go to Krissy or to stay with his very upset Guardian brothers.
Jose hadn't stopped pacing since they'd entered the room, his eyes on Damali, the silent anger implicit within them; this wasn't about Carlos, it was about him and her. Shabazz seemed so outraged that his locks had actually lifted off his shoulders with static electricity. But Dan's eyes held no judgment, just confused worry, like Bobby's. They seemed oddly detached and calm, like doctors who knew a serious problem existed, but refused to allow the emotional content of the concerned family to keep them from doing what they had to do. Their countenance said that they weren't taking sides, but the situation was indeed critical. Damali honed in on the only rational vibrations wafting throughout the room, and began to deescalate her inner panic. "I need everybody to chill for a minute," she said without any apology in her tone. "I have to sense them to see if I can pick up if there's been any injury."
"You said that in plural, D," Jose said hotly. "What's with the them shit? The only person you need to be--"
"Jose," Damali said in a quiet but lethal tone, "if you don't chill, we can just have a real frank discussion in the weapons room that won't do any of us any good."
Juanita's gaze shot between Damali and Jose. "Well, let's just do that, then," she said in a loud voice filled with attitude.
Jose glared at Damali and walked away, leaning on the far wall. All eyes glanced at him for a moment, and then Damali, then settled on Juanita. Older male Guardians shook their heads and raked their fingers through their hair. Big Mike rubbed his jaw and let out an angry, hard breath.
"This shit don't make no sense all up in the house," Big Mike said, receiving a silent fist pound from Rider.
"Jose, you need to tell me what she's talking about!" Juanita shrieked, crossing the invisible line on the floor.
"Later," Jose muttered. "Now ain't--"
"Don't tell me now ain't--"
"Enough!" Father Patrick's voice boomed through the speakerphone. "It isn't the. time," he said loudly. "What is of critical importance is what came through that rip and where it took Carlos!"
"Exactly," Damali said, walking back and forth in front of the telephone. The male response to what had happened infuriated her. It struck a defiant match within her soul that had turned into a blaze. How dare they judge her? In fact, she no longer felt guilty. Carlos had been here, semiseduced by something he'd never come across before--and the response had been directed at problem solving, not whether or not the man was right or wrong and a buncha moral junk. "You'd all better get your heads together."
Damali paced away from the phone and placed her hands palms down on the table, studying the small pyramid shape she'd created by touching her forefingers and thumbs together.
"Seems like the one who'd better get her head together is you, D," Jose spat, pushing off the wall.
Damali looked up slowly. The room had enough tension winding through it that the air practically thickened. "Be clear," she said, almost speaking to him through her teeth. "I made my decision a long time ago and have held the line--admirably." She glanced at Juanita and held her gaze until it slipped away and her adversary's body relaxed. "If you want a full disclosure in this room about past feelings and drama, we can do that at some future point, but not now while I'm in the middle of a divination--you got that?"
Stunned male eyes slid away from Damali's.
"Gentlemen, I'll say this one last time. You'd all better get your heads right and focus. This ain't about you, what you've experienced, or any bullshit going down within your individual relationships. Handle your business," Damali said flatly and drew away from the table. "Father Patrick, talk to me."
A sly smile crossed Rider's face as he pushed back in his chair. "I think you gentlemen had better stand down and let the general work."
Shabazz tilted his head from side to side, and spoke in a tight voice. "Aw'ight, Marlene, your take?"
Damali glared at him. "I'm doing this divination as the lead Neteru and seer on this team. My capacities outstrip hers," she said, holding respect in her eyes as she glanced at Marlene. "The baton has been passed, big brother, and you need to get with that." Marlene nodded. "Truth, Shabazz. Has been that way since she came back from the