52
EMERSYN
“Team one in position.”
“Team two in position.”
I took a deep breath and looked through my scope at the approaching vehicles.
According to our intel, Octavius was going to show up at the end of the deal to ensure the transport of the weapons was to his satisfaction.
He wasn’t going to be there for the actual deal.
So, the team would hold until Octavius showed up.
An unmarked semi-truck pulled into the empty lot flanked by two SUVs.
A collection of men spilled out and opened the back of the semi.
“That’s a lot of weapons,” Hangman said softly over comms.
The entire truck was filled with pallets and crates. But, I didn’t care about the weapons. I scanned the faces of all the people there, but it was obvious none of them were Octavius. I clicked my scope over to night vision and scanned the access road. A dust cloud rose between the scattered brush.
“We’ve got company—access road one,” I reported. “Wait for visual confirmation.”
I opened my mouth to say something else when pain exploded at the back of my head.
Everything went black, and my ears rang so badly I barely heard the crunch of footsteps.
A set of hands grabbed me and at first I thought it was the enemy who’d found my position, until I caught the familiar scent of Riggs.
He tossed me away and I landed on my back with a groan.
I fought through the dizzy spell and squinted at the dual image of him as he advanced. He’d torn my comms unit off.
Riggs knelt down and grabbed my vest. He yanked me up until I could clearly see his face in the dim gloom.
“Who’s watching your back, Syn?” he taunted, then scoffed. “Fucking pathetic that I can still sneak up on you after all this time.” He pulled my gun from its holster and tossed it aside before doing the same with my second gun and two knives.
“Riggs,” I stammered. “What are you doing? We have a job!”
“No, you have a job,” he shoved me away and paced.
I tried to track him, but winced as pain flared in my head. “What does that mean?”
“I shouldn’t have let it go this far.” His gloved hands were in his hair, tugging it every which way. He looked unhinged, but he’d finally solidified back into one Riggs.
“Riggs—”
He whirled, and I scrambled backward at the sudden look of revulsion on his face.
This was more than the normal dislike—this was something else, something darker and far more dangerous.
I managed to get to my feet before he reached me, but a sharp pain cut through my head.
I winced, which allowed the opening he needed to shove me back against a massive boulder.
His hands went to my throat. The visceral thought that he actually might kill me screamed through my mind.
But, I wasn’t the inexperienced teenager from five years ago. I slammed my arm against his and wrapped myself through his hold. He released with a grunt of pain and I stepped away, intent on finding my comms unit to radio the team.
Riggs moved in from behind, and I ducked just in time to avoid being wrapped in a rear choke. I advanced on him and we sparred across the rocky space on the ridge.
“Riggs, whatever this is, you need to stop,” I panted when we broke apart.
I heard gunshots and cursed. The team was down there alone with no support.
“We need to go,” I growled.
“No, you and I are leaving,” Riggs said.
“Fuck that! I’m not leaving the team!” I said, incredulously.
I caught the glint of metal in the underbrush, and carefully maneuvered toward it without taking my eyes off Riggs.
I was yards away when Riggs saw what I was going for.
I lunged for it and Riggs followed. We wrestled for the gun.
He landed a nasty elbow to my mouth, and I tasted blood.
I headbutted him and tripped him down to the ground where I straddled his hips and pointed the gun at his forehead.
“Do it,” Riggs snarled.
My heart slammed against my chest as he wrapped his hands around the barrel of the gun and held it against his own head.
“Do it, Syn!” Riggs barked. “Fucking do it!”
When I didn’t blow his head off, Riggs chuckled darkly.
“Pathetic. You can’t do it can you?”
He surged up and quickly disarmed me. He pressed the gun against my jaw while he held one wrist pinned behind my back.
“You know why? It’s because you’re nothing without me, Syn.” He leaned in close and caressed the barrel down my cheek. “Nothing, and you know that—deep down, you know that. What would you do without me, baby? I. Own. You.”
I glared up at him, my breaths short and shallow. My fingers grasped the one last lifeline I had.
“You’re wrong,” I said, my voice breathless with adrenaline.
Riggs scoffed. “About which part?”
“All of it.”
The rage I’d kept under wraps for years surged free and I brought the hidden knife up and buried it into his side. A savage twist allowed me to knock the gun aside where it flew out of his hand and into the dark. I was done being talked down to.
I rushed past him and as I did, I yanked the knife out and slashed at the backs of his knees. I took a few steps away and heard his breathless gasp of pain as he crashed to the ground. I looked down at the dark blood on the blade and took a deep breath of cold night air.
The darkness closed in. I vaguely smelled pine, but I knew it was all in my head. I turned to Riggs and walked around to face him. Shock was written all over his face. I’d nicked a lung on purpose, and he drew in gasps like he couldn’t get enough air.
I sighed and shook my head sadly. “So delusional,” I said, my voice steady. “You’ve taken so much from me and like an arrogant man, you think that means you’ve left me with nothing.”
Riggs’ brow furrowed as he tried to wrap his peanut-sized mind around that one.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Riggs stammered.
“You’ve taught me a lot, Riggs,” I smirked. “You taught me how to compartmentalize. You taught me how to hide my emotions. You taught me how to manipulate a narcissist.”
I stepped forward and buried the blade slowly into his shoulder. I relished the feel of it slicing through his skin.
“I lost myself in you,” I said bitterly. “But, that ends now.”
He growled and lashed out a hand, but I twisted the knife again, and the pain overwhelmed him.
“Syn, come on, let’s get away from here,” Riggs gasped. He grimaced in pain and tripped over the words. “We–we can–start over–just you and me. I can change—”
I yanked the knife out and scoffed. “You? Change? Please. I know you think I’m stupid, but you know I’m not that stupid.”
I watched Riggs’ blood flow out of his wounds and drip onto the ground. In the dark, it wasn’t red, it was black and left the air tainted with copper and death.
“You can’t kill me,” Riggs spat. “You would have shot me—”
I pinched the bridge of my nose in exasperation. “No, see, you’re still not getting it. Why would I shoot you?” I placed the blade under his chin and forced him to look up. It was incredibly satisfying, even if all there was in his eyes was anger. He truly didn’t think I could kill him.
“Why would I shoot you,” I said again. “When I can make you suffer instead?”
“Fuck you,” Riggs growled.
“No. Fuck. You.” I stabbed him roughly in the stomach. He groaned and doubled over. I caught him, my hand going around his head, and I cradled him against my shoulder.
“Five stab wounds—for five years,” I whispered in his ear. “I think that’s three.”
I pulled out the knife and stabbed him in the stomach again. “Four.”
I shoved away and he toppled over onto his back. Blood gushed through his fingers as he tried to stop the bleeding.
I straddled him. “There it is.” I reveled in the fear I finally saw in his eyes. “I think you understand where I’m coming from now. Any last words—baby?”
Riggs gritted his teeth and a growl escaped. I held up my hand. “Actually—no. We’re going to do something different.”
I leaned forward, hovered inches above his gasping lips, and drove the blade slowly into his neck.
“I’m going to say my last words to you instead,” I smirked. “You don’t own me, Riggs. No one ever has, and no one ever will. I know what I’m capable of—and now, so do you.”
I pressed my lips to his cheek. “And, that’s five, baby.”
I pulled back enough to watch the light drain from his eyes, blood trickled from his lips, and his body went still. I tipped my head back and inhaled breath after breath of him, the earth damp with his blood, the scent of death, and I smiled.