27
FAITH
The next morningI watch Dad and most of the Screaming Eagles roll out, heading to the Pit Viper compound to deal with Crow. It’s a beautiful pink and orange sunrise, but I can’t enjoy even a minute of it. Even with Alpha and the others at my back, it makes me feel helpless to not be a part of saving my own best friend.
I’m still thinking about it an hour later in the common room.
“Stop,” Blade orders as I set up what must be my hundredth break on the pool table.
“Stop what?”
“Thinking about doing something stupid.”
Ripper and Alpha nod, leaving me feeling like a little kid being told no over and over again. It doesn’t matter that I know they’re right.
“I feel like I’m letting her die.”
“Which is exactly how we’d feel if you tried to take on their whole compound,” growls Alpha. “Exact same fucking thing.”
My phone buzzes, and when I look down at the screen, ice runs through my veins. “It’s from Nicky!”
That gets their full attention. If she’s gotten away somehow, maybe we can call Dad back and nobody has to get hurt. I bring up the message, and my heart sinks immediately. I shake my head. “No, no, no.”
“What?” Alpha’s right behind me, then Blade and Ripper.
“It’s not Nicky. It’s Crow. He’s just using her phone.” I try to keep my nerves calm. Crow’s communicating directly to me now? Even if it isn’t him, it’s probably someone under his orders and that’s not good.
“New time and location? What kind of bullshit is this?” Ripper grabs the phone from me to read. “Fuck, that’s the wrong direction. Even if we called now, they wouldn’t be able to get there in time.”
“It’s a trap,” Blade growls.
“We know. We knew that already.” Alpha looks at Blade, not understanding.
“No. Fuck. Trap within a fucking trap. Eagle-eye and the boys are headed to their clubhouse, and how much you wanna fucking bet there’s going to be an ambush there?” He points at the phone. “And meanwhile, we have to scramble because he’s changed the time and location, sending it straight to Faith.”
“Fuck,” Ripper and Alpha let out at once.
“We’ve got to warn Dad!” I grab the phone back, reading over the message one more time. Another comes in while I read.
Confirm you got this, or we start cutting.
A picture’s been attached, with Shovelhead resting a machete on Nicky’s finger while grinning ugly. And Nicky looks like she’s screaming.
Crap, crap, crap.
“Couldwemake it?”
“The new location?” Ripper looks at me. “Yeah, we can, but probably not your Dad.”
“How do they know we aren’t with the rest?” Alpha asks.
“They’re probably betting on Eagle-eye refusing to bring Faith. They might not know we’re with her, but it’s a good bet that she isn’t with Prez.” Blade shrugs. “Doesn’t matter exactly, but what it means is they’re planning something and the war party can’t get to that new spot.”
“I think I’m going to throw up. I can’t leave Nicky to die. I’m sorry. I tried to do what everyone asked, but this is too much.”
“Fuck.” Alpha growls.
“It has to be us. We have to at least try. Now!”