Page 37 of Jump or Fall

Mara

“ W here is she?” Mara asked as they hurried out of the Armory.

“Last I saw, she was in Weapons with Millon.”

They rounded a corner, and Mara pressed her palm against the hand scanner. The door to the Weapons Division slid open with a soft hiss.

Her mind raced with how to confront Kimmie over her lies, but the second she stepped inside, all thoughts evaporated.

Kimmie was leaning back against a display table, her face flushed a deep pink. Millon stood between her legs with his body pressed against hers, their lips locked in a slow kiss. He broke it off, but made no effort to put space between them.

He turned lazily to Mara and Gordon. “Yes? If you couldn’t tell, we're kind of busy.”

“Clearly.” Mara stepped forward, her focus on Kimmie. “Tell us what really happened to Nella.”

Kimmie blinked, face still pink. “What do you mean?”

“You told us Dawson kidnapped her. We took a bird over there and she looked pretty fucking happy.” Mara exhaled sharply through her nose, forcing herself to stay calm.

“You’ve shown me nothing but vitriol since we met, and now I know it was all about Gordon.

” Her eyes found Millon. “Good to know you’ve finally moved on. ”

Kimmie’s entire body tensed. The silence stretched long enough for Mara to lose patience and she turned to leave.

Of course the brat wouldn’t answer.

“She’s a model,” Kimmie said.

Mara stopped.

“Nella met him at some party. She used a friend’s address to get the job in the first place since they wouldn’t hire someone from Eight.

When she told me there was a guy interested in her, I didn’t think anything of it.

Nella’s gorgeous—guys always like her. But then I found out it was Knight and I lost it.

“I told her she had to stay away from him—fuck, she lived in Eight. She should get it.” Her jaw clenched. “But she told me to fuck off and that just because I was fine with being an ‘Eight rat’ forever didn’t mean she had to be. Then she disappeared.”

“Why did you keep this from us?” Gordon asked, his voice barely concealing his irritation.

“Because no one would help if they knew! She needs to get away from him, even if she’s too dumb to see it.”

Mara crossed her arms and dug her fingers into her sleeves. “I have a hard time feeling sympathy for her.”

Kimmie’s eyes were brimming with tears. “Everyone makes mistakes.” She wiped her face roughly. “I’m sorry for not being upfront. But she’s still my sister. I can’t just stop caring about her.”

Mara ground her teeth together. “How are we supposed to trade Jasper for someone who doesn’t want to leave?”

“He’ll have to give her up,” she said. “He must care more about family than her.”

Mara couldn’t say either way. She had received a stripe just for punching Jasper, so her assumption could be true. Regardless, the omission of information still hurt, and she had no desire to be near Kimmie right now.

“And if she won't leave?” Mara asked. “Then what? ”

“Then we fuck him up so she won’t have a choice.”

Mara closed her eyes and shook her head.

Before she could say anything else, Millon spoke up. “Where is Jasper, anyway?”

“We built a holding cell in one of the safe houses in the tunnels,” Kimmie replied.

Millon stuck his hands in his pockets. “Well then, let’s go see him and give our nemesis a call. We won’t know anything until we try.”

***

Jasper’s holding cell was deeper in the tunnels than Crux, hidden behind a barricade with a faded sign warning of a cave-in.

He sat hunched over on a cot, his elbows resting on his knees.

His stubble was thick and made him resemble a younger Dawson.

The hate in his eyes burned as he watched them approach.

“When the fuck are you going to let me out?”

Kimmie responded, “Soon.”

Jasper eyed Mara, the corner of his mouth curling up. “You’ve definitely looked better, Silver bitch. My uncle do that?”

She ignored him as Gordon connected Millon’s tablet to the wall display and placed a call to Dawson.

After a few chimes, Dawson’s face appeared on the screen.

“Hirono.” His steely eyes gleamed with amusement. “Good to see you’re alive, doll. You always were a fighter.”

“Dawson! Get me out of here!” Jasper yelled.

Millon folded his arms. “We’ve called to arrange a little trade. As you can see, we have your nephew, and you have someone we want.”

Dawson chuckled. “Judging by the blondie next to you, I’m going to assume you want my Nella. The thing is, she likes it here with me. I can provide so much more for her than an enforcer in the Outskirts. ”

“I want my sister,” Kimmie gritted out, her cheeks red.

“Come on!” Jasper snapped. “Just give up one of your whores!”

Dawson’s expression darkened. “You’ll pay for the tone you’re taking with me, but I’ll agree to a trade. Nella for Jasper… and Mara.”

