Page 30 of The Comeback Road (Leaving #2)

Lexie

December

The night was cloaked in darkness, the only sounds being the rustle of leaves and the distant hum of city life as we left it behind.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a pale light over the abandoned warehouse that appeared to be empty.

But we knew better. The shadows seemed to dance along the cracked pavement as we arrived, Randolf parking the blacked-out vehicle a safe distance away.

Luke motioned for all of us to gather in, his voice low and steady.

“Alright, everyone, we don’t know what’s waiting for us inside.

Let’s run a perimeter check before we move in.

Lexie”—his eyes flicked to me—“stick close to me until it’s time.

I know this is your first time in the field, but stay alert. Be prepared.”

I nodded at him, my heart racing with excitement—or fear.

I wasn’t sure which. Probably a mixture of both.

I adjusted my backpack, which felt heavier than usual, filled with the gadgets and gear I had meticulously prepared, as well as what Luke demanded I take.

“Got it.” I could barely mask the tremor in my voice.

Luke zeroed his gaze on me, even though he was addressing everybody. “Stay alert for any unusual activity or security measures we might not have been able to account for.” His eyes filtered between us all. “And keep your comms on. I’ll be in contact with you as we create the perimeter.”

At that, Randolph and Zed opened the doors and exited quietly, holding them open for the rest of us.

The team fanned out, moving silently over the gravel, our silhouettes blending and bleeding into the night as if we were part of it.

Laurel and Randolf took one side, while Zed slipped into the shadows on the opposite flank.

My body was moving on an autopilot setting I didn’t know I was capable of. I was fading into muscle memory of the place we had gone over and perfected time and time again over the past few weeks. I mentally told myself that it was just another practice run, that it would be just fine.

We continued in silence until I felt Luke take my elbow. I turned to look at him, his expression serious. “I know you’re used to being behind a screen, but trust your instincts. You’re a vital part of this team, and significantly more badass than I would have guessed.”

I choked back a laugh, knowing it was his attempt at a pep talk before the real fun began. “These are high stakes, Luke. If I mess up, there’s no do-over here. People could die.”

“They could, but they won’t.”

“You don’t know that,” I whispered.

“But I know you,” he countered. “You’ve got the skills we need.

If anything happens, we’re in this together.

I got you.” He made his way around me, and I followed.

We rounded the corner of the warehouse, and we were hidden behind a stack of old crates left outside.

My eyes darted around, scanning the area.

“Main entrance, two guards. Plan?” I asked.

Luke nodded, and I could see his mind racing through the options as he brought his left hand up to the comms. “Laurel, Randolf, you see what we see?”

The crackling of static had my heart tick and in my throat before I heard Laurel’s voice on the other end. I felt myself smile in relief. “Yeah, we clocked them.”

“Laurel, you and Randolf will need to create a distraction. Zed, you’ll watch them from your vantage point, and come back up to take out anyone who might try to make their way out once we breach.

Lexie, you’ll need to monitor the security feeds from your laptop while we get you to the server computer. ”

A chorus of “copy that” rang through while Luke kept his eyes trained on me and mouthed, You got this. And all I could offer him was a nod.

“I just need to establish a connection to their server and the wifi they use.”

“Let’s get you set up quick,” Luke said, a hint of a smile breaking through the seriousness of his demeanor.

We moved around the sides of the warehouse, keeping low and quiet. As we reached the back, he pointed to a small window. “That’s going to have to be our entry point. With the distraction, once they are engaged, we will slip in through here. Lexie, be ready.”

“I am.” I did my best to project confidence in my voice, even if I could feel my fingers trembling. “I should have the feeds up in no time.”

As we prepared to execute our plan, the air was thick and brimming with unveiled anticipation, as if it were building a static in the air. I couldn’t help but pause for a brief second at the weight of the moment, preparing myself to face whatever awaited inside.

“On my mark,” Luke said, low and commanding, “let’s move.”

I crouched low, ready.

It’s time.