I sigh. I suppose part of being a good leader is knowing when to accept defeat. I guess I should grab the Xitharis stone out of my Chest too.

Nine rides the elevator down with us to the parking garage. I can tell he’s still fuming, even more so now that he realizes Sarah is coming along for the mission.

“We’re leaving the tablet here in case something goes wrong and you end up needing to track us,” I tell Nine. “Hopefully, Five stays put for a while. If we can’t find him once we’re in Arkansas, we’ll be in touch for an update.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nine replies, shooting a sidelong look at Sarah. “This is starting to look less like a rescue mission and more like you going on a leisurely road trip with two hot chicks,” Nine grumbles.

Sarah rolls her eyes. I glare at Nine. “It’s not like that. You know we need you here, in case something happens.”

“Yeah, I’m backup,” he snorts. “Johnny, do I have to start dating you to get some action around here?”

Sarah winks at him. “It might help.”

Nine looks me over. “Ugh. Not worth it.”

Six and Bernie Kosar are already waiting for us downstairs. Nine shows us to the row reserved for Sandor’s extensive car collection, eventually pulling the tarp off a silver Honda Civic. It’s the least flashy vehicle left in Sandor’s collection; we don’t want to be attracting any unnecessary attention while we’re on the road. BK immediately bounds into the passenger seat, excited to get going.

“It’s fast,” Nine explains. “Sandor outfitted all of these in case we needed to move ass in a hurry.”

“Does it have nitrous?” Sarah asks.

“What do you know about nitrous, sweetheart?” Nine replies.

Sarah shrugs. “I’ve seen Fast and Furious. Show me how it works. I’ve always wanted to drive something really fast.”

“Well, all right,” says Nine, grinning at me. “Maybe your girl does have some uses, John-boy.”

While Nine shows Sarah the controls inside the Civic, I join Six at the trunk, where we load our gear. I’m still feeling blindsided that Sarah’s coming along with us, and apparently I’ve got Six to blame for that.

“You’re mad at me,” she says, before I can even start in.

“I’d appreciate a heads up the next time you invite my girlfriend along on a dangerous mission.”

Six groans, slamming the trunk closed and rounding on me. “Oh please, John. She wanted to come along. She can think for herself.”

“I know she can,” I whisper back, not wanting Sarah to overhear. “Nine wanted to come along too. We have to consider what’s best for the group.”

“You don’t want her feeling like dead weight, do you? This is a good way to show her that she’s not.”