State of Pursuit Read Free Page B

rescue unit.” I take a deep breath before going on. “I have received no authorization from the Colonel and we can expect no support from the Guard. It’s dangerous. The chances of all of us coming back alive are slim. But I believe it’s worth the risk. We all swore an oath to leave no fighter behind, and I want to uphold that promise.”
    I look around at the faces in the room. Battle-tested, hardened individuals.
    “Who’s with me?” I ask.
    Manny leans lazily against the wall, raising his hand. I nod at him, holding his gaze in silent thanks.
    Uriah lifts his hand, along with Derek. To my shock, Vera raises her hand, as well. The rest of the soldiers don’t look so certain. Silence fills the room, and I realize that I need to step up my game.
    “Here’s the thing,” I say, wiping my hands on my jacket. My palms are sweaty. Apparently I
am
nervous. “This is a volunteer mission. Nobody is making you go. Colonel Rivera is pulling our forces out of the Chokepoint tomorrow morning. We’ll be back in Fresno by nightfall. If that’s what you want to do, go for it. If you’re loyal to Chris and the militia and everything that he’s fought for, stay here. Help him and the other officers. We
need
Chris. He’s one of the biggest reasons we’ve had so much success as a military force.”
    “How do we know Chris isn’t a traitor, too?” Sophia replies.
    I stare at her. Her hands are curled into fists on her knees. A tight, resentful expression lights her dark features.
    “What are you saying?” I grit.
    “Don’t you think it’s convenient that at the exact same time that a chunk of our militia betrayed us, Chris conveniently went
missing
?” she accuses. There is no sympathy in her eyes. Only pure, boiling anger. “Who’s to say that he didn’t orchestrate the entire thing?”
    “And I guess he orchestrated Jeff’s death, too,” I snap. “You don’t even know what you’re saying.”
    “I know
exactly
what I’m saying,” Sophia replies coldly. “It doesn’t add up.”
    “Chris Young would
die
before he betrayed us,” Uriah says, turning his dark gaze on Sophia. “You’re a fool to think otherwise.”
    “There is no one more loyal to the militias than Commander Young,” Vera agrees. She glances at me. “Cassidy is right. We need him.”
    I shake myself. This is a new twist:
    Sophia is attacking and Vera is defending me.
    What is happening to my world?
    “I’m in,” a young man says. I remember him. Andrew. Tall and lean, dark hair and a great shot with a rifle. He has always been dependable on the battlefield. I nod, thankful for his support. More than half of the soldiers in the room raise their hands. That’s twenty-five.
    “This will be considered desertion, you know,” Manny interjects. “Going against Rivera’s orders…pulling backto track those trucks while he takes the National Guard back to Fresno. He’s liable to throw quite a fit.”
    “We’re here on a volunteer basis,” I say. “We’ll do what we want.”
    “There will be consequences when we return,” Vera points out.
    “We’ll deal with them.”
    “You’re making a mistake,” Sophia presses. “It’s not worth any more people dying to go after
one
man.”
    I swallow a slew of stinging retorts and steady my emotions.
    I will deal with my anger at Sophia later.
    “This is a war,” I say, echoing Colonel Rivera. “People die.”
    “How are we going to assemble a rescue team without Rivera finding out?” Uriah asks. His gaze is deep, intense. It makes me a little uncomfortable. “He’ll go ballistic if he finds out what we’re planning.”
    “He won’t find out.” I smile slightly. “Our convoy is massive. We’ll pull out of line, let the others pass, then turn around and head up the interstate.”
    “We can’t just
drive
into Los Angeles like a bunch of tourists,” Derek says.
    “We won’t.” I glance at Manny. “Manny’s got connections.”
    “I will scout ahead,” he replies,