Chapter Twenty-Nine #2
He turned his phone around to show me. “I know where they’re heading,” I said. “Ryan, inform the other teams, and mobilise in that direction. I think perhaps Jordan and I should knock the door and pay Alexander a visit.”
“Excellent,” Jordan replied. “Good manners are always acceptable, and most issues can be settled over a cup of tea.”
I didn’t know whether he was serious or joking, and looking at Ryan he seemed to be having the same problem interpreting the situation.
The metal door opened, and Jake’s car drove down the ramp. He swung it into the corner, exiting, and moving toward us.
“They’re throwing up smoke and mirrors out there to try and confuse us,” Jake said. “I have people pretending to follow their misdirection so we can focus on where we need to be.”
My phone rang, and Dad’s name flashed across the screen. He had deliberately ignored me since I refused to hand my wife over to be mauled by dirty old men with filthy imaginations.
“Dad,” I answered.
“What the fuck is going on? There is word on the network that Olivia has been taken.” I had always suspected that he had never fully handed over the reins of the family business to me, and the confirmation of a network that I had never been given access to proved it.
“I’m busy right now. Can I ring you back?” I replied.
“No you fucking can’t!” Dad sounded irate. “I need to know what is happening right now!”
“You tell me,” I replied. “I don’t seem to be part of a network currently discussing my wife.”
“Maximus…” His tone warning as he elongated my name.
“I have nothing to say to you.” I cut him off.
“You allowed both of us to walk into that house without any warning of what was about to happen. Is that what you did to Mum? Did you sell her to the highest bidder and do a discrete DNA test if she accidentally got pregnant when one of those sick bastards raped her?”
“You don’t understand…”
“I understand, Dad. The difference between you and me is that I would never allow anyone to touch my wife. When I promised to love and honour, I took my vows seriously.”
“This life takes a terrible toll, but it gave us the security you grew up in, protected you from unseen threats—”
“It didn’t protect Willow,” I cut in. “In fact it was one of your precious peers that had her abducted and tormented.”
I hung up and clutched my phone to save me throwing it against the wall.
“Families can be difficult,” Jordan said to my left. “I spent years fighting against Grampa, only to realise he was the one person who truly had my back. I believed he was the enemy, when he had been forced to deal with circumstances beyond my understanding.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?” I asked, turning to face him.
“I’m saying that you and your father are different people. Maybe the strength of character you have today is because of the sacrifices he made yesterday.” Jordan shrugged and gave me a sad smile. “It took me a long time to realise I should be grateful instead of angry.”
“We need to leave,” I snapped, more confused than ever. “Jake, take your team to their back door. Jordan and I will be arriving as honoured guests.”
He nodded once. “Alexander has been playing this game from before we were born. There is no way he is stupid enough to take Olivia without having a welcome party waiting for you.”
“Then we make sure we’re not sitting ducks,” I replied. “Take no prisoners. Kill anything that moves. We want minimum casualties on our side.” We both knew there was no way we were finishing today without fatalities, but we could start the day optimistic.
“You want me to brief the men?” Jake asked.
The weight of responsibility fell on my shoulders. “No.” I shook my head. “I’ll do it. Ryan, open me a channel.”
I fucking hated asking people to risk their lives when it was my fault that Olivia had been taken.
“All comms devices active,” Ryan said.
“A target has been acquired,” I said, trailing a hand through my hair. “We started today in the middle of a row, and we now find ourselves going to war. I won’t order you to follow me, I’m asking as your friend, because I would do it for you.”
I had put my neck on the line for more than one of my men, and they knew it. I had already began to form this establishment before I had taken over from Dad, deliberately keeping his loyal men away from vital and private information. All my men were valuable and equal.
“Max, you’ve pulled most of us out of the shite.
I have no problem standing at your side, and getting that young lassie of yours back.
” Douggie had been with me since we met at college years ago after his family immigrated from Scotland.
“We all know how to watch our backs out there, and protect the man beside us.”
“This is a kill mission,” I replied. “No survivors, no hostages, and no mercy. We strike hard and first.”
