The Black Tide (Outcast 3)

“And you can’t pluck it from her mind?”

“Her mind is a steel trap when it comes to hiding information she wants no one to know.” His voice was dry. “And anyone who comes to arrest her would seriously be taking their lives in their hands at this point.”

Because she wasn’t only telepathic, but a powerful witch.

My annoyance died as swiftly as it had risen. “There surely can’t be too many secure installations that Dream and the House of Lords don’t know about.”

“That is undoubtedly true.”

Suggesting it wasn’t a military installation but rather somewhere else. But I didn’t ask the questions that continued to crowd my mind—he was right. I’d been caught twice now, and while I’d been able to escape each time, there was no guarantee my luck would hold if I were captured again.

In fact, I couldn’t help but think that the odds were swinging further against me with every new encounter.

“Thanks for the timely rescue, Gus.” Jonas held out his hand as the two men approached. “And sorry if we interrupted the games at the retirement home.”

The older man laughed—a booming sound that tugged a smile to my lips—and grasped Jonas’s hand. “They’d have to shoot me before they’d ever get me into one of those damn places. You’re looking fucking younger every time I see you.”

“No, you just keep getting older.”

“That is indeed true.” He gestured to the dark-skinned man standing beside him. “Do you know Keonne? He’s Rai’s kid.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jonas said. “Your dad was a good man.”

“Thanks.” Keonne’s gaze came to mine. “And who is your lovely partner? Or are you intending to keep that information all to yourself?”

I smiled and stuck out my hand. “I’m Tiger.”

“An unusual name for an unusual woman, I’m thinking,” Keonne said.

“Enough with the flirting, young man.” Gus sent a very amused smile my way, but it faded as he added, “Sherry will take you to as far as the Greenbelt refuel station. It’s just a short walk from there to the rail station.”

Jonas nodded. We’d both been at the refuel center fairly recently—it’s where we’d procured the truck we’d used to rescue the two children who’d been taken to Winter Halo for more “processing.”

“What are you going to do with the hauler?” I asked.

“Blow it up.” Keonne raised the rucksack he was carrying. “With any luck, they’ll think it went down with all aboard.”

“At least until they get forensics here, anyway,” Gus added. He slapped Jonas on the shoulder. “You two go. We’ll take care of things here.”

“Just be careful,” Jonas said. “It’s more than likely got a tracker fitted, so if someone isn’t already on their way, they soon will be.”

“Which is why we’ll be setting the explosives and skedaddling.” Gus nodded at me and moved on. Keonne gave me a half bow and a cheeky smile. “If you’re ever up Pikes Peak way—”

“Flirt on your own time,” Jonas said. “Right now, you have work to do.”

Keonne laughed and walked after Gus. Jonas touched my spine and pressed me forward.

“I like those two. Have you known them long?”

“Not too much, I hope,” he said, amused. “And half my life.”

I squinted up at him. “Are they kin or mercenaries?”

“The latter, although they work within the Broken Mountains, serving as intermediaries between the various tribes and the main merc centers in both Central and New Port.”

“Meaning they’re brokers of sorts?”

A major part of Nuri’s business, I’d discovered, was as a broker for the government. She negotiated deals and contracts—with a slice off the top for herself, of course—for goods and services that Central either could not find or would not contemplate for legal or safety reasons.