Free Wake the Dead 2 (Wake The Dead Series) by Gary F. Vanucci

Alexis concernedly, his hands on her shoulders while Alexis wiped her face repeatedly with that same towel. She continued to flip over and fold it in the hopes of finding a clean spot it seemed to Alex, but she did not fare so well.
    “Where were you?!” she whispered to him a little too loudly. Selina strode right over to Alex and pulled him away from the discussion.
    “What the hell? We don’t have time for—“
    “It’s a woman thing. Let it go, Lancelot, she’ll be done in a minute,” Selina said with a silly grin as she jammed her sword into the ground and crouched, using it for balance. Alex watched as Bryan reached into his own pack and removed a plastic hard-shell case and handed something to Alexis.
    The pair waited a few moments until Bryan and Alexis finished their discussion. Eventually, a gloomy Bryan joined Selina and Alex, leaving Alexis alone. It appeared to Alex as if she was possibly sulking, but he couldn’t really tell for sure. She had something in her hand that he couldn’t really make out.
    “Everything all right with you two?” Selina asked, making it to her feet again and yanking her sword free.
    “Yep. All good.”
    “Can she handle that weapon?” Alex asked, recognizing that what Alexis held in her hand was a pistol.
    “Yeah, it’s a Beretta I had tucked away. Just want her to be safe,” Bryan said, staring up at Alex, who stared back worriedly.
    “Don’t worry, I showed her the safety…and its factory with a suppressor; I never fired the damn thing. Found it a while back still in the case in the back of an abandoned vehicle. Never used it and don’t worry, it won’t make any noise,” he added as he slapped Alex on the shoulder and winked.
    “I generally don’t think it’s a great idea to give someone a deadly weapon, especially if they haven’t even been trained with one yet,” Alex countered.
    “Man, she said she’s fired one before at a range back in the day. Besides, we’re not exactly in a situation where we can train her properly, are we?”
    “ Back in the day?” Alex echoed incredulously.
    “C’mon, man. I don’t have the ammo for her to go practice, nor do any of us have the time to show her everything right now! This ain’t exactly the perfect scenario, I know. But—“
    “I get it. It’s not an ideal situation. Just sayin’, I don’t like it. She’s gonna get herself hurt or worse. I can just see it coming.”
    “Duly noted, I’ll let the record stand that you disapprove.”
    “Wonderful,” Alex said, his words dripping with sarcasm as he tossed his arms in the air resignedly. Selina remained silent the whole time, either not having an opinion, or not wanting to get involved with the argument.
    “Guys, I can hear you,” Alexis said, cocking her head to the side and non-too pleased at the discussion that was taking place. “I’ve handled a gun before.”
    Selina whispered something under her breath and then looked away, rolling her eyes. Alex let that go and stared at Bryan and then Alexis. “Fair enough. Like you said, we can’t stand around here arguing all day. We’ve got a job to do.”
    “Great, then we’re in agreement.” Bryan stared at Alex for a long minute, though Alex said nothing more. “Well, even more interestingly, I have something else to show you guys,” he said, waving them to follow him along the tree line again. As they made their way around the back of the building, Bryan stopped and pointed to something in the distance. “There, along the far fence. It’s close to the exit.”
    Alex held the binoculars to his eyes and grinned. “An ambulance.”
    “Yeah, an ambulance ,” Bryan repeated, smiling and lighting up one of his last cigarettes. “There’s gotta be everything we need in that thing!”
    “Assuming nothing was taken already,” Selina suggested.
    “C’mon, man! Look at that parking lot. Nothing was taken from anywhere inside that fuckin’ place.”
    “I think I'm in agreement with that,”