Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
DECLAN
The sounds of heavy boots treading through the tall, dry grass are nothing more than whispers on a breeze as the seven of us trudge almost silently toward the run-down building. All of us are united in the way we scope out the area for any signs of life. An eerie sense of calm descends on the area, raising all my hackles. Dusk has settled, fully engulfing us in the dim lighting that comes with the impending night. Even the sounds of the awakening nocturnal nature seem to stand still with each sure step we take closer to the deserted hotel.
Nothing good has happened in this place.
Though my focus is solely on the decrepit building in front of us, I can still sense all of my brothers around me, as if we share a unified bond that enables us to know exactly where the others are.
Romeo and his four men try to mimic our silent approach, but they seem to be falling short. The black cloth of my face mask hides my smirk at his attempt at a stealth mission. The mafia may be good at a lot of things; torturing, maiming, and killing being among those skills. But sneaking up on the enemy will never be on that list of successions.
Once we’re close enough to the building to read the colorful graffiti marring the side of it, Owen emits a short whistle from between his teeth. The sound mimicking that of a Northern Cardinal serves as our signal to split apart. Ace and Coop veer east, while Li and I break off toward the west emergency exit. Owen, Tanner, and Hayden will continue before breaking apart and heading to their predetermined point of entry. From this point onward, we will have to rely on our earpieces for all communication.
I school my racing thoughts as Li and I approach our door and wait for our next signal. Hearing movement behind us as we come to a halt, I turn to see Romeo and Dom stepping closer to us. The calm indifference we were taught to show as children cover their faces the moment they step onto the cracked concrete leading to the heavy metal door.
Li steps forward and drops his rifle against his chest as he looks up toward the roof of the three-story building. I follow his gaze to the transformer adorning a nearby power pole. From here, I can see that the power has been cut to the old building, which is exactly what we needed to see. We wouldn’t want any alarms to be raised by opening the fire exit.
I tap my earpiece, activating its vocal recognition. “Power’s cut, all clear,” I say quietly as Li gets down on his knees in front of the door.
Without a word, he swings his rifle to lay against his back before pulling a small black pouch out of his jacket pocket. With deft fingers, he retrieves the necessary tools from the lock-picking kit and begins to pick the lock. In a matter of moments, we hear the solid click of the bolt being released. Despite wearing his mask, I can still see the way he smiles underneath as he stands upright. He then settles his AR against his chest once more.
“You’re getting faster at that,” I mumble as he rights himself again.
He chuckles quietly. “Tate and I have a running bet to see who’s the fastest. So far, she’s still quicker than me, but I’m determined to beat her record,” he says with a playful lilt in his voice.
I shake my head as we face the door once again. “What do you get if you win?” I ask, biting back my grin.
Li glances at me, humor sparkling in his brown eyes. “Bragging rights, brother,” he shrugs. “And maybe a blow job,” he chuckles quietly.
I snort, and Owen’s deep voice cuts off any reply I may have had. “Seems a little too quiet. Everyone, keep your eyes open and assholes puckered. We’re going in now.”
Silence falls again as I nod at Li and glance back briefly at Rome and Dom. I signal to them with my fingers, pointing at my eyes and then at the door, silently relaying half of Owen’s message to them. Both seem ready, if not slightly bored, as Liam steps forward and grabs the metal door handle. As the heavy door creaks open with a metallic whine, I hold my breath and wait for the impending explosion that will take us all into the fiery pits of hell.
But when we are met with a quiet, dark staircase instead, I release my pent-up breath. I follow Liam's lead as he steps past the doorway, switching on the small flashlight mounted on top of his rifle. Artificial light floods the narrow staircase, just as the sense of dread coats my nerves.
But even so, as Liam plunges himself into the darkened stairwell, I follow right after. The air is stagnant in here, and with the lack of airflow, it becomes nearly suffocating the further we step into the stairwell. Sweat gathers and beads on my forehead, threatening to drip into my eyes before I can swipe it away. Our footsteps echo behind us as the four of us enter the dark stairwell, and Dominic closes the door behind us.
Each of us points our rifles in different directions, illuminating the old, busted vending and ice machines, the cobweb-filled corners, and even the dusty ground that bears no footprints of potential intruders. I direct my light toward the door that, according to the blueprints, leads to the lobby and abandoned front desk. Seeing no movement out the small window on the door, we stand by for our orders. And thank fuck we don’t have to wait long before Owen’s hushed voice comes over the comms once again.
“Coop and Ace, I want you on the second floor. Sweep the area and then come back down,” he waits for confirmation from Coop before moving on. “Li, Dec, same on the third floor. Sweep and descend.”
“Got it,” Li says as he takes to the stairs with me hot on his heels. He takes them two at a time as if the sheer heat of the stairwell doesn’t exhaust him.
“Ken and Ginger, sweep the lower level. Check every room, including maintenance and laundry rooms. I got the basement. Everyone reconvene in the lobby in twenty,” Owen says with finality before the line goes silent once more.
