Truce and Lies

Chapter 15: gone boom

"Help me," I ordered Jackson.

"Conor, if we hit sunlight, it will kill us," he protested, but helped all the same.

"We'll worry about that when we find sunlight," I replied. "Lacy, if you could use the debris we'll pulling to support other beams, that would be helpful. If we get pinned, we're no good to anyone. Paul, can you shift that beam?"

We worked in silence. My fingers were bleeding once we poked through, a ray of light hitting my face. Jackson shuffled backward I clawed my way through the small hole. The whole house was destroyed. I carefully wiggled my way out, catching my arms on broken glass and splinters. My injuries could be healed, but I had to find Stefa first.

"Give me Lacy's hand," I said and pulled up the thin girl through the opening.

"Leave me," Jackson pleaded.

"No. Give me your hand and don't fight me."

Jackson reached his hand up and I hauled him out into the sunlight. Both he and the girl were more injured that previously stated. Jackson had pieces of wood sticking out of his arm and Lacy had sliced up her legs. Jackson winced as if expecting to burn, but when he didn't, gasped at me in amazement. Even Lacy's eyes were wide with astonishment.

"What did the hunters do to you?" he asked.

"I'm just like this," I replied. "Paul, I need you take my arm and drink a little of my blood before I haul you up. Come on."

Paul tentatively took my hand and then looked up at me.

"But you'll be able to order me too, won't you?" he inquired.

"Paul, drink his blood," Jackson said, speeding up the conversation.

I winced when Paul bit me, but then pulled him out of the hole we had made. He was in much better shape than the others, and so picked up Lacy as we carefully made our way out of the debris field.

"I know I'm the new guy, but will someone explain what the hell is going on?" Paul asked.

"If I knew, I would tell you, Paul," Jackson sighed.

There were scorch marks along the sides of the ground, perhaps where the explosives were. I had no idea where Stefa could be in this mess. Some pieces of timber were scorched with flames licking at the edges.

"Stefa!" I called. "Tell me where you are!"

I closed my eyes to let my wolf ears do the listening since my human ones were dull and useless. I could make out her voice towards the right of the house and so limped around the house until I could hear her voice better. I didn't have to prod Jackson, he helped me pull beams out of the way as we sorted through the debris as fast as we could. There was no telling what shape Stefa was in, only that she was still alive for now.

"Who could have done this?" Lacy asked. "It's broad daylight unless others had access to Conor's blood."

"I have no idea," Jackson grunted, lifting part of a bookshelf with Paul. "It wasn't a drone; we wouldn't have survived. It looks like someone put explosives around the house. I saw a propane tank outside the kitchen, but it looks like it misfired. We would have been little bits otherwise."

"Jack, you're scaring me," Lacy said, wiping tears from her eyes.

He frowned at her but continued to help me move debris and rubble.

"Stefa! Answer me!"

"Conor?"

I growled and hurled a broken cabinet out of my way, my blood spattering everything. Stefa weakly reached out a hand and I pulled her into my arms, not caring how bad my ribs ached. Her legs were swollen and misshapen. She was nearly covered in blood, her hair singed.