Page 49 of Rogue Hope
Finn nodded grimly, taking her hand. “Almost like the area was cleared beforehand.” He tugged her behind him. “We’llhead northwest instead of east. Throw off anyone expecting a predictable escape route.”
As they moved deeper into the alley network, Zara couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Twice she turned to check behind them, seeing nothing but feeling the weight of unseen eyes.
Their comlinks crackled back to life without warning, causing Zara to flinch at the sudden burst of sound.
“—ara! Finn! Report status immediately!” Griffin’s normally composed voice carried unmistakable tension.
“—heat signatures lost after the explosion—” Deke’s voice overlapped.
“—evac route compromised by first responders—” Axel chimed in.
“—Zara, respond—” Ronan’s gruff command cut through the others.
Finn pressed his finger to his earbud. “We’re mobile. Heading northwest on foot. Building compromised but not collapsed.”
A chorus of relieved exclamations followed before Finn cut them off. “Fall back immediately. All team members return to the airport. Do not attempt extraction. Repeat, do not attempt extraction.”
Zara stared at him in confusion and irritation. “What are you doing?” she hissed. “We need them to?—”
Finn shook his head sharply, continuing his instructions to the team. “Possible Vanguard operatives in the area. High probability they’re tracking team movement. That blast was designed to flush us out, not kill us.”
“Yo, Z, you concur?” Ronan asked.
She bit her lip, fighting the disorientation, the ringing in her ears. Fighting her own conflicting emotions.
Whether she could trust Finn or not, he’d shielded her from whatever that strange explosion was meant to do. Which may or may not mean anything relevant.
She tried to sort through the info whirling through her brain, separating emotion from intel, wishes from good judgment.
“Zara?” Ronan again. “Do you concur?”
The solution hit her with complete clarity. Whatever Finn’s motives or allegiance, getting her teammates out of danger took priority. “I do. One hundred percent. We’ll rendezvous at Theta location.”
“Not going anywhere without you, Z,” Axel insisted.
“Ditto,” Deke added.
She clenched her fists. “Guys, do what Finn says. This feels like a trap designed to gather us all in one place.”
“The lady’s right,” Griff agreed.
“Always is,” Ronan added. “Confirm fall back. What’s your extraction plan?”
Zara motioned to Finn. “This is your show.”
“We’ll go dark and proceed to your Theta location,” Finn replied.
“Meet you there,” Ronan said.
Finn shook his head, eyeing her as he spoke. “Negative. You should wait until we’re certain we haven’t been tracked.”
Another excellent point. “Or you, either.”
Silence greeted her, but finally Ronan spoke. “Affirmative. Good call.”
“Maintain radio silence until designated check-in,” Finn said.
“We’re expecting her back in perfect shape, Novak,” Ronan added gruffly. “Alpha team out.”
