Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Jake swallowed, then nodded. “Figured I messed up enough, but I’m worried about her.”
“That’s why you’re the one with her in there. Got me?”
He dipped his head quickly, briskly. “Got it.”
“You and me, there’s static because you’re my number two. You can lead, if you need to. That’s the reason for the static.”
He dipped his head again. “I know.”
Good talk. It was done.
I leaned back against the truck. I’d gone on countless missions, but not the blatant execution type—not like this, not with these stakes.
I should’ve warned them.
I looked over the back of the truck to find Cavers rubbing his neck and glaring at me. He was already starting to bruise.
“There’s a diner just ahead,” I told him. “You guys can stay there. Wait an hour and then call a car to take you back to the motel. I’ll do this alone.”
“Hey.”
I looked up from the driver’s seat.
“I know where you’re going. I know what night it is. You’re going to need at least one more with you.” Jake shut my door for me, pounding down on the opened window. “I’m with you.”
The truck shifted as someone got in next to me. Ash.
She had her gun out. “Let’s go.”
I stared at her a second, but she was shut down. After a second’s hesitation, Jake climbed back in next to Cavers, then jerked his chin up. Cavers wouldn’t look at me, but we were good to go.
“Ash—”
“Don’t,” she hissed. “I don’t know what set you off, and I don’t really care right now. You and me? I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know if I even want it, so you do not need to worry about me. My head is about my sister and killing Bronski. Do not put some weak-female shit on me, because I’m so far from that that I’m ready to wrap my legs around your neck and squeeze until you’re dead. You got me?”
Shit. I started the truck and pulled ahead.
I got her.
41
Ash
We parked, and everyone suited up in the alley. It was dark, but I could make out Raize pulling out a box of some sort and hitting a button. A red light flashed twice, then went out. He gave hand signals to Cavers and Jake, and both nodded. Then he handed out silencers. Jake attached mine to my gun. He secured a second gun to my back.
Cavers distributed masks, and we pulled them down over our faces. Only our eyes were visible.
We also had earplugs, but Jake only attached mine to my ear, letting it hang down.
After that, Raize motioned for us to go.
He went first.
Cavers went next.
Jake indicated for me to go before him, and he brought up the rear.
We hit the building, and by the time I rounded the corner, the four security guards were down. Raize and Cavers were through the door and running up the first flight of stairs. The guards just inside the door were unconscious as well.
I started to go after them, but Jake touched my arm and motioned that I should proceed forward on the first floor.
I nodded.
He moved ahead of me, leading the way. We worked our way through the floor. Anyone Jake saw, he took down.
Body after body, and I had a moment, a short one when I faltered, but Jake kept moving forward. I needed to remind myself that these men were here for a reason. They weren’t any better or worse than us, and God knew we deserved bullets as well. The killing we did, the evil we committed? That was the death I knew was coming.
I was okay with that.
So I shut myself down, summoned up the Ash I’d been in the truck with Raize not long ago, and moved forward.
I hadn’t used my gun. Yet.
Above us, we heard slight thumps. I assumed Raize and Cavers were clearing their floor, same as us.
I didn’t get why no one was calling ahead, sounding the alarm, but on our way up a second flight of stairs, I saw one of the men Raize or Cavers had already taken out. His hand was out, his phone in it, but the device was totally dead.
There was another phone by another body and the same thing.
I didn’t pull my phone out to check, but I guessed Raize had hit a cell phone jammer.
The yelling didn’t start until Jake and I were halfway through the second floor. The shouts were muffled, but clearly from the third floor. Jake took off sprinting. I was right behind him, and when we got there, the door to a large room was open.
Jake put his earplug in and motioned for me to do the same.
I heard zaps from inside the room.
People were running.
More zaps.
Gunshots were traded.
More thuds.
We stopped just outside the door, waiting until both our earplugs were in and then we entered.