Page 93 of Once a Hero

“You can blame my brother. He thinks of everything.” She pointed. “See there. Hazmat suits. Over here, vials of antiviral medicine. I told him he was nuts, but now I’m glad we have spare oxygen tanks, aren’t you?”

Jake nodded.

“We have to get out of this alive, or Molyneux wins.”

“We’re assuming it’s her people out there.”

“I assume nothing, but I’m wondering how she knows we’re here,” Beatrice said. “We should have scanned ourselves for trackers.”

“Or a mole,” Jake suggested.

“That would be bad. We’re a small team here. Who could it be?”

“Have we established that she wouldn’t want you dead?” Jake prayed and hoped it was the case. It could buy them time.

“I used to think that, but she’s insane.” She handed Jake a mask.

It was heavy. Came with its own oxygen canister stored in a backpack he would have to wear over his shoulders. “How long is this going to last?”

“Only long enough for Ansel to arrive.”

“And that is?”

“Fifteen, twenty minutes.”

We could be dead by then.“Maybe you should stay in here and wait.”

“Me? What about equal opportunity and all that?” Beatrice asked, zipping up her Kevlar vest. She pointed to a helmet.

Jake picked up the helmet. “Maybe we should both stay.”

“Ray and Ken need our help.” Beatrice pointed to a few Kevlar vests.

Jake fell behind. Beatrice was donning her oxygen mask before Jake put on his Kevlar vests. She was checking the safety of a few weapons before he had found his weapon of choice.

He did not want her in the firefight.

He did not want her to leave the office.

And yet, he respected her right to make decisions for herself.

Why did it affect him so?

Their equipment was heavy, and Jake had a hard time moving. Beatrice seemed to do better, but her head was down.

“You okay?” Jake spoke into the microphone attached to his helmet.

Beatrice nodded. “We forgot to pray.”

“We can pray now.”

Their foreheads mask to mask, Jake said a quick prayer for protection and safety. When he looked up, he found Beatrice’s eyes staring straight at him.

Brave eyes.

And so beautiful.

“We’re going to get out of this,” Jake said. “And then I’m going to marry you.”

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