Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (best books to read for women .txt) 📗

with blinding light that disoriented their targets as they lead the way with their lost-tech canisters, most shouting almost the same thing Nina had.

Kala and Erica were wrestling with a trio that had tried to sneak out through the bathroom hall, the brief tussle ending badly for the criminals, while Miranda slipped past them to toss a stinger into a cluster of people by the collapsed press.

“Drop your weapons!” Her words were muffled by her breather mask, but they still heard her.

A dozen or so men were now dead from a severe case of Nina, and several more were otherwise incapacitated by the Aegis team’s lost-tech.

But the fight was far from over.

Barely finished speaking, Miranda had to duck behind one of the warped belts leading to the demolished press when the teary-eyed workers blindly leveled their weapons at the sound of her voice.

Covered by their braver or more foolish compatriots, the bulk of the forces scrambled away from the Aegis team towards the only viable exit at the back of the shop.

Even the ones who had initially surrendered had rearmed themselves, their survival instincts overriding their own judgment as they were driven into the scrap-yard by the blinding strobes and stinging gas.

Just as the Aegis intended.

While the operatives within pursued them, in the open air they were set upon by a Wolfen pack and Oldeera’s hive.

Then the real bloodshed began.

Chapter 39:In the Thick of It

Nameless and the girls with him were struggling valiantly to keep their cool.

It had been especially difficult for Milly to let Erica go in with Miranda, but there was no stopping the feisty Katje.

They were standing just outside an empty warehouse across the street from the machine shop, inside which a team of medics were setting up to prepare for the eventuality of dealing with the wounded.

“She’s okay.” Nameless once again made to reassure her; “She’s okay, I think it’s over in there.”

The sudden rapid sound of continued weapons fire from the scrap-yard on the other side of the shop put the lie to his words.

Volka shifted at his side, her eyes vigilant and her shield ready to be brought up at a moment’s notice to protect her master, her bond-sister, and the little Gripau attached to Milly’s back.

A sudden crash from the side of the building drew their attention; Jez reacting first, her arm shooting out to point excitedly towards the disturbance.

“She’s getting away!”

“What do you mean?” Volka demanded.

“I saw her! Sethany Binclair! She’s right over there!”

Volka took up her shield and drew her glowing sword.

“Alright, let the people inside know, Binclair is that way, and that’s her name now!”

She paused only for a moment to smile and wink at Nameless before she gave a flap of her wings and took off in pursuit.

“Wait, Volka!” He called in vain.

“Why? How do you say it?” Jez said at the same time he did.

Milly looked to her master, a torn and worried expression on her face.

It took him all of two seconds to decide on a course of action.

“Miranda is going to kill me. Milly! Leave Jez with me and go back her up!”

She nodded, all but hurling the little frog girl into Nameless’s arms.

“Hey! Watch the hands buddy!”

“Come on! Erica is in the middle of that shit, I won’t risk distracting her by trying to fill her in on the fly like this!”

Somehow Jez had scrambled up and over his shoulder, then flipped herself back around so her legs were wrapped around his waist.

“So, what does that mean?”

He was already running towards the broken doors of the building, a canister in each hand, though both were trembling.

“It means we have to tell them about Volka and Milly chasing Sinclair!”

“Hang on! You’re too important! Even I know that!”

Despite her protests Jez did nothing to stop him.

“We just need to find somebody, anybody!”

But he had barely entered the shop when a stocky man in greasy overalls burst out of hiding under the stairs and came to a halt right in front of the pair, surprised panic writ on his face.

When the fight had spilled outside he had hidden in desperation, hardly believing that the main Aegis force had overlooked him in their efforts to not get shot.

The shouting and weapons fire had ceased from inside as the taskforce pursued his compatriots into the scrap-yard, so he had decided to make a break for it.

Now the only thing standing between him and freedom was a snot-nosed Aegis cadet and a tiny frog girl.

Nameless took a solid punch to the face before he knew what hit him, falling back and rolling over the railing of the stairs as his canisters clattered harmlessly to the floor.

Jez cried out as she was knocked away from him as he fell.

“WATCH OUT! IT’S A RAPIST!”

She had to hop away though as the probably-not-a-rapist took a swing at her instead, a frantic gleam in his eyes.

Nameless meanwhile was struggling to recover his faculties, but he didn’t get the time as the man drew his leg back and kicked him in the shoulder.

He rolled away with the force of the blow; Kavanaugh’s training kicking in as he scrambled across the floor in a bid to get some distance between him and his assailant.

But the man was relentless, chasing him down in a bid to finish things with another kick from his heavy boot.

Nameless brought his hands out in time to block the worst of the blow, but it still sucked, the force of it snapping his head back and rolling him onto his back.

“Sorry kid, but it’s you or me!” The greasy man said above him.

When the Aegis cadet got his bearings all he could see was the sole of a