Page 84 of Breathe
“All clear, there’s only perps left,” Viper said through the comms.
Several Genesis soldiers returned and moved back through the blown-out wall.
“Are we calling it?” Freedom whispered.
“You can,” Azrael said.
Rather than follow Freedom back to the vehicles, Azrael slipped through the darkness after the Genesis soldiers who had disappeared back into the compound.
The rain eased up some, but the ground was still soaked.
The gaping hole from the explosion had blown out part of the compound, and the entrance loomed ahead of him.
He just needed to see inside for himself. He needed to make sure they got Micky, but most of all, he needed to watch Real’s back.
They were a team in life, there was no reason he should have sat this one out. Granted, he had had a mission to do and that was more in line with what YA was designed to do, but it had still stung. Plus, that mission was over, so now he could help Real.
Pausing by the side of the blown-out opening, Azrael glanced over when leaves shuffled under a break in the rain.
Freedom gave him a cocky smile and pulled the hooded beanie down over his face.
“Why aren’t you at the vehicles?” Azrael asked with a frown.
“Why aren’t you?” Freedom said.
“Not my style.”
“Nor mine,” Freedom agreed.
“I’ll second that,” Boston said from out of the blue.
Stunned, Azrael stared at the darkly dressed Boston. He shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was, but never in a million years had he thought Boston would show up.
And he should have.
He should have known his friend wouldn’t sit this one out.
“You wearing a vest?” Azrael asked, and he knocked his knuckles on Boston’s chest to check himself.
“Yep, and I’m packing,” Boston said, showing his knives tucked into two sheaths, one on his hip, the other strapped to his thigh. The nine-millimeter handgun Boston held looked like it meant business.
“Okay, I’m not going to coddle you. I’ve had enough of that myself. Just remember that if anything happens to you, Dave will kill me,” Azrael said.
“Yeah, well, I may be seventeen, but I’ve seen more in my lifetime than they have. Besides, in a few months, I’ll be eighteen, so what’s the difference?” Boston said, heading toward the opening.
Azrael gave up. If he tried to stop Boston, it would be a fight. Besides, Boston was fucking good. The teenager got in places that couldn’t fit a rat. He was fast and sneaky. Boston was someone Azrael wanted watching his back.
So, without further conversation, they all three slipped inside the compound.
“Doesn’t the age difference bother you?” Rip asked him.
That was out of the fucking blue, but Real rolled with it.
“No,” he said gruffly.
“Why not?”
A soft snort escaped him. “Because I like Azrael.”
