Risk and Rebel

35: A ROUND OF Q&A

"Why are you here?"

Walski's face annoyed me. His features were twisted in a scowl, and the only thing that made me feel any better about looking at him was the bloody scrape at his hairline. "Business," he said shortly, looking between Rebel and I with disgust.

I was directly across from him now, straddling a chair with my arms propped up on its back. Rebel was off to my left, Walski's right, leaning against a table with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "Somebody's feeling droll," I observed.

"You know why I'm here," Walski retorted, glowering at me.

"To kill us?" Rebel asked.

Walski scoffed and rolled his eyes, shaking his head as a harsh laugh left his lips. "Right, as if. I'm here to bring you idiots in." He shifted in his seat, his attention moving from Rebel back to me. "Aim and Gambler want to kill you themselves."

"There's a shocker," I said dryly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. Instead I flexed the fingers on one of my hands, contemplating using my telekinesis to help his sharing process along. I decided against it. For now. "Why'd they send you?"

Walski bristled at that, but the movement was quickly followed up by a devious grin. "You'll see soon enough."

Rebel's eyes narrowed. He straightened, letting his arms fall to his sides as he took a few steps toward Walski, close enough now that any blow could be lethal if Rebel didn't catch himself. "You're going to want to explain that."

"Or what?" Walski sneered up at him, seeming unfazed by Rebel's proximity.

Rebel grinned, his bared teeth the furthest thing from friendly. He leaned over Walski then, their faces only inches apart. Rebel's eyes turned dark in the lighting of the room, and I watched in mild amusement as his hand fisted into the front of Walski's shirt. "Or I'm going to start breaking bones," Rebel said lowly, his voice so quiet I almost missed it, "and I'm starting with your legs."

I watched Walski's adam's apple bob as he swallowed, his dark eyes now so wide that even from far away I could plainly see the whites. I leaned back in my chair with a smug smirk. Though field work had been, and would always be, my favorite ... I had forgotten how entertaining interrogations could be. It reminded me of the rare occasions when Rebel and I would do undercover work.

Granted, I only had such fond memories of undercover work because we weren't currently undercover. Whenever we actually went undercover, I hated everything about it.

"I dare you," Walski shot back, the venom never leaving his eyes or voice. But before Rebel could say or do anything, a feral grin spread across Walski's features: "Though you should know, you don't have that much time."

Rebel's hesitation only lasted a split second, but it was long enough.

Long enough for gunfire to erupt outside of the room we were in.

Long enough for Walski to throw himself sideways out of the chair and away from Rebel.

It was like chaos detonated all around us, and it only took seconds. As the bullets from a machine gun began to eat at the door to our room, I heard Legion bellow, "Risk! Rebel!"

My mind barely registered the warning. Rebel and I were already flat on the ground, and Walski had broken the window and was leaping out of it when my reflexes kicked in.

Rebel straightened right as I did. I stopped at my knees and threw one open palm up toward the door, stopping a fresh round of gunfire right as it burst through the already splintering door. Rebel crossed the room and pulled me fully to my feet, giving me a quick once over before his eyes hardened.

I wasn't injured, and neither was he.

When the gunfire stopped, I allowed the telekinetic barrier to drop. I readied my own handgun and moved toward the door, following after Rebel, except before either of us could make it there, it burst open.

In came Charlotte with two heavy-duty machine guns and a vicious glare in her hazel eyes. Her lips were pulled up in a cocky smirk. A crow-like laugh escaped her before she grinned, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do this."

That was the only thing said before shots sounded off again.