They could only get one of them out. One of them out to go find Korra, to help her fight against their adversaries. When Tenzin had brought them the news that she was gone, and that nonbenders were getting rounded up like cattle still on the streets, Mako had known that they had to help her.
He wasn't about to sit in prison while she could be out there hurt, dying. Dead. He didn't allow himself to think about the last one because it hurt too much. He'd be incapacitated, useless if Korra was dead.
The plan was perfect, they could get one guard, but three was too many. Inconspicuous and quick, that's what they had decided. But who was to leave was the hardest.
He wasn't leaving Korra's well-being up to anyone else, but Bolin had argued and fought hard. He tried not to think about Asami sitting in the corner and not looking at the two brothers because she knew what her boyfriend had chosen, and it wasn't her.
He pulled the metalcop helmet down across his forehead, shielding his amber eyes from the passing cops as he walked with a purpose down the hallway. His legs itched to run, to push and shove through the crowds at the end of the hall until he could find Amon, find Tarrlock, demand to know where Korra was.
But he couldn't do any of that.
He got out of the building without incident, and he dropped the metalcop outfit in an alleyway before making his way to the Councilman's offices. He passed by the secretary without saying a word and ran up the stairwell. He slammed open the door, his eyes taking in the man sitting at his desk without a care like he hadn't lost the one thing that mattered most in this world.
"Where is she?"
Flames leaped in his palm as he glared at the waterbender. Tarrlock stood up, pushing back his chair with a loud creak in the silent room. "She's gone. The Equalists took her." He barely glanced at the boy in front of him, and Mako wanted to make him pay attention, make Tarrlock see the threat in front of him. The fireball flew and burned a hole into the wood beside Tarrlock's head.
"You're lying."
The sulfuric smell of singed hair wafted through their noses and a crease of annoyance appeared on Tarrlock's forehead. He reached his hand up and felt the ends of his uneven hair brushing against his fingers. "You'll do well to keep your games to yourself, boy."
"And you'll do well to tell me where she is before I aim at your face."
His light eyes narrowed. "You know, it was rather sad. She kept saying how her friends would rescue her. It'll be unfortunate to tell her that her firebender friend has met an untimely end-" Without missing a beat, he sent a blade of water across the room, nearly cutting Mako's hand off if he hadn't jumped away.
It had only registered to him now that Tarrlok had admitted to being the one to have taken Korra. Tenzin had come to see them about their release and gave them the story that Tarrlok had given him. The four of them knew that Tarrlok would never have tried to help Korra, given the fact that she refused to stay out of his way.
"I knew it."
He took a breath and sent a burst of fire in Tarrlok's direction, singing the end of his sleeve.
"Why you little rat-" hissed Tarrlok as he pulled the water from just outside the window, thrashing Mako against the wall.
"Do you want to know how I took down your little Avatar?"
The firebender panted as he felt his clothes grow heavier. He stumbled as he stood up, feeling a bit disoriented. He shook his head and refocused before he was charging at Tarrlok with full force. His heart beat heavily against his chest as he lit his hands, intending to burn him to the bone.
His body stopped abruptly as if his blood and bones had stopped all mobility. He exhaled slowly and even that seemed like a weight on his chest. "What-"
"Would you like to know how I broke her bones?" asked Tarrlok with a sinister look upon his face. "How I crushed her heart until it bled and drowned her lungs?"
Mako felt like he was drowning now. His breath stilled in his throat and even though he couldn't move, his thoughts were raged by the idea of ripping Tarrlok in half if he had done anything to Korra.
"If you-" he gasped. "-did anything to he-her-" He gave a cry as he buckled, his temple hitting the hard concrete. He vaguely heard a crack and wasn't sure if it was the floor or if it was his skull. All he could feel was the throbbing.
"You think you could really win against me. Your little Avatar couldn't even do it. And you think you can?" He gave a dark laugh.
Mako's limbs trembled. "Bastard," he breathed. His veins felt like liquid fire and he somehow pushed himself up onto one hand, his other shakingly creating a flickering fireball.
Tarrlock's gasp of outrage at being thwarted was quickly replaced with a yelp as his pants leg caught on fire. Mako pushed himself onto his feet, the fire smoldering in his eyes as he shoved the other man against the wall of water.
"Tell me where she is," his voice was hard as he shoved his elbow against the man's windpipe.
"Mountains," Tarrlock choked out before he sank to the floor as Mako released him. He didn't give the man a backwards glance as flames engulfed the office. He closed the door without a sound.
No one hurt Korra.