Bulletproof

Chapter 22

"Nah, he's a dickhead. I'll figure it out myself," you stated as you continued walking forward on the slippery sand.

Lane walked alongside you and wrapped her arm around your shoulder playfully, "That's because you tried to fuck him. Not everyone is down for action, Kane."

She laughed while clutching her stomach. You could feel the heat rising to your face as you remembered the embarrassing interaction between you and Wick.

"Jeez, don't remind me. I'll never drink again," you murmured.

"Shut up! I'm so tired of you saying that. You'll literally be going to have a drink tonight!" She chuckled.

"So what if I do?" You retorted as you crossed your arms playfully and looked at her.

"I'll just be there to watch you like I usually do anyway."

She smiled as she looked back at you with a full set of white teeth.

"Sounds like a plan," you replied as you raised your hand for a high-five.

Her hand smacked yours in the air so hard that it reverberated throughout the land.

"Damn it! You're so rough," you exclaimed as you rubbed your hand gently to ease the pain.

"You're such a baby. You can handle bullets and fighting, but you can't handle a little smack?" She laughed.

"No I can't. You're much worse than a bullet or fighting. You're a beast," you stated.

"Awww...just a beast? I thought you were going to say I was a demon," she chuckled like an innocent child.

You grinned at her sass. It was her humor, salt, and sarcasm that really got you going during these tough times. You honestly couldn't imagine doing another tour without Lane. She made all of this waiting, training, and sitting in the hot sun bearable. God, you loved her teasing, her smile, and sense of humor.

"Well you can be one," you laughed, "you fucking fight like one."

Lane laughed, the sound of her musical voice carried across the desert sand like the ripples of a stone dropped in a still pond.

"Well I gotta Kane," she stated, "I'm always the one saving your sorry ass all the time."

You smirked.

"Someday I'll be the one to save your sexy one," you grinned, "I can't be indebted to you all the time."

Lane smacked your shoulder and grinned.

"Well," she said, "I'll look forward to that."

Lane shifted her gaze from your face to the landscape before you. Her eyes grew more serious as you finally approached what seemed to be a desolate town with a few run down stone buildings. It was quiet. Too quiet. You could see the tumbleweeds blowing through the vacant streets, bumping and following an unconventional path.

Something did not seem right. Your shoulders tensed. Some definitely did not seem right.

Wick and the others also caught up to you both.

"Okay guys, you remember the plan?" Asked Wick to everyone. There were a total of five men and two women for this operation. Everyone on the team responded in affirmation.

"The LK duo," announced Wick, immediately commanding Lane and your attention, "will be in charge of shooting down anyone that might get in our way of disarming the bomb as discreetly as possible."

"Understood, sir," both you and Lane said in unison.

"We move in, disarm the bomb, and move out. We are absolutely not to engage in combat. Is that understood?" He asked, and in unison, you and the other men and women all agreed.