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I nudge her side. “That doesn't make you bulletproof.”
“Eagles are on the way,” yells Bull when our ears stop ringing. Together with Scrapper and Mad Dog, he's stacking anything he can find in front of the door to barricade it. “We just gotta hold out until they're here.”
That doesn't help us right away, but knowing that Mack and Reaper are coming makes me feel better, if only just a little bit. I focus on breathing. I'm going to survive this. We all are.
“I hate that we're stuck in here,” I complain, hating the sound of my own voice as I do. “I'm sorry. This isn't the time to whine.”
Faith nods. “It's fine. I hate it too. But what I'm wondering is how they knew to find us here. Someone must've blabbed.”
I nod as I look around the room. There's a lot of crew. Ella's behind one of the other tables, huddled up with the guy who did my makeup. Some of the techs have barricaded themselves in the studio. There are ten-fifteen people in here. Was that a mistake? It's not that crazy to imagine that there are people in a news outlet that are in on this. I’m sure we’ve only scratched the surface. The question is, who was it? No one’s exactly walking around with ‘traitor’ written on their nametag.
“Maybe we can find out who it is? Somehow?”
“Does it matter anymore? We just have to keep our eyes open so no one surprises our guys. Or actually… maybe…” She pulls her phone out and brings up the FixerUppers account.
“Now?”
She smiles at me. “Oh, come on, Ms. Investigative Reporter. Have to get with the times. If you have a channel to reach out to lots of people, it's time to go live.” She taps on the camera icon. As if in response, something else blows up and the door barricade shakes. What the heck is happening out there?
Will help get here in time?
Faith waves at me. “Come here.”
I squeeze in next to her as she aims the selfie camera at us. The viewer count has already started. Bet they're real confused that we're not half-naked bikers doing physical work. They're about to get more than they bargained for.
“Hey, all you Screaming Eagles fans. I'm sorry that I can't show you the FixerUppers doing their thing right now, but something bigger is going on, and we're going live so it can't be ignored. Share this stream with everyone you can, because this is a big, fucking deal! You're about to see some wild shit.” She pans the phone a little, showing off the barricades and how we're hidden. “This isn't a drill, kids. This is what happens when the bikers clash with the finest corruption this stinking city's got to offer.” Another explosion sounds, emphasizing her words.
The numbers race upwards, faster and faster. Word must be spreading and even if they think it’s fake, everyone’s in for a good old fashioned dumpster fire.
“Come on, Mila, give us the lowdown. What's happening?” She angles the phone at me.
What? Me? I guess I'm made up for it. “Um… we're currently at the Channel 7 News Studios, the network that gives you the whole story, and nothing but the whole story.” I'm a little impressed that I remember their callsign. “We were working on an exposé that's going to blow up on the news, revealing serious corruption in our city hall and local government. Bribes, murder, attacks, broken justice, riots. We’ve got it all.” I grab the phone from Faith, so I can point the camera at the door. “And someone has decided they want to stop us. We've blocked the door, but they're doing their best to get through.” Something slams against the door, splintering the wood. “I don't even know if we can trust the police at this point. This is now, this is live, and this is dangerous.”
I don't know what else to tell people. Would it get more attention to stay professional or to just scream for help? If people decide to go vigilante, more of them will get hurt. If the police come, who will they side with? “Please, spread the word, but keep your distance. People are armed, and I don't want anyone to get hurt.”
Faith grabs the phone from me, taking over by aiming the camera at our protectors. “The good news is that the Screaming Eagles are here to protect us. Let me introduce you. Scrapper has his name because he's a killer with his fists. He doesn't back down from a fight, and he sure isn't backing down now. Bull, well, he's built like one. Look at that torso, ladies. Would you believe he's vegan? Just goes to show that if you get your proteins and know how to build yourself up, you too can become a meatless monster.” She grimaces. “That was terrible. We'll go with Bull. Don't tell him I said that.”
“How can you be so perky in the middle of a freaking siege?” I whisper. I don't know if she's crazy or I'm just jealous I'm not as good at this social media stuff.
She shrugs and continues. “And over there? That's Mad Dog. Once he sinks his teeth into something, he won't let go until either it’s dead, or he is. Any of you ladies want to be his? If I wasn't already happily taken, I sure would!”
Ella comes running over. “What the heck are you two doing? This is our exclusive.”
I give her a look like, is she even realizing that we're in serious trouble here? “Exclusive doesn’t mean anything if we’re dead!”
Faith turns her phone so Ella gets in the picture. “We'll make it a collab or crossover or whatever you want to call it. Jump right in. No time like the present, since we might be dead in moments.”
Even Ella's dark complexion blanches at that thought, but she gathers herself quickly. She drops immediately into newscaster voice. “Hello. This is Ella Washington from Channel 7. Thank you to the”—she glances at the account name at the bottom—”to the FixerUppers for sharing their space with me while we figure out what's going on. This is important news and we can't risk it not getting out if… if the situation turns truly grim. Authorities have been called, and I have it from a reliable source that help is on its way. I want to repeat that everyone should keep away from the Channel 7 studios. The situation in progress is dangerous, uncontrolled, and we're under some kind of siege. Please, stay home and stay safe. Let the proper authorities deal with this.”
Faith pulls the phone back. “And in the meantime, you're gonna see the work of some of the sexiest bikers in the Screaming Eagles, who?—”
Something massive slams into the door, ripping it off its hinges and launching a large part of the barricade backwards. We scream and duck as debris slams into our desk shield.
Faith stares wide-eyed into the camera, dust and smoke seeping by. “Shit just got serious.”
34
MACK
