Whenever I can, I sit with the allies and listen in. I analyze everything they are saying, take note of the information they have gathered about Anton Radev, and a map forms in my head.
By five o’clock on the second day, intel collection is over, and they are ready to play out the final plan together. They are going to attack every single one of Anton’s bases that have been festering across Chicago. He used a smaller group to get a footing in the city. Then he started spreading silently.
But between Josiah and the West Coast guys, they have found out everything they need to know, and Josiah is sure that Isaak will be at one of those bases.
“I want a radio,” I tell Josiah.
“For what?” he asks.
“I want it on you at all times, and I want to listen to everything that’s going on,” I demand.
“Kayla, that’s not a good idea. It’s dangerous, and we’re going into a full battle zone.”
“I don’t care. You’ll be there—you’ll be right in the middle of it. I can’t go, but I can listen!”
He sighs, giving in with a shake of his head.
He moves to the table where a bunch of gear has been laid out, and he hands me a headpiece.
“It will connect to ours when we turn them on. You will be able to hear everything. If you click this dial, you’ll be able to switch between headsets to listen to any of our individual feeds.”
“Good,” I nod, my stomach twisting with anxiety.
“We have to go…my brother….” Josiah says quietly as he pulls me close. “I wish I could stay with you, but…”
“Don’t worry about us. You focus on what is right in front of you. Ok? We’re completely safe here. You need to take care of yourself.”
“We’ll take care of him, Kayla,” Nestor says, slapping his hand across Josiah’s back. “We always take care of each other.”
I smile, nodding in thanks, but the nauseous feeling doesn’t leave my stomach.
Alara stands next to me as the guys leave the mansion and filter out to their cars along with a massive force of security guys.
“I would hate to be the man they are chasing today,” Alara whispers.
“Me too,” I sigh, finally closing the door when they are all out of sight.
Alara looks at the listening device in my hand. “You know it will make it worse, right? If you hear something bad but you’re too far away to do anything about it,” she says.
“I don’t know what to do. It’s so difficult knowing where he is going and not being able to help,” I sigh, wrapping my fingers tighter around the earpiece.
She pulls me into a hug.
“They aren’t going to get there for at least twenty minutes, anyway. Let’s have a cup of tea and take a few deep breaths. The girls are down for their afternoon nap now, anyway.”
“I think I want something a bit stronger than tea,” I groan.
She laughs tightly. “Vodka it is.”
***
Half an hour after I watch Josiah leave, I finally pluck up the courage to switch on the earpiece, connecting it to my phone so that their voices come from my speaker.
Alara and I are sitting at the living room table with the phone between us.
Neither of us speaks as we lean forward, intently listening and trying to figure out what is going on.
It sounds like we’ve switched on a movie right in the middle of a fight scene.
