Mercury Striking (The Scorpius Syndrome #1)(40)

“That’s rather shortsighted, don’t you think?” Jax asked.

“No.” Shawn settled his stance again. “I really am sorry about this.”

Jax dropped into a slide that carried him across the tile and into Shawn’s ankles, where he twisted. Shawn fell hard, and Jax rolled him over, straddling his waist. Two hard punches to Shawn’s jaw, and the kid flew into oblivion.

Sami ran up, her gaze wide, carrying several boxes of Kleenex and soap. “What the hell?”

“He tried to shoot me and wants Red as Vanguard’s new leader.” Jax stood and extended his smarting knuckles. “Kid has a tough jaw.”

Sami tossed off her pack to load it with the goodies. “Please tell me you found some B.” With her tennis shoe, she nudged Shawn’s side. The kid partially rolled over but didn’t awaken.

“No B. You?” Jax held his breath, shoving provisions in his pack. They had to get moving if they were going to have a prayer of saving Lynne and Tace, but he needed to load his pack first.

“None.” She cocked her weapon. “Listen, I’m sorry about the scene this morning in your bedroom.”

Could his life get any stranger? “No problem. We’re colleagues and buddies. Right?”

“Yeah, but man, Jax. What about the rumors that Lynne Harmony is carrying a more dangerous strain of the disease?”

“She’s not.” Jax shook his head.

“If you say so.” Doubt curled Sami’s lip. “Just make sure that’s your head and not your dick thinking.”

Like he had time to think with his dick. “Knock it off. So we’re good?”

“Yeah. Believe me, you are so not my type, and I see that now.” Sami shook her head, stepping next to him. “What is it about you and death? You just love dancing with it.”

Jax drew himself up short. “Excuse me?”

“Come on, dude. You were in a street gang and then joined the most dangerous unit in the army. Now you lead a vigilante group trying to survive a murderous contagion, and the first time you get with a woman, she’s the deadliest of them all.” Sami kicked Shawn harder. “It’s like you dare death.”

Did she just call him dude? “Whatever. We need to get back to headquarters fast.”

Sami pointed at Shawn. “What about him?”

Jax shook his head. “He stays here.”

Sami gasped. “If we leave him, Twenty will find him. It’s a death sentence.”

“I know.” Jax hardened everything inside him. “I can’t afford to have somebody trying to kill me or anybody else who’s survived Scorpius. Shawn is an adult, and he made his own decision. Now he lives or dies with it.”

“But—”

“Enough.” He didn’t raise his voice, but he put every ounce of command he had into it. “Start moving, Sami. Now.”

She faltered but began moving for the stairwell.

Bile rose from his stomach, and he swallowed it down and followed her. Once at the stairs, he took point, gun out, and jogged down the two flights to find Wyatt and his team waiting in the loading dock. Rain churned up dust around them. “Well?”

“One box,” Wyatt said, his lips tight. “We looked everywhere and only found one fucking box of vitamin B, but we did find a bunch of shipping records from Baker and Baker to other labs. They must’ve been cooperating with each other and sharing information. What did you find?”

“Nothing worth mentioning.” Jax eyed his watch. “Dawn will break in a couple of hours, and that storm is ebbing. We need to get the hell out of here, and now. There’s a problem at headquarters.” He tried to stay calm, but his nerves were firing fast.

“Let’s roll,” Sami clipped out.

Two men, armed with knives, ran around the far corner. Dirty and disheveled, their clothes hung on thin bodies.

The first guy paused. “We own this block. Whatever you took, it’s ours.”

Jax stiffened. Clear voice, calm manner? “You’re not a Ripper.”

“Nope.” The second guy, one with tats down the side of his face, shook his head, and his hair sprayed rainwater. “We just own this block.” Then, faster than Jax would’ve thought, he dodged forward and yanked Sami against him.

Jax went still. They didn’t have time for this shit.

Sami hissed.

The guy shoved his knife near her jugular.

Wyatt stiffened and started to move.

“No.” Jax lifted a hand in warning. “If you pull the gun, he may slice her throat.” Then he waited.

Sami seemed to relax as she waited.

“Kill them,” the guy ordered, his body moving just enough. “This little bitch is staying with us.”

Sami shot an arm between his, shoved out, and the knife moved away from her neck. One elbow went back, and she turned so fast, she was just a blur. She took the guy out with a punch to the throat and then a knee shot. He was out cold before he hit the ground.

In a truly beautiful spin kick, she nailed the second man in the temple. He dropped down. She followed up by calmly striding forward and grabbing his hair, plowing her knee up. The guy’s jaw snapped shut with an audible click.

Wyatt winced. “Holy shit.”

Yeah. Sami’s moves were a work of art. Stunning. And deadly.