Titanium ••• Andy Strucker [Book 1]

eXit strategy

Zingo pawed around the room before climbing up onto the couch, placing her head on Ivee's lap. Ivee smiled slightly and scratched behind the dog's ears.

John cleared his throat and began to speak. "We know that Lorna is being held in a cell at the Sentinel Services Regional headquarters, we believe that Reed Strucker is there with her." He gestured to the Struckers and Andy and Lauren shared a look. Ivee glanced at Andy, she could see the worry in his eyes. The shaking of his hands was a dead giveaway to how he was feeling.

She looked back at John as Andy's eyes flicked towards her, making sure she wasn't looking at him before pressing his fingers against his wrist. He took his skin between his fingers, squeezing them together. The skin of his wrist burned for a moment, being replaced by numbness. He sighed, focusing his attention on John.

"They're being moved, soon, to a secure facility, we don't know much about it. Except that the people who go there don't come back. That's why we gotta move now."

Caitlin squeezed Lauren's shoulders as the girl wiped away her tears.

"And I'm not gonna sugar coat this. We're talking about attacking the Sentinel Services."

Everyone in the room started murmuring to each other before Sage spoke up, "we lost six people the last time we went against them directly."

"I know that better than anyone," John said, casting a look at Sage that Ivee couldn't read. She'd heard about that attack. Reed had spoken about it at the dinner table days after it happened, answering her and Lauren's questions but skirting around the truth in prosecutor fashion.

"It won't be like last time," Marcos said.

"You're right. Last time we just hit a relocation centre with a fence and some guard towers, this time it's a prison," Sage said. "Their systems have improved, extrapolating from other attacks, we've got an eighty- six-point five percent chance of failure."

John rubbed his face in frustration. "And if we do nothing, then there's a hundred percent chance we never see them again!"

Sage took a deep breath and Caitlin took the pause as a chance to speak up.

"I know we're new here but... please."

"Lorna's risked her life for everyone in this room," Marcos said, leaning forward. "Harry, your parents would be dead without her. Sage, she pulled you out of a gutter and she got you clean. I mean she's-" he paused taking a deep breath. "She needs us."

"Doesn't change the math, Marcos," Sage said.

"I don't care about the math; I care about Lorna," he said. "Who's with me?"

Caitlin nodded. Sonya put her hand up, "I'm in."

Harry nodded and put his hand up.

"Yeah I'm in," Clarice said sitting up straight.

Ivee felt a surge of hope seeing even a small amount of people willing to help. "Me too," she said.

"Great," Marcos nodded looking around, most people weren't up to help, scared of what might happen.

"Ivee you can't," Caitlin said.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not safe," she said, like she was talking to a child. "You could get hurt. Marcos and the others know what they're doing."

"But-"

Caitlin lifted her hand to cut her off, "I said no and that's final," she said and walked towards the others. Ivee sighed, following Andy and Lauren to their room.