Page 69 of Raven's Claw
Jordan glanced at the shadows, wondering if she’d imagined Tucker’s voice dropping an octave — the way he’d stilled, seemingly in complete control for those few moments — or if it had been real.If he was in the midst of some kind of psychotic break.Just like that night in the café.“Is that Icarus?”
Tucker’s eyes darted back and forth.“You see him, too?”He glared at the shadows.“Hedidn’t want me to bring you here, but I had to.”He nodded several times.“I had to.”
“Can I… I need to talk to him.”She pushed out a breath when he glared at her.“Just for a moment.”
“I… I don’t know.He’s… He’s not very nice.”
“It’ll only be for a minute, then you can come back.You’re my brother, right?”
Tucker stood, paced the room for a minute then stopped and stared at her.Eyes focused.Completely distant.“What the hell do you want?”
She pursed her lips.“Is Rook dead?”
The guy, Icarus, she assumed, shrugged.“No idea.I hope so.The bastard’s lost his edge.Ever since you left, it’s been find Ember.You have to locate Ember.Ember, Ember, Ember.”He lunged at her, getting in close.“I fucking hate Ember!”
Jordan breathed through the surge of pain when he jostled her, doing her best to hold his gaze.“Me, too.”
He tilted his head, then eased back.“You look like her, but Tucker says you’re not.”
“I’m not.Not anymore.”
“We’ll see.”He glanced at that table when something pinged.“Looks like we’ve got company.They made better time than I thought.”
“Who?Who’s here?”
“Who do you think?That bastard, Kash and his teammates.”He laughed.“I had the asshole right where I wanted him.Strung out on the side of a cliff.Nothing but honor between him and death.Then, Tucker had to get all sentimental.Wanted tosavehim.”He rolled his eyes and slammed his fist against the wall, a dull thud echoing through the air.“He wouldn’t let me finish him.But he won’t stop me, this time.”
“Icarus, please…” She tried to push onto her elbow — fell back without gaining more than an inch.“You don’t have to hurt them.You can leave.You’re free.”
“Free?”He laughed harder.“That’s the illusion.None of us will ever be free.Whether Rook’s alive or dead — whether we’re with Scythe or Sandman.We’re just pawns.But if I kill everyone…” He smiled.“Then… Then I might escape.Wait here.I won’t be long.”
He walked out then shut the door, the metallic clang resonating through the room.A series of chirps sounded beside her, what looked like a monitor panning parts of the building.
Talk about a screwup.
She licked her lips — took stock.Her right shoulder was useless.Nothing but pain and that numb feeling she knew stemmed from a traumatic injury.The vague recollection of a gunshot.Or had there been an explosion?
It hurt too much to puzzle it out.Not that it mattered.Either way, just moving would take all her focus and a healthy dose of luck.Maybe some kind of sacrifice because it seemed beyond her.
She tried.
Clenched her jaw, palmed the cot with her left hand and shoved.
It took several tries repeating the same motion before she stayed upright — swung her legs over the edge.Another half a dozen of trying to stand before she did more than just rock back and forth — finally got her feet beneath her enough to trip her way over to the table.She crashed into it when the scenery swam, everything sliding left and right.But she breathed through the worst of it, leaning against the wall when it all stopped moving.
She wouldn’t get far.She knew it.In fact, she’d consider it a miracle if she did more than kiss the floor the moment she opened the door.But she’d go down fighting.She’d do everything she could to warn Kash and his teammates before Tucker unleashed some kind of attack.He’d obviously been here a while.He could have IEDs or traps set all over the area.And with the generator only powering the emergency lighting throughout the building, they’d be lucky to spot anything before it was too late.
Jordan sighed.She’d push herself one last time.Then, she could rest.
The place was a maze.
Whether it had always been like that or Tucker had been there long enough to do some rearranging, Kash wasn’t sure.Just that every room led to two more.
He stuck to the edges where the shadows were thickest.Anything to stay hidden.There wasn’t much light, but even the dim glow of the emergency bulbs could give him away.Tucker was watching.Not that Kash had spied any cameras, but his shoulder blades twitched.The same kind of warning he’d experienced in the service.And he wasn’t about to ignore his training, now.
Nyx stopped, ears twitching.Back rigid.She didn’t growl, but something had her attention.He gave her some slack, following her as she sniffed the floor, stopping at the next door.She sat, looking back at him as she gave a hushed bark.
“Wired, huh?”
