She looked around for Revolver. At first, there was no sign of him. Then, just as Tripp was trying to pull out onto the street, she spotted him. “Go!” she said.
“Trying,” said Tripp, still panting. “Too many people.”
Revolver pulled a gun from under his jacket and took aim at the car. He didn’t fire, though, probably—hopefully—because he didn’t want to hit any pedestrians running in all directions across his path. Tripp found a gap in the crowd and shot through it, horn blaring as he sped on like a madman and found the main road. “Is he following us?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t see him, but I wouldn’t stick around to find out.”
“They’re going to track us down.” Panic had crept into his voice, which was the last thing they needed right now.
“They haven’t seen our faces,” Zira reminded him. “Ryku won’t know it was you, and he won’t find out I’m still alive. We can figure this out.”
“Right,” said Tripp. “You’re right. For now, we just need to get out of here.”
“Where are we going to go?”
He chewed on his lip and glanced in the mirrors repeatedly before answering. “I don’t know. I guess we just go home. Back to Austin. We need to get far away from here, but I don’t want to drive this car around any longer than we have to. They’re going to be looking for it.”
“So we go back to Austin, and then what?” She didn’t see how that was a particularly good option, either. The full realization of what they’d just done was beginning to sink in, and Zira felt a little panic creeping up inside her, too.
Tripp took the car down a side street and, finally, they seemed to have broken away from the chaos. “I don’t know. Maybe Chase can help us. Or Seth, Aubreigh—someone. At least we know Austin. I think we have a better chance of not getting caught there than we do anywhere else.”
Zira nodded and took several deep breaths to prevent the panic from taking over. “Okay,” she said. “That might work.”
“We’re going to survive this, kid. I promise.”
Zira laughed a little to herself at his reassurances and clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. She felt just as responsible for getting him out of this in one piece as it seemed he did for her. But that, she supposed, was the whole point of family.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The news reports started pouring in almost as soon as Jared’s helicopter touched down in San Antonio. Someone had tried to assassinate Chairman Ryku during his speech.
Jared and the five members of his team who’d accompanied him all sat crammed into the van that had met them at the airport. They hadn’t gone anywhere yet; Jared was still trying to decide on the best course of action. So far, the team only had a three-second security video of the masked shooters, and based on that alone, Ray had already tried to bet the others that one of the would-be assassins was Judah. No one took the bet.
Now they were patched into a call with Revolver, who was in pursuit of the two individuals. With only an audio connection, all Jared could do was sit there and ask for the occasional update. “Where are they headed now?”
“Northeast,” Revolver replied. “They just got on the freeway.”
“Do they know you’re following them?”
“I don’t know. I’m keeping my distance.”
“Good. I’m going to have the rest of the team back at the compound work on tracking them remotely. They’ll contact you when they have it set up. Until then, don’t lose them.” They couldn’t drive that car forever—not with the whole country looking for them—and Judah would know that. They’d have to stop sometime, and when they did, Jared and his team would be ready.
He disconnected the call and turned to Ray sitting behind him. “Take care of that. See if Rochelle or Devin can start tracking them with a drone or something.”
“Sure,” Ray said.
Beside him, Cecilia already had a finger poised over the autopilot navigation, indicating the freeway Judah must have just taken. Jared nodded and she punched the command into the system. As the van began to move, Jared called Chairman Ryku. He answered almost immediately. His scowl was more pronounced than usual, but he appeared unharmed.
“Sir, are you all right?” Jared asked.
The chairman waved a hand dismissively. “Fine. Revolver told me you thought Judah was in the city this morning. Do you have any new information?”
Jared nodded. “We think he was involved in the attempt on your life. We don’t have a confirmation on their identities yet, but Revolver is certain that whoever he’s with took the shot. It might even be the same person who was working with him when he helped Trinity escape.”
“So Revolver is still in pursuit?”
“Yes, sir. We’re headed that same direction now.”
“Good,” said Ryku. “Be smart about this. We’ve never been so close to capturing him and I don’t want any mistakes. If you underestimate him, he’ll slip away again at the first opportunity.”
“I don’t plan on giving him any opportunities.”
“I don’t doubt that. I’m glad you’re leading this operation. I wouldn’t trust it to anyone else.” He paused a moment and tilted his head to one side. “I wonder how he managed to secure the car without any kind of identification. Have you checked to see if it was stolen?”
“The people I left back at the compound are looking into it. I’ll get an update from them.”
“No, that’s all right. I’ll handle it. You and your team have more important things to worry about right now. Just catch Judah. We can sort out the details later.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want to know the second you have him in custody. If you have to kill his accomplice, so be it, but I’d rather have Judah brought in alive.”
“Of course,” said Jared. “I’ll keep you updated.”
* * *
A little over an hour had passed before Jared and his team met up with Revolver outside an old, run-down apartment complex. “Are they inside?” he asked as they approached.
Revolver nodded. “They left the car about a mile from here, but Rochelle was able to track them from the sky. We have a drone at the back of the building, so we’ll know if they try to slip out. We believe they’re on the second floor.”
