Lorenzo pulls Sophia aside, murmuring in her ear in Spanish or Portuguese or both, and Nico pulls me aside as well.
"She was his first…project," he says to me. "She cares about him quite intensely, in a platonic sort of way. Also, I should warnyou, she is not someone you wish to get into a pissing contest with."
"Takes big brass ones to get into a staring contest with La Víbora," I hear someone mutter—I don't see who said it, however.
"La Víbora?" I ask, loudly.
Sophia/Inez whirls out of Lorenzo's embrace. "I amnother anymore," she snaps. “All those stupid names. No more. Please. No more."
"I feel like there's a backstory I'm missing here," I say.
Her gaze is droll when she turns it on me. "You don't say."
"Well, how am I supposed to know? Nico told me his story, but yours are yours to tell, not his."
Her gaze softens. "True." Her eyes shut, and she seems to soften, just a touch. "You are right. I apologize. I just…I am worried for Jakob."
"As am I."
She exhales slowly, eyes closed, chin to chest, and then straightens and meets my gaze. "We want the same thing, here, Brys. It's just…Jakob is…"
I take one of her hands and squeeze. "I know. I mean, I think I can fathom, at least. Almost three days in extremely close quarters, going through trauma together, you learn a lot about a person in a short time.” There's a short silence, and then literally everyone bursts out laughing, leaving me more puzzled than ever. "What did I say that was so funny?"
Nico pats my shoulder. "You have just succinctly summarized how literally everyone here met their lover."
"Dude, no. Lover just sounds weird." Saxon is frowning like he tasted something sour.
"Perhaps," Nico replies, "but even though Tatiana is not my legal wife, to call her my girlfriend feels insufficiently adult andserious. It is more than that. For all of us, no? What other term applies? Significant other? Partner?"
Saxon's frown only deepens. "No, you're right, but…I dunno, man. Lover just feels weird and wrong in my head for reasons I can't explain."
Solomon snaps his fingers several times and hisses. "Shut up! Everyone shut up!"
He creeps up the ridge, lies down on the crest, and remains motionless, watching and listening. After a full minute, he slithers back down and gets to his feet.
"There's an argument down there. Big time. Shouting, fighting. This is our moment." He points while snapping out orders, and everyone listens without question; this guy is the leader, then. "Chance, Rev, Kane, close in from the east. Stay low. Nico, Silas, Brys, you're overwatch from the ridge. Maria, Inez, Saxon, and I will take the frontal assault." He stares at everyone in turn. "This is it, folks. No prisoners. No fucking games. Pugli dies, here and now." He looks at Nico. "I know you want to be the one to end him, Nic, but if any of us has a shot, we gotta take it. We can't risk him getting away again."
Nicolae nods. "I agree. If anyone has a shot, take it. End him. His death is all that matters."
Sol claps his hands once. "Move out."
I find myself clutching a handgun in two shaking hands, jogging between Nico and Silas, who both carry rifles—Nico's is the sniper kind, while Silas's is an assault rifle.
I glance back at the place where we were all gathered just moments ago, but it's empty. Everyone is gone as if they were never here.
My heart pounds in my chest as I jog after Nico as he follows the ridge, angling south.
A few minutes later, I'm gasping and sweating as Nico bellies down on the ridge crest with his rifle. Silas goes prone besidehim and sets up a weird-looking scope-thing, and the two men mutter to each other. They're speaking English, but it's gibberish to me—windage, drop, this many meters, stuff like that.
Silas glances at me. "Your job is to make sure no one sneaks up on us. Pugli is a crafty, sneaky motherfucker. We know this is a trap, but we don't know what's gonna happen when we spring it. So just be ready for anything and keep your eyes peeled."
"I hate that phrase," I mutter. "How does one peel their eyes? And why does that mean 'keep a sharp lookout?"
Silas frowns, thinking. "Huh. Never thought about that. I dunno, to be honest."
"It matters not," Nico says. "Focus. Brys, just keep watch in all directions. If you see anything amiss whatsoever, speak up immediately. It does not do to underestimate our enemy."
There's a distant report of a gunshot, then.
