He flinched.
Voodoo had already seen it. So had Bones. Legend, too.
I didn’t know whether the flinch was guilt, fear, recognition, or habit. I just knew I hated it.
Bones crouched in front of him—not touching, just occupying his entire horizon. Calm. Heavy. I’d once watched Bones stop a guy’s swing with a glarebeforehe laid the man out with his fist. This was that, but weaponized.
“What’s your name?” Bones asked.
The man’s throat bobbed. “Luis.”
“Luis,” Bones repeated. “We’re going to ask you some questions. Your answers determine what happens next. Understand?”
Luis nodded quickly. “I didn’t call them. I swear?—”
“You tried,” Legend said. “Intent counts.”
“I wasn’t sure,” Luis said in a rush. “I thought she—” His eyes flicked to me again. “I recognized?—”
Bones’ voice dropped to something raw. “Don’t look at her.”
Luis’s gaze snapped down to his shoes.
My pulse spiked, but Voodoo stepped closer to me, not touching, but present enough that my body understoodsafe. Goblin leaned against my leg like he was trying to glue me to the ground.
“Alphabet,” Voodoo murmured into the comm, “status.”
AB’s voice was tense, fingers audible on a keyboard miles away. “Working. The manifest trails aren’t clean—someone scrubbed the container logs retroactively. I’m digging through hardware-level timestamps now. Keep him contained. I need ten minutes.”
Bones gave a short nod. “You have it.”
Legend cracked his knuckles, suggesting he was bored rather than angry. Not sure what would be worse for Luis. Not sure I cared either.
Bones kept his focus anchored on the man. “Who are you reporting to?”
Luis swallowed. “I—I don’t know their names. I get paid through dead drops. They don’t talk to me.”
“Specifics,” Bones said.
Luis shook his head. “I mean it. I’m not— I’m not high enough for names.”
“Then why did they place you here?” Voodoo asked.
Luis hesitated.
It was Legend who crouched beside him slowly, arms braced on his knees this time. “Think carefully. If you lie, Bones knows. He’ll hear it.”
Luis’s breath rattled.
“They put me close because I have a good memory and sometimes I recognize faces,” he whispered finally. “People they’re looking for. People who tried to run.”
Run.
My stomach flipped.
“Who did you think she was?” Voodoo asked softly.
Luis’s eyes darted between Bones and Legend before settling near Voodoo’s boots. Anywhere but my face.
