Page 119 of Son of a Witch

Worry souredmy stomach as I released the prisoner to the sentries. Pascal and Supergal hadn’t reported back in. Their last transmission said they’d found something and went to investigate. No word since.

I went looking for Knoxe and found him signing the fugitives into the prisoner bay.

The warden praised him and Selena, rubbing his grubby hands together. “Excellent work. Twelve prisoners retrieved.”

Not the two wereallywanted. Those twodeadmen always managed to get away with murder, from early release from maximum security, to calling hits and not being punished. Not for too much longer. For fucking with my family, the warden’s family, my Guardian’s family, we were coming for them. It was only a matter of time. I hope they enjoyed their last few days of hell.

“If we may, sir. Can we leave the deserters with you?” Selena glanced at Knoxe, the two finally in sync after weeks of pointless competition when we were all on the same team and wanted the same thing. “We want to get back and collect evidence, samples, and scout for the portalling device.”

The warden clapped his hands together. “We have other teams to conduct that. I'd rather you stick to questioning the captives.”

Knoxe went to argue, backing down at Selena’s pleading gaze. The new warden didn’t like or respect us. Best to leave it in the hands of someone he trusted more.

“Sir, we still have two members out in the field.” Selena pulled out the last of her knockout bombs and stuffed it back in her belt like a true soldier. “We’d appreciate your approval to return and bring them back.”

Vancor’s jaw flexed. “I’ll send another team out.”

“With all due respect, sir.” Selena’s firm voice turned the warden’s jaw to stone. “It’s Guardian policy not to leave a man behind. As a compromise, we can leave half the team to assist in the interrogations.”

Her gaze cut to Knoxe in a show of solidarity rather than being adversarial.

Backed into a corner, Vancor had no choice but to agree or else expose himself as the weasel I suspected him to be.

“Of course.” He lifted his wrist and tugged back his sleeve, checking his goldRolexwatch. “Leave Mr. Akimura with me. His record for interview success speaks for itself.” He jerked his sleeve back down with a straightened arm. “The rest of you, be back in an hour.”

Selena dipped her head. “Thank you, sir.”

“Thank you, warden.” Knoxe disappeared with Vancor inside the prison bay to get on with the dirty business he was good at.

Our leader gestured for Loco and me to follow her, our boots the only sound on the stone floor as we marched back to the Terra Room for departure.

“Have you heard from Supergal and Pascal?” I checked the time on my Guardian-issue bracelet, which also featured a watch. “It’s not like them to not report in. They’re both punctual and Pascal follows orders to the letter.”

“Not yet.” The way Selena’s pained gaze went to Loco made my pulse skip and stutter. She was just as worried by my girlfriend and brother’s absence.

Curse words exploded on my tongue seeking release, but I held them back out of respect for Supergal’s father.

Twenty minutes later, we were back where we apprehended the runaways, canvassing the area. Missing weapons suggested someone showed up to clear the area of evidence.

Selena raised her bracelet to her mouth. “Pascal, Astra, do you copy?”

Radio silence crackled on the other end.

“Dammit,” Loco spat, kicking a wooden crate the men used to sit on. “I didn’t raise my girl to be stupid and walk into trouble.”

I wanted to counteract that with,she fell for this bad boy, but thought it best to keep it to myself. Better to keep Dad on my good side or else get a knife slicing across my sexy, corded throat.

“She the smartest girl I know.” I gave him my best son-in-law counsel. “Cautious. Assessing. Trained well by Knoxe.”

We moved deeper into the outpost, finding scattered items, left behind food, stolen weapons and gin and tonic bombs, burner phones. Fuckers left in too much of a hurry to do a proper sweep.

“I’ll take that.” I collected the two phones and stashed them in my fanny pack. “Looks like the ones that got away notified their associates,” I stated the fucking obvious, knocking over a gun stand with my boot.

Loco clutched his knife as he gripped his hair, about to lose his shit if we didn’t find his daughter soon. They only recently made peace with each other and bonded after a long separation. He would be devastated if he lost his daughter again.

Me even more so to lose my Supergal.

“Keep searching, team.” Selena forced us to survey the outpost a third time.

---