Page 50 of Zero
I frowned.
“Justice is here.” I spoke into my wrist. “Armed men—eighteen of them inside alone. Watch your six.”
“Roger!” They all replied.
Bailey shifted to stand, and I grabbed her arm and tugged her back to the ground. “Stay put!”
“We have to get him!” She whispered fiercely.
“Do you want to die trying?” I snapped. “Or do want him to die with you doing something stupid?”
Rage flared in her eyes.
I was beyond caring.
Getting Justice out alive was more important than her delicate sensibilities.
I pointed to the way we’d come. “Go.”
“No, we can’t just leave him.”
I grabbed her, twisted her body and shoved her back into the hall. “Move!” I growled lowly.
Though she didn’t seem impressed, Bailey wandered back the way we’d get in. We met Bòkò at the door we’d entered, and we all moved back to the relative safety of the vehicle. When the door closed, I turned my ire at Bailey.
“Next time, you’re staying home.” I snapped. “What the hell were you thinking? Do you not think I know what I’m doing?”
“This isn’t about you!” She fired. “This is about my brother getting out of there?”
“And what about the rest of us trying to get him out? Huh?” I flung at her. “Fuck our lives? Is that it?”
She looked away and folded her arms across her chest.
“If you want to put your life at risk, by all means, you go right ahead and you do that.” I was steaming now. “But how dare you put Justice at risk? How dare you be so fucking selfish that you can’t see trying to grab him out of a room filled with armed men could get us all killed?”
“Don’t swear at me. No one ask you to do this!”
“You’re right. No one asked me to do it, but I’m doing it. So, you can either play by the rules or stay your ass at home—am I clear?”
She said nothing.
“Am I clear!” I raged.
“Zero…” Bòkò called softly while resting a hand on my shoulder. “Ease up. She’s not a soldier.”
“I don’t expect her to be.” I looked at him. “I expect her to use the damn brain she has rattling around in her skull.”
I shifted into reverse and eased the vehicle from the spot we’d been parked in.
“Tex.” I called.
“You okay?” Tex asked.
“I’m fine.” I replied grumpily. “I need you to ready the drone.”
“Cool.” Tex replied. “There’s a bar around the corner from your location called the Joker’s Tears. The others are inbound.”
“Thanks, brother.”
