“I know a boat’s a lot to ask for,” I say. “But if you’ll let me take one, I’ll owe you. I keep my word.”
Briggs studies me. “It’s a big ask, yeah. Especially since you worked for New America before.”
I nod. “I get that. I’ve been completely honest with you guys. I was a Rising Tide leader for less than two months. I’ve been doing everything in my power to end them since.”
Cress rests her chin on her steepled hands. “We talked it over, and we’re willing to give you a boat. But in return, you have to work for the ILF when you get back to the mainland. Immediately and until the job is done. We’re not talking about thirty days here. It may take years.”
“Done.”
She arches a brow. “I don’t like how quickly you agreed to that. What about your girlfriend?”
“Briar needs to find her sister, and her number one priority will be getting her out of Lochlan’s grip.”
“And you’d help her with that?”
I drop my brows. “I’d stand in front of a firing squad for Briar. Yeah, I’ll help her with it.”
Cress sighs. “Your devotion to her has broken a few hearts around here, you know.”
My jaw unhinges. “What the hell do you mean?”
Briggs smiles wryly. “Some of our women have surveillance crushes. You’re kind of a celebrity around here.”
That’s fucking wild. I don’t think I want to know if the men around here have been creeping on Briar.
“I assume Smythe will want you to stay with Briar and go work Mae Murphy,” Briggs says. “Smythe is our leader. But it might not be a rescue mission. We need her information.”
The rasp of my palm rubbing my stubbled jaw is the only sound for a couple of seconds.
“Come on, man. If the ILF are the good guys, how can you leave someone in that situation? Briar was assaulted by him many times. He has to die.”
“We wouldn’t leave a woman in that situation for long,” Cress assures me. “A few days, maybe. But you’ve been straight with us and we’re being straight with you. If you join us in order to use the boat, Smythe gets to assign you wherever he needs you most.”
I cross my arms over my chest and lean back, considering. I don’t want to be split up from Briar, even for a week. But now that I know what a shitty situation her sister is in, I can’t leave here without a boat. There’s no way I’m going back and telling Briar I could’ve gotten us passage back home but didn’t.
“Okay,” I say, sullen. “I’ll do whatever I need to do.”
Cress and Briggs exchange a look.
“You can leave anytime,” Briggs says. “But you need to know—if you don’t do what you’re supposed to, or if you stab us in the back, you’ll disappear permanently. And if something happens to Briar, or the two of you break up, that doesn’t change what you owe us.”
I nod. “I understand. Briar and I want what the ILF does. I think she’ll want to join, too.”
“We’d love to have her.” Briggs looks at Cress. “I’m gonna go ahead and tell him.”
“Yeah, you should.”
I bristle. “Tell me what?”
“There was a volcanic explosion on your island almost a week ago.”
Air lodges in my throat. “What the fuck? I’ve been here since yesterday and you’re just now telling me?”
I get up from my seat, pacing a few steps away from them.
“There are survivors,” Cress says.
Fuck. Fuckingfuck. The volcano blew and I’ve been sleeping in beds and eating pancakes with syrup. Our camp could be gone. Pax and Theron could have Briar.
