MAD

chvpter 27

...

Sax and Trent carry Reid by his arms, his unconscious body sagging between them as we barrel through the fire door.

Blu, the girl Trent tricked me into saving, bursts into the alley and grabs the railing of the accessibility ramp. She gestures at Trent urgently who grimaces when him and Sax grapple to descend.

I bolster the door open, gun in hand as I check over our shoulder, "Fuck is this?" Elias barks, jerking his chin at Trent accusingly, but then he sees the blood all over my arms and face, and his angry features flare into terror.

"Wilkes popped Barra, I put him down but someone must have found his body because they manually triggered the alarms." I rush. The windows pulse red and black, the sirens blaring into the alley.

"Don' gawk, pussy," Trent spits, his neck bent at an awkward angle under Reid's weight.

"Yo fück this," Sax cracks the shīts and shoves Reid off, making Trent jerk forward under the pressure. Elias darts with arms outstretched, trying to save Reid from cracking his skull on the tar.

Smack.

I drop to my knees, Elias spinning on Sax. "You tryna' fückin' kill him?!"

Sax raises a fist but Trent roughs him around the ear then grabs him by the throat, "We don' got time! Remember what I fückin' told you, cünt."

Sax swallows, nodding stiffly before he fixes his glare down on me like they have a secret vendetta.

Reid groans, "He's infected." I tell Elias. "They poisoned him with the compound."

"Like M.A.D?!" Blu lurches back, raising her hands in disgust.

"Fück," Reid grates as he grabs his temple, disoriented. He looks up at me, his bloodshot eyes taking a moment to focus on my face. He grabs my hand, his eyes flaring momentarily but just when I think he's gon' recognise his surroundings he flinches like someone screamed in his ear. "Reid," I utter, hating how weak he is. "We gotta-."

"Vi," He argues, "Vi," he tightens his grip on my hand, not letting me pull him up. "Pain don' hurt like normal," he grits his jaw, ducking out of the way again like someone just swung at him, "Don' let Bloom see-." He swallows, trying to find some sense, "I'm gon' flip my shīt, like Mum." His words are wonky and dark but his voice cracks at the mention of his mother.

Before I can reply Elias wrangles Reid's arm and hoists him to his feet, and his knee buckles but Elias grabs him, hauling his arm over his shoulder.

Blu starts shifting like she's on hot sand, like every flare of the siren is pinching her, "Where we goin'?"

Elias and I hoist Reid, grimacing at the weight, "He's so fücking fat." E cusses, adjusting him callously which earns a chillingly pained groan. "Vi, go ahead! You gotta clear the gate for us."

"E he's dangerous, too much noise and he could flip-."

"Hurry!" Blu shouts a few strides ahead, gesturing. Engines roar in the distance. "They're coming!" The siren heightens.

My heart drops.

"Warrendale, fück off and open the gate." Sax snaps, shoving my back so hard that I nearly pull Reid and Elias to the ground. I'm forced to release Reid, but Sax fills my position quickly.

Saxon's similar height instantly alleviates the awkward bend in Elias's back, and the two of them carry Reid like he's strung out on a cross. We make it down the alley, arriving at the intersection in front of the gate. Outside the giant bars sits a ute, but Teacup and Thai stand, waiting impatiently, practically itching to get through.