Killer Empire

Chapter 13

"GET MOVING. WE don't have all day."

Devora winced slightly from the sudden flash of sunlight that shone into the cabin, blinding her for a moment.

After the brief conversation she had with Leah, Devora had dozed off again into a dreamless sleep. It was by some stroke of miracle had they finally touched down just as Devora had woken up and she couldn't be more pleased. Being cramped up in a hunk of metal was not a pleasant experience especially since she was still injured with a bullet wedged in her leg.

She had noticed that the bandages on her leg were now a fresh set. It had been changed and the voice at the back of her mind practically sang Nathan's name when she thought of who could've possibly helped her. There was no doubt about that, of course. The men in front couldn't be bothered about them and both Leah and Travis had their hands cuffed to the metal bars of their seats. That left Nathan as the only one that could roam around as freely as he pleased within the confines of the cabin. He was also probably the only one willing to help her.

A hand reached for Devora when she got up too slow, gripping her upper arm painfully as she yelped in shock. The fingers of the man tightened around her flesh as she struggled to break free from the excruciating brute strength. Within seconds, however, his hand was swatted away from her.

"Hey! Hands off, Gray. She's injured." Nathan placed a protective arm around Devora's shoulder, pulling her closer to his own body as he glared at the older man.

As soon as Nathan spoke up, Gray backed off, albeit with a dissatisfied look on his face. He grunted once in acknowledgment before gesturing for the rest of the men to follow him into the building, disappearing wordlessly through the doors.

Climbing out of the aircraft, Devora dared a quick glance past the railings that prevented her from falling to her death. It elicited a shiver from her as she assessed the hundred-feet drop down to the solid city pavement below her. The building they were on seemed to be at the edge of a city Devora didn't recognize, just right next to a stretch of open highway that led towards nowhere.

Cursing under her breath, she pulled back before limping her way towards where Leah and Travis were. The long hours seated in awkward positions added with the runs she struggled through in the forest had caused serious side effects to her injured leg. Now that she was safe from the chase, the adrenaline had worn off. All was left was a searing pain that burned through her flesh like an untamed forest fire. Devora gritted her teeth in pain, desperately trying to keep herself from crying. Her vision started to blur as she continued to stubbornly trudge on, eventually tripping and collapsing into Nathan's ready and outstretched arms.

"Whoa there. Be careful."

"Don't touch me," she wilfully hissed out. "I don't want your help."

Shrugging herself away from Nathan's grip, Devora hobbled forward with great difficulty, depending heavily on her good leg and the metal railings to steady herself. Nathan kept himself a single step behind Devora the entire time, ready to catch her if she fell again but otherwise keeping the distance she had requested.

Once they made it to the elevator where half the men waited, Devora fell to the elevator floor with a groan, cradling her legs tenderly as a sharp sting stabbed through her flesh. She wheezed in pain, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she took in heavy successive pants. Through the tears that had misted her eyes, she could make out the shape of Nathan as he bent down close to her. Cautiously, he edged forward before pulling Devora into his arms, holding her close to his body with an arm under her knees and another around her back. He lifted her up in a bridal style before standing back up with ease as if she weighed nothing.