Child of Recklessness (Trials of Strength Book 2) (27 page)

‘
Yeah, why?’ he asked.

I
ignored him for the moment and booted up the laptop.

‘
Lucas, sunshine, mind sharing with the class?’ Jessica sidled
up beside me.

‘
Brian’s right,’ I chuckled. ‘I am going to rush in their
without a second thought.’

Brian
scoffed and shook his head incredulous before he said, ‘What the
hell is your problem? Don’t you think?’

But
Jessica raised her hand to stop him.

‘
How does that sound?’ I asked her as I signed into a guest
profile, ‘you and I, blasting our way in through the front
doors?’

Jessica
smiled widely.

‘
I’d say that’s my kind of party,’ she replied.

‘
Hello, been there, tried that, Lucas died,’ Brian spat as he
crossed his arms.

I
smirked and turned to face them triumphantly.

‘
I rushed in like an idiot before,’ I stated. ‘This time we’ll
be rushing in smart.

‘
This time, we’ll be rushing in with an army.’

The Attack

Brian
wheeled over his chair grudgingly and let me use it as I opened the
camera program on the laptop. Jessica brewed more coffee, and
watched me with a smirk. I’d filled them in on what I planned to
do, and while Brian was apprehensive - although anything either
Jessica or I said was met with the same disdain he showed - Jessica
was on cloud nine. Our mission was her kind of deal, action, life
or death, impossible odds of success. She absolutely loved it, and
she wasn’t even getting paid.

The
camera was ready, and I downed half my scolding cup of caffeine
with a grimace and a sigh. I flexed my arms and cracked my fingers.
I knew what I had to do, but panic still itched its way under my
skin.

‘
Do you know what you’re going to say?’ Jessica
asked.

I
shrugged and shook my head.

‘
I’m just gonna wing it,’ I replied.

‘
Be bad,’ she said and winked, ‘be me.’

Emulating Jessica seemed like the way to go, but I inwardly
grumbled. For me, being a murdering, cold-hearted woman was going
to be difficult. I made myself comfortable, gulped the rest of my
coffee, and then hit the camera’s record button.

‘
Um, hi, arseholes,’ I started and glanced at Jessica for
approval. She shook her head and sighed. ‘Okay, I’ll keep this
simple. You might know us from, you know, mass murdering a small
town and blowing shit up, but here’s the deal: We are not happy at
the way we’re being portrayed. We have our next target,’ Brian
would edit in a picture and address of Digilock’s building, ‘and
unless your puny authorities can stop us, the place will go
boom.

‘
Much love, you know who.’

I
clicked the save button and gave Brian back his chair. He stared at
me sceptically as he rolled back over to his desktop computers, the
laptop in his hands. I turned to Jessica who was doing her best to
suppress a bout of laughter. She finished her coffee while shaking
her head, and placed the dish in the sink.

‘
Bravo,’ Jess chuckled and mock clapped her hands, ‘I bet
everyone’s shaking in their boots.’

‘
Alright, smart arse,’ I retorted, ‘let’s just get ready to
move, okay?’

‘
Lead the way tough guy,’ she replied.

While
Brian worked on the video, Jess and I made our way into his, and
formerly Paul’s, room. I pinched my nose as the smell of death
smacked me like a heat wave. Jessica ignored it, and wandered over
to the tables of weapons. I followed as my eyes darted around the
room in search of Paul’s corpse, but it was nowhere to be
found.

Thank God.

Grabbing
a long black shoulder bag, Jessica started stocking up with
weaponry. She picked up a large weapon with a scope, and nodded
admiringly. She placed it in her bag, and threw in boxes of
ammunition. We’d had the discussion of weapons before I had made
the video. I was desperate not have anyone killed, but
surprisingly, both Brian and Jessica had agreed that the only way
we were going to get five feet into the place was to raise as much
hell as possible, and to remove as many players as we
could.

