Read Push for Free Online Page B

bullshit,” he snarls.
    “Got that right,” Tyrone says, then glances at me. “Jackson?” he asks, his expression unreadable. He and Jackson have been watching each other’s backs for two years, and their relationship’s complicated—part intense dislike, part respect, part some sort of weird guy version of affection. Tyrone’s still mourning Richelle’s death. Losing Jackson . . .
    I can’t think about that.
    “I believe he’s alive,” I say.
    “Believe,” Tyrone repeats, then shifts his attention to Luka. “You believe that?”
    “Yeah,” Luka says.
    “Then I’ll believe it, too.” Tyrone walks over and stares down at me, his full lips pulled in a taut line. “You okay?”
    I nod, but can’t get a single word past the lump in my throat. I glance over at Kendra. She’s standing to one side, arms wrapped tight around her stomach, shoulders hunched forward. I’m more okay than she is, anyway.
    When Lien appears, Kendra runs to her with a cry and they weave their fingers together, Lien lowering her head as she whispers to Kendra. It reminds me of the first time I ever saw them, how they stood so close their shoulders touched, warding off the world by forming a wall of two. Everyone else on their original team was killed. They’re the only ones left. But they’re part of my team now and I mean to make certain we all stay safe.
    A tremor runs through me. How did I end up responsible for four other lives?
    I hear snippets of their whispered conversation.
    “. . . can’t do this . . .”
    “. . . then you jump in and take the . . . be okay . . .”
    “. . . what if we get caught . . .”
    Lien catches me watching them and her expression goes completely blank. She runs her hand through her sleek, dark hair, then shakes off the droplets of water that cling to her fingers. “I just got out of the shower.” She gestures at her yoga pants and flip-flops. “Guess I’m lucky I had time to pull on some clothes. Can you imagine if I got pulled five minutes sooner?”
    Luka looks her up and down and waggles his brows. “I’d like to have seen that.”
    Kendra shoots him a look I can’t read, but Lien’s glare carries a clear message.
    The rest of us laugh even though it wasn’t that funny. Comic relief.
    But Lien’s question gets me thinking. I did get pulled five minutes sooner. Why not Lien? Because the leaders get pulled first? Or because the Committee knew exactly what she was doing—exactly what each of us was doing—at any given second? Do they watch us while we sleep? While we’re in the bathroom? The possibility of that sends a shiver down my spine on prickly little centipede legs.
    “Got a bad feeling about this,” Tyrone says, crossing his arms over his chest as he bends one knee so the sole of his shoe rests against the boulder. “Last mission sucked.”
    “That it did,” Luka agrees.
    Kendra nods and Lien huffs a short laugh. Unanimous agreement. I think that’s a first.
    The last mission was one of firsts: first time any of us had worked with another team; first time there were so many Drau in one place; first time that the battle was truly a battle and not a skirmish.
    My first time as leader.
    The first time Jackson didn’t make it out.
    It takes me a second to realize I’m clenching my fists so tight that my nails are digging into my palms.
    “We come back healed in body but not in spirit. We need some downtime or we’re going to make mistakes. Deadly ones. This is too soon,” Tyrone says.
    I shake off the feeling of déjà vu. Tyrone said that when we got pulled for the first time after Richelle died. He was standing by one of the boulders, his voice hoarse and raw from crying, and Jackson told us we had a job to do, that we’d do it. He didn’t need to add, Or we’ll die.
    “Doesn’t matter how soon it is,” Luka says. “Obviously they don’t care.” He sounds angry and afraid, and I have zero doubt that he’s mirroring the emotions of the