As he texts his contacts, I silently walk to Neri’s side of the bed and wake my sister. She flinches, eyes wide like a child startled from a nightmare.
“We need to get out of here,” I whisper in Spanish.
Neri follows me over to Cobain, and we speak quietly in the corner.
“A hundred grand for the two of you,” Cobain says.
Despite the sizable sum, I never worry he’ll turn on us. I’ve seen the way Cobain looks at Neri. Killing her isn’t something he can do now.
“They want the child back alive if possible. Sunny is more optional. You two dead will get any mercenary the majority of the bounty. The kill order went out an hour ago. It’s not being claimed by the Arizona Moving Company, meaning their contractors know about it but aren’t required to act on it.”
“What about the people in this house?” I ask.
“They aren’t in any network. It’ll take longer for them to get the information. But the bounty is for anyone willing to do the deed. There are dozens of militias in this state and in nearby ones. They’ll be on our asses for the easy money.”
“Easy,” Neri mutters.
Cobain glances at the bed and then back at my sister. “The cult still thinks they’re looking for Kai, two women, and a child. For a lot of people, that sounds like an easy paycheck, even if they knew who your father was, which they don’t. Probably best not to throw his name around, though. Gator made enemies. No reason to have more assholes hunting for you.”
“What do you suggest we do if the people in this house don’t know yet?” I ask.
“We kill them. Rest up and move on.”
“Rest up?” Neri asks. “In their house?”
“It’s a building,” Cobain says, frowning at her question. “Once they’re dead, it has no owner. When we were bringing in supplies, I overheard them talking. It’s just the three of them. There’s a fourth guy currently out of the country. They were arguing over whether he got to keep a quarter of the money we paid.”
“This house is wired, and one of them must be up keeping watch,” I say and glance at Sunny and Anika. “We can’t sneak up on them.”
“True, but they don’t speak Spanish. I tested them by saying shit to you about the man being a dog fucker. None of them reacted. We can communicate with each other over the comms without them understanding our plans. If we wait until sunrise, more than one will be awake. And they’ll know they can make ten times as much money by killing you two and taking them. I’m just collateral damage.”
Neri yawns, proving we need more rest before returning to the road. “Do you really believe we can kill them and take control of the house?”
“There are three of them and three of us. We’re organized. They won’t be. We have the element of surprise. They don’t. I sensed one of the men wasn’t a professional. More like a druggie who fucks the woman. He’ll be easy. The woman is likely former military. The man seems like a petty thief who went pro. They aren’t properly trained to take on the three of us.”
“We have flash grenades,” I mutter, organizing a plan in my head. “Regular grenades too. With Sunny and Anika hidden in here, we rush the hall and create a distraction. Draw them to us.”
“What if they have a failsafe like you did?” Neri asks Cobain.
“No fucking way is this house wired to blow. This isn’t a professional sanctuary. It’s just a house run by a few local criminals, looking to make extra cash by offering a layover for people in trouble. They aren’t amateurs, but they might as well be.”
Cobain’s confidence rubs off on my sleepy sister. Meaning she won’t appreciate what I’m about to say.
“You need to remain here with them.”
“No,” she says instantly. “There are three targets, three of us.”
“If they somehow get the jump on us, you’ll be the only one left to protect Sunny and Anika.”
“Or kill them before they’re taken back to that hellhole,” Cobain mutters.
Neri and I frown at him, but he ignores us. Though I know he’s right, I’m working with only a few hours of sleep. We’re about to wage war on people that might be standing outside the bedroom door waiting for us. His flippant manner irritates me.
“I can’t focus if I’m worried they’re in danger,” I tell my sister.
“Then you can stay with them, and I’ll go out with Cobain.”
“No,” the big man growls. “No fucking way.”
“Why?” she demands, lifting her chin and meeting his hard gaze.
“He can’t focus if you're in danger.”
Cobain shoots me a dirty look as if I’ve broken the Bro Code by stating the obvious. My sister, though, seems genuinely surprised to realize he might stumble if her safety is on his mind.
Despite understanding the situation, Neri wants to be part of the assault. Her nature is to charge forward rather than hide. However, she’s always been smart enough to put her ego aside for the sake of a mission.
“Do we go now or what?” Neri asks.
“I have to piss,” Cobain announces. “Let them see our door open and my trip to the toilet. It’ll make the door opening again less startling. If we’re lucky, the asshole in charge of surveillance is asleep or playing with his dick.”
“Charming,” Neri mutters and goes to the suitcase full of weapons.
I walk to the bed where I tenderly wake Sunny. She smiles when her eyes open and find me.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whisper, so her first thought is pleasant. “I need you to wake up and stay with Neri.”
“What’s happening?” she asks, sitting up so fast that she nearly knocks me off the bed.
I kiss her rather than explain. She’s agitated, and I know words won’t help. Sunny relaxes in my embrace and remains calm when my lips release hers.
“We have to deal with these people. Neri will watch over you. Do what she says. Anika can remain asleep. Just be ready to wake her if necessary.”
My little girl loves to sleep. Waking her when it’s still dark out will only inspire tears, and quiet is our best ally right now.
Sunny grips my hand, but she doesn’t complain or ask me to stay. Like Neri, she understands how her emotional needs must take a back seat to more pressing issues.
I slide on my Kevlar vest and strap on a few gun holsters. Cobain is already decked out and ready to use the bathroom. Once he returns, we’ll make our move.
COBAIN
Kai tosses a flash grenade down the staircase and charges without hesitation. I need the fucker to act like a pro. So far, he does, but I don’t want him in the lead. I trust I can take a bullet better than the pretty boy.
He opens the house’s front door but doesn’t move outside. Instead, he disappears into the shadows of the dark living room.
The woman appears from the hallway with her weapon at the ready. She points it at the front door, assuming that’s where the attack originated. Despite Kai knowing how to distract a target, I assume the second generation badass won’t put a bullet in a woman.
His shot hits her between the eyes, ending her life instantly. I throw a flash grenade into the hallway where her body rests on its back. Taking the lead, I storm through the dark.