Page 31 of Survivor
It’s recognition.
16
The skintight suit Braker had provided was made of thicker material than the one I’d worn in the pit. It also had a mic built into it. The boots were lightweight, and they’d even provided gloves. The only part of me exposed would be my neck and face. Good if I came up against the guy with the hallucinogenic secretions in his fingers.
I’d pulled my hair into a knot at the base of my neck. Neat and tidy, and less for an opponent to grab on to.
There was a knock on the door.
I took a deep breath. “Yeah?”
“It’s time,” Lore called out.
I opened the door to look up into his concerned face. He looked like he wanted to be sick.
“I’m going to be fine.” But my voice quivered, giving away my nerves.
Lore grit his teeth. “There’s still time to—"
“Are you ready?” Jaron appeared behind Lore.
Lore closed his eyes and tipped back his head. “I asked you to stay in the lounge.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t take orders from you,” Jaron said.
“It’s fine.” I wanted to just get this over with. “Let’s go.”
I brushed by Lore and followed Jaron into the lounge area of the quarters.
He stood by the exit, his attention anywhere but on me. He looked … uneasy. As if this was the last place he wanted to be.
“You’re not okay with this, are you?” Tide said.
Jaron’s expression hardened. “Braker hasn’t steered us wrong yet. He takes care of the Crimson Hand. He’s made us the largest pirate corp in the galaxy. No one can touch us, not without getting burned.” His gaze fell to me. “No one’s forcing you to do this.”
He was right. “I know. I’m ready.”
Vex was nowhere to be seen. He’d left an hour ago, claiming that he couldn’t watch me in the tunnels. That he needed air. Xavier had gone with him.
Lore and Tide had stayed, and I was grateful for that, because despite my bravado and my internal pep talk, I was scared. This was new ground for me. New foes. What if I failed? What if I wasn’t good enough.
Lore cupped my shoulders. “You can do this, Rogue. I have faith in you.”
“So do I,” Tide said. “Everything will be all right.”
Their confidence in me chased away the chill of doubt. “Yeah. I got this.”
Jaron jerked his head toward the door. “Follow me.”
With a final look at Tide and Lore, I followed Jaron out the door.
* * *
The lift took us down, way down into the depths of the building. Sublevel down.
I studied Jaron’s tense profile. “What happens now?”
“I drop you off at the mouth of the tunnel. You wait for the doors to open, and then you make a run for it.”