I had
grumbled, but agreed. I made my own decision however not to be the
one killing. I grabbed a holster and fitted a lonely tranquilizer
gun into it. Jessica zipped up the bag and pulled it over her
shoulder. It criss-crossed her chest and she turned and waited for
me.

‘
You ready?’ she asked.

‘
You remember what you have to do?’ I replied.

Jessica
nodded.

‘
Don’t worry, I won’t let you down,’ she said.

‘
Because I have a feeling my arse will be black and blue once
the night is over,’ I emphasised.

We made
our way back to Brian, who spun to face us. He’d finished with the
video, and as an added benefit of caution, he had distorted my face
and voice along with the background. When the video was viewed,
they’d know who it was, but when and if we managed to blackmail the
government, we knew not to throw ourselves into something hard to
correct.

I
entered mine and Anna's bedroom and passed into the bathroom before
we headed out. I washed my hands and splashed cold water on my
face. I exited the toilet, and as I marched back through the room,
something caught my eye. I turned back to the dresser beside the
double bed and stared at the small, delicately wrapped package on
top. It was the gift Anna had gotten me, still untouched after the
disaster of that night.

I
slouched over and picked up the present. My heart pained with
longing as I peeled off the paper, and a small action figure fell
into my palm along with a handwritten note. The toy’s face smiled
up at me, and the figure had his arms on his sides and an ‘S’ on
his chest. I unfolded the note, and read Anna’s loving
message.

To remind you of how I think of you,

You’re my superhero.

Love,

Anna.

I fought
back the tears and swallowed away the lump in my throat.

I’m coming for you, Anna. I’m coming.

I made
my way back into the main room and we all stood uncomfortably.
Brian bit his lip and Jessica crossed and uncrossed her arms. My
gaze passed between Alex and Brian, and although I wished I hadn’t
needed to say it, I did.

‘
You know what I’m going to say,’ I said, ‘anything happens to
him…’

‘
I’ll keep him safe,’ Brian stated. ‘I swear.’

Jessica
pulled out her sniper rifle and pulled on some sort of latch. The
gun clicked as it loaded, and Brian jumped in his chair, his eyes
fascinated by his shoes. I looked over at Jess who shrugged and
mouthed ‘What?’ before she replaced the gun in her bag.

‘
Do it,’ I told Brian.

He
swivelled back around and clicked a single button on his keyboard.
The video was up and we were ready to go. I drew a deep breath, and
kissed Alex on his forehead. I realised as Jessica and I filed into
the elevator and the doors clunked closed that my earlier statement
to myself had changed slightly. I had told myself I was ready to
die, and as pointed out by my mind’s representation of my mother, I
had wanted to. I didn’t anymore. While I accepted it was entirely
possible I wouldn’t come back, I knew with all my heart that I
would fight like hell. I would fight for Anna, and I would fight to
bring us both back to our son.

*

‘
How’s it going?’ I said to Brian through the phone at my
ear.

I heard
the rattle of keys and a chuckle.

‘
The video’s already got a few thousand views, and it’s only
been a couple of hours, plus it’s past midnight,’ Brian replied.
‘Someone’s keen to have it removed though, the video keeps being
removed from the web, but people are sharing it too fast for
whoever’s fighting me. Most major media outlets are already running
with the story.’

Jessica
and I had set up a temporary base in an alley within view of
Digilock. It reeked of old bodily fluids, and I crinkled my nose at
the smell. The stars in the sky were blanked out by heavy black
clouds, and the ground was wet with rain. We’d been given a brief
respite from the showers and I turned to Jessica and gave her the
thumbs up before I returned my attention to Brian.

‘
I’m keeping an eye on the police chatter,’ Brian continued,
‘I’ll text when, and if they move. Do you guys have any sort of
plan?’

‘
Raise a little hell and hope for the best.’ I replied with a
smile.

‘
The best being the enemy cavalry coming to your aid?’ Brian’s
sarcastic response came back. ‘Yeah, because nothing could go wrong
with
that
plan.’

‘
Just keep us posted,’ I said sourly, and punched the hang up
button.

