Page 95 of Crimson Flames

“We’re not kids!”

“Rhea, stop,” Maree says.

“I did not mean to offend.” I place my hands in the air just as Lev speaks in my ear.

“Got it, Damien was toying with one that was shot in the leg. He wrapped it up and knocked him out. Everyone, head to checkpoint A now.”

“Our team captured one of the guards, so you can still use your knife,” I inform her. This seems to help her relax.

“Great, let’s go then.” Maree begins heading to the door.

Kai looks to the last girl we have yet to learn the name of.

“What’s your name?” he asks.

She looks more shy than Maree and Rhea, but I think she blushes when Kai holds out his hand to hers.

“I’m Storm.”

“Wicked name. How’d you get that?” He shakes her hand, and they smile at each other.

“Everyone says I look just like Storm from X-Men and it just stuck. I don’t really remember my birth name.”

That has us all freezing. “How long have they had you?” Nessa asks.

“We have all changed hands a few times, but I think I was around seven when I was taken. We were all in foster care of some kind, but Rhea and Rick were on the streets after thesystem failed them. They were the oldest we had here for a while.”

She talks about it like this is no big deal, just average information as if sharing with us the school she attends.

“How old are you?” Cillian asks.

Maree speaks up this time. “We think that Storm is fifteen. Rhea and I are sixteen, though she will be seventeen in a few weeks.”

“Where did you plan to go once you escaped?” I ask as we get ready to leave the room.

They grab some bags and pack up a few things but not much, and they keep their tactical gear on.

“I had contacts before I was brought here,” Rhea says. “Being homeless, I worked underground in the hacking world, and I planned to reach out to some people I knew as soon as I could get a computer.”

Nodding, I decide to make an agreement with her. If our goal is to earn their trust, maybe this will help.

“I can get that for you, and you are welcome to stay with us until you can reach those contacts.”

They all exchange a look before Rhea tightens the backpack over her shoulders. I can feel them about to refuse, but I do not want them on the streets.

“They’re good people,” Kai says. “They adopted me.”

Nessa wraps an arm around him and pulls him close.

“You make me want to pull my hair out, but I couldn’t say no to someone willing to take a bullet for me.”

He grins, hugging her back. “Give them a chance,” Kai pleads.

“For now, you do not need to trust us,” I say. “But we would like to assist in getting everyone out, and our plan was to move from the main entrance. We have two people outside guarding it until we can get there.”

Rhea speaks up then. “I will get us there, follow my lead. There are still plenty of guards, especially if you want to go to the main part of the building.”

“How many? I would like to share that with the rest of our team if you agree.”