Mara’s breath caught in her throat.

Gordon stepped forward immediately. “Not fucking likely.”

Dawson rested his chin on his hand, smirking. “So, this is the boyfriend. Paul really did a number on you, if that’s his work. Not many lefties who go for the mouth.”

Gordon didn’t say a word.

The sound of Dawson tapping his belt buckle made her jump. “How does my cock taste?” He continued. “I never let Mara go long without a good fuck and she’s always such a perfect little doll. Never lets a drop of cum hit the floor.”

Heat crept up her neck. He was trying to humiliate her—trying to hurt Gordon.

Don’t react.

Gordon remained stiff as a statue next to her, the rage emanating from him palpable.

Dawson chuckled, pleased with how he was making them squirm.

“Let’s just cut the shit,” Millon interjected, his patience wearing thin. “Do you want your pathetic nephew or not?”

“I gave you my terms,” he said quickly. “Meet at the barricade to One at 5:30. If you don’t, Nella may not be in one piece the next time we negotiate.”

The screen went dark.

A sharp, crazed laugh erupted from Jasper. “You people are so fucked.”

Mara started for the door, the others following as Jasper hurled more taunts.

Once outside, she rounded on Kimmie. “Let’s make something clear—I’m not dying for your sister.”

Kimmie met her with a solemn look. “I don’t expect you to. I’ll pretend to be you and wear that special helmet so he believes it. I’m not that much taller, and the suits add bulk anyway.”

“Regardless of your ruse,” Millon said, “we need to prepare for a full attack. There’s no way he’s letting us walk away. I’ll leave four of my guards posted at Hyperion. The other sixteen will come with us.”

“Are you going to keep them hidden somehow?” Kimmie asked. “If we show up with a small army, he’ll get suspicious.”

“They’ll tail us from a distance. Silva is also working on something that’ll give us an advantage.”

“What happened to Jasper’s suit?” Mara asked. “If we make him wear it, we can control it if something goes wrong.”

“It’s in that safe house,” Gordon said, his voice low. Dawson’s words had gotten to him, even if his face betrayed nothing. “Let’s keep his helmet off in case we need to take him out. I have five remotes, but they’re all back in Eight along with my bike.”

“Using their suits against them is the best chance we have,” Mara said. “We need those remotes.”

Gordon nodded with a troubled expression. “I agree.”

The tunnel air was thick and stale, but much cooler than the street above. As they surfaced, Mara could already feel sweat gathering at the nape of her neck. A glance at the sky revealed thick storm clouds building in the distance. By the time they met Dawson, the storm would be overhead.

“Take one of my bikes,” Millon said. “I have a couple in the garage under Hyperion. I’d offer you the car, but that might attract too much attention.”

As they approached the black monolith of Hyperion, a commotion outside drew their focus. The guards posted at the entrance were locked in a heated argument with someone.

It was Asher.

Millon rushed forward. “Asher! What are you doing here? ”

The guards immediately stepped back, falling silent as Asher turned toward them. His eyes were wide, and his face pale beneath a sheen of sweat.

“Everything is falling apart,” he muttered, breathless. “My neighbors thought this guy in our building must be a Silver because he was always complaining and just mean to everyone. They cut off his fucking hand!”

Millon looked around warily. “Come inside.”

He fumbled through his pocket and pulled out a key that he tossed to Gordon. “Take the black one.”

Before anything else could be said, Millon ushered the shaken apprentice into the building with Kimmie.

Mara unlocked the parking garage and led Gordon inside.

The heavy metal door clanged shut behind them, enclosing them in the dim space where the smell of vehicles and machinery hung in the air.

A sleek, two-door black car sat between two motorbikes, their matte fairings catching the low light. Millon’s idea of a joke.

Gordon hesitated, his fingers tightening around the key.

“What’s wrong?” Mara asked.

He shook his head, grabbing a helmet from the wall. “I want to tell you to stay here, but I also don’t want to split up.”

A smirk tugged at her lips as she pulled her helmet on. The inside pressed against her healing skin and made it itch. “As if you could tell me what to do.”

“I thought about that too,” he said, chuckling.

He tested the key in one of the bikes and the engine roared to life, the deep hum vibrating through the ground. Gordon swung a leg over the seat and held out his hand. She took it, sliding onto the bike behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

The itch beneath her helmet burned, but she pushed it aside.

Right now, all that mattered was the mission.

Gordon maneuvered the bike to the exit, the rumble of the engine filling the garage.

He revved it and glanced over his shoulder.

“Let’s ride.”