“Good.” He turned to the group behind him. “Owen, Misty, check your mics and take a position on each side of the building. Ray, let’s see those schematics.”
Ray stepped forward with a three-dimensional projection of the complex’s layout, and they all gathered around him. If Judah wanted to get outside, a single set of stairs in the center of the building and an elevator at the far end were his only options. Or, he could jump off a balcony and risk injuring himself. Whatever he chose, Jared’s team likely wouldn’t have much trouble cornering him.
Revolver reached out to the projection of the building and put one finger in a unit on the second floor. “I’ve seen a lot of movement in here.”
“That’s where you think they are?”
“Yes.”
Jared nodded and pointed to another spot in the schematic. “Cecilia, I want you to go in from the front entrance here. Take the stairs. Lucas, come in from the side and go up the elevator. I’ll take the back alley and keep an eye on those balconies. Misty and Owen, are you still there?”
Their voices came through his earpiece. “Yes.”
“Loud and clear.”
“Good. Keep an eye out and be ready to go in and provide backup. Ray and Revolver, you’ll stay here to watch the front entrance and direct the team as needed. Revolver, I want you to be ready to run them down again if they get past us.”
They both nodded understanding. Cecilia and Lucas were already checking their weapons. “Do we still need him alive?” Cecilia asked.
“Yes, if possible. Ryku is less concerned about his companion, but I think he’d have a better chance of getting whatever answers he’s looking for if we bring them both in. Don’t shoot if yo
u don’t have to, but if it’s you or them, take them down. Is everyone ready?”
One by one, they gave him their affirmative responses.
“Good,” he said. “Let’s move.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Footage of the failed assassination attempt played on almost every hologram projector and CyberLink throughout the compound. Aubreigh had seen it more than she would have liked to by now, and every time she caught so much as a glimpse of it in the corner of her eye, the sick feeling in her stomach got worse. She was almost sure Zira had been the one who’d taken that shot. The rebels had asked her to kill Ryku once before, and she was perfectly capable of doing this.
What had happened to her after? Was Tripp with her? Was he looking out for her? Was she safe?
She glanced up as she ducked through the crowd gathered around the big projector in the main hub of the office. The video had been slowed down, but Revolver seemed to be moving in real time as he tackled Chairman Ryku to the ground. He’d moved so fast. The others kept looking at Aubreigh as if expecting her to have some kind of explanation, but she was just as shocked as the rest of them. They’d all heard the rumors about his capabilities, but aside from the researchers in unit A and maybe a few of the E-2 operatives, none of them had actually seen it.
It scared Aubreigh. If he caught up to Zira, she had no chance, and with that kind of speed, it was only a matter of time. The young man she’d grown close to over these past few months was going to kill her lifelong best friend.
She stepped outside and took a deep breath of fresh air, trying to drown out those dark thoughts. Maybe Zira had been far enough away that she’d been able to escape. Maybe Revolver hadn’t seen exactly where the shot had come from. Maybe Zira wasn’t the shooter at all, and Aubreigh was just overreacting about the whole thing.
Seth would have answers. He knew far more than she did about Chase’s plans and the rebels’ operations. He was probably still in his office, so she headed towards the unit E-1 building on the east side of the compound.
She met him halfway there. He walked fast and stiff with his hands in his pockets and his jaw clenched. Aubreigh headed straight towards him, halting his advance. “We need to go,” he whispered as soon as she was close enough to hear him. “They’re looking for whoever was responsible and anyone they’re connected to. It’s not safe here anymore.”
His words confirmed all of Aubreigh’s fears, but she had to ask anyway. “Was it Zira?”
Seth nodded. “They’ve been planning it for weeks. It was perfect. If it had worked—”
“They shouldn’t have asked her to do that,” Aubreigh snapped. Seth didn’t even seem to care about what the consequences might be for Zira. She was expendable. All that mattered to him was that the rebels’ objective had failed.
“Chase gave her a choice,” said Seth. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over, and it didn’t work. Right now we need to get out of here before they find out we’re involved with any of them. Go back to your apartment and get whatever you need. We’re all meeting at the front gate in fifteen minutes. I think I can convince the guard to let us out, but that’s only going to work once, so whoever doesn’t show up will have to find their own way out.”
“I’ll be there,” Aubreigh said. They parted ways, and she hurried to her apartment to gather a few necessities. She grabbed a few pairs of pants, shirts, and undergarments from her closet, tossed them in a bag, then went to the bathroom to get her toiletries. Once it was all packed, she deleted everything on her CL, threw it under her bed, and put on a jacket to cover her wrists.
She headed outside with her bag slung over her shoulder and tried to act as normal as possible as she headed for the gate. It was going to be fine. They had no reason to suspect her of anything. She just had to make it to the gate.
She was halfway there when three E-2 operatives came around a corner and headed her way. Her heart started to pound, but she resisted the urge to speed up. They weren’t looking for her. It was going to be fine. If she could just make it to the gate—
“Aubreigh?” said the oldest of the three operatives. They stopped in front of her, blocking her path.
“Yes?” she said. She’d meant for it to sound friendly and confident, but it came out small and weak.
