Mercury Striking (The Scorpius Syndrome #1)(104)

“No. Greg Lake shot Byron in the leg, but it was a through and through.” Tace nodded in acknowledgment to Raze as he maneuvered closer. “The blood’s from one of Lake’s men. I shot him in the leg and the shoulder.”

Jax rocked back on his heels. “You’ve been operating on him?”

Tace’s eyebrows drew down. “No. I patched the holes and have been questioning him, trying to find out where they took Lynne.”

Raze coughed. “You, ah, have been torturing Lake’s man?”

Tace’s eyes hardened past blue. “Yeah. Isn’t that what you’d do?”

Jax breathed out, studying his friend. “Yeah, but I’m not a doctor, and I’m trained to withstand torture, thus understanding it.” The bacteria had definitely changed the medic.

Sami rushed from around the building, her eyes wild, dried blood on her jeans. “The south is secure, and soon the front will be resecured.” She swallowed. “I’m sorry about Lynne. Greg Lake had Jill, and Lynne went out to trade herself. It was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen. She was terrified.”

Everything inside Jax revolted. “Has the prisoner told you anything?”

Tace frowned. “Lake’s taking her to a mansion in Vegas at 2111 Putter Drive.”

Jax didn’t hesitate. If he had a chance to save Lynne, he had to move now before Atherton could get more soldiers in place. So when he turned, the last thing he was prepared to deal with was the myriad of people, soldiers and civilians, spilling outside beyond the courtyard and waiting for him. He swallowed.

Tace shrugged. “Everyone wants to go with you.”

He blinked. “Huh?”

A pretty teenager stepped forward, her chin quivering. “They took one of us, and we want to help get her back. We’ve been practicing shooting and stuff.”

And stuff. God. Jax wiped a hand over his forehead. “Thank you, but Raze and I are quicker on our own.”

Tace shook his head. “I’m going.”

“Me too,” Sami said.

“No. I need you here, just in case.” Jax tried to step to the side.

Everyone pushed forward. About a hundred people faced him, giving their allegiance to Lynne. So much emotion roared through him, it burned. They were his people. All of them.

He took a moment and let the reality hit him hard. Exchanging a glance with Tace, he jumped up onto the hood of a car and held his hand up for silence. The people, a ragtag group of different ages, experiences, races, and nightmares, all looked up to him.

How the hell had he ended up here? Standing with gasoline staining his shirt, his mind rioting, his gut aching.

He cleared his throat. “Thank you for offering to go, but this is a fast op, and it’s dangerous. There’s no time for training, and I can’t worry about anybody.”

Byron limped forward. “It’s the president, and he has soldiers. You can’t go in alone. If the worst happens, we’ll be okay with it.”

Jax blinked.

Sami lifted her chin. “We’re going regardless, Jax. You can’t take on trained men just the two of you, especially with the weaponry they probably have.”

Jill Sanderson slid her hand into Byron’s, her other palm on her still flat stomach. “Your best chance for saving Lynne and returning safely is to take backup. We can handle things here.”

An emotion, full and pure, vibrated through Jax. The people, the ones he barely knew, were giving him their faith and possibly their lives. They were right about the odds. “All right. We can afford to take twenty-four soldiers, led by Raze, Sami, Tace, and me.” That would leave enough trained soldiers to protect the community on all sides, but it was thin. Really thin, and he hated to use that much fuel. They’d need three trucks and a few bikes.

Lynne had been right—the people needed him to lead. Not just shoot and fight. He cleared his throat as he looked around, really looked at the people he’d been shielding. “Thank you for your support and for being part of this community. I, ah, have been a soldier of one type or another my entire life. I’ve dealt with life and death on a daily basis, and I’ve known many different survivors. We, here, as a group are the strongest I’ve ever seen.”

A rumble went through the crowd.

“Scorpius has scarred us in ways we never imagined, taking almost everything from us. But we’re here, and we’re standing up, as only human beings can. We’re small in number, but we’re fierce in our fight to survive.” His voice cracked on the end. “I’m proud to know all of you, and I’m honored to lead you.” He jumped down, his voice rising. “We will return, and we will rebuild.”

The group exploded into clapping.

He stalked for the doorway.

Raze paused as they walked outside. “What the fuck was that?”

Hell if Jax knew. He’d finally given in to his position, and he’d needed to leave them with hope. “Pep talk.”





Chapter Thirty-Six





Evil is evolving as fast, if not faster, than good.

—Dr. Franklin Xavier Harmony




Anxiety fluttered through Lynne with heated wings, and she tried to remain focused. After traveling for about six hours, they reached an oddly tidy Vegas residential neighborhood after a too-silent and too long drive. With no water, the lawns of the stucco houses around them had turned brown. Greg Lake had promptly tied her hands, shoved her into an empty gardening shed, and locked the door. Hours ago. She’d tried everything possible to get loose, finally sitting in the cool dirt with heat swirling around.