“What’s the plan, boss?”
“I counted half a dozen buildings as we flew over.Anyone get something different?”
Well, shit.I hadn’t been counting buildings.Then again, I’d been concentrating on flying.Fortunately, everyone else knew that was a thing and they all agreed with his count.
“We work our way in toward the main house, starting with there.”He pointed to the one structure we could see.“One of the buildings is probably the barracks.We want to avoid that if possible.Any questions?”
“Teams of two?”Burn asked, a gleam in her eye.
A sharp nodded from Dax.“You and Orion take point.Mercer and I will be right behind you.”
I could do math and I had a bad feeling about where this was going.“What about me?”
“You stay here and keep the shuttle ready.We’ll get your sister and then get the hell out of here.”
“Nope.No way in hell!She’s my sister!”I was getting damn tired of arguing about this.I thought Dax understood.
“That’s why it’s better if you stay with the shuttle.That way we can keep both of you safe,” Orion said kindly.
“That’s exactly why I should go.All she’s going to see if you go without me is another group of strangers kidnapping her again.”
“We’re rescuing her,” Orion protested.
“She doesn’t know that, does she?”I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at them, ready to take them all on.Not my wisest decision ever, but I wasn’t going to back down.“I crossed half the fucking galaxy for this.Got you cargo in exchange for this.”
“Stole our ship for this,” Burn added.
I glared at her.“Not exactly.”
She just gave me that lopsided smile of hers.
“Are you doing this because you want the glory?”Mercer asked.
I sputtered and wanted to take a swing at the asshole.I didn’t because I knew that was stupid and we didn’t have time to waste.“I’m doing this because she’s my sister and I want her to know that she’s safe.”
“Enough,” Dax said and we all stopped talking.“The longer we stand around here arguing, the higher the chance that we’re caught.”He pinned me with his gaze.I could tell he wasn’t happy, but I knew that I was right.Layla and I had the same upbringing.I’dbe leery of a new group of people breaking me out.It would feel like a trap.
“You’re with me,” Dax said.“Stay between me and Mercer.”
“How about you and Burn?”I tried to bargain.
His glare turned harder.
Burn snickered.
“You want to come, you abide by my rules.”Dax didn’t say anything else until I’d nodded.“Stay between me and Mercer.Do what I say, when I say it, no questions asked.”
This all sounded very familiar and I had a flashback to my dad giving me the very same lecture.It was almost like he’d kept some of that military training.Who knew?
“Fine,” I grumbled.It wasn’t the most graceful acquiescence, but I didn’t care.
We were finally here.After trying what felt like forever to get them on my side, we were finally doing this.
Soon my sister would be safe and we could leave this backwater planet.
53
Dax
