded the overturned vehicle. Sabin closed his eyes for a second, and Finley’s face filled his head. Her smile, brown eyes, the furrow in her brow when she concentrated.
Pain throbbed, and he ground his teeth together.
A spider flew at him and he sliced it with his sword.
More flew up and his sword became a blur as he fought them off. The endless wave of them kept attacking. And more rushed out of the darkness.
He couldn’t stop all of them before they’d overwhelm him.
Or before he lost too much blood.
One spider landed on his shoulder and bit.
Sabin roared at the sensation, fire burning his skin.
He slapped it away, and then sliced several more.
Suddenly, he heard the roar of an engine. He glanced over and saw light spearing through the darkness.
The vehicle sped into view, then skidded to a stop.
He saw Finley behind the wheel.
No.
He’d wanted her safe.
The doors of the vehicle opened and he watched Ian and another security officer get out. They were holding bulky weapons.
Finley climbed out, then clambered onto the hood of the vehicle. She also had one of the bulky weapons in her arms.
“Fire!” she yelled.
Flames spewed from the weapons. The mass of spiders quivered and tried to escape. Finley and the others waved the flamethrowers around, fire lighting up the night.
Earsplitting screeches filled the air. The Kantos spiders writhed and shriveled into small husks.
Finley jumped off her vehicle. Sabin saw movement behind her.
A stalker.
“Finley!”
Sabin leaped into the air. He sailed over Finley and landed, pain flaring in his chest.
The hunting bug leaped.
He swung his sword, but missed. His reflexes were slow.
The bug slammed into his chest and they hit the dirt. The bug attacked, tearing and scratching at his chest.
“Sabin, no!”
All he felt was pain. Then Finley was there, hitting the bug with a stream of fire.
It fell off Sabin, curling up into a charred crisp.
“Oh, God. Oh, God.” She dropped down beside him, gently touching his wounds.
“Fin-ley.”
“Shh. Let me help you.” She turned to the others. “Are the Kantos gone?”
“I think so,” Ian replied shakily.
“Sabin’s hurt. We need to get him back to base.”
“A-assassins,” he managed to get out.
She glanced up. “We killed one earlier.”
“More.”
She bit her lip, determination filling her face. “Guys, we need to move, there might be more assassins. Get Kaira and her officer into the vehicle.”
The men nodded and disappeared from view.
“Finley—” Sabin groaned.
“Quiet.” Her hands stroked his hair. He saw fear in her eyes as her gaze skated over his wounds. “Stay still and quiet.”
She lowered her head and pressed her lips to his. “This time, I’ll save you.”
The spider poison was burning in his veins. His helian was doing what it could, but the pain was driving him closer to unconsciousness. He groaned.
“Help me shift him,” Finley said.
He must have passed out as they moved him. He came to in the vehicle with his head resting on Finley’s lap.
“Get us back as fast as you can,” Finley called out. “Sabin said there are other assassins still out there.”
Sabin tried to move but his body wouldn’t obey.
“Stay still.” She stroked his cheek. “You’re going to be okay. I promise.”
Finley’s heart was in her throat as the security team carried the stretcher with Sabin on it into their quarters.
They lifted him onto his bed. He’d lost consciousness on the drive back.
Her stomach felt like a hard ball. He’d be okay. He had to be.
For a second, she had flashbacks to her captivity. Brent had been beaten to the point of death. He’d been so hurt and in so much pain.
She squeezed her eyes closed and took some deep breaths. She couldn’t lose it.
“I can send the medic,” a security officer said.
“No, they’re busy with Kaira and Roberts. I can take care of Sabin.”
The man gave her a quick nod. “Don’t worry, Commander Chand is as tough as steel. We’ve locked down the base, so we’re safe for now.”
Finley swallowed. “Any sign of the other assassins?”
“There’s been nothing on the security feed.”
“Thank you.”
After they left, she hurried into the adjoining bathroom, and grabbed a bowl and a cloth. She filled the basin with steaming water, and carried it back to the bedside table.
Sabin had a jagged wound on his side, and slashes from the hunting bug on his chest. There were holes all through his scale amor, and skin showed through.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. She needed to get the armor off him so she could treat his wounds. She touched it. The scales were tough, but flexible under her fingers.
She felt the warmth of him.
He was alive. That was all that mattered.
She slid her hand along his arm. “Sabin, I need you to retract your armor.”
There was no response.
She touched the thick band that housed his helian. It pulsed and she stroked it. “I need his armor off so I can help him. We can help him together.”