Risk and Rebel

38: SPREAD OUT

Due to my considerable exhaustion after exerting myself to save everyone, Catatonic was driving again. I was in the middle row again, this time with much of my weight leaned against Rebel.

It was about seven hours from the warehouse to Berlin.

I slept for six of those hours.

When I woke up, Catatonic and Sergeant were arguing. It wouldn't have been a problem, were it not for the fact that Cat was driving, and Sergeant was in the back seat.

And they were getting progressively louder.

"—doesn't make any sense—"

"—have to meet up with them somehow—"

"This does not make me want to share information with any of you, ever again," I heard Desmond mutter.

"—terrible at plans!"

"You guys are going to wake up Risk," Low warned.

"Too late," I growled. I half opened my eyes, enough to get my bearings, and then without warning telekinetically pulled Cat's foot off the gas pedal and swerved the steering wheel to the side of the road before I hit the brakes.

Catatonic's shouting might've amused me under different circumstances. As it was, I sat up and twisted in my seat enough to look at Desmond. "What information did you share that made them start arguing?" I asked, my voice rough from sleep.

Desmond looked like a deer in the headlights. "Uh," was all he managed to get out.

"Rage and Imitate reached out," Gunner said for him. When I turned my gaze to him, he shrugged. "Sergeant and Catatonic were trying to come up with a plan on how to get them."

My brow furrowed and my gaze skipped back to Desmond. "Where?"

"Uh," he started, but this time more words followed; "Imitate is in, uh, Dubai. Rage is somewhere in India— looks like, um, looks like he's close to Delhi."

I hummed and turned back around in my seat, brow still furrowed.

"I thought—" Catatonic started to say, but before he could get any further Low had flicked him in the arm. "Ow!"

Low rolled her eyes. "Don't be a baby. Shut up and let Risk think. She's better at plans than you."

"Ha!" Sergeant exclaimed from behind me.

Legion shot his partner a warning look. "She's better at plans than you, too, Sarge."

Sergeant had the good sense not to respond to that, and while I couldn't see him, I figured he had probably taken on some expression of offense.

"While we could let the two of them make their way toward us, I'm guessing that's not what we're going to do," Gunner said from behind me.

I shook my head.

"Why not?" Desmond asked.

It was Legion who answered; "We're a big enough target as is right now. Eight of us is like a beacon, not just to the Kinetic, but to any other enemies we've got out in the world." He leaned around Rebel and arched a brow at me. "We're gonna split up, right, Risky?"

I canted my head with a one-shouldered shrug. "Actually, yeah. It's the only move that makes any strategic sense." I glanced over at Rebel, who was watching me carefully. "It's just a matter of who goes where."

"Eight does not divide evenly by three," Low informed me.

"Your basic math class will be brought to you today by—" Catatonic began to say in a mock-reporters voice before Low socked him in the shoulder. He cut off only in another surprised "Ow!" before rubbing where she'd hit, then flashing her a gleeful (yet silent) smile.

"Yes, thank you both," Sergeant said with a tinge of sarcasm. "We all know how math works."

Rebel spoke, drawing my focus back onto him. "The split up should be easy," he said, loud enough to be heard by everyone, though his words were directed at me. "We'll take Berlin — the city is probably crawling with Kinetic agents, and it'll be easier for the two of us to slip by them without complications."

I nodded in agreement. "The only problem is who Desmond will go with," I mused, casting the redhead a short and analytical look.

"Should I ... take offense at that?" Desmond asked.

"No," everyone in the SUV chorused at once. Gunner gave him a reassuring smile. "She's thinking out loud. Best not to take anything she says personally."

"Realistically, you should never take anything she says personally," Legion piped in with a grin. When I gave him a long, hard look in utter silence, he eventually shifted in his seat and cleared his throat loudly. "Well, go on, Risky."

I turned my attention away from him, and up to Cat and Low. "You two should take India. And Gunner," I said, turning back to look at him, "you'll go with them. All of your skills paired with Rage's should help you get anywhere you need to go from that point on."

"I'm down for that," Catatonic said with a quirk of a smile. "'Sides, Low'll at least help us somewhat blend in, right?"

Low rolled her eyes at his teasing; her only other response was to snap her gum.

"That means Desmond, you're going with Team Bravo," Rebel said, clapping Legion's shoulder. "He should be fine in Dubai," this said to Legion with an audible smirk. "Just make sure he doesn't drool when he sees Imitate, and I'm sure he'll survive."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Sergeant said, his dark green eyes moving toward his partner for a moment, before he looked between Rebel and I. "Just a matter of the six of us getting to an airport. Probably be best to head back to Munich."

"Which you'll be doing without us," Rebel agreed, leaning over me to unlock my door and push it open

"But-but where are we all going to meet?" Desmond protested, his confusion evident in everything from his tone, to the bewildered look upon his face.

I paused, one leg out the door, and glanced back at the redhead. His blue eyes were wide when we made eye contact. "You saw the map just as well as the rest of us, Freckles. That is, right before everything went up in flames," I said with a smirk. "We'll be meeting in London, where the bulk of the strings did. After all, remember what dear ole' Gray said — it looks like the Prime Minister's life may be at stake." I gave him a wink before hopping out of the SUV.

"Did she just suggest we're going to save a world leader?" I heard Catatonic ask as Rebel climbed out after me.

"Afraid so," Rebel agreed. "We'll meet at Big Ben in two days." Then he slammed the door shut after him, and thumped the side of Cat's door twice.

That was all it took for Catatonic to pull back onto the road, this time pulling a U-turn before taking off. Rebel and I fell into step on the side of the road, walking in the direction the SUV had originally been headed.