Jace

Jace Read Free

Book: Jace Read Free
Author: Sarah McCarty
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security room? If there was one, the occupants were cloaked or it was unmanned. He was betting unmanned, since the hairs on the back of his neck weren’t standing on end. Derek paused against the opposite wall, his eyebrows raised, gun sitting easily in his hand, the butt resting against his hip, looking for all the world like he was out for a picnic, while from somewhere down the maze of corridors came the muffled sound of a single shot and an explosion. Vibrations from the blast vibrated through the floor and wall, adding to the tension in Jace’s muscles. They only had a short time to find Miri and get out. Sanctuary leaders were notorious for blowing up compounds if the battle went south. And this battle was definitely going to go south. The Johnsons had a score to settle.
    Don’t be influenced by what you see. Use your senses.
    Caleb’s words came back to him. Jace closed his eyes, going deep into his vampire senses. Instinct told him this area was where he needed to be and the direction he needed to go was…right. He needed to go to the right. The walls came alive with echoes of the past as he concentrated, expanding and contracting with the embedded energy that only came from extreme suffering, seeming to writhe with the agony of the screams of those who had suffered in the Sanctuary’s bid for power.
    He closed his mind to the empathic pulse, not wanting to know, now, what had been done to Miri, what he had allowed to be done to her because he’d assumed that while he was away she’d be safe with her pack. Though he blocked out the remnants of screams, the memories haunted him, dogging his steps, just waiting for a break in his concentration to pounce. Ten seconds later, he felt it. The subtlest of vibrations. Just twinges on the edge of his consciousness, but everything in him snapped to attention—Miri.
    Instinct demanded he charge down that connection and wrap her safely in his energy, hold her the only way he could, tell her he was coming, that she wasn’t alone.
    Another growl from Derek, rumbling over the impulse. He nodded, stifling the urge. If Miri wasn’t alone, if he betrayed his presence with his energy, if Miri showed any sign, to whomever was with her, that he was coming, the rescue might be over before it began. It was doubtful all of them were going to get out of here alive as it was, but he was determined that one of the survivors would be Miri. She had to live.
    He signaled to Derek. Corridor on the right. Approximately thirty feet. His normally steady heartbeat, the one that didn’t elevate even in the tightest situations, picked up speed. One by one, his senses focused on the woman just a minute away. He hadn’t seen her in over a year. Hadn’t caressed her face, hadn’t loved her body or restored himself with the touch of her soul in too damn long.
    Another explosion shook the walls. Derek made the motion to hurry. He nodded. It did sound like the boys were having just a bit too much fun with Slade’s toys. And that much boom meant they were fighting hard to buy him time against some ugly odds, but the Renegades didn’t have an endless supply of weapons. He picked up speed. Derek followed. Calm and steady, with a vicious side most didn’t see coming until it was too late, Derek had saved all their asses more than once. The day Caleb had saved Derek’s life and forged the pact between the McClarens and the Johnsons had been a good one for the Johnsons.
    The next corridor was short and unremarkable. Two doors on either side with a steel door at the end. The one at the end was an impressively thick device, with one of those mechanical locks they didn’t have a prayer of opening without five hours and Slade sitting there working his magic with technology. That is, if someone hadn’t already opened it for them. The heavy door was jammed open about fourteen inches with a metal bar. Not big enough for a man to get through, but it might just be big enough for a small woman to squeeze

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