Remember Jamie Baker (Jamie Baker #3)(86)

After another moment, it got too slow for my liking, and I let go. Lorenz immediately collapsed to the ground. With a cough and a groan, he locked his hate-filled eyes on mine, cursed at me, and then slipped into unconsciousness.

The room was silent as everyone waited for me to move, and then the lights above my head flickered. It’s strange how I’d been fine in the moment, but now that it was over my nerves were shot. I’d been willing to do what was necessary, but I hadn’t enjoyed hurting that man. I wasn’t a monster. I was tough, yes, but not nearly as tough as I pretended to be.

Major Wilks must have understood that I was panicking on the inside, because he moved to my side and, careful not to touch me, said, “Well done, Angel.”

I appreciated the calmness in his voice. It was steadying the way he meant it to be. Snapping me from my distress, I listened for a few more seconds and then relaxed. “His heartbeat already sounds normal, and his breathing is slow and steady. He’ll be fine.”

“And you, Angel?” Abiodun’s low, rumbling voice rolled over me as he stepped up to my other side. “Are you all right?”

For some reason I felt comfortable meeting his gaze, letting him see the vulnerability in mine. He was such a large man, and yet so kind he could never be intimidating. His smile was one hundred percent understanding.

I nodded. “I’m good now. Thanks.”

He flashed me a heart-melting smile that had me grinning when I turned around to face the other soldiers.

I was worried they’d see me differently, be afraid of me now, but I was met with more encouragement. There was no fear in any of their expressions that I could tell. No judgment. Johnny G was the first to break the silence, grinning at me like a proud parent. “Nicely done, Angel.” Not that he’d had anything to do with it, but I supposed he felt responsible for me, being the team leader and all.

Shortstop nodded vigorously. “So awesome.”

“And kind of sexy,” Smut added.

“Definitely that,” Tyson agreed.

I rolled my eyes at them both. “Tyson, are you even old enough to know what sexy is?”

All the guys burst into laughter, but Tyson wasn’t fazed by the insult. “I’m old enough to know that you’re it, Superbabe,” he quipped.

“Ugh. Ryan was right. I really do hate that nickname.”

That earned me a wink from the teenager and laughs from everyone else. When Shortstop opened his mouth, I shot him a warning look and shucked a thumb at Lorenz’s unconscious body on the floor of his cell. “If you even think about calling me that ridiculous name, you’ll end up down there with him.”

Shortstop snapped his mouth shut, and everyone laughed again. I shot them all dirty looks, but really, I was glad that they were teasing me even after watching me fry a helpless man unconscious. They had accepted me as I was. I felt like one of them. It was a good feeling.

Still pointing at Lorenz, I released an over-the-top sigh and said, “You guys may want to stop harassing me and go scan his brain while he’s out. We need to know if the nanobots are dead, and he’s not going to sleep forever.”

Major Wilks clapped his hands together and looked at his team. “You all heard the woman. ACES MOVE.”

The barked order made me smile. I’m not sure when shouted commands had become endearing, but the major was growing on me pretty quickly. Major Wilks caught my grin and shot me a subtle wink, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. I rolled my eyes at him, not quite willing to admit to him that I liked him, though I was ready to admit it to myself.

The ACEs handcuffed Lorenz to a gurney, ready to roll him to Medical where they could do a complete MRI, but before we all left, the other superthug called out to us. “Wait!” His voice was faint enough that no one heard it but me. “Please, wait!”

I ground to a halt, catching the others’ attention. Ignoring their questions, I headed over to the last cell and peered in at the man lying on the bed. He looked exhausted and sickly, but he was awake and had his wits about him. “What is it?” I asked.

He looked at me for a moment, and then his eyes slid out of focus.

“What’s wrong, Angel?” Major Wilks asked.

“You didn’t hear him? He asked us to wait. He used the word please.” I glanced in at the man lying on the bed again. An uneasy feeling was gathering in my stomach. His expression became vacant, as if he was no longer mentally there, though he’d been completely coherent just moments before. “He sounded desperate.”

Tex joined me, shaking his head. “He’s been like that off and on since he got here. We can’t make any sense of it, but it won’t do any good to talk to him. Any time you ask him anything, he zones out like that.”

I watched the man a minute longer. His voice had unsettled me. It had sounded like a cry for help. I looked back at the group waiting for me to follow them, then back at the superthug. “Shouldn’t we try it on him, too?”

Dr. Haggerty sighed as she walked up next to me, following my gaze into the man’s cell. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. His withdrawals were much more severe than the other man’s. His heart is much weaker. I’m not sure he’d survive being shocked that way.”

“Come on, Angel,” Eyes said. “We’ll come back to him if we’re successful with the first guy.”