“Okay,” I exhaled. “We improvise.”
That was how we put Voodoo in the cab to drive the transport with Lunchbox riding shotgun and I set up for the cleanup team.
It was going to be messy, but what the hell.
“I’ve got eyes, Cap,” Alphabet said. “We can do this.”
Yes. Yes we could.
Chapter
Nineteen
GRACE
The kids were quiet for now. Too quiet. That’s usually when the fear starts creeping in, like a shadow stretching across the floor. At least, it was like that when I was a kid. God, I couldn’t have imagined going through everything I already had at my agenow. If I’d been a kid?
A shudder went through me. I knelt next to Nico, his little hand still clinging to mine. “Hey,” I said softly. “We’re okay. Remember? We’re okay.”
He didn’t answer. His eyes tracked the walls, every creak or groan of sound seemed to make him flinch. Goblin lay at my feet, low thrum vibrating in his chest like a motor—steady, unshakable. That alone helped.
A crackle, then Bones’ voice, rough but controlled came over the comm. “Clear at the truck.”
I’d been listening to them every step of the way.
“Voodoo and Lunchbox are taking the rig. Alphabet—get them an exit strategy and make sure it’s clear.”
“Go with them, Cap,” AB said.
“No,” Bones replied and I swore my heart spasmed.
My stomach clenched. It felt like we’d just gotten him back, I didn’t want to risk losing him again. My hands tightened around Nico’s. “Bones…”
“Shh,” he said, and though his tone was softer the order underlying the syllable was no less fierce. “They’re coming for me.”
I swallowed. My throat was tight. I tapped the comm to silence my end. I wasn’t alone. There were two other soft beeps that followed mine. Legend and Voodoo, AB would stay on with Bones. We’d moved as a unit, but bit by bit, we’d broken off into smaller teams.
Now Bones was alone. My heart did a violent little wrench.
I glanced at the others. The little girl with the stuffed toy missing an eye was hugging it like it was the only thing in the world keeping her alive. I smiled, even though it didn’t reach my eyes.
“It’s okay, sweetie. Goblin’s right here. You’re safe. I promise.”
I translated it too, because it forced me to calm down. Panic tended to make me think in English, so it seemed reasonable they would default to their own languages.
One by one, I checked on the others. Words didn’t have to make sense. The tone mattered. Calm, slow, solid. That’s what they needed. That’s what I gave.
Bones’ voice came again. More frantic now. “Rig’s out, I’ve got a hit team—four of them—coming through the west containers. I’m holding.”
My stomach dropped.
“Dollface,” he continued barely pausing for a breath. “I’ve got this, but you can turn the comm off so you don’t have to listen.”
Fuck. That.
I gritted my teeth and held my tongue. I couldn’t fix this from here. Not yet. My job was the kids. My job was keeping them alive. And I could do that.
The youngest, the little boy clinging to Goblin’s tail, whimpered. I scooped him onto my lap, rubbing his back. “It’s okay,” I said softly. “They can’t get to us. Bones and the others are making sure of that. You’re safe. I promise.”