Not one to waste time, I rush to match Liam's fast pace. His long legs eat up the distance between us and the third-floor landing at a staggering rate. My thigh protests as it stretches painfully, but still I forge on. Though we are treading lightly, the vast emptiness of the stairwell amplifies the echoes of our footfalls throughout the open space. Nevertheless, we press on, hoping no one is listening in.
As we turn around the last set of stairs, Li shines his light on the door that will lead to our freedom. His steps slow, and as such, mine do as well. I know without looking that Rome and Dominic have both come to a halt behind me. Their breathing is only slightly more rushed due to the physical exertion of climbing three flights of stairs.
Li glances back toward us before sending me a slight nod. After spending years working with one another in a multitude of operations, I know what he needs without him uttering a single word.
I motion for my brother and Dom to stand down as I step up to Li’s side. Taking my position across from him, I flatten my back against the wall next to the door. At my nod, he moves.
Quickly, he throws open the heavy metal door and waits for any signs of life to make themselves known. Or signs of death, rather. But with no sounds of bullets being fired or shouts raising alarms, we move.
Li goes first, then me, right after. We step through the doorway into the blackened third floor. He stands tall while I crouch and face the opposite direction with my rifle ready. My finger is firmly pressed on the trigger as we both visually sweep the immediate area.
With the light of my flashlight only reaching so far, it’s difficult to see much more than a few feet in front of me. From this vantage point, I can only see a long row of hotel room doors. Some are thrown open, and some are firmly shut. The smell of mildew and trash filters through my mask, causing me to curl my nose in disgust.
As far as I can see, garbage litters the hallways on both sides, reeking of death and decay. It becomes glaringly obvious that someone has been living here, but I can't be sure it’s Matteo who is responsible for this. Though I don’t know him, I have a hard time believing that someone with the last name of Pelosi has been living in this shithole. He may be a hardened killer and an all-around awful human being, but people who were brought up in our society wouldn’t live like this.
My guess is that after Antonio and his henchmen were eradicated from the city, some of the homeless have taken up residence. Judging by the used needles discarded throughout the trash lining the halls, I'd say we may have some junkies up here as well. We’ll have to be even more alert now.
“Christ on a cracker,” Dominic groans from somewhere behind me. “What the fuck is that smell?”
“That would be the smell of death, my dear friend,” Romeo says as he steps closer to me. Not seeing any immediate danger, I stand back up to my full height before glancing at my brother. His expression is tense as he scans each hallway before directing his light toward the sign displaying room numbers. He taps his nose before turning. “Follow the scent, bloodhound, and we might discover a prize,” he says and begins to walk away from us.
“Where the hell are you going? We need to stay together,” Li snaps at my brother’s back.
Rome doesn’t slow his stride as he simply turns around and walks backward while facing us. “As a leader without his throne, just like our target, there is only one room you might be able to find me in within this shithole,” he grins before turning back around and speaking over his shoulder. “The executive suite.”
Without so much as a word, Dom follows him, gun trained up and ready for any surprises. I watch the two walk deeper into the hallway before glancing back at Li. He stands in his spot, staring after them as well.
“I’ll follow your lead,” he says, finally meeting my stare. I want to roll my eyes and act as though my brother is wrong. Pretend as though he’s grasping at straws if he thinks he can understand the inner workings of a madman’s mind. But even as I’m telling myself he’s reaching, I know deep within my being that he’s right. How could he not be when he is just another version of Matteo? Two sides of the same blood-stained coin. Rome may be slightly less unhinged, but they are both the Bosses of their families, so they have to share the same mindset.
Leave it to a mafia boss to stake his claim on an executive suite in an abandoned hotel.
I sigh heavily and let my shoulders sag in defeat. Any semblance of control I had over this mission flew out the fucking window the moment Romeo decided to make his intentions clear.
I jerk my head in the direction of Rome and Dom as they turn down another hallway, disappearing from sight. I shake my head as I raise my rifle in their direction, pointing my light down the disgusting hallway before starting after them. Liam says nothing, but I hear his light footsteps behind me nonetheless.
In no time at all, Li and I are turning down the same hallway where we watched them disappear, and I spot my brother up ahead. He and Dominic are stopped in front of what looks like a set of wooden double doors, the one and only executive suite this hotel has.
“Glad you could join us, Fratellino ,” Rome says as he catches sight of me. Ignoring him, I stop in front of the door and wait for Li to do the same. Romeo chuckles at my attempt to snub him but says nothing further.
Deciding to let Rome take the lead this time, I place the back of my hand against Li’s chest and push him back with me. Once we have stepped back a few paces, Rome follows our movements and stands back with us.
Just like Liam and me, Romeo and Dom have been each other’s backup for years. And because they have worked together for so long, they don’t need to speak to understand what the other needs them to do. They just act, much like right now.
No sooner does my brother come to stand next to me, Dom pulls his rifle up tightly against his chest and adjusts his stance. And within the next breath, he raises his big loafer-clad foot and slams it into the doors. He hits them where they join with dead-on accuracy, and they have no other choice but to buckle and crack under the pressure before slamming open.
“Real fucking subtle,” Liam retorts as we watch Dom raise his firearm and lunge into the room, prepared to shoot whatever is hiding inside.
I shake my head and smother my grin as I raise my rifle again and follow him through the doorway. Then, one after the other, Li and Rome follow.