“Let’s end this,” Stefan said. “The fuckers torched my club, and that place was my baby. Let them all burn in Hell.”
“Okay, people. We are about to roll out. Ryan has programmed our destination into your satnavs. Alexander is a professional and will be expecting us. Everyone be cautious, and stay safe out there.” I met Jake’s troubled gaze. He nodded once, before moving to the armoury at the back of the unit.
“Let’s go,” Jordan said. “My wife is out there, and quite frankly if anyone has bent a hair on her head, I intend to ensure they leave this world screaming in agony.”
“Sounds lovely,” I replied, holding my hand out to indicate he get into the car. “Do I need to pack my ear defenders?”
“Oh no,” Jordan said with a scary grin. “I insist on hearing the last confession of my enemies, as I send their souls to hell to ensure they have no route back.”
“Amen to that,” I muttered, sliding into the car, and bringing it online.
The windscreen turned into a computer screen with details lit up around the edges to allow me to monitor everything.
Jordan whistled lowly. “Impressive. A real live James Bond car. Does it have guns and missiles?”
The left side of my mouth lifted in a grin. “Top left corner,” I replied, turning the dial on the indicator to move the light around the windscreen until it lit that symbol up.
“I look forward to a front row seat,” Jordan replied. “I do love a good demonstration.”
We fell into silence as my car ate the miles between Olivia and myself.
I felt every mile as my body tightened with tension, the monster inside me roaring his anger.
Over the years, I had trained that monster, hiding him until no one knew he existed, no one but Olivia as she seemed the only person able to tame him.
Too soon, the entrance gates to Alexander’s property came into view.
“Alpha team about to enter,” I said, pressing the button in the centre of my steering wheel to connect me with the rest of my team.
I tapped a button in the centre console. “Map property,” I instructed. A small panel opened above the front light, and tiny drones were released to follow my command, their data already forming the outline of a map on my windscreen.
“What are we looking for?” Jordan asked.
“Targets,” I replied, activating the symbol to bring the weapons online. “We need to identify what creates the most damage before we leave the car.”
Jordan gave me a sharp look, realising I intended to leave the car like a ticking bomb before we walked into the house.
“And I thought I was crazy,” he muttered.
“You need to target not where it will damage the building the most, but incapacitate them. Any generators, where electricity or gas enters the house, that sort of thing. Does this car detect power surges or temperature spikes?”
“Yeah.” I tapped the screen on the front dashboard to activate infrared detection.
“There.” Jordan pointed at the map on the windscreen. “Any area with a spike like that will bring down their comms and cameras, with the added advantage of creating a massive explosion.”
“They will have most of their security at the doors,” I agreed. “Since that is where they expect their enemies to enter.”
“Then we create our own doorway,” Jordan said with the dark chuckle I had begun to associate with his most dangerous thoughts. “Knock knock.”
I swung the car around the final turn in the driveway to lead us to the front of the mansion. Alexander had created this structure when he took over from his father, demolishing what had been his ancestral home, and created a monstrosity to match his character.
I tapped on targets until there was no ammunition showing on the monitor.
“Activate weapons,” I instructed. “Await my command.”
Ryan had installed software in these cars that were connected directly to the drivers.
This was my car, so the weapons activator was carried by me when we left the car.
No one would be able to drive this car except me as there was facial recognition when I sat in the driver’s seat, so I left the key in the ignition to keep the weapons active.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Absolutely.” Jordan slid out of the car, straightening the cuffs of his shirt under his perfectly tailored suit jacket. The man made murder into an artform.
I felt weapons track our every step up to the main doors, a thousand eyes watching us. The doors swung open as we reached it, Alexander standing with his arms outstretched.
“What a privilege,” he said. “What have I done to earn this honour?”
“I’m here to collect my wife,” I replied, stepping inside to push past Alexander. “Do you want to bring her to me, or do you want me to find her myself?”
Alexander slapped his hand on his chest. “You wound me. Why would I do such a thing?”
