15. Crew
Crew
“I lived up to my part of the bargain Mr. Sanderson. Now it’s time to hold up yours. Where is my son?” Valdez asked.
“The deal was for you to take your men down the mountain and I would release your son only after you were at a safe distance. Maybe my eyes don’t work so good, but it look like you still here.” I said.
“I don’t think I will. I think what I’ll do is come in there and get my son and while I’m at it I’ll take my future daughter-in-law too. How about that?” He smirked.
“I think your best bet is to get from around my gate before you can’t,” I growled.
“Is that so? Tomas come, bring me Maria.” He yelled, calling behind him.
The back driver's door opened on the SUV behind him and out stepped a short Hispanic man. He walked forward hoisting up a big ass rocket launcher onto his shoulder. The smile that spread across Valdez’s sleazy face when he saw it was deranged.
Everybody in his camp was so busy watching the man with the launcher that they hadn’t seen the small woman in yoga pants climbing out the back seat of the hummer and running the opposite direction down the mountain road.
That nigga didn’t make it to the front door before the hummer exploded into a ball of fire, flipping over and crushing the little man and the SUV next to it.
The explosion did exactly what it was supposed to do and pushed Valdez and his men back into firing range for my shooters to light them up.
Valdez screams of pain were pitched high in anger; from his point of view, I had just murdered his wife and some of his men.
Only if he knew the extent of my plans. The mountain road erupted into a haze of smoke, flames, gunfire and panicked screams. It was music to my ears.
From our position it was easy to start picking them off one at a time, resulting in heavy losses for Valdez and nearly none for us.
It was starting to look like a fair fight now that we had the upper hand.
They got in some lucky shots but for the most part it was like a live game of duck hunt out this bitch.
“Do you have eyes on Valdez?” Black shouted over the noise of the battle.
The mercs were retreating to positions further down the road and behind bullet riddled vehicles.
Valdez had to be hiding either with or behind them.
We needed to drag him out and end this. I didn’t have time for this shit my wife was busy having my baby and I wasn’t about to be fight no fucking hundred-year war with this nigga.
I scanned the wreckage of SUVs and bodies for the man that would end this.
Right when I thought he was gone I saw him, he was hiding behind the smoking hull of the hummer, shouting orders to the men around him.
I picked up a rifle that leaned against the wall and took aim, but instead of the sound of my rifle the sound of another explosion ripping a hole in the top of the gate, taking a few of our men with it, rang through the night air.
One of the mercs had got off a shot with the rocket launcher but they would have to do better if they wanted to get in here.
This installation was built to withstand an invasion and that was exactly what they would have to bring to breach these walls.
“Bring me his son.” I ordered
“If they get off too many of those they just might get in. If they were smart, they would hit the same weak spot. Hopefully his mercs were cheap and didn’t excel at modern warfare.” Black said as he ordered the men on the wall to spread out and take cover.
“If we get his son up here, he won’t risk it.” I said.
“I been workin’ on a final move if the kid doesn’t work.” Blue said, typing something into the tablet strapped to his forearm.
“Do it, we need all the help we can get to finish this.” I said to him.
I watched from my spot behind the brick above me as two guards brought Valdez’s heir up the stairs and over to where we crouched.
The boy's eyes were wide and full of fear, but he held his head up high in the face of possible death.
The guards pushed his head down, so he was crouching as well, staying low until he made it in front of them.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked, I had to give it to him, he never dropped his eyes as I spoke to him.
“Yes, my father is obsessed with getting his hands on your daughter. He is crazy and I think you know that. But I’m not. Your daughter is just a kid and even if she wasn't I’m gay he said.” Lookin’ me right in the eye.
I looked at Black and Blue tryin’ to get their take on the boy’s words. The way that Black was eyeing him said that he did.
“Your mother helped us distract your father. She said that he only cared about what you could do for him. If that’s true, that means you won’t mind being another distraction for me. We good?”
“I’ll do it. Whatever you need.” He said quickly.
“Good, tell him what you need Blue.” I said.
When Blue had what he needed I spoke again.
“When I tell you to stand up, stand where your father can see you. I promise nothing will happen to you as long as you listen to me.” I would keep my word if he kept his.
I gave the order to cease fire then grabbed the bullhorn and spoke to the men on the other side.
“Valdez, I have what you want.” I said and waited for a response.
A desperate shriek cut through the rapid sounds of automatic weapons. Valdez growled and shouted for his men to stop firing. It took only a minute for the men to heed their boss's command and then silence. I turned to the boy and motioned for him to stand and do what we discussed.
“Father please. Do what he says. I don’t want to die.” He begged, voice cracking a little.
“Edmond, it will be alright. Stay calm.” Valdez cried.
“It's done, keep him talking.” Blue announced.
“All you have to do is leave and I’ll send him out. There’s no need for anyone else to die.” I lied, because that was the plan. It had always been, but he would find out soon enough.
“You took her from me. You won’t take him. Send him down now or I’m coming in to get him.” Valdez seethed.
It was almost funny that he really believed that I would let him get anywhere near my family.
I stood from my position and stared down at him.
This powerful man that thought the world revolved around him and he could take what he wanted.
And maybe that was true, but that was before he met me.
He didn’t know the depths I would go to to win.
Blue turned his wrist towards me so that the screen showed the completed transaction he had been working on as a plan B.
I smirked and motioned for the boy to speed this shit up. It was time for me to go see my wife.
“Father please. Just back up. He said he will let me go.”
Valdez said nothing but spoke quietly with the mercs around him and then he shook his head and shouted.
