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“Y ou are not coming with me!” Ray yelled for what was definitely the fifth time as Angel leaned back against his bike and sighed. For the fifth time. Because Ira was standing her ground in front of her Ray, her hands crossed with a fierce expression on her face. Angel would’ve been proud of her if he wasn’t in full agreement with Ray,

“Then what do you expect me to do?” Ira exclaimed with equal force and Angel noticed Mia stalk in his direction from the corner of his eye. He shot her a grim smile when she stood beside him and handed him a helmet,

“They’re still at it?” she asked sourly, and Angel nodded, turning back to stare at the two girls.

“Stay. At. Home.” Ray said through gritted teeth, “I can’t have you lingering around. It’ll mess with my focus.”

“Oh yeah? Like a lot of good that did when I stayed home last time.” Ira shot back.

Angel bit back a grin as a tick appeared on Ray’s jaw, her eyes shutting in sheer annoyance, “Fuckin’ Christ, that was our plan!”

“I know that!” Ira said indignantly, not really making sense anymore.

Mia leaned closer, her red hair brushing his shoulder, “Just say the word, I’ll knock her out.”

Angel whipped a morbid look in her direction just as Ray shot her a dirty glare, having heard her words. Ira took a clean step away from them acutely and opened her mouth to continue when Angel noticed a shadow take form from the entry of the building .

“Are you not done yet?”

Micah was sure lingering around them a lot nowadays. Not that Angel minded, he was just wary of the younger boy. He saw Ira jerk in surprise, her shoulders stiffening as Micah sauntered out from the building with his hand tucked in the pocket of his jacket,

“Get the hell inside. Both of you.” Ray snapped, finally losing her patience. Everyone else had already left to do their jobs and seemed as though Ira had waited for the last possible second to confront Ray on this.

“Sure,” Micah replied with a shrug and turned to Ira. But the girl was barely looking at him, was busy simmering in Ray’s direction,

“You need me for–”

“I’m not doing this again.” Ray threw her hands in the air and turned away from her, her eyes clashing with Angel’s as she moved in his direction. He straightened, the helmets tightening in both his hands before Ray neared him and grabbed one, “You get inside now. And you don’t come out. No one will knock on your door. There’s enough food in the kitchen to last you a lifetime and–”

“ Why won’t you just let me come?” Ira interjected loudly and Angel only saw Ray’s eyes flash in warning before she whipped her head over her shoulder and said in a haunted, quiet voice,

“ Because I lost someone back then. ” She said, pain lacing every syllable. Ira flinched back, her hair swaying violently as Ray continued, tremors rocking her body before him. Angel took a single step forward. Near enough to share his warmth but not enough to touch her, “And I won’t lose you too.” She shook her head and looked away, “I fucking won’t.”

She tugged her helmet on her head then, and Angel looked over her shoulder to see Ira’s eyes snap shut and open again .

He angled his head, so he was in her line of vision and shot her a small smile.

Ira shook her head at him, her stance softening by a fraction as Ray moved to her own bike,

“She’ll be alright.” He said and Ira huffed out an annoyed breath, but he still took a step forward. The wind whipped past them when he neared the younger girl and continued in a quiet voice, “You aren’t going to lose her.”

We aren’t going to lose her.

Ira nodded, her first sign of acceptance as he lifted his head and nudged his chin in Micah’s direction, “Go on then.” He said and watched as Ira turned to walk back into the building. The security guard that Ray had told him about– Ciera, dipped her chin once before escorting both Micah and Ira into the building. Only when he saw their bodies disappear did he finally turn on his heels to sit on his bike. He couldn’t help a small smirk when Ray shot him a withering look from her helmet,

“She always listens to you.”

“That’s because I say things she wants to hear.” He responded with a small grin and saw her head shake in response, “Careful Walker,” he continued and tugged his helmet over his head, “Don’t want to look jealous now do we?”

Ray scoffed as Mia’s bike thrummed to life behind them.

“I liked it better when we were mortal enemies.” She murmured loud enough for him to hear as Mia swept past them, bringing forth a cold wave of wind and dust. Angel blinked past it, and lolled his head so he could stare at Ray,

“ That’s such a lie.” He sang and laughed when Ray roared her bike to life and took off after Mia, leaving him in the dust.

* *

The facilities were far more secluded than she’d expected it to be. For once in her life, she could hear only the crickets and the faint rustling of the wind when she removed her helmet. They’d parked a few miles behind the road that led to the warehouse, but Ray could see no signs of life.

Angel mirrored her expression as he parked his bike beside hers, and swung his leg off his bike, removing the helmet as he did so. Ray took the time they both took to adjust and look around, fishing out her phone and dialing the group in the meantime. She placed an earpiece in her ear as her phone rang, stepping forward to hand Angel the other one.

Mia hadn’t noticed their interaction, and even if she did, it didn’t matter. She was busy staring at the faraway warehouse. Angel blinked down at her when the ringing ceased with a click and the others all connected to the secure line.

“We’re here.” Myra said, her voice slightly muffled, probably because she was hiding alongside Luke and Noah, “There’s a working factory here, with multiple people going in and out.”

Ray shared a glance with Angel before replying quietly, “Find out which company they belong to and let me know.”

“Jack?” Angel asked, staring back ahead at the warehouse in the distance. Mia had her hands on her waist, having stepped right in the middle of the path that led up the hill. They’d all parked their bikes a bit behind, hidden by the selective bushes and trees that were planted all across the hill.

