"We got this!" Charlie promised.
With a glance, Cassie nodded to her brother and headed down the hallway toward the main entrance. When she reached the front doors, she stopped, pressed herself against the wall, and listened carefully to the sounds outside. Sirens blared, and there was some distant shouting, but most of the noise appeared to be panicked soldiers fleeing. Demons weren't something any of them had expected.
Shutting her eyes, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Using her senses, she concentrated on the gentle yet powerful pulsing of the ley lines, with an ease she'd only dreamed of achieving. Focusing, she tracked the others and, within seconds, identified Snapshot's very distinctive aura. It was a mixture of adrenaline, cortisol, and testosterone, combined with a heightened sense of fear and concern. Like a beacon, it called to her.
When her eyes snapped open, she shifted into military mode, becoming Chatterbug. Rifle at the ready, she carefully stepped outside to survey the area. Bodies lay scattered across the ground, each with a gunshot to the head, indicating that Snapshot had carried out his task with his usual precision.
Moving slowly along the wall, she soon reached the corner on the west side of the front entrance. Peering around, she surveyed the grounds between the structure and the outer wall. Aside from the various bodies, all of them Tag's fallen soldiers, the coast appeared to be clear.
Chatterbug moved swiftly down the side of the complex, occasionally pausing to listen for any straggling enemies. Soon, she reached two large broken sections of the outer wall and stopped to assess Shrapnel's work. A smirk teased the corner of her lip. She could imagine he had the time of his life blasting these walls open. Starting off again, she kept moving until she arrived at a damaged door.
Pausing again, she closed her eyes and sensed Snapshot on the other side, and her cheeks warmed considerably. Tucking the growing feelings away, Chatterbug pressed the butt of her rifle against her shoulder, just in case she came upon anyone else before she reached him. Then, forcefully, she kicked the door aside and rushed in.
Halfway across the room, Snapshot spun on his heels and aimed his rifle at her with near superhuman speed. Just as rapidly, he lowered the muzzle as he recognized the intruder.
"Jesus!" he shouted in surprise. "Thanks for the heart attack, Cassie!"
"And thanks for having control of your trigger!" She returned, mirroring him in lowering her weapon.
"Always do," he winked.
With a blush rising, Chatterbug shook her head at him. "I should know by now to watch what I say around you."
"And miss out on my wit?" He grinned. "You know you love it."
Cheeks still warm, she tried to deny him, but her tone said otherwise. "You wish I did."
In that moment, an understanding formed between them. Yet, while he wanted to keep the flirting going, something more pressing needed to be addressed. "Angel?" He ventured.
"He's safe!" Chatterbug beamed in response.
"Yes!" His grin was short-lived as a shudder ran through Snapshot when he added, "And Charlie? I think I saw her outside, she was not… she was."
"She's fine, now," Chatterbug admitted, her smile fading at the edges. "But for a moment there, she wasn't."
"So it was her." A glance past her shoulder toward the door preceded his next ominous words. "She attacked Shrapnel." Seeing her expression, he quickly added, "He's fine. She tranked him."
She was fighting it the whole time, Chatterbug thought. Good girl.
"Where are they?" Deep curiosity colored his follow-up.
"Taking care of business." The truth about Bible could wait. Revealing his identity now would likely have most, if not all of them, start debating about going to help her brother and Charlie. Their focus needed to stay on the children and the escape plan. Striding past him, she surveyed the stairway. "What's the sitch?"
Slinging his rifle, Snapshot joined her. "Kids are safe. They're on their way, taking it slowly, just in case. I've been covering up here, but you're the only one I've seen."
Gratitude warmed her as she gripped his shoulder—her earlier instincts had been right. Attuning her new power toward the basement, she focused again. When she sensed approaching voices and recognized the children, satisfaction settled over Chatterbug, and she slung her rifle over her shoulder. Moments later, Panther appeared with a young, curly-haired woman following closely behind.
"Chatterbug! Snapshot!" Panther's grin was infectious. "We got them all!"
"Thank the Goddesses!" Grabbing Panther, Chatterbug hugged her tightly.
Panther accepted the hug momentarily, then stepped back and patted her companion on the shoulder, introducing her. "This is Molly. One tough badass. She took out the last sentry for us."
"Molly," Chatterbug greeted.
The curly-haired girl's eyes were serious as she watched the children cluster around the adults. Her gaze flicked back to Chatterbug almost instantly. "You got us a ride out of here?"
"She also doesn't mince words," Panther quipped.
"There are multiple Jeeps outside, scattered along the complex's outer walls, plus a couple here on the inside," Snapshot answered.
Chatterbug grinned when Brute ascended the final few steps, carrying the last kid in his arms. Scanning the group, she asked, "How many kids are there?"
"Twenty-three," Molly's answer was quick. "Plus me. How many soldiers did you bring?"
Studying Chatterbug, Brute looked for an update. "Angel? Charlie?"
"They have a plan to stop Bible, once and for all. He ordered me back here to arrange our escape." Her voice, though brief and firm, carried a hint of worry.
"They'll be fine," Brute responded with certainty.
Turning his attention to Molly, he answered her question. "Seven."
"Seven!?" Scoffing, Molly shook her head. "That's all?"
