Jacob sighed for the umpteenth time as he casually threw more chains against the wall. He didn't make them heavy or fast enough to leave much of a mark - the last thing he needed was for the military to be more annoyed with him. If he behaved well, maybe they'd go easy on him.
Was Justin still screaming and raging or had he finally been worn out? Jacob couldn't tell. The cell wasn't like the ones he'd previously been in. The walls were all solid, and he had no cellmates. This was more like a cell for torture.
Time had no meaning anymore. All Jacob could do was wait for his fate. Would Angela step in and save him? Would the military kill him? Would he be left to rot here until he offed himself?
Either way, Jacob would endure as long as he could. The quiet flick of the chains was his only companion, and he'd keep them by his side as long as he could.
When the door began clicking, Jacob willed the chains away and sat still, waiting for whoever was coming for him. Was this the day he went to the execution block? If so, he wouldn't go quietly.
When the door finally opened, an unfamiliar man wearing a military uniform walked in. He checked a tablet, then motioned for Jacob to get up.
"What's going on?" Jacob asked.
"Your bail's been paid. You and your friend are free to go."
Jacob somehow managed to keep his poker face. Bail? Really? He wasn't some petty thief.
Guess Angela had decided to keep him around a while longer. Otherwise, this military goon was lying his ass off. Jacob would trust him for now.
"Come on. Let's get your spunky friend."
Jacob followed silently, keeping his senses on high alert. Attacking without provocation would only net him more trouble, but if he sensed he was in danger, he wouldn't hesitate to protect himself.
They stopped outside another cell and the military man opened the door. Justin was inside, curled up on the floor like he'd given up on everything. Guess he'd worn himself out after all.
"Get up, loser," Jacob said, flicking a light chain so it landed next to Justin's head. He really was a pathetic excuse of a human being.
Justin slowly sat up, blinking in a daze.
"You're being released," the military officer said. Wait, no, based on his uniform he was a lieutenant. Why was a lieutenant doing this kind of stuff?
Didn't matter. All that mattered was that Angela had reason to let them both live another day.
He grabbed Justin by the collar and followed the lieutenant out of the prison. When they got outside, the lieutenant nodded at them.
"Stay out of trouble."
Those were the only parting words he left for them. Jacob couldn't help but think it was strange. Were they going to use him and Justin to smoke out Angela? If so, he couldn't go back to her. She'd kill him and then vanish.
Cautiously, Jacob started walking through the streets. Justin was following him of his own accord now, so he didn't have to keep dragging the useless guy.
"What happened?" Justin asked.
"I don't know. But we're probably being used as pawns in a bigger plot," Jacob replied quietly. "If we go back to the boss, they'll follow us. Our best bet is to lay low until she contacts us."
"Won't she be mad if we don't go back immediately?"
"No. She'd be angrier if we went back without making sure it was safe. Nobody does anything that could remotely put her in danger."
"What about the rest of us?"
"Expendable. You didn't know that by now?"
Justin fell silent as Jacob led the way to his house. He kept it as a place to sleep and nothing more, so it was perfect for their current predicament. They'd lose nothing if the military followed them there, and Angela would easily be able to find them.
Jacob unlocked the door and pointed at a ratty old sofa. Justin sat down on it, and Jacob checked the fridge to see if there was any food to be had.
Nothing but some expired milk. Great. Guess that meant Jacob would have to head to the grocery store and see if his card still worked.
"Stay here. This is the safest place for us currently. I'll be back with some food in a bit."
Jacob didn't wait to see if Justin responded. If he was too stupid to obey orders, Angela would throw him out soon enough.
"Cautious bunch," Twin sighed as he read Shell's text. It was the address Whiplash and Twinblade had headed to after he let them out of prison. Part of him was hoping they'd lead him straight to the infamous Angel, but that was obviously too much to ask for. Angel was rumored to be cautious, so he hadn't actually been able to contact them reliably.
When Twin had sent out feelers to see about a potential alliance with the Angel's people, they'd responded in a way he couldn't track. Every communication was done through proxies and one-way messages. It was kind of infuriating, but he could appreciate it.
With Cold Snap out of commission, Twin needed more power. The Angel would also probably appreciate some of what Twin could offer - Ferry was a very important card to have access to. Especially if the Legion had someone who could do the same thing.
An alliance of convenience. Twin could keep them out of prison, and Angel could provide backup from their myriad connections. Even if they only had Whiplash and Twinblade at the moment, both were strong fighters. If Lightning was just out of the way, few would probably be able to fight them.
So how to get rid of Lightning? She'd more or less vanished after her falling out with the Legion, only appearing when she was needed. Sometimes he'd catch sight of her on a security camera, but the trail always went cold quickly. There was also no rhyme or reason to when she'd show up, so he couldn't ambush her.
They'd have to lure her out and kill her, without losing any of their own people.
Twin would stew on that idea for a while. He needed a foolproof plan, and he'd asked Angel if they had any good ideas on that front. None yet, but the two of them, masterminds that they were, could probably figure something out.
Now he had to focus on Cold Snap's recovery and preserving the assets he already had.
