your command, but you have to be comfortable, before I make the call."
"I don't see where we have a whole lotta options at the moment," Berkfield added right on cue, building and helping Carlos's cause without realizing it. "The man is making perfect sense to me, D."
"Works for me," Rider chimed in.
"True dat," Shabazz said with a weary sigh. "Here, we're sitting ducks."
"One thing we know for sure," Big Mike said, nodding, "our boy Carlos knows how to get out of a tight spot."
If it weren't for the rules of the game, Carlos would have walked over to Mike and hugged him. "I trust his judgment to Hell and back, man," Jose said, finally sitting down again. "Rivera definitely got da moves. This way, if something goes down, Krissy and J.L. don't have to feel like they have to take the weight."
"Yeah," Berkfield said, going over to his daughter to stand by her side. "That's a lot of responsibility for a kid. I know where he's talking about, from those old maps and info from back in the day. We never tipped our hand that Rivera bled 'em out; in fact, we did it like he was trying to help them, in case we had to double back and send him in as a double agent."
"I'd feel safer going to some of Carlos's old haunts that Richard already knows and where Carlos has allegiances, than allowing the kids to surf the Net to deal with people we've never dealt with before," Mar-jorie said, gaining a weak nod from Marlene.
"Carlos takes care of family," Juanita said quietly. Her furtive gaze went between Carlos and then Cain, returning to Carlos. "I just wish he didn't have to go by himself... what if something happens to him over there in this place we don't even know about?"
He could have kissed Juanita on the spot. The damsel in distress with worry about this team's king going off to battle to help another sovereign, weaker king was practically making Cain's eyes glow.
"You know me,'Nita. I'll be all right. The main thing is Damali go: this on lock, here." He had to walk the very careful line. Give Damali her props, gently rebuff Juanita, and quietly kick Cain's ass. "The brother's world is falling apart. That has implications for what's going on over here. If he's weak, he won't be able to handle his business. I have to go help him, simple as that. Friends don't leave each other ass out... and, if something happens over there to me, then, hey. It was my time. But you'll still have the baddest Neteru on the planet over here--Damali."
"Baby," Damali said. "I agree with Juanita. I'm worried. I don't want anything to happen to you over there. The things die differently. You'll need a blade. If anything were to go down wrong... if you didn't come back, I don't know what I'd do. You hear?"
Carlos smiled. Check. Fucking. Mate. "Yeah, baby, I hear you," he said, dropping his voice to a low, sensual rumble. "But we've gotta do what we've gotta do, right?" He looked down into her eyes that held worry and then kissed her slowly... long... gentle... and deep. The hair on the back of his neck rose as he felt Cain's incisors threaten to break through his gums. Carlos pulled out of the kiss and sent a hot message into Damali's mind. After what I just saw you do in the yard, now this... my focus is getting messed up. I definitely don't want to leave you tonight. But I will. We have to help our boy... even though battling demons is the last thing on my mind, right through here.
Damali nodded and put a little distance between them. He was glad that she did, because what he'd told her was the naked truth.
"All right, you two lovebirds. Break it up. Let's figure out how to get old Cain some juice to send him packing with Carlos, and figure out how to get this team to La Paz." Rider sighed and stretched his back.
"Well, let her think it over, Rider," Carlos said calmly. "It's ultimately her decision. There's been nothing but chaos, everybody's nerves are on edge, wire tight, arid Damali, man, after that fantastic healing, I know she needs a moment to just be still and not have to be pressured into a decision."
Carlos almost hollered and did a Superbowl touchdown jig when she closed her eyes, nodded, and quietly whispered, "Thank you."
He casually