Page 144 of The Lazarus Protocol

“When—if—he does,” Noah said, “you wanna be in here feeling sorry for yourself, or working on an escape plan?”

Adam glanced at him. “Is this where we all chant all for one…?”

Noah caught the fear in Adam’s gaze. Added to the mass of old and new scars on his body, he could understand why Adam felt the way he did. “There’s a reason I chose each of you, and it wasn’t because you shoot first and ask questions later.”

Ash said, “Ice does.”

“Or because of Kai’s sparkling personality.”

Kai sputtered. “I bring…character to the team.”

Noah almost smiled. “I chose each of you because of who you are. You look out for each other and refuse to back down no matter what.” He glanced around. “I didn’t even know half the truth of what you’ve been through, but I could see it. I didn’t need to know your secrets. You showed me in what you do, and how you operate.”

Kai sniffed, swiping a finger under his eye. “I love a good speech.”

Adam shoved Kai’s shoulder with one hand, the other tethered to Steph. Keeping each other anchored the way Marina had a hold on him. “Wait a second longer next time.”

Kai lifted his hands. “I’m not hugging it out when we’re all in our underwear.”

Ash chuckled. “Good call.”

The lock on the door clinked a second before it started to swing open. Kai rushed it first, pushing the door back against the first person through. There was a dull thud. He went for the door again.

“Down,” Noah ordered.

Kai dropped into a crouch and whipped the door open. The first gunshot went over his head, pinged off the metal side of the boat, and hit one of the workers who fell back onto the floor.

Ash followed Kai through the door, and Kyle ran through after him.

Noah and the rest of them bottlenecked in the doorway, trying to get out.

Another gunshot went off, this time angled to the floor. Ash elbowed the guy in the face, then brought the man’s chin down on his knee. Kyle punched his guy over and over. Someone else appeared at the end of the hall.

Kai dropped one of the men against the wall opposite the door, his face bloody.

Noah swiped up a gun that had been dropped and killed the man at the end of the hall. “Get what you can and let’s move.”

They flooded out of the room, down the hall. Kai said, “Ash and I are going to find Dan and Jay.”

Noah nodded. “We’ll go after Montrose.”

Kyle fired a shot, and a man collapsed at the end of the hall. Adam ran over and got a gun, passing another pistol to Steph and commenting, “Wouldn’t want you to steal mine.”

She grinned. “I always feel safer with a gun in my hand. Even if I’m in my underwear.”

“You are? I hadn’t noticed.”

Kyle snorted. “You guys are adorable. But we need to get off this boat.”

“Yes, we do,” Steph said. “Adam promised me a cheese plate.”

Marina tugged on Noah’s hand. The others moved off and started to disburse through the halls. Adam and Steph raced for the main deck, Kyle backing them up. Kai and Ash went to find the other Division Zero team members.

Noah and Marina had their own unspoken assignment. But something in her body language wasn’t quite ready to move, and he knew it. Because as much as he’d rather not have been able to read her, his awareness of her moods had let him know exactly how she felt about being kidnapped. “We should go.”

She hesitated, then lifted up and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

Noah nodded, not really sure he’d say the right thing even if he opened his mouth. Before he could respond, he heard gunshots elsewhere in the boat. On the main deck, or somewhere else?