Chapter 23 #2
Not that it mattered how they’d gotten in. But the fact that they’d bypassed his security system pissed him off even more. Then again, Irinia and her family were trained assassins—of course they could get through the best technology.
He just hadn’t anticipated they’d come for Mila. Let alone here.
“Fuck!” He burst back inside, dragging his hand through his hair. His heart pumped wildly, warning him. If he didn’t calm down, he’d have a goddamn heart attack.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. A message in the group chat from Zain.
We’re on our way. Be there in ten.
He didn’t bother responding. Didn’t have it in him. Shoving his phone back in his pocket, he returned to the bedroom.
The douchebag on the floor had woken and was now struggling to get up with his arms and legs tied behind his back. He shuffled onto his knees, his ass in the air. Ghost came up behind him and booted him in the ass.
He fell face-first into the floor with a howl.
Ghost kicked him onto his back. The man’s wide, fearful eyes stared, unblinking.
He went to his nightstand and pulled out his SIG from the drawer. He’d keep the asshole’s Glock, but he much preferred his own weapon.
“We’re gonna have a chat,” Ghost said, pacing toward his captive. “I’ve got some buddies coming to join. You can save them the trouble by telling me what you know.”
Sweat broke out on the man’s brow. He pressed his back into the wall. “I told you. Irinia has her.”
Ghost knelt and fished the man’s phone out of his jacket. He held the screen in front of the guy’s face to unlock the device, then went through the texts. The most recent was sent from the phone:
I’m here
The timestamp was 3:39a.m.
Ghost tightened his hand around the phone and glanced at the guy. “Tell me your name.” He spoke evenly, somehow managing a level of control he didn’t feel.
Sweat rolled down his face. “Ron.”
Ghost nodded. “Here’s what’s going to happen, Ron. You tell me where the fuck they’re taking her and I won’t put a bullet in both your femurs.”
Ron withered. “I don’t fucking know! They didn’t tell me.”
Ghost stood and went back to his nightstand. After withdrawing a silencer, he returned with a smile. “Don’t wanna wake the neighbors,” he said with a shrug.
He had every intention of killing Ron. But not until he got what he wanted. He wasn’t keen on getting blood all over his hardwood floors, but Backcountry had the best cleanup crew.
“Look, man,” Ron said. “I wasn’t even goin’ with them. That’s why my friend took the woman and didn’t wait for me. My job was to kill you and get out. Not be part of her transport.”
All right, so that made sense.
Didn’t mean he wasn’t going to kill the fuck.
Knock , knock
Ghost stood and went to the front door. He checked the peephole before opening it. Rami and Zain breezed in first, tactical ready, just as they’d been hours ago.
August followed, his expression sympathetic and pained. “I’m sorry, man.”
Ghost gave a curt nod. “Follow me.”
He led the way to his bedroom. If Ron wasn’t scared before, he was fucking terrified now. His eyes widened and tremors shook him. He wet his lips.
“I t-told you what I know.”
“This is Ron,” Ghost said dryly. “One of his buddies took Mila while he tried to take me out in my sleep.”
“Show me the footage,” Rami said, a growl in his voice.
August smirked. “We’ll hang with Ron. That okay with you?” He smiled playfully at the asshole leaning against the wall.
Zain snorted.
Ghost motioned Rami to his office, where he pulled up the video footage.
Rami’s face darkened. “How the hell’d they get in?”
“Garage.”
His friend’s eyes flicked to his. “Alarm?”
“It was set. But it was set the night Mila got in, too.”
A scream split the air.
Rami’s lips twitched. “Better hope he’s still breathing.”
Ghost shrugged. The guys weren’t stupid enough to kill him yet. Not when they still needed information.
Rami leaned forward and took control of the mouse pad. “I’m going to send this to myself, along with any footage of the outdoor areas. See what we can find to trace this guy.”
He sent the video to the company drive, then they made their way back to the bedroom. Blood seeped through Ron’s white running shoe. Zain stood nearby, his gun, a silencer at its end, hanging at his side.
“He shot my fucking foot!” Ron bellowed.
“Scream again and I’ll knock your teeth in,” August said.
The guy whimpered and twisted. With his hands behind his back, he couldn’t hold his injured foot. Ghost didn’t feel a shred of sympathy. “If you know where they took her, tell me now.”
“I don’t know shit!”
August slammed his gun down on Ron’s kneecap. The crunch of metal on bone made Ghost wince. This time, Ron didn’t scream. His face contorted and a sharp hiss left his mouth as he withered on the floor.
“Let’s try that again.” August lifted the weapon and directed the mouth at Ron’s knee.
A thought crossed Ghost’s mind. “Hang on.” He pulled Rami aside. “Where’re Taschen and Brick?”
“Brick’s on his way here. I told Taschen we didn’t need him right away.”
“I want this guy’s real name. I’ve got a feeling he’s not who he says he is.”
Rami smirked. “No shit.”
“If he’s working closer with Irinia than he says—”
“Wait a sec.” Rami removed his phone from his pocket. “I have Mila’s file. It mentions Irinia’s family and the people Mila was working for here.”
“Her uncle, right?”
“Yeah, Boris something,” he mumbled. A minute later, he handed the device to Ghost. “Second page.”
Ghost read the list of names. Beside each was a driver’s license photo.
Boris Smirnov, age 61, married to Katia Smirnov, age 58
Denis Smirnov, age 33, son of Boris and Katia
Denis was the one sitting right in front of him.
“Hey Ron .” Ghost snatched the duct tape from the end of his bed and knelt next to him, showing his captive the screen. “This guy look familiar? He looks a lot like your ugly ass.”
Denis shrunk back.
Ghost ripped off a strip of duct tape and slapped it over Denis’s mouth. Without hesitation, he brought his gun to Denis’s knee and pulled the trigger.