“Ok, we’re leaving. Keep your word.” He hissed as he rushed to one of the SUVs behind him.
The men that were able climbed into any nearby working SUV and pulled back down the road with their boss.
“Showtime.” I said getting into position.
“You sure this will work?” Black asked as one of the guards walked the boy down the stairs to the sally port.
“It has too.” I said.
Valdez’s son stepped out of the gate, looking up one last time before he started running down the mountain to his father.
Two mercs grabbed the boy and escorted him to the back of the convoy.
Before the rest of them pushed forward again like I knew they would.
He would never keep his word once he had his son.
Not after thinking I had killed the boy's mother.
Valdez was so caught up in his anger that he had remembered that you can never trust a man that was motivated by money.
None of the men with him were there out of loyalty, a familial bond or friendship.
Every relationship he had was out of fear and financial gain.
He had no idea that the mercs behind him were the type of men to fight for money and not a cause.
That’s why when the mercs at his back took his son down the mountain to meet his mother and drove them to safety he was none the wiser.
He didn’t know that he stood alone, a mouse in a room full of viper. I let him come closer smiling that yellowed oily smile, standing at my gate like he had any power over what was about to happen.
“Mr. Sanderson, it seems you have no more leverage, and I have no reason to spare your life or the lives of your family. I had hoped that we would eventually come to an understanding like I had with the Harris’s. But I see now that a bond between us will never be.”
“You mean like you had with our dearly departed Sabrina and the late Harris’s?” I said pointing at Sabrina’s body that was still laid at the foot of the gate.
“Like you they didn’t honor their word and like you they paid for it with their lives.”
“I thought you would have been smarter than this Edmond.” I said finally using his name.
“What?”
“I thought that you would have seen what happened to the Harris’s and left well enough alone. Sabrina had to tell you what type of man I am.” I laughed.
“Oh, she did. She told me that you had gotten weak. Lost your balls because of grief. You missed a woman so much you forgot how to be a warrior.” He sneered.
“Is that what you came for, Edmond? You wanted to see the real Crew Sanderson? Kill them all.” I growled and a symphony of gunshots rang out, taking down the mercs Valdez’s son, just paid to turn on their latest boss.
Valdez ducked and dodged bullets and dying men like he could really outrun his fate.
When the smoke cleared, he was the only man standing, more like cowering.
“You still want to see the real me, Edmond?” I smiled as I walked down the stairs to give Valdez what he came here for.
He hadn’t come here to get Timberly; he came here to see the real me.
The air was thick with death and the coppery smell of blood.
Broken glass crunched under my boots the closer I got to Valdez’s location.
I stopped 10 feet short of his hiding spot, ready to finish this here and now.
“Come on out, Edmond. You wanted the old me, right. Here I am.” I said.
“You’re dead, do you hear me?” He screamed.
“You soundin’ real scared over there, nigga. Next time say that shit with your chest. Give it a little more bass and maybe it’ll sound believable.”
I’ll kill you. You bastard.” He yelled, standing and running towards me with his gun pointed at my face.
“Yo gon’ kill me now. Then what, huh? Do you really think you gon’ make it out of here after you shoot me?”
“If I’m dead already, I might as well take you with me.” He stated.
“All you had to do was leave and your family wouldn’t have turned on you.
I mean I have to thank them. I would have used my own money to buy out your mercs, but who would have guessed your son would do it for me.
They really hate you, huh. I could teach you some parenting skills.
I mean I ain’t been doing it for long but. I think I’m better than you.”
“Shut up. You don’t know what you're talking about.” He hissed.
“Actually, I do. Shit, I’m not sure who turned on you faster, your family or your friends.
” This so-called powerful, criminal mastermind was crumbling right before my eyes from a few words and insults.
Damn, this shit was ridiculous. “You were better off leaving Sabrina alive. At least she would have rode for you since you were her only option left.”
“Shut up, I said…” He screamed, cocking his gun and click; nothing happened.
“Damn Edmond, I thought you was a killer.
But what type of killer don't remember how many bullets they have left.” I asked unholstering my gun and aimed.
The instant sense of dread and fear in his eyes was comical.
The big bad human trafficker, about to piss his pants because of a gun in his face.
His face turned beet red and he dropped to his knees with a thud.
“Please we can work this out. It doesn’t have to end like this. I’m a very rich man. I can give you anything, money, drugs, women, anything you want, you just name it and it’s yours.” He whimpered.
“Nova is all I ever wanted and if yo’ weird ass hadn’t come around here causin’ all this trouble I would be with my family watching her give birth to my son.
But nawh you had to come up here startin’ all this shit.
Consequences are a muthafucka. Are you cryin’ nigga.
I ain't even got to my monologue yet. Ah well. I got shit to do.” I said, pulling the trigger and ending the life of this coward.
“Anyone that is not related or employed by me still on this mountain when I return is dead. Pick yo’ shit up and get the fuck on.
This is your only warning.” I growled and turned my back on the scene behind me.
I walked back inside and it felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off my chest. My baby girl was safe again; she could enjoy life and be a kid. But somethin’ told me that she would still want to keep up with her training.
“They’re leaving.” Blue said, showin’ me his monitor.
Damn, they didn’t even pick that nigga’s body up when they left.
I would have the bodies loaded up and dropped off at the office, to be disposed of properly.
Wouldn’t want anyone finding any parts of them.
Our men were busy clearing the main road on our side of the gate of metal and rock from the explosion and offering medical aid to those who had been injured.
But my mind was focused on getting to my family, Black and Blue followed close behind me, eager to get inside as well.
We had taken out the trash and now it was time to be with the people we loved.