Alone • Liam Dunbar

Thirty-Eight

When I pull into the lot of the warehouse, Braeden and Kira make their presence known near the back entrance to the building. Kira holds her katana, while Braeden has her shotgun, both of them ready to face whoever chose to come for us here.

I park my motorcycle beside Braeden's Triumph and leave my helmet on the seat before climbing up the few steps in front of me to greet the kitsune and mercenary.

"Everything okay inside?" I ask, being sure to manage my expectations.

"Argent almost shot us when we got here, and morale is pretty low since we're all being hunted, but other than that, yeah, everything's okay," Kira replies. 

Her words are optimistic while her eyes hold nothing but anxiety. It makes her seem slightly insane. I pat her shoulder in response, turning my gaze to Braeden as she eyes the tactical bag strapped across my chest. 

"What've you got?" she asks. 

I pull the bag forward, unzipping it enough for her and Kira to see the rifle inside. 

"I've got eight shots," I say. 

Braeden gives me an unimpressed look. 

"That's not enough," she says bluntly. 

"I've got my Glock and daggers, too, but they're only for emergencies," I sigh. "Just 'cause they're trying to kill us doesn't mean we have to kill them."

"Speak for yourself," Braeden mutters, turning away from us to walk into the warehouse. I'm unbothered by her reaction, already used to her attitude. She was a mercenary. Moral ambiguity was her bread and butter.

Kira and I follow behind her. We walk through the maze of hanging plastic tarps, cubicles, and random office furniture until we reach the main area of the building. Scott stands with Chris and Derek, the three of them talking in hushed tones. Satomi's pack is nearby, but not close enough to be a part of the conversation. They're in their own little world, but do glance up when they notice that we've entered the building.

I get the usual distrusting scowls sent my way but ignore them, only paying attention to the nods of greeting that Brett and Satomi give me. Lori even waves at me, and I can't help but crack a smile at the innocent gesture before returning it.

My eyes find their way to Scott's as I near his position. It's clear he wants to talk, and he's not alone in that, but we're both aware this isn't the time. 

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Kira asks. 

"Like, do we have an actual idea of what we're doing or are we just waiting for them to come and kill us?" She looks between all of us desperately, waiting for anyone to answer. 

"We're going to do a holding attack," Chris replies. 

Scott, Kira, and Derek all eye him confusedly, unsure of what his words mean. 

"It's a military tactic," I speak up to clarify. 

"Typically, soldiers use it to hold off the enemy until reinforcements can get in or while a bigger attack is occurring somewhere else," I continue. 

"Stiles and Lydia are the bigger attacks," Scott mutters in realization. 

I nod to confirm his words. 

"They're the smartest people I know, if anyone can end this, it's them. We just have to give them the time," I say. 

After their encounter with Brunski, Lydia and Stiles were only set back momentarily. They were back at it now, putting their minds together to try and solve this like they had done countless times before. Betting on them was one of the easiest decisions any of us could make.