Eight of Hearts: The Rift Blade - Book 1

Chapter 32

Bang!

The gunshot stopped Bryce in his tracks, and he immediately knew he had been shot. He turned stiffly to see Dr. Bevel standing behind him with the gun they had just fought over pointed at him. His eyes traveled down to the point of impact, and he found a syringe dart sticking out of his backside.

"Did you seriously just shoot me in the butt with that?!"

A second shot followed, this time hitting his arm. He could feel the numbness beginning to spread, but he forced himself into a stumbling run. The surgeon followed, leaping into the hallway and unleashing a hailstorm of darts at Bryce's fleeing back.

"Come on!" Bryce shouted, trying desperately to keep his balance as he lost feeling in his legs.

Jonas was running towards him, with two others next to him. Bryce lowered his hand from his right eye, briefly allowing it to register his cousin and companions. He felt an immediate reaction as his eye highlighted all three in red, showing a ghosted image of himself taking them out with a few well-placed strikes. It had the effect he hoped, as adrenaline urged him forward, helping him push through the numbness. He clamped his hand back down before he could be forced to harm them as he came close, and once more the feeling subsided.

Jonas caught him as he fell forward. "Bryce! Are you ok?!"

Bryce gave him a stiff nod. "Did he get me? I can't really tell through the numbness."

Jonas glanced over Bryce's shoulder with a grimace. "Just a bit," he said as he started to pluck the darts out of Bryce's back. "What did he put in these, anyway?"

"He didn't say," Bryce muttered with a scowl. He could already feel the anesthetic working its way into his system, which meant it wasn't going to stay localized.

Isaac jumped forward, swinging a red backpack in front of him to block more of the darts. "Incoming!" he shouted.

Jonas set Bryce on the floor against the wall, then took off after Isaac, who was charging at the surgeon with the gun. The surgeon panicked when he saw his darts were ineffective, throwing the gun to the floor and turning to run. Isaac and Jonas stopped their chase when they reached the fallen weapon, watching as the surgeon's shadow receded in the distance.

"Ha-haa!" Isaac crowed.

"Yeah, run away!" Jonas shouted, enjoying the small victory.

Suddenly the surgeon's shadow was enveloped by many more, all of them heading straight for them.

"Good idea!" Isaac shouted, taking off back towards Bryce, who was kept company by Pahana. "Hey, we gotta go!"

Jonas joined him, rushing to help his cousin to his feet. "Come on, Bryce!" Jonas shouted as he struggled to keep him upright.

"I can't...feel...my lungs," Bryce gasped, keeping his right eye clamped shut despite his numbness.

Jonas glanced back over his shoulder as the shadows came close enough for him to see details. It was the guards. Lots of them. There was no way Bryce could escape in his condition. Useless; hindrance; handicap; the words flooded Jonas's mind, but he forced them aside. Bryce was his cousin; he couldn't let him get captured again. He cast about for an idea, something that would help them. He didn't have time to go digging through the journal for another set of runes. He had to use what was on hand if he wanted to escape.

He ducked back into Isaac's cell, dragging Bryce behind him. "Isaac, Pahana, get in here!" he commanded in a hoarse whisper.

When they were all inside, he pulled his marker out and began drawing on the floor. He felt fear trying to rush him, make him slip up. But he knew he couldn't afford to make any mistakes. The runes would have to be precise, or they might fail. Or worse: backfire. Since he didn't have time to look through his journal, he had to use the runes he had just drawn several times. Disintegrate...self...pressure...