Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

64 Teamwork

Iris~~

I drive my elbow into the rebel's side before grabbing them by the shoulders and driving my knee into their stomach. They bend forward, and I throw an uppercut into their jaw.

Colton fires a bullet into their leg, and they collapse, crying out.

August pins the only standing rebel against the wall while Seong-ho aims his gun at her. Colton heads for the door.

"Where are they keeping the Preeminence?" August presses her deeper into the wall.

"You can't kill me so why would I tell you?"

"Because," August's voice is a cruel lilt, "we prefer it when you can't die."

Aiming his gun, Colton opens the door. "Take care of her and let's go. It will take too long for her to tell us anything."

August's grip tightens on the rebel. "And we what? Wander aimless—"

Seong-ho fires his gun, shotting the rebel in the leg. August jerks back, and the rebel drops to the ground, letting out a scream and grabbing at her leg in the spot that blood starts to well.

I turn my head away, feeling nauseous.

"Let's go," Seong-ho says.

The four of us find the next bunker empty but bullet marks in the walls prove it's seen action. In the initial push to get inside the base, we were separated from Gwen and Bently.

"Seong-ho, Iris, you're certain you never saw the plans for this place?" Colton asks.

"If I had"—Seong-ho changes out his clip—"wouldn't I have mentioned that before we left the Estate?"

"Well, you didn't tell us about your kids."

I roll my eyes. "Now is not the time."

They ignore me.

"I thought your mission was to gather intel," August says. "What good was it if you can't find Jonas now?" The Delta turns to me. "And you, Iris?"

"If I ever did see any plans, I wasn't thinking I needed to commit them to memory." Back then, I was supposed to die on August 10, 2014. Memorizing plans of bases I had never seen wasn't a top priority. I rub my forehead. "They wouldn't keep their prisoners close to an exit. All I can suggest is to keep pushing farther in."

At the other end of the bunker, the door begins opening.

Ducking behind a crate, I aim my gun at the door, while the Order quickly selects their own shields.

The first thing to come through the door is a barrel of a gun.

I let out a breath, adjusting my own gun.

It's L who steps through the door. Her eyes immediately find mine.

Behind her are the two rebels who were with her at the inn.

I rise, gun trained on L. "You're outnumbered."

"Then shoot me, Iris."

I tighten my grip on my gun. "Lower your weapons."

"Are you really working with them because you're angry we left you?"

I grit my teeth. "L . . ."

"Do you truly believe the revenge of one person is worth betraying the rebellion?"

"I'm here for the Preeminence."