Page 135 of Falcon’s Forever

“That doesn’t mean they haven’t,” Sarah says.

“No,” Falcon agrees. “It doesn’t.”

Vulture turns to Ice Pick. “Where are you going?”

“The west house,” Ice Pick answers.

“Why?”

“We need somewhere to take the women if they come out tonight.”

Vulture glances at me. “You think it’ll work?”

“We don’t know yet,” I tell him. “We’re going to assess it.”

“Fine,” Vulture says.

Falcon turns his attention back to me. “Have you started the protocol?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see it when you’re ready?”

“Of course,” I tell him.

“We need women at the recovery point before they arrive,” Sarah says.

Sterling nods. “We can arrange that.”

“Not strangers,” Sarah adds.

Maggie steps forward. “I’ll be there.”

“So will I,” I say.

Falcon’s expression changes immediately. I see the old instinct rise before he even opens his mouth.

“No.”

My spine straightens.

His eyes close. "Fuck. Let me try that differently." He rubs a hand over his jaw. "I don't know what the recovery location's going to look like yet, and I don't know if Merrick's got a second team watching potential sites. Before you decide you're going, can we secure it first?"

Better. "Yes."

Relief crosses his face.

"But if it's secure, I'm going," I tell him.

His jaw tightens. "Figured you'd say that."

"Can you live with it?"

"Yes." He says it fast enough that I believe him.

Maggie pats his arm. "You'll survive."

"Everyone keeps saying that."