Mary and I step out of the car. She rushes to hide behind it while I strip the covering from the car next to us and put it over our SUV. We hear sirens approaching the garage. In my ear, Endo stays quiet.
Sirens blare throughout the parking garage, making people scream. Civilians run past the car. Tires screech as they peel out of here. This is good. Chaos works in my favor.
I tap my com unit (the pod in my ear). I treat Endo as I would my handler. “We’re in the parking garage. The mansion is on fire. There was an explosion, and I believe it’s Dina Ferrar’s hair salon.” I swallow. “She wanted to grab some supplies. I need to confirm the reports.” I need eyes. I need Connor, who never fucking understands how indispensable he is.
My chest is heavy. So heavy. I rub it. It’s hard to breathe.
I’m having a hard time clearing my head. My emotions. I can’t think about Dina. That will get me killed. Two of my favorite people might be dead. And if that’s the case, I can’t help them. But I could plan my revenge. Excitement about revenge pushes adrenaline into my veins.
The thirst for blood makes my mouth dry. I lick my lips.
“Brief me,” I command Endo.
I hear shuffling. “Okay, I’m down with Marquis, and we’re looking at reports out of Selnoa. A car rammed and exploded inside a hair salon across the street from Selnoa GeneralHospital. A woman, the owner, they say, one Dina Ferrar, has been rescued from under the rubble and taken to the hospital. “
“Does that mean she’s alive?” I fist my hands. “Is she alive?”
“No status reports. We can’t confirm anything since we have no assets in the city anymore, remember? And I hope Connor doesn’t walk into the place when it’s swarming with Ivan’s people and the cops. Do you have a twenty on your brother? He’s not answering his phone. Again.”
I ignore the pain gnawing at my chest.What if you lost your brother and the only girl who passed the loyalty test with flying colors?My brain supplies. SHUT UP, BRAIN.
FOCUS. “Was anyone else rescued?” I ask.
“The crews seem to be on standby. Cops surrounded the area several blocks around the shop and set up a wide perimeter. Too wide. They’re expecting more people on the streets, I bet.”
Cop cars drive past the SUV at near-crawling speed, no sirens, quietly stalking. Mary and I huddle tighter. The elevator pings, footsteps approach, boots on the asphalt. They’re searching the parking lot on foot.
Mary is a smoker, and her breathing is raspy. If they come any closer, they’ll hear her.
Since I can’t speak, I use the tapping signals on my com unit to communicate with Endo, the same way I communicate with Connor when he’s doing surveillance. We have our own codes, and Endo understands them. He knows that I’m surrounded and in trouble.
Footsteps come nearer.
I lie flat on the ground and look under the cars around me. Two people in blue uniforms stand in front of our covered SUV.
“P1 clear,” a woman says.
“Check the elevators,” the voice on the other side says.
“Did. I said it’s clear.”
“Check the elevators again.”
I recognize the voice on the other side. It’s the cop who briefed me this morning at the mansion.What was his name again?
The uniforms walk toward the elevators.
I breathe a sigh of relief.
“How are you doing, Mary?”
“I’ve been better.”
“Ivan made the move,” Endo says.
Mary turns abruptly toward a sound at the same time that the cops yells, “Hands where I can see them!”
I lift my hands and walk over to the cop.
