"Nasty," Destro said, running his hand along her face. He picked at the dry
blood on her chin. "Definitely nasty."
Scarlett strained against the straps that bound her.
"Don't try and get up. You're in tight."
She fell back, exhausted.
"Well, Scarlett, how would you like something for the pain?" Destro studied her. She remained silent. "Not much of a talker, are you? My experience tells me otherwise. Doesn't matter, really. We'll get all we need out of you in due time. What I was thinking is that you could be bait. What do you think? You think Duke will come for you?"
Her eyes widened.
Destro chuckled. "Didn't think I knew about your little fling, did you? I'm not as stupid as you look, darling. It's kind of a cliché, isn't it? A damsel in distress? Lord knows I fully support the feminist movement. Ideally, I would like to have Duke here, but things seemed to have worked out this way instead. Shame, really. You think we could have a role reversal, just once."
"Now, the Baroness. I never have to rescue her. Not that I ever would, mind you." Destro ran his fingers down her arm. "You know, there's something about a redhead - bound."
***
"Okay, from what we've gathered, the team went down in the southern regions," Duke said, standing in front of his team.
Snake Eyes stepped forward.
"I know, Snakes," Duke said, dismissing him with a wave. "Nothing's for sure. This is what came through from intelligence. That's all we got."
"I'm sensing trouble, sir," Spirit said.
"In what way?"
Spirit shook his head. "Not sure yet."
Snake Eyes looked at him; he was sensing the same thing. His thoughts echoed flashes of red but there was no way of putting his feelings into words. Scarlett. Her face sprung into his mind, screaming for help. Scarlett. The woman who haunted him in his dreams. "Spill it, Spirit," Duke said.
"Sir, it's nothing."
Duke shook his head, frustrated. Something's wrong, he thought. Usually, he'd dismiss Spirit telepathic powers, dismissing them as nonsense. But now, with Scarlett missing, he'd take anything. A feeling of hopelessness threatened to overwhelm him. He didn't like feeling so vulnerable, so pathetic. This has got to stop, he thought. I can't let this go on, Shana. It's over.
"I don't care what's definite or not. Tell me - what's going on in your head, Spirit?"
"I see red. I see danger."
Duke cleared his throat. "Red?"
Spirit nodded. "She's not with the rest of the group."
Duke studied his men. "Alone?"
"Yes."
"There's three others. We go for them."
Dusty stepped forward. "What about Scar-"
"Three men are missing," Duke said, turning away. He repeated: "We go for them."
***
"How you doing, Jaye?"
"Okay," she smiled. "I'm fine."
Beachhead settled in beside her. "You sure?"
"Yep."
They sat in a companionable silence while Roadblock scouted out the area. Lady Jaye sat on dead wood, Beachhead on her left. She studied Beach. His profile reminded her of Flint, the set jaw, the furrowed brow. But there was a sadness that she saw in Beachhead that she'd never seen in her partner. His eyes almost seemed haunted, like something was weighing him down. Her hand instinctively shot out to touch his arm to comfort him.
"What are you doing?" Beachhead frowned. "Nothing," Lady Jaye said, quickly withdrawing. "I just thought -"
"Well, the area seems clears," Roadblock said, jogging up to them. "Can't see any monstas'."
"Good," Beachhead said. "Last thing we need is another episode like yesterday. You know, Jaye in a stretcher."
It was Lady Jaye's turn to frown. "Why would it be me in a stretcher? What about you guys?"
Beachhead grinned. "Ladies first."
She rolled her eyes.
"I say we stay put then," Beachhead said, sitting down. "This is as good as a spot as any."
"I'll take first watch," Roadblock offered, walking off. "You two need the rest."
Lady Jaye turned to Beachhead, about to say something. He put his hand up. "Don't bother."
"Don't bother what?"
"Talking," he said, lying down. "Just go to sleep."
Before she could answer, a shriek in the distance rang out.
