Page 32 of Uncharted

“I’ll check on him.”

“And will you two be able to put whatever spat you’ve got on pause for⁠—”

“First,” I snapped as I yanked on my boots, “we’re fucking professionals, so you don’t have to worry about that. Second, Jake and I are not having a ‘spat,’ and if one more person, my brother included, tries to pry, I’m going to shove my boot so far up their ass they’ll be able to taste the leather!”

Colin winked. “Much appreciated!”

I scowled at him as I grabbed my poncho; the sound of the weather was growing heavier, the wind louder. The storm was going to hit us soon, and it was probably best if I got my ass moving.

The rain was just shy of pelting as I made my way toward the path that would take me to the science building. Puddles were forming, and I knew soon they would be like little rivers and streams. The thought reminded me I needed to check out the beaver dam at some point because its location was…troubling and could be dangerous if the storm was bad enough. They’d built it in a tributary that fed into the main river that flowed past the outpost and into the nearby town. That was fine since it wasn’t a primary source of water for the river, but if the rainfall was too heavy, that inconsequential tributary could overflow dangerously, and if the dam broke, sending all its water downstream?

The river would overflow, and the damage and potential loss of life would be…well, it wouldn’t be pretty.

I stopped as the science building came into sight and spotted Jake loading sandbags into a small trailer attached to an ATV. He was slamming them down pretty hard, and I winced, glancing between him and the science building. I had a feeling that talking to Jake was going to be a little more…involved than talking to my brother, so I headed toward the building first.

Jake looked up, his eyes tracking me, and I gestured toward the science building and mouthed that I was looking for Mika. He nodded, and I gestured again to get his attention, not wanting to draw even more attention to the awkwardness between us by explaining that I wanted to talk to him in a minute too. Against all odds, he seemed to understand me and nodded before turning back to his work.

Not wanting to analyze too hard what it was like to have someone who knew me that well and not be my twin brother or my significant other, I pushed into the building. “So I would really appreciate if you’d give Xander something before he gets on all our…what?”

The look on his face stopped me short; it was as if someone had just told him he had cancer and then ran over his dog right in front of him.

“Mikhail?” I asked again, using his rarely used full name to get his attention when he did nothing but stare back at me. “What’s…what’s wrong? Jesus, you look like someone just died horribly right in front of you.”

Jesus, he looked like he didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or cry at my words. “Reno, I⁠—”

His computer made a noise, and he stiffened, turning back toward it. His whole demeanor shifted. His attitude was no longer one of disbelief and horror, but focused in its intensity and determination. Whatever he had just learned from his computer wasn’t in the least bit connected to what was wrong with him, but it was taking the front seat.

“Shit.” He snatched up the radio and clicked it on. “Xander, I’ve got your answer, and you’re not going to like it.”

Xander’s reply was almost instantaneous. “Meet me at the main house.”

Mika was already on his feet, and I stared at him, knowing it was about the storm. “That bad?”

“That bad,” he confirmed.

It wasn’t like my brother to exaggerate, and a shiver ran down my back as he dressed for the weather. My brain was firing off in every direction, but it wasn’t the first big storm we’d gone through together. We were both capable, and we both knew how to be smart when it came to the danger facing us over the next several hours.

That didn’t stop me reaching out and taking hold of his arm before he could step outside. “Hey.”

“Xander’s waiting for me right now,” he told me, and to anyone else, it might appear dismissive or impatient; but I knew my brother. He wasn’t trying to shrug me off; his mind was just operating at high-octane speed and he didn’t have the mental capacity left for social niceties.

“And Xander can wait another couple of fucking minutes,” I told him.

He blinked, coming out of his thoughts and smiling at me. “I always love when your attitude makes an appearance.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled. “I’m trying to make sure your head is doing alright.”

“Just…crunching numbers and data,” he said. “You know.”

“I also know that whatever was bothering you when I first came in has nothing to do with the storm, the numbers or the facts,” I told him with a frown. “And don’t give me that irritated look; I’m not prying. I just need to make sure that whatever it is, will not distract you and get you killed…or Aidan for that matter.”

His face twisted at the mention of Aidan, and I had confirmation of what his problem was. “I’m fine.”

“Mika?”

“Just…don’t. Shouldn’t you worry about your own head? I’m not blind, Reno.”

“Yeah, yeah, everyone knows there’s an issue with Jake and me, whatever,” I grumbled unhappily. “And since we’re touching on sensitive subjects, I know that whatever your issue is, it’s with Aidan. So look, either bury it, or talk to him and try to put it on hold until this is over, okay? I don’t want you⁠—”