Page 35 of Brian and Mina's Holiday Hits
“We’ve got plenty of firepower,” I say, reassuring myself, because I’m starting to waver even though I just asked to leave. Being reminded of who these shit stains are has renewed my resolve.
“Yeah. So do they. And this isn’t a controlled situation like last time.”
He’s referencing when I rescued him at Easter.
“You think last time was controlled?” I ask.
He smirks. “I thought you handled yourself.”
“Thanks.” I try to go for flip—heroes laughing in the face of their doom—but his compliment hits me deep and sends a flush of pleasure through me.
“Come with me, we need to scope it out.”
I follow behind him, my gun out and ready. My heart is pounding so fast, worrying someone could jump out at us at any moment. It’s like being in a haunted house, and I’m not great with the jump scare.
We move stealthily down the emergency stairwell to the first floor lobby and stop outside the security office.
“Get my back, but don’t be a hero,” he says.
“I mean, after saving your ass twice, is it really a thrill anymore?”
He chuckles. “You like my ass.”
He’s not wrong, especially in these pants. I give him a good slow once over. There are benefits to being with a psychopath gym rat.
He kicks in the door. So dramatic. But no one’s in there.
“You knew there was nobody in here. You shot them.”
“You noticed their uniforms,” he says, pleased.
“I mean, after they were already on the ground, but yeah.”
He’s just showing off now.
“So the first guy must have been from upstairs and saw the elevator light moving,” I say.
“That was my thought.”
We sit in the guard chairs. I swivel around in mine while Brian toggles the screens checking the building.
“Fuck me,” he says.
“What is it?”
“No cameras on the top floor. Exactly what we need to see, and we can’t even get a full layout of the space.”
“I thought you’ve been up there.”
“Just to deliver packages. They didn’t offer me a guided tour.”
He checks through the other screens. There’s no one on any of the other floors. Just the bodies of the guards we already took out. He checks the stairwell feed. Nothing there.
He switches to the main elevator feed. Three guards are coming down.
I wonder if they’ve already seen the bomb and guards on thirteen.
He pushes a few buttons, erases the footage, and turns off the recording.
