Page 141 of The Echo of Violence

Emergency services have beat us here, and there are people everywhere. Part of the building has collapsed, and firefighters are battling to put out the flames. I spot paramedics working on someone on the ground as we pull to a stop.

Scope is out of the truck, with Kaz right behind him, running over to the paramedics.

“Oh fuck, it’s Mercy,” Wizz whispers before jumping out and running after them.

The police try to get us to stay back, but there are more of us than them. Eventually, they give up, though they look like they’re just waiting for one of us to turn on them.

I see Boomer fighting with one of the firefighters. “Boomer.”

His head whips around. “Jinx is inside. This asshole won’t let me in.”

I look at the flames that are almost out before turning to the firefighter. “My woman is in there. I’m going in.”

“Sir, the building is structurally unstable.”

“I don’t give a fuck.”

“I can’t let you—” I throw a punch and knock him out.

“Where is she?” I turn to see Nico and Rex. They must have arrived while I was dealing with this asshat.

“In there.”

“No, I mean, where in there?”

“The basement,” Boomer yells. “The door’s blocked.”

“We’ll have to go in through the main entrance.”

“The whole back of the building has caved in, Splinter,” Viper tells me. I spin around and snarl at him.

“I fucking know.”

“She’s gone.”

Nico squares up to him. “Shut the fuck up. You don’t know our girl. She survived this once. She’ll survive it again.”

“Fires out,” someone yells.

We take that as our cue. Boomer, Nico, and I head toward the building. Eightball grabs my arm, stopping me. “We’ll keep the cops away. Bring her back to us.”

I look from him to Knight before my eyes find Rex’s haunted ones. “I promise.”

We make our way inside, digging our way through some spots and crawling over others, until we make it to the basement door. I kick it open, surprised to find the stairs intact, which is about all that is.

“Mother of God,” Nico chokes out.

“Jinx!” he yells into the room, which is filled with rubble and debris from the collapsed ceiling.

“Jinx!” we all yell, but she doesn’t answer.

“Can anyone see her?” I ask.

“No. Jinx!” Nico hollers again. “Boomer, where was she when you last saw her?”

“Um… over there near the washing machine and freezer.”

I turn and look where he’s pointing, but she’s not there now.

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