No Pain: Book 1

Chapter 52: Najee

          I wait at the first door we came through.

"What's he want?" Drew asks. Shifting from foot to foot.

"You're good at what you do." I sigh and touch the ear bug. I tap it three times, the others will get a signal.

"What's that mean?" Drew's scared, he almost never leaves his apartment, especially to be on a mission with us.

"He's going to have you send a fake warning alert about an incoming nuclear attack." I shouldn't know what either, that has to be Mason's memories too. "Everything will shut down, the president will have to react and every one of his guards, even the head of the defense department is an Idio. The president will be manipulated into releasing our nukes and chain reaction from there." I try to ignore how I know that much of the plan when Star didn't know.

"I won't do it." Drew says simply.

"You're not one of us, Drew, no one taught you how to handle...persuasion, from someone like him." I press the heel of my hand into my head as if that's going to get rid of the ache between my eyes.

"I'm not about to be the guy who starts a nuclear war!" Drew exclaims but his voice breaks betraying his confidence.

"Where have you been!" Keller growls into my ear.

"The Idios got me, Mason came out for a bit. I'm fine now but the head Idio still has Star and I just found out he's got Chase and he dragged Drew here too. I got Drew, I think Chase and Star are being kept in the same place."

"They got you and Star?" Kader exclaims. "You good, man?"

"I'm fine, but you guys got to get here fast, it's happening now." The door behind me clicks I turn my ear bug off and face the door.

"Sorry about that." Adler smiles at Drew "had to take care of something."

"Did you hurt, Star?" Drew lunges at Adler. I catch him easily.

"You can't hurt Star." Adler says dismissively but something isn't right about that. I know something about Star, about what he's doing to her but I can't bring it out.

"Come on." I push Drew ahead of us "let's get this started."

"Eager suddenly?" He chuckles.

"Sooner we finish this, the sooner I get what I want." I don't know who I am right now. I'm Najee but my feelings aren't.

"Here." Adler pushes a door open and waves Drew in. "Have a seat." Drew walks in I walk in closely behind him.

"Does this one have training?" Adler asks me. I shake my head "no, he just sets up the gear."

"Then you're protecting him." Adler pulls a gun out and aims it at me.

"What are you doing, Adler?" I ask him annoyed.

"For one, you're the one that double crossed me first." Adler reminds me, I have a vague memory of it, something about Star. I was supposed to take Star to him instead of the boss.

"If it weren't for you I'd have Star. Now, I'm going to have to hold an extra body to keep her in line."

"Chase." I shake my head "that's why you have Chase."

"Even through pain she doesn't care about herself." Adler scoffs at what he believes is her weakness.

"She's never cared about herself, Adler, you knew that." I take a small step trying to get a better angle.