20. HUNTER #2
The men surrounding us need to believe they’re catching two dangerous idiots who overestimated themselves, not two professionals with a plan to be carted straight into the heart of the lion’s den.
I’m rushed from the left as Maddox is grabbed from the right, and we fight side by side just as we always have. I send someone sprawling into an electric security fence while more guards appear in the distance.
“Seriously?” Maddox grunts. “Is this really the best plan you could have come up with?”
“I don’t recall hearing any of your suggestions at the time.”
He scoffs and keeps himself busy, and I roll my eyes. “Don’t act like you’re not enjoying every second of this.”
An alarm sounds from the main building as the compound is suddenly lit up like the Fourth of July. Flood lights spill across the property, giving away the location of every last guard. And honestly, we’re doing a pretty thorough job.
This is just phase A of the grand plan, and the number of guards we can take out now significantly improves our chances of survival during phase B.
As for phase A, I would really like to wrap it up.
I’m getting bored of putting down untrained attack dogs.
There’s nothing fun or even slightly rewarding in it.
At least, not for me. Maddox on the other hand is having the time of his life.
After another few minutes of fighting, I glance toward Maddox. “Think we’ve made enough noise?”
He ducks another swing and pulls his trigger, sending a bullet right between the guard’s eyes, watching his brains splatter out the back. “Almost.”
I sigh and take a step back, letting Maddox have his moment. “Just checking.”
He takes out two more before finally giving in. “Alright,” he says. “It’s showtime.”
The next wave of guards are closing fast, and while this is the point where most people would take their chance to run, we do the opposite, moving closer and putting them in a position that gives them the advantage, and just as they reach us, I intentionally let one of the newcomers get close enough to tackle me.
The impact drives us both into the dirt, the wind knocking out of my lungs as a second guard joins him, then a third.
Across the property, Maddox is laughing at the display. “You’re doing great.”
A rifle butt catches him across the shoulder and he feigns a stumble as if being caught off guard, then he allows them to take him to the ground, hard, the same way they’d done to me, and before long, we’re completely surrounded.
The guards are brutal as they jerk us to our feet and slam the butts of their guns into our backs and shoulders, getting their shots in for their lost friends.
Maddox catches my eye over the top of a particularly nervous guard’s shoulder, his eyes sparkling like the stars in the night sky. “You know,” he says loudly. “I think they’re starting to like us.”
A guard punches him square in the stomach and I let out a sigh. This idiot is going to get us killed before we even get to phase B.
Maddox sputters and snorts a laugh. “Okay, maybe not.”
I lower my head to hide the smile threatening to pull across my face, because despite the restraints, despite the weapons, and despite the men surrounding us, everything is going exactly according to plan. And judging by the amusement in Maddox’s eyes, he more than knows it too.
Twenty minutes later, both Maddox and I are bound by our wrists, dangling from chains like Christmas ornaments on meat hooks driven into the concrete ceiling, our feet barely scraping the floor.
It’s not ideal, but it’s also not the worst situation we’ve ever been in.
Antonio’s men surround us, the material of my shirt barely holding on as they take turns whipping, beating, and trying to break us down. I clench my jaw as my ribs take another blow. This fucker’s got a good swing on him.
“Shit,” Maddox says. “That looked personal.”
I only grunt in response as the guard swings again, nailing me in the exact same spot while my rib gives out under the pressure.
“Yep, definitely personal.”
Their brutal attack goes on for nearly an hour, only walking away when both Maddox and I are left completely battered and bruised, blood dripping to the ground beneath us.
Only one guard remains to keep watch over us, sitting by the door with a rifle already locked and loaded in his hands. I roll my eyes at his performance. I don’t know what he thinks he’s going to achieve with that gun, but I can guarantee he’s going to be sorry if he attempts to use it.
I close my eyes and take a breath, mentally documenting my injuries and figuring out just how hard it’s going to be to get through to the next phase of my plan.
But considering we could be here a while, I have time to regain my energy.
All that matters is that we’re in the heart of the lion’s den, and sooner or later, Antonio is going to walk through that door to put a bullet through both of our heads, and when he does, Maddox and I will be ready.
Not to mention, we’ll be splitting the five-million-dollar payout for completing the contract.
