Chapter 52
Sarge
I see no innocent men here.
Moving through the house has been easy, with no sign of life until we clear the massive kitchen. From further down the hall, an excited “whoop” echoes through the quiet. Raising a fist, I signal for Wolf and Bear to halt. We duck inside what looks like a home theater.
Must be nice to be rich.
But if the choice came between being a middle-class broken veteran or getting wealthy by selling bodies, I would choose the broken veteran every single time.
I may not be above the law, but I’ll die with a clear soul. My crimes save people. This place? It just breaks the law to break the people in it.
Gizmo’s voice crackles in my earpiece. “Prez, we’ve got movement. Looks like one of the guards is entering Hannah’s room.”
My head snaps toward Wolf and Bear. “I need to get upstairs, now. But I can’t get there alone. Too many eyes,” I whisper.
I grab the mic hanging from my earpiece and call for backup. “Gonna need all hands on deck. Hit the second floor in three minutes.”
If I felt like we were short on time before, we’re officially out of it now. Someone is going into my woman’s room, and I doubt it’s to fluff her pillows.
“I can’t be sure where Ace and Booker are, but my money is on this room.” I point ahead of us. “We move in, take out anyone that gets in the way. You got it?”
They both nod, and we move in unison toward the door.
I press my back to the wall and peer into the doorway.
Diesel, Booker, and Ace sit together at the bar, taking shots with another man.
Behind the bar, a man dries glasses. Just as Ace drops his head from gulping down his shot, he spots us.
Like someone beyond his years and experience, his gaze doesn’t linger, but the message is clear.
The fact that he knows we’re here is all the confidence I need. I raise my pistol and take out the bartender first. The suppressed shot is a harsh, pressurized pop—like a balloon bursting in a quiet room. The guards upstairs have likely heard the blow, and we need to move fast.
Hearing the sound himself, Diesel ducks down, exposing the man next to him at the bar. Bear quickly eliminates him and moves to point his gun at Diesel, who is now using Booker as a human shield. Ace retrieved a gun from the dead bartender, and now there are three pistols aimed at Diesel’s head.
“Ha!” He laughs out. “Are you willing to kill an innocent man just to get to me?”
Holstering my pistol, I quickly opt for the rifle slung over my shoulder.
“I see no innocent men here.” Booker and Diesel sway as my shot goes clear through them both at once. Their bodies fold forward and collapse almost in unison as they cough up blood.
“Sorry, man. Couldn’t wait anymore.” I say to Ace. “Give ‘em all a double tap, don’t want these assholes getting back up.”
I hardly catch the nod of his head before I’m out the door and sprinting toward the twisting stairs. Movement through the hallway is a blur, and I reach the base of the stairs right on time. The three-minute window must be up because twenty men come crashing through the front entrance.
Standing on the stairs is a single guard who looks like he drew the short straw. They must have sent down one man to investigate the noise. That ends up being a fatal mistake. The poor bastard doesn’t even get a chance to rack a round before half a dozen bullets rip through him.
My shoulder slams into his stunned body as I push past, sending him tumbling down the remaining stairs. I’ve failed her too many times to let anything or anyone keep me from getting to my Butterfly.