Dekka considered for a moment. Then she pointed to a spot just at the base of the wall, well away from the door where Caine’s boys crouched hidden with guns.
Brianna nodded.
Dekka raised her hands.
Brianna leaped into midair. And stayed in midair. No gravity dragged her down.
Dekka took a deep breath. She switched off her power for a second and Brianna fell. On again and Brianna stopped falling. Off. On. Until Brianna floated just a few feet off the pavement.
Dekka released her and Brianna landed lightly, taking the shock in her knees. Dekka steadied her.
“What is going on down here?” Brianna demanded. “I heard guns. Woke me up.”
“Good to see you, too, Brianna,” Dekka said dryly. “Everyone thought you were dead.”
“Well, I’m not. Duh.”
Dekka shook her head in tolerant amazement.
They joined Mike behind the truck, leaving Edilio’s soldiers in place watching the door, guns leveled.
Mike was surprised. “Hey, Drake told Jack you were dead! Jack totally lost it believing him.”
Brianna grinned. “Oh he did, did he?”
“Totally. He went all Aragorn on Drake. Tried to kill him. That’s how we…I mean, how I, got away.” He burst into tears then, weeping uncontrollably and covering his face with his hands.
“You have a thing with Computer Jack?” Dekka asked. She carefully modulated her voice, giving nothing away of her inner turmoil. This was no time to burden Brianna with feelings she wouldn’t reciprocate. Feelings that might even make her mad at Dekka. The two of them hadn’t exactly been friends while they were at Coates. Dekka wasn’t sure Brianna even knew Dekka was gay.
“I didn’t think I did,” Brianna answered, looking pleased with herself. “I guess I do.”
“Okay,” Dekka said, swallowing hard. The important thing was Brianna was alive. And Mickey and Brittney were not. Dekka was in charge here, she had to make some decisions. “You going to tell me how you came to be up on the roof?”
“Um…no. But here’s the thing: There’s a door up there that leads down inside. If I had a crowbar or something, I could get it open, get in and out of there before they know it. Smack the—”
“No, no,” Mike said through heaving sobs. “The wires are still up.”
“What wires?” Brianna demanded.
“Drake. He stretched wires all over the place so if you came in, they’d cut you up.”
Dekka noted the look of shock on Brianna’s usually cocky face.
“That’s why Jack was trying to kill Drake,” Mike said. “Jack told him he had to take them all down, and Drake pretended like he did, but he didn’t.”
Dekka said, “Guess it’s a good thing Jack likes your act, Breeze. Mike here got away.”
Brianna had no answer.
“Don’t let it shake you up, girl,” Dekka said. “You had a bad day. We’ve all had a very bad day.” She sat down beside Mike and put her arm around his shoulders. “I’m so sorry about Mickey. I know you guys were buds.”
Mike shook her off. “You don’t care about Mickey. You care about her because she’s a freak, like you.”
Dekka decided to let that go. Couldn’t blame Mike for being a little crazed. Couldn’t really blame him if he fell apart completely.
To Brianna, Dekka said, “You had a close call. But right now the important thing is you start listening to other people and not do crazy stuff that leaves you trapped on a roof when we need you. Or worse yet, sliced up.”
“Yeah,” Brianna said, abashed. Then, recovering a little of her usual sass, she added, “Thanks, Mom.”