"Roadblock," Lady Jaye whispered.
Her mouth turned dry.
Scarlett strained against the straps that bound her.
"Don't try and get up. You're in tight."
She fell back, exhausted.
"Well, Scarlett, how would you like something for the pain?" Destro studied her. She remained silent. "Not much of a talker, are you? My experience tells me otherwise. Doesn't matter, really. We'll get all we need out of you in due time. What I was thinking is that you could be bait. What do you think? You think Duke will come for you?"
Her eyes widened.
Destro chuckled. "Didn't think I knew about your little fling, did you? I'm not as stupid as you look, darling. It's kind of a cliché, isn't it? A damsel in distress? Lord knows I fully support the feminist movement. Ideally, I would like to have Duke here, but things seemed to have worked out this way instead. Shame, really. You think we could have a role reversal, just once."
"Now, the Baroness. I never have to rescue her. Not that I ever would, mind you." Destro ran his fingers down her arm. "You know, there's something about a redhead - bound."
***
"Okay, from what we've gathered, the team went down in the southern regions," Duke said, standing in front of his team.
Snake Eyes stepped forward.
"I know, Snakes," Duke said, dismissing him with a wave. "Nothing's for sure. This is what came through from intelligence. That's all we got."
"I'm sensing trouble, sir," Spirit said.
"In what way?"
Spirit shook his head. "Not sure yet."
Snake Eyes looked at him; he was sensing the same thing. His thoughts echoed flashes of red but there was no way of putting his feelings into words. Scarlett. Her face sprung into his mind, screaming for help. Scarlett. The woman who haunted him in his dreams. "Spill it, Spirit," Duke said.
"Sir, it's nothing."
Duke shook his head, frustrated. Something's wrong, he thought. Usually, he'd dismiss Spirit telepathic powers, dismissing them as nonsense. But now, with Scarlett missing, he'd take anything. A feeling of hopelessness threatened to overwhelm him. He didn't like feeling so vulnerable, so pathetic. This has got to stop, he thought. I can't let this go on, Shana. It's over.
"I don't care what's definite or not. Tell me - what's going on in your head, Spirit?"
"I see red. I see danger."
Duke cleared his throat. "Red?"
Spirit nodded. "She's not with the rest of the group."
Duke studied his men. "Alone?"
"Yes."
"There's three others. We go for them."
Dusty stepped forward. "What about Scar-"
"Three men are missing," Duke said, turning away. He repeated: "We go for them."
***
"How you doing, Jaye?"
"Okay," she smiled. "I'm fine."
Beachhead settled in beside her. "You sure?"
"Yep."
They sat in a companionable silence while Roadblock scouted out the area. Lady Jaye sat on dead wood, Beachhead on her left. She studied Beach. His profile reminded her of Flint, the set jaw, the furrowed brow. But there was a sadness that she saw in Beachhead that she'd never seen in her partner. His eyes almost seemed haunted, like something was weighing him down. Her hand instinctively shot out to touch his arm to comfort him.
"What are you doing?" Beachhead frowned. "Nothing," Lady Jaye said, quickly withdrawing. "I just thought -"
"Well, the area seems clears," Roadblock said, jogging up to them. "Can't see any monstas'."
"Good," Beachhead said. "Last thing we need is another episode like yesterday. You know, Jaye in a stretcher."
It was Lady Jaye's turn to frown. "Why would it be me in a stretcher? What about you guys?"
Beachhead grinned. "Ladies first."
She rolled her eyes.
"I say we stay put then," Beachhead said, sitting down. "This is as good as a spot as any."
"I'll take first watch," Roadblock offered, walking off. "You two need the rest."
Lady Jaye turned to Beachhead, about to say something. He put his hand up. "Don't bother."
"Don't bother what?"
"Talking," he said, lying down. "Just go to sleep."
Before she could answer, a shriek in the distance rang out.
"Roadblock," Lady Jaye whispered.
Her mouth turned dry.