The Vigilante & The Dragon - Book 1 of the Guardians Saga [COMPLETED]

Saving Cale Ch. 12.2

Alex flew back to her apartment. Although she hated to be obvious, she flew straight to the second story door and landed on the small wooden landing. There was no way she could carry Cale for more than two steps. As it was, she fell to her knees when she landed. She struggled with the doorknob, but Gabe flung open the door.

"Cale!" Gabe reached for his brother.

"What's wrong with him?" Rile accused as he shouldered aside his oldest brother. "What happened?"

"Where did you find him?" Gabe asked.

"I knocked him out. Put him on the couch."

She surrendered her burden and followed them across the living room. Once they were satisfied that their brother was breathing, his pulse was strong, and he wasn't chilled, they turned to Alex.

"What happened? Why you go out alone? Why didn't you tell us what you were planning?" Gabe asked rapid fire.

Alex sank down into the armchair. "One question at a time, boss."

Rile knew there was trouble ahead when Alex called Gabe "boss." It filled him with anticipation. With luck and a little nudging, the two could be provoked into an epic fight.

"First, off with these killer shoes." She flung the spike heels across the room and massaged her foot. "I've broken my feet."

"Why are you dressed like that?" Gabe asked.

"Part of my plan. Didn't Rile explain it to you?" Alex cast a hopeful look at him.

"He said you rushed in, put on a lot of clothes you swore you would never wear, and that you were catching some guy from Hermann's lab." Gabe crossed his arms and stared sternly at Alex, who favored him with an expression like a schoolgirl caught sneaking in late.

"Is that all I said?" she squeaked. "I thought I explained more."

Rile's concern for his brother overturned his desire to watch the big fight. "Can we skip this verbal tug of war for a moment? What happened to Cale? Why did you zap him?"

"Those creeps at the lab kept him sedated with something related to heroin, a nasty, illegal, addictive drug. When I woke him up, I also started him to withdraw from the drugs. As he was choking Robert, I had to do something."

"Robert?" Rile asked, full of suspicion and again, checked Cale's pulse. Some part of him believed that if he checked it often enough, he could make his middle brother better.

"The guy from the lab," Alex waved her hand as if it were irrelevant. "He helped me find and rescue Cale."

"He helped you?" Now Rile was past suspicion and into outright disbelief.

"I was surprised, too. I originally planned to blast him once he led me to Cale. Before I could, though, he opened Cale's cell. What could I do? I couldn't leave him to take the blame."

"You couldn't?" Gabe's tone was more hostile than unbelieving.

"No. Haven't you been listening? I said he helped me rescue Cale."

"I heard you say that he pumped Cale full of drugs."

Alex heaved an exasperated sigh. "Gabe, why are you being difficult? I retrieved Cale and . . . oh, I get it. You're jealous that I was able to rescue Cale when you couldn't. Not only that, I didn't need your help, either. Looks like Rile isn't the only one who doubts my abilities."

Rile inwardly cheered the challenge that Alex issued to Gabe. Before the battle could begin, however, Cale moaned and twisted in pain. Gabe rushed over, but Alex pushed past Rile and Gabe to reach him.