I think of Amber, a nurse who worked in quarantine and had a big crush on Wyatt, plus all the other medical staff that manned the clinics and distributed inoculations. I try not to think of Hayes, one of the Fighters we thought was on our side, and the way he betrayed us to Chloe and Jane. “No, I don’t think they’d want that.”
“Then it’s our duty to make the vaccine center our next priority.”
I sigh and lean back in my seat. He’s right. “When do we leave?”
“Five days,” he says. “We’ll have to be well prepared, not only for the travel down there but for every possibility. This will be our first organized attempt at taking down a full unit of Hybrids.” He must sense what my response to this is because he adds, “Expect casualties, Ms. Ramsey. It’s part of being a soldier.”
“I understand.” An idea pops into my head and I toss it out there. “Can I make one request?”
He looks up from the map. “You can make it but I won’t guarantee anything.”
“Can the Resistance make finding and rescuing my father a priority?”
Erwin lifts an eyebrow. “You think he isn’t already?”
His reply fills me with relief and I nod. “Thank you.”
“Your team has already started preparations, Alexandra,” he says, going back to studying the map, his fingers now lingering in the expansive yellow section that surrounds the south in every direction. “I suggest you find them and get up to speed.”
*
The only member of my team that I find is Davis, and he’s cataloguing weapons in the armory. I want to think it’s for the mission but I’m pretty sure he just likes to hang out in here.
“You’re looking a little better,” he says when I walk in the room. Fort Arnold’s armory isn’t as high tech as Jane’s underground R&D room but it’s pretty well stocked, particularly after a few raids to boost supplies.
“Thanks.” I pick up a bullet from the pile and roll it between my fingers. “Erwin just gave me our next assignment. Think we can do it?”
“I think so. It’s not going to be easy, but sooner or later Jane’s going to come after us. Dismantling that outpost is necessary.”
“I guess I’d forgotten about the big picture,” I reply. It’s easier to keep people safe in small, quiet missions. We didn’t realize that last one would go so badly, but eventually we have to make a specific effort to take out Jane’s larger holdings.
“It’s easy to forget about the war when you’re caught up in smaller battles.” He smiles. “That’s why we have a General. Hey, hand me that box?”
I pass him the box of ammunition and watch him make a notation on a notepad. I take a deep breath and then ask, “So was Wyatt telling me the truth?”
The pen hesitates over the pad for a brief second before Davis begins writing again. “Depends on what he said.”
“That he’s helping us and working against my sister.”
“We have people on the inside assisting us in our cause. Wyatt is one of those people.”
I spin the bullet and the gold glints in the light. “He told me…he gave me some reasons about why he can’t be here with us. About what’s going on with him, and I just don’t know…” My face heats.
Davis puts down his pen and looks at me. I liked it better when he was focused on his job, because he’s massive and the full force of his attention is intimidating. He runs his hands over his face, looking as uncomfortable as I feel.
“Never mind,” I say, turning to leave. He grabs me by my shoulder and slowly turns me around.
“Wyatt isn’t a complicated man. He’s a soldier—a good one. He’s spent his life working around a strong set of values and systems that have helped him keep himself and others alive.”
“I know. He’s told me.”
“Living in this type of world doesn’t faze him. It’s just one long battle. It suits him, but…”
Nerves flare in my stomach and I want to run. “But what?”
“Every fight has an outlier—a snafu—something that can’t be expected or planned for. That’s what he’s struggling with and it will take him some time to work through it.”
“I can’t imagine what it would take to throw Wyatt off.”