The Sacrifice: Chapter 50

My cell rings through my Bluetooth as I fly down the highway. I’m hoping it’s Alex because he hasn’t answered my last twenty frantic calls back since his phone went dead.

Ryat lights up my screen, and I hit answer. “Hello?”

“Thank God.” He sighs. “You’re okay, you guys got out?”

Panic grips my chest. “What do you mean got out? Got out of what?” I ask in a rush as I speed up, going well over a hundred and fifty.

This Bentley GT will top out at two hundred and eight miles an hour. I’m pushing it to get there. The only thing going for me is that it’s after two o’clock in the morning, so I’m not having to mow people over on this highway.

He’s silent for a long moment. “Ryat?” I bark. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Where are you?” he rushes out, and I hear his car door open and close before the roar of his engine fills my speakers.

“Headed to Blackout. Lake went in tonight and then Bethany called me…” I trail off, not getting into what’s going on at the second. I want to know what the fuck he’s talking about.

“Fuck,” he hisses.

“What the fuck is going on, Ryat?” I demand. I can’t get ahold of Jenks either. He and Alex stayed behind, and no one is answering the club phones.

“There was an accident. It’s on the news. Prickett called me—”

“What kind of accident?” I interrupt him, my stomach dropping. What did you do, Bethany?

“There’s a fire at Blackout. People are trapped inside.”

Before I even reach the club, I see flashing lights where I know Blackout is located. Veering off the highway, I don’t even slow down as I come up to a red light. I blow right through it, not giving two shits if I get hit or hit someone. I’m taking my chances because there’s hardly anyone out on this side of town anyway, at least, until the clubs close and the drunks are going home.

My heart races as I come up on cop cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. Bringing my car to an abrupt stop, my body jerks forward, and the tires squeal. I smell my brakes burning, or that could be the club on fire in front of me.

I jump out and run through the packed parking lot that looks like a triage center. Littered with people and first responders.

“Lake?” I yell out, running through the parking lot. “LAIKYN?” I spin around, looking for her, but she’s nowhere to be found.

“Tyson?” I hear my name and turn around to see Beau. He’s sitting in the back of an ambulance. His left arm is wrapped with a white bandage, and he’s soaking wet.

“What the fuck happened?” I demand. “Where the fuck is Lake?”

“She…” He takes in a ragged breath. “She was in the cage…” He begins to cough, and a paramedic places an oxygen mask over his face.

I turn to look at the building that is still on fire and run toward it.

“Whoa. You can’t go in there,” an officer yells as I run past him. “Stop him.”

The flames light up the night as firefighters try to get it under control. The roof is ablaze, the smoke trailing off into the dark sky. My adrenaline is pumping. All I can think is to get inside and find her. I can feel the heat from here, and the water they’re spraying to try and put it out hits my face.

I’m almost to the back entrance when I’m hit from behind and knocked to the ground. A guy is yelling in my ear while he’s on top of my back, pinning me face down. But I can’t understand what he’s saying. All I know is that I have to get to her. If she’s not out here, then she’s inside. I slam my head back, making contact with his, and then the weight is off me. Getting to my feet, I begin to run again just as I’m hit from the side.

We roll a few times before I’m on my back and an officer straddles me. I punch him in the face with a scream, feeling my knuckles crack. He’s wasting my time. “Get the fuck off me.”

I hit him again. And then again. His blood splatters across my face before his unconscious body falls down on top of mine, and I roll him off onto the wet parking lot.

Just when I get to my feet, I fall to my knees, unable to move. I swear I hear her scream out for me as more officers rush over.