Jinn & Toxic Read Online Free

at him and opened the door. When she stepped inside, heat blasted her from the enclosed space, but she ignored it and studied the single room. It smelled of dirt and decay, testament of the glass being smashed out of the windows long ago.
    Sparse furniture was scattered around the hut. A wooden table with two chairs and a double bed that had seen better days took up most of the space though there was a small area designated for an indoor bathroom with no sign of plumbing.
    “Sorry, but you’ll have to use the outhouse. Comfort costs money and money brings attention from the wrong people.”
    “I’ll change and we can be on our way. Get the gear together. I want to see what we’ve got. Make sure you leave the gun unloaded. I like to take care of the weapons myself.”
    “Yes, Sergeant.”
    While Manny opened the floor panel and brought out the supplies and weaponry, Jinn changed into black cotton pants and a black tank top. She would switch to camouflaged clothing once she was deep in the forest. Too many people were pulled over by the authorities and searched on the roads due to the number of gangs in the area.
    Manny never stared at her while she dressed, all business as he worked. When Jinn was ready, she checked the guns and knives in her bag as she ensured they met her specifications. The metallic sound of each gun being loaded with precision filled the room.
    “It looks good. I’m ready to go, Manny.”
    “Are you sure you don’t want to rest up?”
    “No time. Let’s go.”
    “I’ll check to make sure all is clear. The farthest I can take you is to the border of the forest. Your sister’s team, if they were searching for The Trident, would be a day’s travel from this location. The compass included in your kit is set to show you the direction you should follow. Stay off the main paths once you are inside the forest. They are watched carefully.”
    “Noted.”
    “Good luck, Sergeant. I don’t envy you the journey.”
    “When I catch the bastards who hurt my sister, they’ll wish they’d never heard of us. Stay safe, Manny. I appreciate your help.”
    Thirty minutes later, Jinn stepped beneath the cool canopy of the rainforest and breathed a sigh of relief. The scent of flowers, vegetation, and rich soil filled her senses. Though her chest still hurt, her sister didn’t answer her silent call.
    Be all right, Julie. I’m counting on you.
    ***
    Pain. Agonizing, burning pain was all he could feel from head to toe. Tab lost count of the hours since they’d been captured, the enemy taking turns at him, yet nothing would make him give in. Nothing except death, and he was close to wishing for one.
    Angel lay tied up on the floor, naked and curled into fetal position. Guilt and fury were the only two things that kept up his resolve. The occasional shout or cry from the others rang out in the air as they were questioned. He knew that none of them would tell the bastards a thing. The only thing he couldn’t figure out was how The Trident had found out about the mission. The only teammate who was relatively new in the past two years was Murphy. Tab wasn’t sure if the boy was still alive. Only twenty-two years old, Murphy had earned the respect of the entire TT&T members within weeks of joining them.
    It can’t be him. But who?
    As waves of anguish rolled through his mind at his inability to get the team out of the mess they’d fallen into, Tab groaned. It was the treatment of the two women he hated himself for most of all. The modern-day military was a generous mix of male and female soldiers. The women opted to use medical means to prevent their monthly cycles from interfering with their jobs. Both males and females chose personally whether to use anti-stimulants to prevent sexual arousal. The rules were to stay focused at all times and no personal relationships. The public had no idea what the military did to keep the soldiers in line.
    Angel chose to use the preferred method, but it made her body