“Because you’re an asshole,” I replied, turning to face him. “Consider me the haemorrhoid here to annoy you.”
“You don’t get to threaten me in my home,” Alexander sneered, his top lip rising. “I could have you killed and your body never found.”
“Technically, that’s my favourite pastime,” Jordan said. “So I can’t have you stealing that idea. You have my wife as well, so probably best to comply before my men lose control as they see Megan as family.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Alexander snapped. He made the mistake of trying to lash out at Jordan, ending up on his ass as the Englishman grabbed his wrist and flipped him over before he realised what was happening.
“I do not like people touching me,” Jordan said in his posh accent. “People should keep their hands to themselves. It starts with puppies and children, and then becomes an epidemic of touching, and then hugging.” He wiped his hands on his suit, his nose wrinkled in disgust.
“Do you know who I am?” Alexander demanded, struggling to his feet.
I heard the sound of footsteps joining us in the entrance hall, danger surrounding us.
“I am aware of who you are,” Jordan replied. “Do you need help with remembering your identity?”
“I have no idea who the fuck you are, but you’re about to be dead,” Alexander threatened.
Jordan and I both drew our weapons, and our first shots were synchronised as we eliminated targets around the room. Jordan dodged behind one of the vulgar, ornate newel posts at the bottom of the staircase, aiming at the men firing at us.
The monster inside me screamed his rage, and I turned my attention to the man who brought me here. I grabbed Alexander, locking my arm around his neck.
“Tell them to stop, or you are dead,” I said against his ear. “I don’t need you alive to tear this house apart, and find Olivia.”
Alexander waved his arms in a futile gesture.
“A little louder for those at the back,” I snapped.
“Stop!” Alexander wailed.
The man was a miserable excuse of a human being, not learning to defend himself as he could pay for the best security to save his useless ass.
I shot him in the knee, and his cry this time pierced the hallway, stopping everyone as he drew their attention.
“I have no problem killing your boss, but my guess is that you won’t get paid if he’s dead,” I called out. “I am here for my wife, and I intend to leave with her. You can either help me and walk out of here with your life, or be buried in the rubble with your master.”
“A million to the first man who shows us where they took the ladies,” Jordan said. “In cash.” The man knew how to drive a bargain.
“None of us have seen any women, but two vans arrived a few hours ago at the buildings at the back of the property,” a man in the back said. “Two million, and I’ll take you there.”
I knew Jake was hearing everything happening in this room, the camera in the pin on my jacket transmitting limited visual. He would send a team to that location.
“Two million for being a team player,” Jordan confirmed.
“I’ll have your head,” Alexander sneered, struggling against my hold.
“My head is worth more than two million,” Jordan replied, turning to look around the room. “This piece of shit is not worth your loyalty. Save yourself by surrendering to our men outside.”
“Nobody move an inch.” One of Alexander’s many sons stood on the balcony, his hands braced on the bannisters. “Who cares if the old man dies today? The Marino dynasty will live on.”
“Nice to know your son cares,” I taunted him. “Maybe you should have shown your daughters more care, they have bigger balls than your boys.”
“Brendan will take over, and he will reward you for your loyalty,” the man on the balcony called. “Every one of you know he will hunt down every man who defects, and those they love.”
A single shot rang out, a surprised expression frozen on Alexander’s son’s face, a trickle of blood emerging from the hole left in his forehead before he collapsed. Jordan stood, his arm still raised and aimed at the man he just killed.
“There is no need for amateur dramatics,” Jordan said. “I don’t have time to stand here and discuss pleasantries, I’m here to take my wife home.”
“Kill them!” Alexander screamed, thrashing against me.
I shot his other leg, tossing him onto the floor.
“We are breaching the outbuildings,” Jake said in my ear. “Stand by.”
There were explosions in the background, sirens echoed through the house, and red flashing lights illuminated the hallway. More armed men ran into the hallway, their commanders shouting orders.
Jordan and I looked at each other, and sprang into action. My first kill was Alexander because this mission was to recover Olivia and Megan. Everyone else was to be dead when we left. Hell was going to be busy tonight.