Page 59 of Angel

“Blow it as soon as you’re clear,” was Steel’s returning order as she hopped into the back of the van.

Her jaw dropped. Had she just stepped into a computer nerd’s wet dream? What the fuck…? The wall on the driver’s side of the van held three large monitors. A desk was bolted into the floor with a swivel chair on a sliding mount. No less than four keyboards were secured to the desk as well as three smaller screens. Keys was wearing a headset with an eyepiece over his left eye.

Bear turned around from the passenger seat. “Don’t ask. He’s in his own universe.”

Angel closed the door behind her. She noticed that the right side of the van looked like half of an ambulance. There were three cabinets on the wall with medical supplies and a very thin cot. She put her rifle case under the cot and then climbed into the passenger seat. “Who else are we picking up?”

“Cage and Star,” Bear said as he drove them around the side of the building.

Just as the big man braked, Angel saw two figures climb out of the hole in the rear of the building. She couldn’t help the smile when she saw Cage was walking upright and unharmed.

Both Cage and Star took off their masks as soon as they were in the van. They took a seat on the cot. Bear pulled away.

Cage held the detonation switch. “We clear?” he double checked with Keys.

Keys slid down to the last monitors on the right. Angel looked over her shoulder to see a satellite view of their area. One was enlarged with heat signatures and the other was a broader image. “Clear,” Keys confirmed.

Cage keyed his radio. “Detonation in five…four…three…two…” and then he clicked the red button on the switch.

The echoing explosion behind them did not cause Bear to drive faster. If anything, Bear was driving even more cautiously than usual. The three VDMC vehicles had different routes out of the city and would meet up casually on the highway back to Mount Grove. With no more fireworks as cover, the explosion would be heard and quickly discovered.

“Fire and police are on their way,” Keys told them. He pushed himself towards the monitors in the middle. Angel saw what looked like radio waves on one monitor but couldn’t hear anything. She wondered if he was tapped into the local police scanner. “I’m flagging a known 3T vehicle on a traffic cam now.”

She recognized Cage’s chuckle from behind her. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

Keys paused whatever it was he was doing to smile wickedly over his shoulder at Cage.

As Bear slowed for a red light, Angel felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned as Cage leaned around the passenger seat. Their kiss was quick but reassuring.

“You good?” he asked her.

She nodded. “All good. You?”

“That was definitely something. I was a bit out of my element, but it was awesome to watch Steel in action. The man’s a machine.”

Bear chuckled. “The man’s a career Marine. It’ll take a lot more than what we just did to make that man crack.” The light turned green and Bear drove them out of the city. “But don’t feel bad, man. There’s not many alive who could live up to that man’s reputation.”

Angel snorted as Cage said, “If we ever take on drug dealers in a submarine in the future, you watch out, man. I’ll be like a ninja on that thing and Steel would probably get seasick.”

Bear wasn’t the only one who laughed at that. “I’ll take that bet.” Bear put his right hand up, which Cage took in acknowledgement. “Keys, find me a submarine full of drug dealers so I can take Cage’s money!”

Keys scoffed.

They continued down the highway in silence, Cage’s hand still on her shoulder. The other two vehicles called over the radio that they too were clear of the city.

“Ooh!” Bear suddenly let out, excited. “That’s the motel where Maggie was conceived!” He pointed out the windshield to his left. “Quick, Angel, take a picture of me driving past. I want to show Tessa.”

When they were about an hour outside of Mount Grove, they pulled off a backroad and parked. While standing on a tarp, everyone stripped to their underwear and wiped themselves down using wet wipes. Angel, who was wearing boy short panties and a sports bra, did not feel uncomfortable removing her clothing with the rest of them. She did notice that Cage stepped between her and the rest of the club, as if he was trying to block her body from their view.

She rolled her eyes. “How is what I am wearing any different than when I wear a bathing suit?” she asked him, though his back was to her.

“It’s not,” he confirmed. “I just can’t look at you right now while in my undies or I’ll make the guys jealous with the size of my dick.”

Angel burst out laughing as the guys started ragging on Cage for his comment.

Once they were wiped down, they dressed in civilian clothing. Their fatigues, Kevlar, and boots were bagged up to be cleaned later. All weapons used were packed separately to be disposed of. Since they could not check their brass—other than Angel—they could not risk keeping possession of the weapons. Any weapons not used, which were mostly knives, were placed in other containers.

Bear approached Steel. “They’re all high,” he informed their president. “Based on the needle marks, all of them are users.”

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