I peeked
round the corner of the massive bin Jessica and I had taken cover
behind. Jess stood with her long sniper rifle in hand, and she
watched the black-cladded men through the scope. I watched her
carefully and noticed how little running into a life or death
situation bothered her. She was calm and in complete control, while
I on the other hand, couldn’t stop my traitorous hands from
shaking. I never shook when I had my abilities, and part of me
longed for them to return, especially when I needed them the most.
Maybe they would never come back to me.

Jessica
ducked back down to converse with me, but her face wrinkled in
distaste and she stamped her feet.

‘
I
hate
alleyways,’ she growled and pouted as she scrutinised her
boots. ‘These are ruined, and they cost more than most people make
in their lives.’

‘
Then why the hell are you wearing them?’ I asked open
mouthed.

‘
They’re good luck, and they look nice,’ Jessica
replied.

I shook
my head and she straightened before peering through her weapon
again. I took the opportunity to take a look myself, but all I had
were my trusty human eyes. I squinted as I edged to the corner of
the bin. There were four men stationed outside Digilock’s building
and more inside. I couldn’t see past the revolving doors that led
into the lobby, but Jessica could.

‘
I can’t see them all, but I’d say there are about a dozen of
them inside,’ she whispered, her eyes alight with excitement.
‘This, I tell you, is going to be fun.’

‘
Just cool your boots just now,’ I said.

With
another pinched expression she looked at her feet and said, ‘The
only thing I’ll be doing with these involves a sacrifice and a
fire.’

I stared
up at her incredulous.

‘
Oh,’ Jessica said and laughed, ‘I’ll be sacrificing the boots.
What? Did you think I meant a person?’

I
shrugged to show her that you never could tell when she uttered
something like that.

My phone
buzzed in my pocket and I fished it out. Brian had sent only a
simple word, two letters that ratcheted my heart rate and made my
breath hitch.

Go.

I gazed
up at Jess, and she nodded.

‘
You better remember the plan,’ I said.

‘
Don’t worry tough guy,’ Jessica smiled, ‘I know what to do.
Just listen for the sirens.’

With
that, and a flip of her hair, Jessica moved. She rounded the bin,
her weapon strapped across her chest along with the huge bag that
contained her arsenal. Before we had reached the alley, Jessica had
made a pit stop. She’d said she had a few special items stashed
that could come in handy. I had no idea what they were, until her
hand dove into her bag and whipped out a grenade.

Here we go.

Jessica
pulled the pin and threw it hard at the four men and the front
entrance while I waited for the inevitable deadly destruction. The
men saw it too, and without a glance at the assassin still briskly
heading their way, they chucked themselves to the floor. But the
grenade didn’t go off, it sat there useless, and I laughed as my
mind clicked to the distraction Jess had created. She’d taken those
men off guard and they’d left themselves open, it was-

The
grenade exploded. It wasn’t the way I expected though, the
explosion wasn’t with flames, but an ear splitting crack filled the
air and the supposedly unbreakable glass that covered the first few
floors of the building erupted outwards. The men threw their arms
above their heads as glass fell towards them, and before they could
react, Jessica hefted her sniper rifle and planted four perfect
shots into their heads.

I
shivered and thanked the heavens she was on our side.

As
planned, Jessica waited outside. Her eye levelled with the rifle’s
scope, and as men came into view, she picked them off one by one.
Our plan was to thin their members, but Jessica couldn’t remain
outside forever. The soldiers would catch on, and if they weren’t
busy inside, I wouldn’t be able to slip past.

One more
man hit the ground before they realised, and the remaining men took
up defensive positions inside. Jessica threw the sniper down and
both of her hands shot back into her bag. She started for the
entrance at a jog, while firing two of her own weapons. I couldn’t
tell what they were, but the bullets never seemed to stop as they
sprayed inside the building. It was effective. By the time our
enemy had any chance of taking aim back, Jessica had crossed the
threshold, and entered the place.