Page 46 of Montana Falls
“Damn it!” Sapphire cursed, sprinting after him even harder. “Just come out and die, you motherfucker!”
“Where the hell does he think he’s going?” I growled, my own feet moving in sync with the team as we followed, but John was already disappearing deeper into the construction zone, vanishing out of sight once more.
The jagged edges of old stone and metal loomed ahead, the tarp that covered the open areas blowing in the wind. The entire place looked one wrong move from falling apart entirely, and as much as I didn’t want to stop running, I also didn’t want to be stupid.
We weren’t going to die in a fucking construction accident like idiots. Not when we were so close to winning.
I skidded to a stop, my pulse thudding in my ears. “We need to regroup,” I shouted, glancing around at the twisted maze in front of us. “That looks dangerous, and I don’t want us to just run blind when he’s gonna have to come back this way to get out.”
“You’ll probably trip and fall on a loose screw.” Price panted to a stop next to me, unable to be serious even for a moment as he smirked. “We could always try in there for something fun.Maybe they left some grenades behind, and we can blow up the motherfucker like he deserves.”
He nudged his chin opposite us, to a small shed like structure. The large metal doors were open wide, the brick crumbling and wrecked. We all turned to follow his gaze, and I shrugged.
“Why the hell not?” I snorted as we hurried over to the shed, Misha entering first.
“There are old weapons,” he said, his voice tight as he searched for a light switch to help illuminate the dank and dusty room.
“Holy shit.” Sapphire burst out laughing as she followed Misha inside.
As I pushed inside, the door creaked when I brushed against it, revealing rows of dusty shelves lined with crates and guns on the opposite wall. But in the center of the room, towering over everything else, was what made Sapphire’s eyes light up with joy.
The only thing that made sense to be here purely because it was just soSapphireto be.
“Seriously?” Logan breathed, stepping forward to inspect the vehicle sitting in the middle of the dirt floor. “Is that a mini-tank?”
The thing looked like it had been pulled straight out of a military sci-fi movie. It was smaller than the standard tanks I’d seen in action films, but still intimidating. The body was matte black with streaks of army green, blending seamlessly with the industrial grime that had accumulated over the years it had probably sat rotting away. Its treads were wide and low to the ground, perfect for navigating rough terrain, and the turret on top, though smaller than a full-sized tank, looked powerful enough to blow through several walls if necessary.
It was perfect for her. Perfect for her idea of fun.
Sapphire’s mildly hysterical giggle echoed in the air. “Oh, we are so taking this. This is my tank now;mi sol,come look at my new toy.”
Logan gave a short laugh, clearly impressed just as much as he checked it out closer. “This thing’s a beast. I can get it started if it’s not completely ruined.” He ran his hand along the side, inspecting it. “Armor plating’s thick enough to withstand pretty much anything, and the treads? This baby could roll through a minefield. I think we can use it to mess John up.” He messed around a little more. “I think it’s working fine, and I might just need to hotwire it?”
Price stepped closer, eyes as wide as mine. “How the hell is this just sitting here? That feels really dangerous.” He snorted.
But Sapphire was already moving toward the driver’s seat, grinning from ear to ear. “Who cares? I wanted a tank for so long and now… now it is perfect. I am going to be a villain in it, and I don’t care if the whole world hears me playing with the gun.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her excitement. It was contagious, and I could see the adrenaline kicking in for everyone as Logan whistled low under his breath, giving the tank one last look.
“You sure you know how to drive that thing safely, pretty girl? We all know you’re not… not perfect at certain things to do with vehicles.”
Sapphire shot him a mischievous grin. “There’s only one way to find out.” She turned toward me, eyes gleaming. “Kody, find me the keys, pretty please. They may be here.”
I blinked through my mild bout of nerves at the thought of her driving a tank, but then my gaze drifted to a nearby shelf where a set of keys dangled from an old, faded hook. I grabbed them, tossing them to Sapphire with a smirk.
“Your wish is my command,cica. Go blow things up.” The prospect was only mildly terrifying.
She caught them in one swift motion, barely able to contain her excitement when they fit, and the universe sent some luck our way.
“Let’s split up,” she said, her voice full of renewed energy now. “Lincoln, you’re with me because… well, because I do not want to crash and die, okay? We’ll take my new toy and go after John head-on. Kody, Misha, you two go around to the left, try to cut him off. Logan and Price, you take the right and make sure he doesn’t go that way. Easy peasy, as you say.”
We all nodded, falling into our roles easily. The plan was solid, and splitting up gave us a better chance of surrounding John, especially with Sapphire in the tank. Still, I couldn’t help but pause for a second as she climbed inside, and Linc followed into the driver’s seat, her excitement radiating through us all far too much.
I doubted anything I could gift her for the rest of her life would amuse her as much and I made a note to see if I could buy her a tank for real…
The beastly machine growled to life as soon as Sapphire turned the key, the deep rumble of the engine filling the shed and vibrating the ground beneath us.
For a moment, I just stood there, watching and waiting.