“We need you to come with us,” he said.
Aubreigh tried to come up with a good response, but her mind went blank. “I…actually have somewhere else to be right now.”
The man eyed her bag. “Yes, I’m sure you do.” He jerked a nod to his two comrades. They stepped forward, grabbed Aubreigh by each arm, and yanked the bag away from her. She didn’t even have the courage to protest as they dumped its contents out onto the ground.
People gathered around to watch, and Aubreigh’s face grew hot. They didn’t even know why she was being searched, but the whole situation humiliated her nonetheless. Some of them whispered to each other. Most just stared, their eyes full of judgment. A couple of girls from unit P snickered, at which point Aubreigh became acutely aware of her undergarments lying right out in the open for everyone to see. She felt stupid and petty for worrying what they thought of her right now, but it was the only thing she could focus on, and she mentally kicked herself for even caring. Hot tears pricked at her eyes.
The operative finished dumping her things and nudged the pile around with his toe. “Going on vacation?” he asked with sneer.
Aubreigh didn’t respond. She wanted to, but her voice stuck in her throat like a big gob of glue. All she could do was stand there, helpless, watching her entire life unravel before her eyes.
The man finished his examination of her belongings and turned back around to face her. He pulled a set of handcuffs from his pocket and tightened them over her wrists while his colleagues held her arms behind her back. “Aubreigh, you are under arrest for treason, attempted murder, and conspiring with radicals. I think we’ll have to add attempted desertion, too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Zira finished tightening the bolts in her prosthetic leg and resisted the urge to yank her mask off. She and Tripp were both still wearing them, but they’d become hot and itchy a long time ago. They were probably pointless; it would take a miracle to avoid being caught now, and if Ryku didn’t already know exactly who they were, he would soon. They were still holding out for that miracle, though, and somehow it seemed like removing the masks would have been admitting an early defeat. Zira scratched at the base of her neck and tried to put her discomfort out of her mind. They had far bigger things to worry about.
Behind her, Tripp frantically typed a conversation with Chase through the computer, trying to arrange some way for them to be transported to the rebel base. That was assuming they could even get out of this building first. Revolver had somehow managed to track them all the way here and now stood across the street watching them. A drone hovered in the alley out back, and even if they’d dared sneak out that way, Revolver was too fast. They couldn’t outrun him.
He’d just been standing there, waiting, for the past twenty minutes. It hadn’t taken Zira and Tripp long to realize that he must be waiting for backup, which would put them in an even more dangerous position. Their chances of getting out of this alive grew slimmer and slimmer with each passing second. Tripp tried his best to remain calm, but Zira could sense his fear. He was fidgety, just like he had been after their narrow escape with Trinity. She made no effort to reassure him. She was having a hard enough time keeping her own agitation contained.
Tripp stopped typing and Zira turned around to face him. “Well?”
“He’s pulling everyone to base. No more operations on the outside. They’ll send someone for us as soon as we can get out of here.” He wrung his hands together and glanced to the window. “If we can get out of here.”
“We will,” Zira said. She held a hand out for the computer. He gave it to her and she tried to call Aubreigh’s CL again. Nothing. She tried Seth. For several long seconds, she waited, muttering curses under
her breath.
Finally, he answered. “Zira—what happened out there?”
She didn’t have time for his questions. “You and Aubreigh need to get out of the compound. Now.”
“I’m not stupid. My bags are already packed.”
“Good. Now go find Aubreigh. I can’t reach her.”
“She’s probably too busy trying to escape to talk to you right now,” Seth said.
“Just find her.”
“Relax, it’s already done. I saw her about ten minutes ago and told her we needed to leave. For all I know, she could be gone already.”
“Fine,” said Zira, feeling somewhat relieved. “Just do me a favor and make sure. Don’t leave without her. I’d keep trying, but we’ve got a serious problem to deal with over here.”
“I will. See you on the other side. And good luck.”
“You too.”
“Our problem just got even more serious,” Tripp said from the window. Zira shoved the computer into her bag and walked over to him. Across the street, Revolver had company. The sun was almost down, making it harder to see, but she was sure the tallest silhouette among the gathered figures belonged to Jared.
She slid a full magazine into her pistol and put a hand in her pocket to reassure herself that the second one was still there. The group across the street dispersed. Two of the figures remained behind while the rest crept towards the apartment, weapons in hand. “Here they come,” she said.
Tripp turned to her. “What do we do now?”
“We fight our way out of here.”
“How? I don’t know how many people they’ve got out there, but we’re outnumbered.”
“We don’t exactly have time to make a plan,” Zira said, moving to the door. “Just stay calm and don’t do anything stupid. Follow me.”
Tripp nodded. “Okay.”
Zira opened the door.
They made it halfway to the stairs before a small chime echoed through the empty hallway behind them, announcing the arrival of the elevator. Zira whirled around with her gun raised as the doors slid open. She didn’t even give Lucas a chance to aim his weapon before she put a bullet in his skull and another in his chest.
Renegades of PEACE (Secrets of PEACE Book 2) Page 17