Dex’s hand tightens around my thigh as Sly looks at me and asks, “And if they get close to the van?”
“You leave,” Elias answers simply. “Dex knows to take off the second they spot someone.”
I hate the idea of taking off and leaving them there, but I know it’s for the best. We can’t save them if we’ve been compromised ourselves.
Elias crouches and meets my eyes. “You keep your comm quiet unless we call you. If you hear gunfire, you stay down. Got it?”
“Got it,” I say, surprising myself with how steady I sound.
“You don’t have to be brave today, Wren. Just do as we say, and you’ll be okay.” His fingers touch my cheek for a second, and they're gone so fast I question whether it actually happened.
I want to argue, to tell him that today will take more bravery than I think I possess. But they’re the ones going in there and risking their lives. All I’m doing is sitting in the SUV.
Dex stands slowly, setting me on my feet. “I think we’reall good with the plan, we should go.” He brushes his thumb over my knuckles. “You good?”
“I’m good,” I tell him.
Elias straightens. “Wren, you’re with me, I want to show you something in the car. The rest of you gear up, we leave in ten.”
He turns to me and gestures to the front door, and I move behind him, slipping on my running shoes and leather jacket.
“We might need rain jackets if this weather keeps up,” I say, making small talk as he slips on his own shoes.
“I want to show you where to bunker down in the SUV in case things go bad,” he tells me as he pulls the door open.
I jog down the steps as rain starts to cover us. The SUV's lights flash as Elias presses the unlock button. I open the back door and jump inside, trying to avoid getting any wetter, and he kneels inside the edge of the door, pointing at the ground between the second row of seats.
“This is a good spot for you to lie low. But really, anywhere on the ground between the seats will work. Do you have your knife on you?”
I nod, tapping the side of my ankle where a knife is strapped under my jeans.
“There’s a gun in the glove box if it comes to that. Release the safety, hold tight, and squeeze the trigger.” He looks at me, and his lips press together as a look of worry crosses his face. “I should have taught you to shoot.”
“You can always teach me after.”
He nods, not looking any happier about it.
“I need to grab my computer. I’ll be right back.”
As he turns to leave, a figure cloaked in black comes out of nowhere and hits him over the head with something hard.
I scream as Elias crumples sideways onto the floor of the SUV. Everything happens so quickly. Another man appears, and they lift Elias’s legs and shove him inside, climbing in after him. One of them points a gun at me, before the other slams the door shut.
We start to move, and I turn to see a third man in the driver’s seat.
“Let us go!” I yell as I reach for my handle, but a rough hand pulls me back against my seat as a gun is pressed to my temple.
“Don’t move,” he warns.
But I struggle against his hold, that is, until I hear the click of a gun being cocked. I turn my gaze and find the second man with a gun pointed at Elias. “Keep fighting, and I’ll kill him.”
A whimper escapes me, and I sag in defeat.
With tears in my eyes, I watch as they bind Elias’s hands and feet with zip ties. They don’t even bother with tying me up, clearly not seeing me as a threat. I have my knife, but I know with the two of them back here with me, and a gun pointed at Elias, I can't do anything to help our situation right now.
I turn my eyes to the window, where the rain pounds down heavily, hoping to figure out where they’re taking us.
I feel hands on me, and I flinch, my head whipping around to find one of the men searching me. “Calm down, I’m just looking for your phone.”
