Page 94 of Final Exit

She didn’t have anyone in the “real” world who could vouch for her. Even trying to pass a background check would be asking for trouble. Being with her would surely mean giving up everything he’d worked for his whole life. Could she really ask him to make that kind of sacrifice? Could she live with herself if he did?

“You can do this,” he said, apparently taking her silence as worry about the upcoming assault. “I’ll be there with you the whole time.”

She forced a smile. “I know you will. I’ll be okay. I thought you were going to wear your leg brace?”

He rapped his knuckles on his left thigh, making an echoing noise. “Under the jeans this time. I borrowed a pair of Devlin’s since he’s a size larger than me, and trimmed off some of the extra length. I don’t want to broadcast to our enemies that I have a bum leg. It would be like painting a target on my thigh.”

“Clever.”

“Yeah. Too bad I didn’t think of it when you and I first met.” He winked and leaned in for a kiss.

“You two ready?” Jace’s voice intruded from behind Kade.

Kade straightened and moved to stand beside her. “We’re ready.”

“ETA is five minutes out.”

Kade nodded as Austin joined them. His gait was a bit awkward on the prosthetics. But he was doing an incredible job just standing upright since the field they were in wasn’t completely level. It was only about a quarter mile from EXIT headquarters, with thick woods separating the two. Which made it perfect for their approach.

“Excited?” Austin asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“No,” Bailey said.

“Yes.” Kade put his arm around Bailey’s shoulders and pulled her against him.

She sighed heavily. “Yes,” she said, changing her earlier statement. “Can’t. Wait.”

“No worries,” Austin said. “I’m in charge of logistics. And I don’t make mistakes.”

Jace rolled his eyes.

Austin elbowed him in the ribs.

Jace glared at him and rubbed his side. “I’ll get you back for that when this is over.”

“You don’t scare me,” Austin retorted. “A day may come when the courage of men fails... but it is not THIS day.”

“Maybe you need to watch theLord of the Ringsmovies again. You’ve used that line already.”

“Certainty of death, small chance of success—what are we waiting for?” Austin said.

Jace rolled his eyes. “He’s twelve. Ignore him. Don’t laugh or he won’t stop.”

“What we’re doing today is very much like the lastLord of the Ringsmovie,” Austin continued, as if Jace hadn’t spoken. “You know, where the hobbits are trudging those last few steps to toss the evil ring into the fires of Mordor?”

“EXIT is Mordor?” Bailey asked.

“Bailey,” Jace warned. “Don’t. Encourage him.”

Austin nodded sagely as if Jace hadn’t spoken.

Bailey gave Jace an apologetic look, before asking, “And we’re... hobbits?” She looked down at her feet, just to make sure they hadn’t sprouted tufts of hobbit-hair.

He nodded again, as if he were an oracle instructing a student about the meaning of life. “We’re improving on the original, though. There were plot holes all over that trilogy. Ever ask yourself, if Gandalf had access to those giant eagles all along, why didn’t he just have them fly the hobbits up to Mordor and toss the ring into the lava to begin with?”

Jace shook his head. “Why are we having this ridiculous conversation?”

“Because I’m the logistics wizard. I improve upon the original. Gandalf may have had giant eagles. But I have something far better.”

---