“Jack’s here with me.” Sorin said, his voice quiet as well, “It’s a working warehouse here. There are people everywhere, all carrying boxes in and out of the place. It’s like a place where they hoard their inventory.”

Ray’s brows furrowed .

Two out of five were bustling with people. So, what made their place different–

“That’s weird.” Akash interrupted her line of thought, “Me and Irene are literally standing in the middle of nowhere. This place is completely secluded,”

“And it looks completely unhabitual. Judging by the wines and the broken windows,” Ray could swear she felt Irene cringe, “It hasn’t been used in quite a while.”

A goose chase that one then.

Angel matched her gaze, his thoughts matching hers, no doubt. Ray hummed and watched the warehouse sitting atop the hill, “And the last?” she asked,

“I don’t know how to say this,” Neera replied, “But it looks like this place might be a hostel. For orphans.” She added. Ray thought back to how Micah had pointed at that very spot and had looked at her warily,

“Be careful here.” He’d said, his voice twinging with a rare catch, “It’s where the worst of us hail from.”

“That might be the place where they recruit and train children,” Ray replied darkly. Neera went silent for an entire minute.

“I’ll start making adjustments to get them all out.”

Ray nodded even though she could see her movement, “I’m standing on a small hill. There’s this warehouse sitting on top, and it looks empty from here, but we need to go check it out. It seems to be in a good condition.”

She turned to Angel as the others responded, asking her to be safe and stay on the call,

“Do you have your gun?” she asked quietly and saw him inch closer, his necklace swaying with the movement .

Angel leaned down and bonked his forehead against the top of her head lightly, making her blink in surprise,

“Don’t worry about me.” He murmured in response and Ray saw Mia stride forward without looking at either of them, “I have everything I need.”

“Can you both stop for five minutes?” came Irene’s tired voice from their earpieces and Angel leaned back in surprise, a small grin on his face as echoes of agreement followed.

“Fuck off–”

Ding!

Ray snapped her gaze down at her vibrating phone in hand, her brows furrowing.

“Did any of you send me a message?” she asked tentatively, a sudden ball of dread rocking her stomach.

“No,” everyone responded, and Akash continued, “Why? What’s wrong?”

No one else had her number, that’s what was wrong.

Ray breathed out harshly and lifted her phone, her body suddenly shaking with anticipation as she saw a sealed message from an unknown number in her notifications. Shit, if someone had her number, that meant their communication was fucked as well.

“We’re compromised.” Ray said as quickly as she could, “Get off the line.”

She didn’t wait for their response, just ripped the earpiece from her ear and slammed it to the ground. A satisfying crunch filled the air as she slammed her heel down on it. Angel followed her actions, his brows furrowing as Ray opened the message from the unknown number.

‘Miss me? ’

Ray grit her teeth and looked up at Angel, not at all surprised to find a tick feathering in his jaw.

She looked back down as her phone vibrated in her hand again.

‘I have another gift for you.’

The message was followed by a video.

Ray didn’t wait, was too afraid to when she clicked the video with shaking hands and waited for it to load–

All air left her lungs as she saw the image of a man tied up against a metal pole, a gag on his lips as his entire body sagged forward. There were light bruises on the sides of his face but no dangerous markings. Ray’s world tilted, suddenly nauseous, and would’ve almost fallen back if it hadn’t been for the hand Angel braced against her lower back.

“Who is that?” Angel asked her, his voice tight as she looked at the man over and over again, unable to piece where she’d seen him. The video proceeded and the man’s head lolled to one side, revealing his beard and a marred, round face.

“You’re better off not knowing my name…”

Ray gasped, all strength leaving her as another message popped up in her notification bar.

‘How do you want it wrapped?’

A growl left her tongue at the blatant threat, her mind racing as she pieced back who he was. Zahir, the same man who’d told her to believe in this world. The same man who’d asked her to smile more often. The same man who had a wife and daughter and holy shit–

“What have I done?” Ray whispered, her heart thudding in her chest as Angel held her weight,

“ Nothing . ”

His voice was clear when another message rolled up, revealing an address. She glared at the message, fear and rage mixing and turning into something ugly.

‘Alone.’

Angel read it as well and scoffed at it,

“No way in fucking hell–” he began, and Ray shook her head, her body shaking with leashed rage as she took a step away from him. Her head was pounding, struggling to grapple with the situation as she clutched her phone tightly in her fist.

“Get this over with,” she started darkly and turned towards her bike, “With Mia, scout it out. Go with the plan. I’ll get this done–”

“ No,” Angel responded, stepping between her and the bike, “I’m not leaving you alone in this.”

“You won’t.” She said and showed him the address, knowing there was a dangerous glint in her eye, “Come get me after you’re done here.”

Ray willed him to understand. Glanced at Mia and back at him again.

His eyes flashed, understanding morphing into reluctance as she swung her legs on her bike and roared it to life. She looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with seriousness,

“Get out of here alive and come get me. Do you understand?”

Angel gritted his teeth and started forward to wrap a steady hand around the side of her neck, hauling her closer,

“You will not die today.”

He stated as if it were a fact and Ray’s gaze shuttered, a smirk lifting her lips as she put her hand atop his,

“And you will live to see tomorrow.” She replied, “You will live to see me. ”

Angel shook his head, a resultant smile rising on his lips as well,

“So self-entitled.”

Ray leaned forward then and brushed her lips against his,

“Only for you.”