Page 65 of Raven's Claw
“Damn it.The tracker’s not working.”
Miller cursed as he picked up a bloody bandage.“Looks like whoever snatched her removed it then smashed it.”
Zain grabbed Kash’s arm when he took a stumbling step toward Miller.“Brother, you need to stop trying to crack your head open until Chase gets a chance to look at you.”
Kash shook his head, regretting it when pain shot through his temples.“I heard two shots.If Rook’s only hit once…”
“That doesn’t mean Jordan got pegged with the other.Let’s focus on what we can do, right now.”
“I’m a hundred percent focused.I…” He reran what Becca had said earlier, one thought making it all the way through.“What was that name?”
“What name?”
“The other agent who ran missions for Rook’s company, Sandman?”
“Icarus.”Cannon cocked his head to the side.“Do you think that’s who took Jordan?”
Kash palmed his head, squinting to keep from puking.“I don’t know Donovan, but we all know his type.Does he strike you as the kind of guy to assign his most important mission to just anyone?If he’d planned to take her back to Scythe all along, then he gave her to whoever he trusted the most after her.Or maybe Icarus double crossed him.Either way, I bet my ass it’s him.”
Cannon had his cell in his hand a second later.“Damn cave’s blocking the signal.”He jumped when another section crashed behind them, more dust billowing into the air.“We can’t stay.This whole place is compromised.I’ll get Becca on it, though, I don’t think she ever stopped looking into Icarus.”
“We can’t just leave.”He grabbed another frag off his vest, nearly dropping it twice as his vision blurred.“I say we blow the fucker open.”
“Kash.”Zain had him by the shoulders.“I know how badly you want to go after her, but I don’t think this place can take another round of explosives.Everything’s still creaking and rolling.One more will likely bring it all down.”
Kash looked at the rocks blocking him from following that bastard down the tunnel.“What if there’s another tunnel and he’s going to backtrack?Or he got caught up in the explosion?What if that’s the last time I see her?”
“It won’t be.We’ll get her back.Whatever it takes.”Zain shifted closer, his face fading in and out of focus.“We can’t save her if we’re all dead.”
Kash remained silent, allowing Zain to help him stumble across the cave and into the tunnels.He picked up speed as some of the fogginess lifted.Or maybe he’d just gotten accustomed to the constant shifting.How the walls all looked as if they were at a forty-five.
Bodie met them at the bend before the main entrance, eyes wide.Mouth pinched tight.“Jesus, what the hell happened?”
Zain grunted.“Bomb.Atticus?”
“Foster just talked to Chase.Atticus was dosed with Ketamine, but his vitals are strong.He should be fine once the drug wears off.Which is more than I can say for Kash.Can you even see straight?”
Kash waved him off.“I need you and Foster to take Rook and get the bastard to the hospital.He’s the only one who knows who took Jordan?—”
“What do you mean, who took Jordan?”
“Just, keep him breathing if you can.We’ll need the bastard alive if we can’t find her.”
Bodie darted off, leaning over Rook once Cannon placed him on the ground.
The air strummed to life with Foster’s chopper spooling up — Bodie and Miller shuffling Rook onboard.Saylor kept her boat from crashing onto the rocks as waves broke against the shore.Non-stop movement that had Kash’s head spinning.His stomach threatening to empty right there on the rocks.
Foster took off as the first raindrops splattered across the ground, the machine disappearing into the night.Taking any chance of following after Jordan in the aircraft off the table.At least, not until Foster dropped everyone at Providence — got his ass back to the cave.
But they needed Rook alive if…
Jericho darted over, cell in her hand.“That task force I mentioned is inbound.They’ll deal with the cleanup, for now.Cannon will hang out with me, just in case there are any stragglers who think firing on us is a good idea.We’ll catch a ride home with them.Cannon’s on with Becca.Said he’ll be over in a minute with an update.”
A minute.
Jordan didn’t have many of those left.A fact that ate at Kash until he wanted to scream.
Zain held firm.“Brother, I know this is killing you, but if we go off halfcocked, we might waste what little time we have.So, breathe.We’ll get her back.”
