Page 29 of Mayflower

“It’s a bad idea,” Ali says next to me.

“No shit,” Candy snaps. “Maybe you should figure out how to get out of here and back to Ayana. Then think about revenge.”

“We will get out of here,” I say. “But I need to pay a visit to someone first.”

She shakes her head, uncrosses her arms, and heads for the door that leads to a staircase upstairs. The other woman rises to her feet, too.

“One more thing,” I call out to Candy.

She stops before opening the door and turns toward me.

“I know it’s a lot. But if you can get it, that would be great. That doctor… Can you find out if he has a dozen or so bullet shots? They were distributed everywhere after the Change.”

“And they are?—”

“Syringes. Besides that, I need a paralytic agent for those.”

She cocks a brow. “Specific, aren’t you?”

“I know. He’ll get paid for those. If he has a leftover stock of medication, I’m sure he doesn’t have any use for that anyway.”

She narrows her eyes on me as if trying to figure something out. “You don’t have anything to lose, Raven. You are gambling with your life. But I guess having nothing to lose is a blessing in times like this.”

She looks again at the girls and, without another word, leaves with the other woman.

Ali studies me without a word.

“I want to infiltrate Butcher’s headquarters,” I say, though he already knows that.

“It’s a death wish.”

“Could be. But I’m killing the motherfucker who threatened Maddy.”

“I should’ve done my job right,” Ali says.

I nudge him with an elbow. “You can’t do everything, Ali Baba.” I wink at him.

A little smile appears on his lips.

“You don’t have to go along with this,” I assure him. “I will get it done, and then we will get out of here.”

He chuckles and gives me a once-over. “You know what I admire about you?”

That’s a big word. I didn’t even know he liked me, let alone admired.

“You make decisions and act with absolutely no regard to common sense, safety, and warnings. As if they don’t exist for you. Like you are a Superman. Your confidence… It’s dangerous. And Candy is right. You act like you have nothing to lose.”

“Wrong. I do. That’s the reason I’m doing this.”

“Maddy.”

“Her, yes. Once I’m done with that fucker who threatened her, I will come back here and?—”

“I’m in,” Ali says, taking me by surprise. “What’s your plan?”

10

MADDY

---