Jinn & Toxic by Franny Armstrong Page B

some little kid.”
    A man like Tanaka didn’t cow to anyone, but Jinn could tell he was backtracking to keep the Captain from flipping out. If she didn’t know better, she’d say that the man was trying to manipulate his boss. That bears looking into .
    Immediately, those cold eyes flashed over to meet hers and once again she realized that he was in her head. “Shit!” Jinn rolled her eyes and averted her gaze.
    “Tanaka, you can take over watching our traitor. Keep a close eye on her. She’s one tricky bitch.” Tab’s vicious words stunned her as she watched him turn his back on her and leave.
    “Move out!” Tab called.
    The rest of the team followed leaving her behind with her new guard.
    “Traitor?”
    “Tanaka, the Captain is acting weird. He thinks I betrayed the troop and there’s no way I could or would. Who do you think has that kind of disloyalty?”
    He frowned a moment then slowly shook his head. “No one in the gang that I know. Let’s get moving.”
    Jinn wondered if her skills would work on this man as he had an interest in her as a woman. She made sure to block her mind from Tab and began walking beside Tanaka while planting suggestions in him subconscious.
    The Captain took me with him. You will keep to the back of the group for the next hour. No one saw me with you .
    For once she didn’t get any warning from their leader and Tanaka appeared mildly confused as though he’d lost a trail he was tracking. Next, he walked off ahead of her leaving Jinn alone. Without waiting for a moment, she took off like a shot, heading in a northeast direction toward where Julie had first disappeared. With all senses on alert, she moved fast, not stopping for anything.
    ***
    An hour later, Tab called a halt to discuss their approach on the compound Tanaka had described to them. When he saw the man come into view without Jinn, he knew something was wrong.
    “Where is Dennison?” he asked, knowing she’d pulled a fast one.
    “Dennison? I thought she was with you. I’ve been guarding our rear, Captain.”
    The man truly seemed confused and Tab realized she’d used mind control techniques to manipulate him so she could escape. Livid, he knew he had to make a choice of either going after his sister who by Tanaka’s account was doing okay, or follow Jinn. Even with her concerns for Julie, if she was indeed alive, Jinn had promised to stay with him. It irked him even more to know that the thought of her not being with him was unbearable.
    “Sit down, everyone. Let’s talk about the plan then I’m going solo. Blackstone, you’re taking over the team. I’m going to track down Dennison and bring her back. Can you handle the operation?”
    “Yes, sir. I’m sure I can. Consider it done.”
    Tab figured the woman had at least two hours head start and promised himself that Jinn Dennison was going to need a medic after he got through with her.
    ***
    Though she had a stitch in her side, Jinn kept moving. With the thought of Tab in pursuit strong in her mind, she did her best to keep her tracks hidden. She’d been traveling at a fast pace for three hours with no river in sight and no way to gauge how far away it was. All she could do was follow the direction of the sun. It was starting to move into afternoon based on the angle of the rays through the thick canopy, but they began to fade due to cloud cover.
    I can sense him. It’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me, but it’s like I know he’s getting closer. This heat is slowing me down!
    The humidity was rising as another storm rolled in, thunder booming miles away. Sweat rolled down her face and chest making it impossible to continue with the insulating jacket on. She took a moment to remove it and tied the sleeves around her waist. After a quick sip of water, Jinn continued.
    Julie?
    The forest floor was beginning to change. Small hills made rushing through the bush harder as rocks became boulders.
    I must be nearing the mountains near