I almost grin to myself. The amount of money someone would pay to destroy their competition blows me away sometimes, especially considering just how easy it could have been to take a gun and shoot the bastard themselves.
It’s not as though the type of person who ordered this hit wouldn’t have the connections.
Honestly, it seems like a waste of money if you ask me, but nonetheless, I’m more than happy to take it off their hands.
“You good?” I murmur, glancing at Maddox beside me, watching a trail of blood snake down his face from the cut above his brow.
“No talking,” the guard grunts.
Maddox ignores him and nods. “Never better,” he says. “Going well so far.”
I snort a laugh. “Exceptionally well.”
“Hey,” the guard spits, clutching the gun harder. “I said no talking.”
Maddox just smiles and looks out at the windowless concrete box around us.
“This is quite nice actually. I like what they’ve done with the place,” he muses.
“They’ve definitely upgraded since the last time we were here.
It could use a window or two for ventilation, though.
All out, I give it an eight out of ten.”
“Absolutely not.”
“What?”
I shake my head just as the guard flies to his feet, red faced and grasping his gun. He storms toward us but foolishly stops directly between us.
“I said,” he spits, turning toward me and pressing the gun against my chest, though I don’t doubt that he’s under explicit instructions not to kill us. Antonio would want that pleasure. “No fucking talking.”
My gaze flashes to Maddox, and the second he smirks, we each move. My foot slams out, catching the fucker in the chest and sending him flying back toward Maddox just as my best friend catches the guard with his legs.
Maddox’s thighs wrap around his head and with a quick twist, the guard’s neck is broken, and he goes down like a bag of shit.
I smirk at the way Maddox stands on the guard’s dead body to relieve the pressure on his wrists—not that I have the same pleasure. “This is not an eight,” I say, continuing our earlier conversation.
“It is.”
“It’s barely a six.”
Maddox gasps, having the decency to look appalled, but his expression only pulls at the cut on his brow, sending a fresh stream of blood into his mouth. “You’re being unreasonable.”
“I’m being accurate.”
He shakes his head. “You gave that warehouse in Brookhaven a seven.”
I scoff and glance at him, my brow arched. “Because it had character.”
“It had rats.”
“They were part of the atmosphere.”
I roll my eyes and give in to his bullshit. “Okay, justify it. What makes it an eight?”
Maddox chirps up, his chest all but puffing out as he’s pulled right into his element.
“You have to consider everything that went into this. There’s a drain for easy cleanup, ventilation above to keep the moisture out of the room, but it’s also letting in a small sliver of light.
The tools hanging up are clearly new, and there’s not even old blood stains on the walls.
Total bonus if you ask me. A severe lack of rats though.
They’re definitely missing out on an untapped market there. ”
I consider his reasoning, and I have to agree with most of it. “I do love a good, polished concrete.”
Maddox nods as a bloody smile pulls across his lips. “You know I’m a sucker for polished concrete.”
“It is a premium choice.”
Maddox whistles, looking at the cell in a new light. “Must have set DeLuca back a fortune.”
A familiar voice cuts through the cells. “Ten million to be exact.”
DeLuca.
And just like that, we’ve entered phase B of the plan. Draw the fucker out.
Antonio steps into view from beyond the row of cells and the first thing I notice is how much older he looks. It’s only been a few years, but that time hasn’t been kind to him. He’s heavier now, and still wearing enough gold jewelry to draw the attention of every pirate across the seven seas.
“You boys never learn,” he chides, barely sparing a glance at his dead guard under Maddox’s feet. He doesn’t even note how Maddox’s new position could be a threat to him.
He’s arrogant, that hasn’t changed since we last saw him, but what has changed is us, and considering that he’s standing in this room without a guard at his back tells me just how much he’s underestimated us.
Maddox grins. “You’d be surprised.”
Antonio just shakes his head. “Still the class clown,” he muses, but for just a moment, uncertainty flickers through his stare, and he takes a cautious step back.
Looks like he’s finally paying attention.
“I made an error in judgment the last time we met,” he says, his gaze shifting between us, his hand resting on the gun at his side. “I won’t make that mistake twice.”
“You made a grave mistake,” I tell him just as gunshots echo from somewhere deeper within the compound.
Antonio freezes, his stare locked on mine with a deep suspicion as shouting erupts from just outside the cell block. “Friend of yours?”