The Cardinal Bird (1 of Cardinal Series)

Chapter 7

A new determination settled into my bones.  My jaw clenched as I reached a shaking hand out to grab it.  Sure, I would still help these families and even though the other information would be invalidated by this point, I swore that I would bring Nikolai down if I could.  Though people were chaotic, they still had some patterns they followed...a code they lived by no matter how warped or twisted. And I was somewhat of a connoisseur at hacking codes.  I would crack Nikolai's. No matter how long it took me. I'd find a way to do it.

There was a silence.

It was broken by the sound of a vehicle crunching gravel as it pulled up outside the warehouse.  I froze and felt the solid steel of someone's arms tightening around me. I realized I was sitting in a lap.  I turned around, my eyes big, breathing fast. Even sitting on his lap, I still had to crane my neck up to see the face.  Silas.

I looked around the warehouse, trying to get any sort of clue as to who was here.  Did Nikolai return? Probably not. Not his style. He could have sent someone though.  To make sure the job was finished. My breath hitched as I tried to fight down a cough.

Silas brought his hand up and petted my knotted, rancid hair down.  The sheer size of his hand, the fact that it could easily span from ear to ear, should have intimidated me but instead caused my body to go limp.  I felt a sense of safety from him. He was eyeing the rest of his team. "Shh, Aggele. It will be okay. Just focus on your breathing."

I looked around, noticing that they were speaking without actually speaking.  Brandon was dressed again and mostly dry, only his hair was sticking up and damp as droplets fell down his face.  He must have used his t-shirt to dry himself off because he was bare-chested under his jacket. Likewise, his pants were riding low enough on his hips that it was easy to tell that he had decided to forgo the wet boxers.

My breathing slowed as I focused on those random things, trying not to worry about who was outside.  It almost worked too, except Brandon turned away from me to keep an eye on the door, and my thoughts went right back to the danger we could be in.

These men were nice.  They had risked a lot on my behalf.  They didn't even know me. Literally no one in my life had done that much for me.  They were good people.

What if it was Dell outside?  I hadn't noticed his body lying amongst the carnage in the middle of the warehouse.  He must have gone with Nikolai before the shooting started. Unless he was part of it and just got out unscathed.  He was the closest thing to what would be considered a favorite to Nikolai. Because of that, he was most likely the person everyone would've targeted when the firing started, but he could have made it out, easily.  He was just that good.

I wasn't sure about these guys.  Perhaps Raven or North could hold their own against him.  Maybe even Nathan who was also a powerhouse and moved with a deadly precision.  But...images of their mutilated bodies flashed through my mind.

I was lifted out of Silas' lap and set on my feet.  My hand started cramping. I looked down, nearly having to pry my fingers open.  The thumb drive. I pulled the zipper of the borrowed jacket down enough to slip my hand in and tuck the drive into the cup of my bra.  Hopefully it would be safe there.

Brandon moved me slightly behind him and against the wall.  Apparently we were going to hole up on the platform. He was so close that his jacket brushed against my face, and I smelled heated metal and cherries, not real cherries, but all of those car scents, waxes, and fresheners that somehow had the same smell despite the varying brands.  Karl suddenly had a gun held in a two-handed grip out in front of him, his elbows locked out straight as he did a huddle run down the stairs.

Government! My mind screamed out at me.  I wasn't sure if he was current or ex, but he had had government training at some time in his life.

Raven went forward to army crawl across the tank.  He laid low, bringing up his gun to point at the door.  Every now and then his head would turn slightly to the right or left as if he was checking the windows.  He pointed with his right and used his left hand to cup that wrist to steady his aim.