Page 75 of Crossing Quinn

Chapter Sixteen

A quick psychic scan of the base, and my stomach sank. Mami and Clio weren’t here. Had someone taken them? Or was Mami on one of her adventures? Drekk. Probably the latter. “I don’t sense them at all.”

“They’re not within fifty miles of the base,” Quinn advised.

Wulf shook his head. “Nothing on the tracking scanners either.”

My grim-faced father stormed up to us. “Cameras caught Eleni and Clio sneaking onboard a transport going to Los Angeles.”

“Los Angeles?” I let out a groan. “You don’t think Mami is taking Clio to the Magic Kingdom, do you?”

Quinn raised an incredulous brow. “I thought your mother was agoraphobic?”

“In most situations, but when Eleni wants something badly enough, she can overcome her fears,” Papa answered.

“Good to know.” After a moment, Quinn added, “Uncle Saul has agreed to lend us one of his turbo-charged Blackhawk helicopters.”

“We’ll need to arm ourselves. Where Mami goes, trouble follows,” I warned.

Wulf grinned. “I have never been to the Magic Kingdom.”

“You’re in for a treat. It’s a lot of fun,” Quinn said.

I rolled my eyes. Fun? With my mother on the prowl, it would be pandemonium, laser battles, and things going boom. Quinn looped his arm around me, and poof! One minute we were in the Command Center, the next we were standing by a military helicopter. “Where are the weapons?”

“Relax, darlin’. It’s handled.”

Wulf and Papa appeared, loaded down with weapons.

I took a laser pistol, weapons belt, three knives, and some stun grenades. “You got any thermite grenades?”

“No!” Quinn, Papa, and Wulf bellowed in unison.

“What? It’s not like I go around blowing stuff up.”

Quinn gave me a look. “Have you forgotten the slavers’ base?”

“Or the Sandokan pirates’ stronghold?” Papa’s expression held of mixture of pride and anger.

I shrugged. “They attacked me first, and I have the right to defend myself.”

“If anything needs blowing up, I’ll do it,” Quinn stated and put me in the helicopter. “Buckle up.”

“Yes, my lord.” Giving him a big smile, I palmed the thermite grenade I had swiped off Wulf’s weapons belt.

Quinn eyed me suspiciously before powering up the helicopter. “Put the earphones on.”

I placed them over my ears and flinched when Quinn growled, “Give it to me.”

With a sigh, I handed him the grenade.

“Sticky-fingered little thief.”

“I like being prepared.”

Wulf gave me the stink eye when Quinn handed the grenade back to him.

Papa just shook his head.

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