Page 123 of Scarlet Angel

“Charlie’s Pub,” a male voice answers.

“I might have the wrong number,” I say. “I’m looking for an old mate, goes by Nomad.”

“Nick. Are you safe?”

“In transit.”

“Injured?”

“No.”

“Alone?”

“The witness is with me.”

I side-eye Scarlet. I give her a wink, although, in the darkness, I’m not sure she sees.

I reach the fork in the road and slow. Three emergency vehicles whiz by, lights on.

I turn in the opposite direction on the paved road.

“I’m working on getting a satellite view of your property, but reports coming in are of multiple explosions.”

“Haven’t seen it myself. We were underground. Any reports on what caused the explosions?”

“Nothing’s coming over the wire.”

Fuck. Ash and my men. I hope the bombs didn’t take out the guardhouse.

In the rearview, two pinprick white lights appear.

“Where are you headed?” Nomad asks.

“Away. Gonna let things calm down.”

“Copy that.”

The two pinprick lights grow into circles.

“Any reports of drones in the area?”

“It’s the running theory.”

The circles become disks.

“I think I’ve got company.”

“A drone?”

“A charging vehicle.”

Flashing lights and sirens appear up ahead.

The car behind slows.

One, two, three, four emergency vehicles speed by.

“An extraction team is on the ready,” Nomad says.

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