Page 136 of Shrapnel

“Says the guy locked up,” Owen muttered.

“What are you doing here, geek?”

He would not allow himself to get baited by Jackson’s surly attitude. “I’m going to choose to believe it’s the lack of sunshine that’s making you an asshole and continue rescuing you.”

Now that he’d gotten this far, he saw another flaw in their plan. Noah didn’t tell him how to open Jackson’s cell. He moved to the door and was horrified to see it was a standard key lock. The most technologically advanced gang in this hemisphere and they used akey?

“Do you know where they keep the key?”

“I thoughtyouwere rescuing me?” Jackson asked smugly.

“It’s like you don’t even want to get out.”

Owen began digging through the guard’s pockets. He was the only Mesa guard he had seen the entire time. With any luck, he was the only one on the property. The key might be on him.

“Why would I? I get three squares a day and all the sleep I want. No whining teeny boppers. Pretty sweet set up.”

“Aren’t they torturing you?”

The mercenary scoffed, crossing his arms. “Please. They’re too afraid to even come in here with me.”

Owen thought that was fair. He didn’t want to go in with Jackson either.

“Why you? Aren’t you usually a behind the scenes guy?”

Not finding the key, Owen groaned in frustration. “Look, I am doing my best here, ok? I don’t need your assholery. I much prefer to be at my nice cozy desk with my emotional support energy drink, but here I am pulling a fucking cattle prod on steroids out of my goddamn pants to get you out. So could you show a little gratitude?”

Both of Jackson’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. He jerked his head to the other end of the cell. “There’s a closet just past the cell. Keys in there.”

Owen retrieved the key and began fitting it into the lock. “We need your help.”

“Why does that sound familiar?”

He paused in trying to turn the key. “Seriously. Jackson, Mateo hurt Elijah. Badly. If we don’t get him alive, Elijah will die. And there’s someone else he’s working with. Someone he calls the Demon.”

Jackson’s stony silence was his answer.

“I know you have no reason to help us. But if you don’t, Elijah could die.” He stopped, forcing himself to meet Jackson’s glacial eyes. “Jamie could get hurt.”

His lips twitched and he sucked his teeth. Jackson glared down at Owen. He looked angry. But that was probably just his face.

“Why would I care about Jamie?”

“Don’t lie. I know you like him. Even just a little. Besides,” new tactic. Owen needed a new tactic. “They know about your brother. They could just as easily attack Evan.”

Jackson’s lip curled, and he began pacing his cell. Owen got the feeling this was something he needed to do and he’d rather Jackson expelled energy that way than something else. Like squeezing Owen’s head off like a grape.

“Fine,” Jackson pointed a thick finger at Owen’s chest. “But the Weavers owe me. The little lordling owes me. And I’m going to collect.”

“Sure, sure. Seems fair.” Owen turned the key and Jackson jerked the door open, stepping past him to go back to the closet. He retrieved his personal effects, including the wicked looking machete. Situating it on his hip, he nodded to Owen.

“What’s the plan for getting out of here?”

“Uh, the plan was to rescue you, and then hide behind you while you battering ram us the hell out?”

Jackson looked like he really regretted being freed.

“Tell me why we aren’t asking Grant for help?”