Elliott’s nerves were strangely still as he sat in the back of the van and waited for Higgins to return with the uniforms that would allow them to blend in at the base until they could free the others. He was worried about Shavian, stuck in that van, shackled with Jackson. That scumbag. Still, he was calm.
Junie was also still, staring dejectedly into her tactical mug which was, apparently, empty. Elliott couldn’t figure out where she’d been stashing that thing all this time or if it had been there all along and he hadn’t noticed. She was quiet, and Fipps hovered nearby, looking concerned. He was staying by the door, and Elliott appreciated his attention to detail: he already knew Junie was more than capable of sneaking off to try to get more coffee and on a base full of soldiers, that would be very bad indeed.
Outside, they could hear the sounds of a busy military base. Several times they heard the voices of soldiers nearby, so close they could open the door of the van. Even then, Elliott’s heart never raced. And as he watched Fipps looking after a woman he barely knew, he realized why. He and his friends, even the new ones, had gotten themselves out of every pinch they’d been in. He had every confidence in them, even if someone came right through that van door, they would find some way to fight past it.
And that was a dangerous state of mind: cockiness was a recipe for becoming goulash for ghouls. He couldn’t let that mindset take hold. He had to get scared again or he was going to lead his friends straight down the drain to the sewers of doom.
Elliott knew what he had to do. It was stupid. It was dangerous. But he had to do something.
Elliott stood up and kicked the inside of the van as hard as he could. It hurt, a whole lot. He lurched back, yelping and holding his foot. He lost his balance and crashed to the floor, banging his head against the other wall.
Fipps jumped, startled, then gave Elliott a dirty look. “What the hell, kid?” he hissed. “Are you trying to bring the whole base down on us?”
Elliott sat up and rubbed his head. “Actually, yeah.”
Fipps stared at him. “What are you thinking, Elliott? If Higgins can get back here with those uniforms we’ll have free access to the base and a chance to free the others!”
“I know, it’s too easy, isn’t it?” Elliott said imploringly. “We’re getting too confident! It’ll be our downfall!”
Fipps shook his head, and came over to pull Elliott to his feet. “Has it ever occurred to you that it might not be that we’re getting too confident, but that we simply are this good?” He smiled and Elliott suddenly felt very stupid. Maybe Fipps was right.
They both jumped as a pounding came on the van door. “Hey, everything okay in there?” a voice called. “Step out and identify yourselves, please.”
Fipps gave him a look that was unreadable this time. “Too late to find out now, I guess,” he said.