Page 24 of Hollow State

Cabinet doors flew open. Metal trays crashed to the floor while the ventilation hood groaned against its mounts.

A second detonation, and Darwin crumpled to the floor.

The lights flickered as alarms screamed. Water sprayed from above.

Wynn reached for him. "Come on."

Taking her hand, he followed her through the door. They raced down the hall, rounding the corner into the emergency wing as smoke rolled across the ceiling. Heat, more intense than anything he'd ever experienced, rippled across his skin. He raised his free arm and covered his face as flames stretched out in front of him.

Fire climbed the walls and spread across the ceiling, swallowing the passage in a roaring sheet of orange.

"Over there," Wynn yelled and pointed to someone limping on the other side of the blaze.

He squinted. Whoever that was, they were dragging a body. "We've got to find a way through."

Wynn glanced up. Water hit her face, matting her hair to her skin. She wiped it away. "Blankets." She turned, ducked into one of the rooms and quickly returned with two wet sheets.

They wrapped themselves as best they could.

"On three," she said. "Three, two, one…"

He covered his face as he dove through the inferno, making sure she was one step in front of him, grateful she hadn't tried to push him through first. They were kind of the same that way. When he broke through to the other side, he paused, turning for a moment. The blast radius had covered the entrance of the emergency wing.

Wynn curled her fingers around his elbow and gave him a good yank, pulling him through what had been the entrance but now was just one massive hole. After stepping over some burning rubble, he expected gunfire. Or at the very least, to be greeted by soldiers holding weapons, but what he saw was more gut-wrenching than a firing squad.

Kane sat crumpled on the ground, hands on his knees, head lowered, panting and gasping for breath.

Elis straddled a body as he performed CPR.

Recognition settled in Darwin's chest like a knife slicing through his ribcage.

Prewit.

CHAPTER SIX

Wynn’s instincts split in two.

The medic in her locked on Prewit. His gray skin. The blood running from his temple. The unnatural position of his left leg beneath Elis.

But the soldier in Wynn searched for the enhanced enemy. The danger. The next attack. The ambush. The bullets. She found nothing.

She spun, scanning the shattered emergency entrance, the smoke rolling from the building, and the grounds beyond the recessed ambulance bay. Burning debris littered the pavement. Flames crawled up the remains of the exterior wall. Water poured through the hole behind them, turning soot to black rivers that streamed across the concrete.

All her gear was inside. Her rifle. Her handgun. The weapon Coulter had given Darwin. They had nothing to defend themselves with, but oddly, she didn’t currently need anything, and that didn't make sense.

There had been an explosion, and when it came to combat, nothing ever happened in a vacuum. Someone was lurking. Waiting. Watching. Anticipating.

“Prewit.” Darwin stumbled forward, dropping to his knees. "What happened?"

Kane lifted his head. Blood streaked one side of his face, but Wynn couldn’t tell if it belonged to him.

“Where are you hurt?” Darwin asked.

“I’m fine.” Kane shoved at Darwin's arm. “Prewit…” Kane wiped his brow. "I don't think he's…"

“You’re bleeding," Darwin said.

“A few scrapes. A couple of bruises. Most of it's not mine. I promise.”