Page 173 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

Green told how Ruxs had stolen a garbage truck to save Day, Ro, and Syn when they were pinned down and taking heavy fire from a gang. He’d hid in the back with two 19mm submachine guns and came out shooting like fucking Rambo. But he ended up smelling like a sewer for three days, no matter how much he showered.

Day told Cassidy that God had put a suspect through a motel room door without opening it.

They drank.

They ate again.

They talked about lots, contracts, training pipelines, threat assessment teams, hiring from former military and law enforcement, and building a security force that’d been known from coast to coast.

For five amazing hours, the future stopped looking grim and began to look so bright, he needed shades.

Then every earpiece and watch blared with the panic alarm.

It was Xander.

Cassidy came out of his chair so violently it slammed backward and hit the floor.

“What the fuck?” Ruxs was already up.

Cassidy had his phone out, fingers moving fast enough to blur. He called once. No answer. Called again. No answer. His face lost all color.

A few seconds later, Free’s and Tech’s panic signals ignited.

The triple blaring tone tore through God’s skull like a freight train.

Cassidy dialed again.

“Pick up,” he snapped into the phone.

Nothing.

God lifted a hand. “Morrison.”

Cassidy looked at him like a wild animal trapped behind glass.

“Stay with me,” he said.

Cassidy’s jaw clenched so hard God heard it click.

The comm crackled.

Tech’s voice came through, low and tight.

“Don’t be alarmed.”

“Too late,” Day snarled.

Tech exhaled once. “We’ve been kidnapped.”

God

They were back in God and Day’s suite in less than an hour.

Nobody remembered the drive, crossing the lobby of the hotel, or the elevator ride to their floor.

God remembered Cassidy’s energy beside him like heat off a blast furnace. His new business partner was one breath away from tearing through the city in search of Xander.

He also remembered Ruxs and Green pacing, both waiting for God to point them at a target.