Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Chapter Nine
Bear
We sat outside the shitty little run-down motel where Leon Black and Boon were camped out. “Fuckin’ place shoulda been condemned years ago.” I grumbled as I studied the place with binoculars.
“Pretty sure it was.” Like me, Ringo was studying the place. “Is it even still open?”
“Nope.” Crush was back at the clubhouse but keeping tabs on us. “They chose this spot because they think the road across the street is the entrance to our lair. Strong evidence we’re being successful in covering our tracks when we go to and from the city.”
“You sure someone can’t track your signal straight to us, Crush?”
“Nah, Fang,” Crush drawled. “I thought I’d lead them straight to our door for shits and giggles.”
Falcon snorted. “Stay in your lane, bro.”
Fang grumbled. “Right. Sorry, Crush.” The younger man had come to us about a year ago after an exfil had gone wrong. He’d been left for dead but had managed to literally crawl his way out. Falcon had found him and brought him to us. Fang was a good guy, but trying way too hard to fit in.
“Give your sister mine and Byte’s Fortnite handles, and I’ll call it even.” I could hear the amusement in Crush’s voice, but I had to wonder exactly how much he was teasing. Ariana was the only family Fang had. He’d been trying to get her to move to the compound but she’d yet to agree.
“You get her to move to the compound and I will.”
“Give me a couple weeks.” It was the standard answer to that same demand.
Crush had never spoken to Ariana as far as I knew. Neither had Byte. Both men had pretty much fallen in love with her picture and bickered constantly in front of Fang about which brother would marry Ariana, just to get a rise out of him. It never worked. Though, if the girl did move to the compound, I had to wonder if things would stay so congenial.
“I’ll do it in one,” Byte said in the background of the radio.
“In your dreams,” was Crush’s response. As always.
“I may have to kill one or both of them,” Fang muttered. “They’re not serious, are they?” He looked at Falcon for reassurance.
“About wanting your sister in the safety of the compound? Absolutely.”
“The fuckers both want her!” Fang looked ready to do murder, but Falcon just chuckled.
“They’re yankin’ your chain, bro.”
“Uh-huh,” Lemon said with a grin. “We takin’ bets?” She blew a bubble, then sucked it back in with a pop.
“Can we please get back to business?” Ringo sounded annoyed, but I saw the twitch to his lips.
“They’re two blocks away,” Crush interrupted. He was all business now. “Dark blue Chevy pickup. They usually park half a block away and walk around back.”
“I’ve got them,” I said, adjusting my binoculars to bring the truck in question into focus. “Yep. I recognize both men. I assume there’s an entrance at the back of the building?”
“Homemade entrance,” Crush confirmed. “Someone knocked a hole in the back wall. They’ve reinforced it a bit, but it’s their way in, thinking no one will see them.”
“Boon’s smarter’n that,” I muttered. “What’s he playin’ at?”
“Bear?” Rocket put a hand on my shoulder. “What’re you thinkin’?”
I lowered the field glasses and met my president’s gaze. “That Boon’s either lost his mind or he’s trying to get Black caught.”
“This fuckin’ guy wanted to be director of the CIA,” Lemon scoffed. “Why is he not smarter’n that?”
I snorted. “If I had to guess, I’d say he was following Boon’s lead.”
“And Boon is about to get revenge for going to prison,” Lemon guessed, probably correctly.
I shrugged, glancing at Rocket. “Can’t think of anything else off the top of my head.”
“Bear?” Ringo still had his field glasses to his face, gazing intently at the shitty motel. “What’s that on the corner of the building next to the room Crush pegged them in?”
I took a look. “I don’t see anything.”
“Parallel to the bottom right corner of the window, at the edge of the stone wall.”
I surveyed the area carefully. Then I saw it. “Our old outfit’s insignia.”
“You guys were PsyOps?” Falcon raised his eyebrows in surprise.
I shrugged. “Started in the Army together. It’s how the CIA found us.”
“You think he’s playing a mind game?” That was the first time Olivia had spoken since we started out. She was obedient and did her best to stay out of everyone’s way. Lemon was at her side constantly, and Liv didn’t protest. Even now, she spoke softly.
I shrugged. “Could be, but, honestly, Boon wasn’t that kind of guy. Sure, he was really good at his job, but he’s more the bust ‘em in the nuts kinda guy.”
“Huh.” Lemon grunted. “Sounds like my kinda guy.”
Rocket pointed a threatening finger at her. “Watch it, sour puss.”
Lemon just grinned, flipping him off.
“Crush? Anyone hangin’ back? They got a sleeper waitin’ for us?”