Page 80 of Desecrated Saints
“You need to let this go. Our team will bring him in.”
“This man ruined my life.” I march up to the desk and slam my hands down. “I’m willing to accept that he is a valuable asset. All I’m asking for is the chance to get some closure. Then Professor Lazlo is all yours.”
Hunter sighs heavily. “You’re impossible. The best place for you is here. The moment you step foot outside, I cannot guarantee your safety. The people looking for you won’t hesitate to turn you over.”
“Bring it on. Someone has to bring Phoenix home.”
“You really do have a death wish, don’t you?”
“I can’t just sit here and do nothing!” My emotions overwhelm me at the thought of Phoenix. “It fucking kills me to know he’s alone. We don’t know what they’re doing to him right now.”
“We’re trying to find him. Incendia has a lot of boltholes.”
Our argument is interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. Theo pokes his head in, looking drained and far too pale in yesterday’s rumpled clothing. He briefly glances at me before focusing on his boss.
“We have a problem.”
“What is it now?” Hunter growls.
Theo appears nervous. “First contact from Incendia.”
I’m following him into the corridor before Hunter’s even moved. The steel grip of panic on my lungs is suffocating. Down the hall, Theo’s office door is open. It’s a glorified Nerd-Vana inside. Wires, cables, and countless monitors clutter the shadowed room.
He keeps the sun blotted out with thick blinds, while every available wall space is covered in surveillance maps, official documents, and the odd superhero poster. Tripping over a haphazard stack of programming books, I nearly fall on my ass before a pair of hands catches me.
“Careful, wildfire. Theo’s organisation leaves a lot to be imagined.”
Rippling muscles place me back on my feet with ease. Enzo’s disarming smile peers down at me underneath an overgrown, messy mop of raven hair. He’s back in all black again, finished with a pair of shining army boots.
“Where are the others?” I huff, smoothing my clothes.
Enzo props his huge shoulder against the wall. “On their way, I would imagine. Does my company bother you? Most people are afraid of me around here.”
Hands propped on my hips, I hit him with an eye roll. Enzo is the biggest person I’ve ever met. He looks like the Rock and the Hulk had a fucked up love child. All raw power and rippling muscle, wrapped in a tanned, gruff exterior. Yet there’s a softness in his amber eyes, and a playful lilt to his smile.
“Oh, please. You’re a teddy bear.”
He actually splutters. “I’ve worked at Sabre for almost a decade. Trust me, kid, I’m not a fucking teddy bear. I bet my kill count is a hell of a lot higher than yours.”
“Maybe you can talk some sense into your boss’s thick skull, then.”
“I doubt that. Hunter’s my best friend, but he’s also a stubborn son a bitch.”
“I have every right to bring Lazlo in! He’s mine.”
Enzo scoffs at me. “Gambling this opportunity on some misguided sense of personal justice isn’t Hunter’s style. We have no idea how Lazlo is alive.”
There’s a bang as someone walks straight into the door. Theo stumbles in, rubbing his red forehead. He ignores us, frowning instead at the new coffee stain down his t-shirt where the liquid has slopped over.
“Late night, brains?” Enzo teases. “You have a bed at home, you know.”
Theo dumps his mug at the desk, yawning loudly. “Alyssa made contact at three o’clock this morning. I stayed up to decrypt her message for Hunter. She’s still safe.”
I don’t miss the sheer relief that washes over Enzo before he stuffs it down again. I’m starting to wonder just how close this so-called team really is.
“You’ve heard from her?” I ask neutrally.
“A couple of days ago,” Enzo grumbles, looking unhappy. “She’s refusing to be pulled out, despite the risk. As far as we’re aware, her cover is intact. She’s being cautious.”