Page 96 of Jude

Tobias sank to his knees. “We don’t have one.”

“Fuck! Tobias, I need you in the game. Stick with me for a few more minutes,” said Jude. “Go to the vehicle, get the med kit, and bring it back here. Do you understand? Can you do that?”

Tobias’s blank gaze flicked back into focus. He nodded as he stood. “Go to the vehicle. Get the med kit. I’m on it.” He staggered out of a hole in the side of the building and into the blackness of the night.

Jude continued shoving rubble aside until Octavia was almost clear. She was on her back, her eyes closed and her mouth open. Blood streaked across her face. He checked the pulse in her neck. There was nothing.

He tilted her head back, checked her airway was clear and began CPR. His hands pumped hard on her heart, willing it to restart. “Come on, beautiful, you’ve got to stay with me. You need to fight this. You can’t let the State beat us now.”

“Jude?” Mad Dog stood in the hole in the wall, Hell Cat was by his side.

“Get over here,” yelled Jude. “I need help.”

They raced toward him.

“Holy dragons.” Mad Dog stared down at Octavia’s blood-covered limbs.

“We were pinned down by guards.” Jude continued pumping Octavia’s heart even though his arm muscles burned. “We couldn’t get out in time.”

“You’re lucky to be alive. Most of the building is gone.” Hell Cat knelt beside Octavia and pressed her fingers against her neck.

“Some of us aren’t.” Jude’s jaw was clenched so tightly the muscles hurt.

“Let me take over,” said Hell Cat.

“I’m not giving up on her.”

“You’ll never do that. But you’re exhausted and injured.” Hell Cat hovered her hands over Octavia’s chest. “I won’t let you down. I won’t stop fighting for her. She’s my friend.”

Jude looked up to see the pain in Hell Cat’s eyes. He wasn’t the only one hurting.

He pulled back and watched as Hell Cat took over. She expertly laced her hands together and continued the heart massage on Octavia.

“Where the hell is Tobias?” Jude looked around. It felt like an age since Tobias left to get the medical kit.

“I’m here!” Tobias raced through the hole, throwing the med kit at Jude.

He caught it and opened it. He pulled out an adrenaline shot. It was a risk, pumping Octavia with adrenaline, but they were out of options. This was the last chance they had. It was his last chance to keep her alive.

“Stop the heart massage.”

Hell Cat pulled back, sweat beading her forehead.

Jude yanked the tip off the adrenaline shot, said a silent prayer to any god who might be listening, and sank it into Octavia’s heart.

***

THE BREATH OCTAVIAforced into her lungs felt like it was full of tiny shards of glass. Her chest felt on fire and her head pounded.

She could feel hands touching her and hear muffled voices around her. Fighting through the fog in her head, she tried to make sense of her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was reaching for Jude. Then there was pain and blackness.

“Octavia, can you hear me?” It was Jude, concern tracing through his words.

She fumbled around with her hand. She felt his warm fingers clasp hers.

“We need to move. This building is about to come down. Most of it’s already gone. What remains is about to collapse in on itself.”

“Is that Mad Dog?” Octavia forced her eyes open and looked around. Smoke was thick in the air, and along with it, the smell of burning.