Page 68 of Raven's Claw
“Yup.”Miller sighed.“Probably other forms of traps, too, but nothing we haven’t faced before, yeah.”
Kash glanced at Zain, then Miller.“As much as I’d love to stay together, my gut’s telling me Jordan’s out of time.And I didn’t come this far to fail now.”
ChapterEighteen
Light.
Cutting through the darkness in random flashes.
A wall.A boat.The unmistakable roll of the ocean.There’d been gravel and metal, then the whir of a ceiling fan spinning endlessly above her.
Jordan blinked, groaned at the crushing pain moving through her shoulder and into her chest.Derailing any effort to suck in more than a sip of air.She turned her head, blacked out, then resurfaced to that same red-hot pressure.The only indication she wasn’t dead.
The room spun, again, nearly took her back down, but she pushed through.A hum sounded in the distance.A generator or maybe a boat.Some kind of engine chugging along.The deep vibration shaking the entire room.
A voice mumbled off to her left.Disjointed.Obviously distressed.
She managed to twist just enough she could shift her gaze — focus on the silhouette hunched over a table.A hint of light illuminated his face, the familiar curve of his jaw hitting her hard.“Tucker?”
He froze, some kind of tool in his hand before he turned — looked at her.His eyes widened, all that white seemingly glowing amidst the muted light.“You’re alive.That’s… good.”
Jordan let her head roll back, the strain of simply holding it to the side draining her.She closed her eyes, prying them open after God knew how long.That fan still spinning above her.
Tucker sighed.“I hooked up a generator.Not too big.Just enough to move the air around…” He tapped the desk.“Provide a bit of light.Do you know how to rig a generator?”
She did her best to focus on him, blinking when everything kept shifting.“I do.Did Rook teach you?”
That set him off.Had him jumping up — raging around the room.Kicking the heel of his palm against his forehead as he shook his head.“Don’t say his name.Don’t say it!He’s…” Tucker cackled, shushing himself before staring down at her.“I saved you from him.”
She nodded.Nothing more than an inch up and down, but he understood.“Where are we?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Are we by the ocean?”
She smelled it now.The heavy scent of brine, mixed with rust and day-old sweat.Something coppery.Maybe blood.Or maybe just years of decay on the metal walls.
Tucker looked around but didn’t answer.Instead, he lowered onto the edge of the cot.“Do you know who I am?”
“You’re Icarus, right?”
He grunted.“No.Icarus…” He swallowed.“He’s away.I meanme.”
She frowned.“Tucker?”
“No!Yes!Damn it.”He jumped up, chewing on one thumbnail as he shook his head.Body shaking, eyes wild.“Do you know I’m your brother?”
“You’re my…” She coughed, closed her eyes against the pain, then pried them open.“Brother?”
He nodded, leaning in so close she tried to push into the cot.“Not by blood.But after…” He snarled, glancing over his shoulder as if someone stood in the far corner, watching.“My fathergot me out of that hospital, he told me he wanted me to be just like you.That you were my big sister, and I needed to mimic everything you did.”
“Rook told you that?”
“I told you not to say his name!”He pounded his fist on the cot then raked his hands through his hair, looking as if he was going to pull it out.
“But that’s why…” She wet her lips.“Why you went on all those missions.”
“I had to prove myself.You’re nothing but a hack!Am not!”Tucker pointed to the empty corner.“Don’t listen to him.He hates us.”
