Chapter 30
Rory
Two days after Kat’s birthday, I woke to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, her warm body still curled against mine. For a moment, I simply savored the feeling of her in my arms, marveling at how right it felt. But the peaceful moment was shattered by a sharp knock at the door.
“Kat? Rory? Meeting in ten minutes,” Declan’s gruff voice called out.
Kat groaned and buried her face in my chest. “Do we have to?”
I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’m afraid so, sweets. Duty calls.”
We reluctantly untangled ourselves and got dressed. As we headed downstairs, I couldn’t help but admire the way Kat’s hips swayed in her tight jeans. Focus, I told myself. Whatever Declan wanted; it was bound to be important.
We found Declan in the study, pouring over a map spread across his desk. He looked up as we entered, his expression grim.
“Good, you’re here. I’ve got this job for you two,” he said without explanation.
Kat tensed beside me. “What kind of job?”
Declan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We need to secure a shipment of guns. It’s a big one - enough firepower to arm a small army.”
We had enough weapons, so I knew it wasn’t for us. I felt my stomach drop. This was exactly the kind of high-stakes operation we always avoided. It brought too much heat to the Clan. “Who’s the buyer?”
“That, I can’t say,” Declan replied, his tone brooking no argument. “All you need to worry about is getting the guns and bringing them to the designated drop point.”
I studied his expression, and it was tight with worry. “Declan, I’m not comfortable walking in on this blindly. Who are you getting the weapons for?”
Kat snatched a paper off his desk and started reading off the shipment details.
Declan’s jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with irritation. “I told you, that’s not your concern.” He snatched the paper from her hands, “You two are the only ones that I trust for this job. I need it done cleanly and quietly.”
Kat stepped forward, her voice low and dangerous. “And we need to know what we’re getting into. These aren’t just any guns, Declan. This is serious firepower. If it falls into the wrong hands...”
“It won’t,” Declan snapped. “Look, I understand your reservations, but I’m asking you to trust me on this. The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”
I exchanged a glance with Kat, seeing my own unease mirrored in her eyes. This whole thing reeked of trouble, but Declan had never steered me wrong before.
“Fine,” I said. “But I want it on record that we’re doing this under protest. Where’s the pickup?”
Declan’s shoulders relaxed slightly. He pointed to a spot on the map. “Old warehouse district, just outside the city limits. You’ll rendezvous with the sellers at midnight. Get in, get the goods, get out. No complications.”
Kat snorted. “Right, because our jobs always go so smoothly.”
“What exactly would we need to do?” I asked cautiously.
Declan’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “The guns are coming in on a cargo ship tonight. You’ll need to intercept the shipment before it reaches the port and divert it to our warehouse. I’ve got all the details here.” He tapped the map on his desk.
I exchanged a long look with Kat. Her eyes showed concern, mirroring my own doubts. But there was also a spark of determination there.
Finally, she said, “Alright. We’re in. But Declan, if this goes south...”
“It won’t,” he assured us. “I’ve planned for every fucked-up scenario. Just stick to the plan, and you’ll be fine. Oh, and one thing. Take Kat’s 4x4, it’s less suspicious.”
As we bent over the map to study the route, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were crossing a line. One that we might not be able to come back from.
∞∞∞
The night air was crisp as we approached the docks, the distant hum of the city fading behind us. We had parked her vehicle and walked a half mile to the old warehouse. Kat moved like a shadow beside me, her footsteps silent on the concrete. I could feel the weight of the gun at my hip, a constant reminder of what we were about to do .
“There,” she whispered, pointing to a nondescript cargo container being unloaded from the ship.
We watched from the shadows as a small group of men began to transfer the crates onto a waiting truck. Everything seemed to be going according to Declan’s information.
“Ready?” I murmured.
She nodded, her face showing nothing but determination. We moved quickly, emerging from our hiding spot with weapons drawn.
“You can stop right there,” I shouted. “We will be taking those!”
The men froze, clearly caught off guard. For a moment, I thought it might actually go smoothly. Then I saw one of them reach for something in his jacket.
“Gun!” Kat yelled, a split second before the night erupted in gunfire.
We dove for cover behind some crates, bullets whizzing past our heads. So much for no complications, I thought grimly as I returned fire.
The firefight was intense but brief. When the smoke cleared, we were left standing amidst a scene of chaos. Two of the men were down, the others had fled .
“We need to move,” Kat said urgently. “Someone will have heard that.”
I scrambled into the truck’s cab as Kat provided cover and got in the passenger seat. The engine roared to life, echoing the chaos around us as we sped away from the docks, leaving a trail of destruction in our wake.
“Can you handle this thing?” I asked, my eyes darting between her and the road.
