Jinn & Toxic by Franny Armstrong Page A

halt and ordered one of the others to give Jinn some water. Sweat poured from them, their shirts coated with stains. Jinn seemed okay, but Tab wasn’t so sure. He watched as she was given a drink. The Mexican murmured words close to her ear. Jinn wasn’t thrilled with whatever he offered. She kicked out and knocked him to his knees, ignoring the guns that were pointed at her.
    “You tell this jackass that I’m not here to play games. I told you, I’m lost. If he bothers me again, I’ll kick his balls up to his throat.”
    Tab was surprised when Tara gave a throaty laugh, her eyes losing much of the trepidation in them for the first time since he saw her.
    “Fernando, you’d better listen to her. She means business. I’m sure Icemanwill be thrilled with this one tonight when we have his games. I’m betting on the blonde though. She has a mean streak a mile wide.”
    “Damn it, she nearly broke my knee. I’ll kill her if she touches me again.”
    Jinn snickered. “Then we’re even. You leave me alone, and I’ll leave you alone.”
    “Let’s get moving. I want to reach the compound before dark.” Tara turned and disappeared into the rough bush leaving the rest of the group to follow while Jinn pulled away from Fernando, furious with him for attempting to touch her arm. With a venomous glare in her eyes, she stood and walked in the same direction Tara went, head held high. Her new shadow followed, cursing in Spanish as he limped behind her.
    ***
    Two hours later, Jinn stood in front of a large old concrete building in the middle of nowhere. Though there were a number of flatbed trucks lined up in the dirt-lined driveway and the place looked unkempt and seldom used. Wooden shutters blocked the windows, some of them broken and in disrepair. The clay tiles on the large roof had sections missing and broken. Even the grounds were covered in debris from fallen trees and beaten up old cars. It appeared to have suffered the results of a hurricane but for a large cleared area in the center of the yard.
    Unable to help herself, Jinn snorted. “Nice place. Do you have a decorator?”
    The woman shrugged.
    “It serves its purpose. Take her and lock her up.”
    Two men grabbed Jinn’s arms and began to lead her toward the house.
    “Hey, you can at least untie my hands. I’m not going anywhere, obviously.”
    Ignored, she allowed them to take her inside. Moments later, she was downstairs in a dark and damp basement, placed in a jail cell and locked in. At least they’d removed the bonds before slamming the iron bars closed. The smell of decay was overwhelming in the dank cell. All sound was muffled by the concrete walls.
    This place probably hasn’t been cleaned in a hundred years. What a stench!
    “I’m hungry and thirsty. At least give me something to drink. You guys suck at being hosts.”
    The men snickered and left her alone. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she noticed she wasn’t alone.
    Only a TT&T member can get past my radar.
    “Who’s there?” she asked.
    “Burgess. I thought you were dead, Dennison.”
    The exhaustion and coldness in her tone told Jinn that Jane Burgess wouldn’t act like that unless she believed Julie guilty of something against the team. There was no way she’d have heard about the suspicions of her being a traitor.
    “I’m obviously alive and kicking. Well, except for the kicking part anyway.”
    “None of you have tried to rescue me, Dennison. You’re all conspiring to kill me.”
    “Where the hell did you get that idea?” Jinn asked, wondering if she’d been brainwashed.
    “I know that I’ve been with Iceman and his henchmen and no one has tried to free me. You’re all against me.”
    “What have they done to you, Burgess?”
    The woman laughed bitterly. “It hasn’t been easy, knowing that I’ve been betrayed and left to rot. What happened to the team motto; leave no one behind?”
    “Give me a break, Burgess, I plan on getting