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Removing the four screws quickly, but as delicately as possible, the door jerks a little when the final screw falls loose. I hold my breath, waiting for the alarm to sound, but nothing comes. Good! Slowly, I begin to open the door from the opposite end, watching that the lock remains secure.
Opening the door just enough to gain access to the wiring inside, I jam the cameras. Now, the hallways, sleeping quarters, and parking lot are playing on a fifteen-minute loop, starting fifteen minutes ago. I should be clear to make my way through the halls undetected by the other birds in the security office. Closing the door just enough so anyone walking past won’t notice it has been tampered with, I head for the stairs.
It has just turned seven in the morning. After basic training, the minors will be in their sleeping quarters to prepare for theory. I now have a small window of opportunity to catch Poppy before she leaves for class.
With quick steps, I make my way to the sleeping quarters, where the minors swarm about the dorm, getting ready. While I walk the halls, some ignore me, some stare, others whisper.
“Is that Blue Jay?”
“No, it can’t be. She wouldn’t be in here, would she?”
“Holy shit! It’s definitely her.”
I ignore the whispers and continue, making my way to Poppy’s quarters. As I approach, I can’t see her outside, so I step up to her room, and peer inside. She is sitting on her bed, grabbing her books and shoving them into her backpack. My opportunity is now, so I step into her room and close the door behind me. Poppy’s head snaps up, her eyes wide in shock. She goes to speak, but I raise my hand to my lips, making a ‘shh’ gesture and signaling for her bathroom.
She narrows her eyes in confusion, but I reach out, grab her, pull her into the bathroom, and then turn the shower on full blast, standing the both of us right next to the heavy stream of water.
Poppy shakes her head, glancing from the water back to me. “Blue Jay? What in the—”
“Hummingbird, I don’t have time to tell you everything right now. They have cameras and listening devices everywhere. Doyou trust me?” I whisper, my voice low.
She shifts from side to side but nods. “You taught me to be brave, Blue Jay. So yes, I’ll trust anything you tell me,” she whispers back.
“I need you to pack everything that means something to you into your bag right now. You’re leaving The Nest. I’m taking you back to your father.”
She hesitates. “Is this a test? Did Vulture send you?”
I reach our grabbing her shoulders, look her deep in her eyes, and say, “No, Poppy. I was sent to the Defiance MC clubhouse on a mission. My target was your father, Alpha.”
“No!” Poppy gasps louder than she should for this conversation, her eyes welling with tears as she jerks away from me.
I reach out, gripping her shoulders again. “I didn’t complete the mission, Poppy. I haven’t been sent the kill code yet. As far as The Nest knows, I am still at the clubhouse, getting close to your father. He’s a really great guy, Poppy, and I can’t go through with the mission. Not when I figured out who you are, that you’re here, and your dad thinks the cartel killed you,” I tell her, my tone still hushed but more forceful now.
A tear slides down her face, her bottom lip trembling. “He does? What about my mom?” her voice lower this time.
I peer over my shoulder to ensure we’re still clear, then I turn back to face her. “After what they thought was your death, your mother and father couldn’t make their marriage work. They got a divorce, and your mother moved out of the clubhouse.”
Poppy leans back against the edge of the bathroom basin. “Maybe Iambetter off staying here?”
I force a breath out of my nose. “No. Trust me, you’re not, coming from someone who has lived the life you’re starting, Poppy. Youdo notwant to grow up in this world. And you especiallydon’twant to end up like me. You want to be free tobe a normal girl. You came here at five years old, Poppy. You’ve already had to grow upwaytoo fast. You have more strength in you than most teenagers. Leave with me now and have a chance at a normal life with your dad and mom.”
She hesitates but then stands taller, walks out into her bedroom, opens her backpack, empties the contents onto her bed, and starts racing around her bedroom, picking up random things. I stroll to the door, peeking out to see the other girls moving about like usual, getting ready for theory, and I glance back at Poppy.
“On the way out, Poppy, I need you to follow my lead. Don’t show any girls we’re looking for a way out of here. It’s extremely important. Do you understand?”
“This is like my first real mission?”
“Yeah, think of it as your first and last. So you have to do your absolute best.”
She hoists her bag over her shoulder and bobs her head. “Okay, Blue Jay, let’s do this!” Poppy steps beside me.
I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her with me. “Remember, play along.”
Poppy nods before I yank open the door and drag her out to begin the ruse. “This was your final warning, Hummingbird. We can’t have weakness in the field.”
I pull, and as if on cue, she whimpers, “I’m not weak. I swear, Blue Jay, Iwilldo better!” Tears begin to stream from her eyes.
Damn, she’s good!