“It’s a U-Haul, how hard can it be?” Kat smirked, her confidence a stark contrast to the mayhem we had found ourselves in once again.
I chuckled, trying to shake off the fear and doubt creeping in. “Once we get to your vehicle, you drive this, and I’ll take your car to the drop off. Got it?”
“Why don’t I just drive mine?” she questioned.
“Because this truck is bigger and sturdier. You’ll be safer in it while I follow behind,” I explained urgently.
“Okay,” Kat nodded grimly as we screeched to a stop beside her car.
I hopped out of the truck as she took the wheel.
But I couldn’t let her go just yet. Before she could pull away, I grabbed the handrail and stood on the step, capturing her lips in a desperate kiss .
“I’ll be right behind you,” I promised.
∞∞∞
As we raced towards the rendezvous point, my hands shook on the steering wheel. What the fuck had Declan gotten us into?
We were nearing the drop off point, an old farmhouse with a barn in the back when I noticed headlights coming up behind me fast.
My heart raced as I watched the approaching headlights in the rearview mirror. They were gaining on us rapidly, weaving dangerously close.
“Shit,” I muttered, pressing the accelerator to the floor. I flashed my high beams at the truck, hoping she’d get the message to speed up.
“Come on, baby, come on,” I urged, willing her to go faster. We were so close to the farmhouse, but our pursuers showed no signs of letting up.
They were mere inches from my bumper now. I could make out the silhouette of two men in the front seat. One leaned out the passenger window, and my blood ran cold as I saw the glint of metal in his hand.
A deafening crack pierced the air as a bullet shattered my rear windshield. Glass rained down around me as I swerved, desperately trying to maintain control of the car. The next shot hit the driver side mirror, exploding it in a shower of glass and metal. They meant business.
I swerved, trying to make myself a harder target. Up ahead, I saw Kat veer off the road, the truck bouncing wildly as she cut across the field towards the barn. Smart move. I followed her lead, her old Blazer bouncing around like I was out enjoying a ride of baha-ing instead of being chased down by worse criminals than me.
Another shot rang out, this time puncturing my rear tire. The car fishtailed wildly as I fought to keep it on the road. I could see the truck pulling away, heading straight for the open doors of the barn.
With a sickening lurch, the car spun out, coming to rest in a ditch by the side of the road. The pursuers’ vehicle screeched to a halt nearby. As two armed men approached, I knew I had only seconds to kill them before they killed me and went after Kat.
I fumbled for the gun in my waistband but was relieved when I felt the cold steel in my hand. The driver’s side door was jammed from the impact, so I scrambled across to the passenger side, my heart pounding in my ears.
As I tumbled out onto the damp grass, I heard heavy footsteps approaching. I rolled under the car, holding my breath as a pair of boots came into view. The acrid smell of burnt rubber filled my nose.
“Where’d he go?” a gruff voice demanded.
“Check the car,” another responded.
I tightened my grip on the gun, trying to steady my shaking hands. The footsteps circled the vehicle, crunching on broken glass. A face appeared, peering under the car. Our eyes locked a split second before I squeezed the trigger.
The gunshot was deafening in the confined space. The man fell back with a strangled cry. I scrambled out from under the car, my ears ringing, adrenaline surging through my veins. The second man was raising his weapon, but I was faster. Two more shots and he crumpled to the ground.
In the distance, I heard the roar of an engine. Kat was coming back for me. I staggered towards the road, my legs wobbly from the crash and the shock of what I’d just done. I destroyed her car. The headlights of the truck illuminated the scene as she pulled up beside me.
“Get in!” she yelled, her face pale in the darkness. “We’ve gotta move!”
I climbed into the passenger seat, my hands still shaking. I glanced in the side mirror, half-expecting to see more headlights barrelling towards us. But the road behind us was dark and empty.
“What did you do to Nellie?”
For a minute I thought she was hit by a bullet and was delirious, but then I remembered Nellie was her 4×4.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered, barely audible, knowing how much she loved that heap of junk. “They shot out the tire, and I lost control on the gravel.”
She dashed a tear away as she looked at me. “Your head is bleeding. Did you get shot?”
I reached up to touch my forehead and felt the sticky warmth of blood on my fingertips. “No,” I said quickly. “I hit my head on the steering wheel when it rolled.”
She stepped on the gas and started driving. I pointed to a laneway for a farmer’s field and said, “Turn around here.”
She didn’t, she just kept driving in the wrong direction. “Why are we going this way? The barn is back there!”
“Because everyone in the barn is dead. I don’t know what the hell Declan was thinking.”
“Neither do I,” I murmured. “Head back to the estate.”