Chatterbug gave her a wry smile. "Seven's enough with our secret weapon."
"So, she's with us?" Worry chiseled into Panther's cool eyes.
"Very much so. I promise." Brooking no argument, Chatterbug's tone was firm, and she switched the topic to what was paramount: "Come on, with how many of us there are, we're going to need at least six transports."
Glancing around, Brute noticed they were one short. "Where's Shrapnel?"
A glance passed between Snapshot and Chatterbug. He had hoped to save the news until they were out of danger. Sighing, he revealed, "He's in one of the Jeeps outside, injured."
Panther's voice sharpened. "How?"
Hesitation preceded his answer. "It's… complicated."
Chatterbug cut in and explained. "Charlie was bound to Samedi. I broke the spell, but there was a struggle. Shrapnel got caught in the crossfire."
Narrowing her eyes, Panther pressed, "What kind of struggle?"
"The kind where Charlie fought off demonic possession to save his life instead of taking it," came the terse reply. "She tranquilized him rather than kill him. That's how hard she was fighting the binding."
Confirming her account, Snapshot added, "I saw the whole thing. She could have torn him apart, but she didn't."
Brute's lips thinned. "Is she stable now?"
"Completely free. The spell is broken permanently." Gesturing for the kids to follow Panther outside, Chatterbug continued, "I need you to trust me. Details later."
"We'll debrief on the plane, then." Brute confirmed.
Beside him, Panther tilted her head to Chatterbug that she agreed.
"With Shrapnel unavailable and Angel and Charlie occupied with Bible, we'll proceed with four transports. Get the kids positioned along the outer wall between those two," she directed, gesturing toward the two sand-colored Hummer Jeeps parked next to each other. "Once we're secure, we'll load up and head to the front entrance and wait."
Snapshot pointed to the Jeep on the left. "Shrapnel's in the back of that one."
Brute came up to peer outside and assessed the surroundings. Once satisfied it was safe enough, he spoke. "Snapshot, take point." Addressing Molly, he nodded to the door. "You lead the kids behind Snapshot and stay tight on his six. Got it?"
"Yes, Sir." Stepping past Chatterbug and Brute, Molly motioned for the kids to follow her, giving them directions: "Stay single file with your left hand on the back of the one in front of you. Move fast but quietly. Understand me?"
Each kid nodded firmly, with a few voicing 'yes, ma'am' to her.
The adults all shared a quick glance with each other, impressed with the young lady.
Continuing to issue orders, Brute commanded, "Panther, you follow at the midpoint on the left side of the kids." Then he addressed Chatterbug, "You take the right side, and I'll stay here under cover until you're all safe and secure behind the vehicles."
Removing her rifle from her shoulder, Chatterbug acknowledged Brute and exited through the torn doorway. Within moments, they swiftly relocated the kids behind the Jeeps without any issues. Once they arrived, they provided cover for Brute as he sprinted to join them.
Moving to the back of the Jeep where Shrapnel lay, Panther opened the tailgate. "Oh, no." Her voice quaked at the sight of her friend.
The sound roused Shrapnel. Opening his eyes, he screamed, "NO! Please, no!"
"Shh!" Leaning closer, Panther placed a hand on his chest. "It's okay, Craig, you're fine! It's me, Lisa!"
His eyes darted around the Jeep in panic. "Ch-Charlie!"
"She's with Angel. She's safe." Chatterbug poked her head in with a soft, reassuring smile and added, "You're safe too."
His head dropped back. "I th-thought I w-was dead for s-sure!"
Popping her head into the back of the Jeep, Molly demanded, "Who the fuck is Charlie?"
A look passed between Panther and Chatterbug, who gave the young woman a mischievous smile. "She's my brother's demon."
Molly raised a skeptical eyebrow. Behind her, the little girl spoke up: "I told you there was a demon."
Turning to study the girl, her expression softened into one of wonder and awe, then she raised a questioning eyebrow at Chatterbug. "A real demon?"
Chatterbug responded earnestly, "Real as you and me," though her confidence and anxiety were continuously vying for control as she looked beyond the young curly-haired girl toward the second floor of the complex.
Stepping up and placing his hand on the young girl's shoulder, Brute suggested, "Go and load the kids in the transports."
With maturity beyond her years, Molly dropped her astonished expression and immediately adopted her usual serious face. "Yes, Sir," she responded sharply, and stepped away to do as he asked.
Brute watched her go with a growing sense of admiration for the young woman, then directed his gaze at Chatterbug, "You look worried. About Charlie?"
She bit her lip and sighed, "No. About Kevin. He's about to confront the man who nearly destroyed him. He's—"
"The bravest, smartest, most capable man I've ever known." Brute finished what he knew she should say.
Chatterbug's lips curved upward, and she nodded firmly, the motion carrying conviction built on a lifetime of watching her brother overcome impossible odds. "That he is." Pride threaded through every word. "Kevin's the strongest person I know. He's gonna be just fine." She drew a slow breath and let her gaze drift past Brute to the fortress looming in the distance, its windows dark against the evening sky. Her expression hardened, worry giving way to certainty. "And with Charlie as his partner, Tag doesn't stand a chance in Hell!"