Page 151 of Only the Wicked

“Can you run?” I cut her off, slicing through the ankle restraints.

She flexes her ankles, wincing as blood flow returns. “Not gracefully, but yes.”

Gunfire erupts closer to our position. I grab Daisy’s arm, guiding her. “Stay low. We’re moving to that stack of containers—straight from here.”

I snatch the laptop from the table with my free hand–now that Daisy’s mobile, we can multitask. “Stay low. On three. One, two…”

We break cover together, Daisy’s legs functional as we sprint toward better concealment.

The shooting stops.

I scan Daisy, head to toe, identifying minor abrasions but nothing serious, and hand the laptop to her. She flips it open and taps away.

Sirens approach in the distance, the sound filling the void of artillery.

The lights flicker on, and Hudson, decked out in tactical gear, enters, announcing, “All clear.”

We all slowly come out from cover. My ears ring in the silence now that the artillery has stopped.

Jake has Reid in custody, zip-tied and none too gently deposited against a shipping container. Two of the mercenaries are down permanently, three more are wounded and disarmed, and the rest apparently decided flight was the better part of valor or were taken out outside the warehouse.

“How did you find us?” Rhodes asks Jake.

“We’ve been watching since those guys went up to the suite, watched you get in the SUV.” Jake grins and taps his earpiece. “Quinn’s been tracking Sydney’s phone GPS since you left the hotel, but even if they tossed her phone, we wouldn’t have lost you. The further out you went, the further we fell back, but we were there. Waited for you to stop, then moved in. Cell tower triangulation and a little patience. Disarmed four outside the building, two on the property perimeter. Whoever these guys hired are weak on tactical training,” Jake says. “Syd, they had no idea you were anyone other than a girlfriend, that’s clear as day.”

“That’s right. Girlfriend. Introductions, Rhodes?” Daisy’s smiling, despite her split lip. Her wrists are red, and she’s rubbing the sore skin, but other than that, she’s remarkably calm and put together given what she’s just been through.

“Oh, she posed as his girlfriend,” Jake says, clearly thinking he’s clearing up a misunderstanding.

“Is that right, Rhodes?” Daisy asks, cupping one of her wrists against her middle, eyes taking in the warehouse, but despite it all, still in full possession of her sense of humor.

Hudson, my boss, pointedly looks my way.

“It’s complicated,” I mutter.

“No,” Rhodes says, surprising me by slipping his arm around my waist. “It’s not complicated at all.” He looks down at me with an expression I can’t quite read. “You work for a private intelligence firm. You were investigating me. Now you’re... Well, now you’re with me.”

“Roady boy,” Daisy says, shaking her head. “Did we bet on this? No, dang.” She snaps her fingers. “That bet was with Miles and it’s looking like he’s not going to be in a position to pay me.”

“I’m pretty sure I won a bet on this. I’ll share the winnings,” Jake says, grinning at Daisy.

Before anyone else can comment, Quinn’s voice crackles through someone’s comm: “FBI inbound, five minutes. Local PD in route. Ambulance in bound.”

Reid—still unconscious from Jake’s chokehold—starts to stir.

Rhodes bends over Dristol. Awake, but despondent. Possibly in shock.

I don’t see any injuries, but Rhodes checks him and places two fingers against his neck.

“Tell your friends,” he says quietly, “that ARGUS is not for sale.” Dristol groans and Rhodes bends closer. “How did it work? You got intel, sold it to the highest bidder? Is that all this is? And you somehow wrangled Miles into working with you?”

Dristol lowers his eyelids and curls into a ball, as if by closing his eyes he can make reality go away.

Hudson addresses one of the KOAN team I’m not familiar with, saying, “You stay here, watch over. We’re going to head outside and greet the first responders. Send them in.”

Outside, the rain has reduced to a drizzle, and the afternoon sun peeks through the clouds, descending below the tree line, filtering streams of gold between the leaves.

As we watch the emergency vehicles speed along the gravel road in our direction, Jake asks Daisy in a gentle voice, “You okay?” I don’t know him well, but given his gruff persona and untamed beard, gentle is unexpected.