Unravel Me: The Juliette Chronicles Book 2

pulled together. “We don’t even get to fight—we’re just the distraction?”
    “Kenji—”
    “This is bullshit,” Adam says, and I’m surprised to see such emotion from him. “There has to be another way. We shouldn’t be playing by his rules. We should be using this opportunity to ambush them or—I don’t know—create a diversion or a distraction so we can attack offensively! I mean, hell, doesn’t anyone burst into flames or something? Don’t we have anyone who can do something crazy enough to throw everything off? To give us an advantage?”
    Castle turns to stare at me.
    Adam looks like he might punch Castle in the face. “You are out of your mind—”
    “Then no,” he says. “No, we don’t have anyone else that can do something so . . . earth-shattering.”
    “You think that’s funny ?” Adam snaps.
    “I’m afraid I’m not trying to be funny, Mr. Kent. And your anger is not helping our situation. You may opt out if you like, but I will —respectfully—request Ms. Ferrars’ assistance in this matter. She is the only one the supreme actually wants to see. Sending the two of you with her was my idea.”
    “What?”
    All 3 of us are stunned.
    “Why me?”
    “I really wish I could tell you,” Castle says to me. “I wish I knew more. As of right now, I can only do my best to extrapolate from the information I have, and all I’ve concluded thus far is that Warner has made a glaring error that needs to be set right. Somehow you managed to get caught in the middle.” A pause. “Warner’s father,” he says, “has asked very specifically for you in exchange for the hostages. He says if you do not arrive at the appointed time, he will kill our men. And I have no reason to doubt his word. Murdering the innocent is something that comes very naturally to him.”
    “And you were just going to let her walk into that!” Adam knocks over his garbage can as he jumps to his feet. “You weren’t even going to say anything? You were going to let us assume that she wasn’t a target ? Are you insane?”
    Castle rubs his forehead. Takes a few calming breaths. “No,” he says, his voice carefully measured. “I was not going to let her walk right into anything. What I’m saying is that we will all fight together, but you two will go with Ms. Ferrars. The three of you have worked together before, and both you and Kenji have military training. You’re more familiar with the rules, the techniques, the strategy they might employ. You would help keep her safe and embody the element of surprise—your presence could be what gives us an advantage in this situation. If he wants her badly enough, he’ll have to find a way to juggle the three of you—”
    “ Or —you know, I don’t know,” Kenji says, affecting nonchalance, “maybe he’ll just shoot us both in the face and drag Juliette away while we’re too busy being dead to stop him.”
    “It’s okay,” I say. “I’ll do it. I’ll go.”
    “What?” Adam is looking at me, panic forcing his eyes wide. “Juliette—no—”
    “Yeah, you might want to think about this for a second,” Kenji cuts in, sounding a little nervous.
    “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” I tell them. “But I’ll go.”
    Castle smiles, relief written across his features.
    “This is what we’re here for, right?” I look around. “We’re supposed to fight back. This is our chance.”
    Castle is beaming, his eyes bright with something that might be pride. “We will be with you every step of the way, Ms. Ferrars. You can count on it.”
    I nod.
    And I realize this is probably what I’m meant to do. Maybe this is exactly why I’m here.
    Maybe I’m just supposed to die.

TWENTY-NINE
    The morning is a blur.
    There’s so much to do, so much to prepare for, and there are so many people getting ready. But I know that ultimately this is my battle; I have unfinished business to deal with. I know this meeting has nothing to do with the supreme commander. He has no reason to care so much about me. I’ve never even met the man; I should be nothing more than expendable to him.
    This is Warner’s move.
    It has to be Warner who asked for me. This has something and everything to do with him; it’s a smoke signal telling me he still wants me and he’s not yet given up. And I have to face him.
    I only wonder how he managed to get his father to pull these strings for him.
    I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
    Someone is calling my name.
    I