Page 73 of Lockout

Idaho looked like hell. He was pale and the panic in his eyes matched the feeling building in my soul. “Take all the time you need,” he told me, sitting on the tailgate next to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. It was obvious that sitting here and not searching for his brother was ripping him up inside.

“We can’t get in there to keep searching because of the fucking cops,” Rip said.

“I can,” Seek said, understanding dawning on her face.

“I’m going with you,” I told her, hopping off the truck before Idaho could pull me back.

“Like hell you are,” Hush said, shaking his head.

“Actually,” Seek hedged, “I could use her.”

“How?” Priest asked.

The rest of the guys, Hell, Smoke, Static, Ricochet, and Warrant were standing there quietly, just listening. It was clear that they were wrecked about this. While Rip, Hush, Priest, and Idaho seemed manic to find Lock, the others were just…defeated.

“Can’t get around back either,” Butcher said as he and Toxic walked up.

“You shouldn’t be here right now,” Toxic said, wrapping me up in a hug.

It was all I could do to keep from breaking down again. I bit the insides of my cheeks until I tasted blood. “I’m okay.”

“She keeps sayin’ that,” Hush said, scowling at me. His voice was gruff, but I saw the worry on his face. He was trying to protect me from seeing something that might sear itself into my soul for the remainder of my life. But Ineededto help.Neededto find Lockout.

“She’s coming with me,” Seek said. “I’ll tell them that I’m training her. Explains why I have both dogs out and working when I don’t normally do that.”

“One of us could do that,” Rip offered. His eyes landed on me. “You don’t have to go.”

“Yeah, I do,” I choked out.

Rip sighed, swiping his hand over his mouth. “Fuck, this seems like a bad idea, but alright.”

“Come on,” Seek said, taking me by the arm and walking me toward a line of cops.

“Thanks, Seek,” I said. “I can’t stand there doing nothing.”

“I know,” she replied. “If it was Hush… Even if he was… I’d need to help, too.”

“Seek?”

“Hey, Rodney,” she said, smiling at one of the young cops standing around. “I got a call that you need a search of the building.” She wrinkled her nose. “Doesn’t look like much of a building.”

“I didn’t know anyone had called you,” he said. “Hang on.” He tilted his head and hit the button on his radio mic clipped to his shoulder. “Sergeant. Search and Rescue is here. Want me to send her over?”

Static sounded from the radio. “Yeah, send her back.”

“You heard him, head on back there,” Rodney pointed north toward where the fire was the worst.

“Thanks. See ya, Rodney.” As soon as we passed the cops, Seek’s fake smile disappeared. “Sorry. Gotta keep up pretenses. If they think the guys are involved they’ll haul all of them in for questioning.”

“I know,” I whispered.

“Right. Of course you do,” she said with a shake of her head, as if she just remembered who I was and what I did for a living.

My eyes scanned the wreckage as Seek spoke with a Sergeant Morris.

“She’s with me. Needed help running a second dog,” Seek said with a tight smile at the Sergeant.

“Smart,” Morris said. “The firemen are about to show up and once they start spraying water everywhere this place is going to turn into a shitshow.”

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