Page 68 of Outlaws' Dirty Secret

Riot spots me first. “Willow! Fuck, we got people all over looking for you. You okay? Need a hand?” Something about the way hesays it is off. Cautious. And he doesn’t make any move to come closer. Do they know something?

“Just ignore them and keep walking,” Tanner instructs me.

“No!” I blurt out, holding my hand up. Suspicious? Just a little. Tanner told me to get inside without arousing suspicion, but I'd like to see him make this walk strapped to a bomb. “I'm… I'm fine.” I force the fakest smile that ever faked and hope he buys it. It's normal for girls to smile through a faceful of tears, right?

Lash’s face hardens, but he doesn’t say anything. Just follows me carefully with his eyes. Now I’m sure there’s something going on. But do they really know?

I want to yell at him to run. For them to grab everyone they can get hold of and run as far away from me as possible, but Tanner is monitoring from a distance. He can hear everything I say. And what if Riot and Lash do the exact opposite and try to help? If they don’t know, then I’m just making it more likely to kill them when I die.

Every step is an equation. At what point is my chance at a miracle outweighed by the lives that might be lost?

So, step by horrible step, I approach my doom. And theirs.

“Willow,” Riot says again as I get close. He can see my tears. I know it. He takes a step towards me.

“Don't!” I hiss. I can't let him. If he stays a little bit away, maybe he won't be quite ground zero, and maybe he won't die, and maybe Jessica won't hate the memory of me for the rest of her life.

He holds back, but it's obvious he doesn't want to. When Lash starts to move, he holds him back too and shakes his headsubtly. Maybe he understands something is going on. Maybe he'll manage to evacuate people without it being obvious.

“All the way up the steps to the church. This is your big moment, Willow.” Tanner starts to hum ‘Here comes the bride’ and I want to scratch his voice right out of my brain.

My ears perk up at the rumble of motorcycles coming closer. My heart leaps at the idea of it being my guys, coming to save me like knights on their mighty steeds come to save their princess. At least I’d get to see them one more time.

Then I realize that it's dumb.

What are they going to do? Die with me? I hope it’s not them after all.

The rumble comes closer as I step, little by little, closer to the church steps. How far will I get?

A seagull calls. It could be the last one I hear. I try not to break down right in the middle of the stairs.

The doors open and Poe appears, holding some kind of box with an antenna. I don't know what he's up to. All I know is that now I'm going to end up on Paige's hate list too, and I just can't do this anymore.

There’s no one directly next to me. Maybe I can get away with just maiming a few. If I don’t give Tanner much warning, it’ll take him at least a second or two to notice, right? Time to turn and start running.

I close my eyes, prepare to meet my maker, then yell as loud as I can, “Run! There’s a bomb! Run!” Then I fall to my knees and dry heave on the ground.

“Oh Willow, you naughty girl—” Tanner’s voice is cut off, but still I wait.

And wait.

And wait a little longer.

I open my eyes. Poe is right in front of me now, looking too young and pretty to die because of me. The box in his hand is making one heck of a racket, buzzing and crackling like a live wire hit by lightning.

“I think it worked,” he says. “It fucking worked. We're gonna get you out of that, Willow. Just waiting for Skyhigh.”

“What? No, Poe. You need to get away before the bomb explodes.”

“No fucking way.” He shakes his head, looking nervous but determined. “Been working on an RF jammer for a while, but this is the first real test.”

“A what?”

“It fucks with radio signals, which is probably what Tanner's using to remote detonate the bombs. The plan was to mess with police radios, but this is even better.” He smiles encouragingly.

“How did you know? Before right now, I mean?” My heart's thundering, my adrenaline is spiking, but somewhere in the back of my mind, my brain is screaming that maybe it’s not all over after all.

“Skyhigh called ahead. They should be here any minute.”

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