“ Oh fuck .” Dominic’s voice is strained as he steps further into the room. He slaps his hand over his mouth and nose just as the smell smacks me in the face. My stomach clenches, threatening to empty its contents as my nose curls. The bitter taste of my own sick coats the back of my throat, making me swallow thickly in an attempt to wash it away. The buzzing sound of hundreds of flies swarming around the room almost becomes deafening as we search for the source of the putrid smell.
“I don’t think Matteo’s here,” Romeo says as he walks past me further into the room. I glance back at Liam to see that even he looks to be on the verge of being sick as the smells of decay and rotten flesh permeate throughout the room.
“If he is, he’s dead from the smells of it,” Li’s voice sounds gravelly as he taps his ear, activating the transmitter. “Third floor, executive suite, we got something.” His voice echoes in my ear just before the sound of Owen’s confirmation.
I shake my head and blink rapidly to clear my watery eyes. I don’t care how many dead bodies I’ve been around; the smell of a rotten corpse is something I’ll never get used to. And by the looks of Dominic, he feels the same way as he stands with his fist against his mouth to keep his vomit in check.
Romeo, on the other hand, seems unfazed by the smell. Apart from a slight crinkle of his nose, he looks right as rain as he ventures deeper into the room in search of the source of the smell.
I watch him as he saunters into the main lounge area and tilts his head to the side. “Oh, you poor, dumb bastard. You ran and tattled, didn’t you?” he mumbles.
Gathering my resolve to forge on, I sniff loudly and clear my throat before following him. The closer I get to him, the stronger the smell becomes, until I’m right behind him. He turns his head over his shoulder to glance at me, and I don’t quite understand the look he sends my way. His brows are furrowed, his lips tight, and his eyes shift between me and one of the others behind me. As he steps aside, I can finally see the source of all this chaos.
There, on the empty coffee table, sits a man I spoke to just two days ago. Well, what remains of him, anyway. I may have roughed him up the other day, but I certainly didn't leave him in this state.
Jimmy looks like he has seen better days as I finally come face to face with his decapitated head. My stomach revolts once again, and I have to choke back my vomit as I force myself to look at what has happened to my greasy informant.
The side of his face, where I burned him with the hot wire basket, looks like it had no time to heal before his untimely beheading. His missing nose appears the same way. Only now, maggots and flies crawl all over the rotting flesh. The Louisiana heat, along with the mountainous filth surrounding him and the lack of ventilation in this place, has caused Jimmy to decay a lot quicker than he should. He is almost unrecognizable now, his face contorted in agony not even death can release him from. His mouth is slack, but by the looks of it, something is sticking out from behind his lips just enough for me to see. It’s silver and shiny, like plastic. But there is something else against it. Black and almost soft-looking. I'm about to grab it when loud footsteps stop me in my tracks.
“Who is it?” Owen’s baritone voice sounds as he steps past the threshold of the suite. He knows without seeing that someone is dead here. His stride doesn’t slow, and it seems as though the smell doesn’t affect him at all as he enters the room and rushes up to Romeo and me.
I catch movement behind him and spot Tanner and Hayden standing back in the hallway, looking a little green. I can only assume Ace and Cooper are out there as well, biding their time and waiting for their next orders.
Owen steps up next to me and doesn’t even stop to think twice before crouching down in front of the rotting head. “This the informant?” he asks as he swats away a swarm of flies to get a better view.
Afraid that if I speak, I’ll puke all over the place, I simply nod and clear my throat in confirmation. Owen says nothing as he takes notice of the silver plastic sticking out past Jimmy’s lips before carefully plucking it out of his mouth. I see clearly now that it is a black piece of curly hair that has been taped to the back of the recorder. My stomach drops at the sight.
Behind me, I hear the unmistakable sounds of Dominic gagging and rushing out of the room. Nobody says a word as he rushes into the hallway and begins to vomit on the filthy floor. I block out the sounds of him being sick and watch Owen return to his full height while holding the blood-soaked recorder in his hands.
Once the device is free of Jimmy’s mouth, Owen’s jaw twitches under his mask, and his eyes sharpen as he presses play with a steady grip. The curly chunk of hair sways slightly with the movement. It’s quiet for a beat, only the sound of static emanating from the small device. Then, a masculine voice finally sounds and fills the room.
“Gentlemen, I hope this recording finds you all well. It saddens me that I am unable to meet with you all at this time. But please know, our meeting in person is drawing closer and closer with each moment that ticks by.” The voice rings a faint bell of recognition in my mind. Although I can’t place it, I know I’ve heard it before. “So, in my place, I have left a pathetic little snitch to relay my message to you. Although, I didn’t realize until after I ripped his tongue from his mouth that I would need him to actually speak to you. It seems I was a little overzealous for retribution when James told me you had a chat with him. Even though he only gave you the location of my brother’s old haunt and kept my whereabouts concealed, he still sang like a caged bird. So, I had to make sure he would never croon another tune again. Even in the afterlife, he will wander about mute and unable to divulge any more secrets.” As I listen to the vaguely recognizable voice, I realize these are the ramblings of a true madman.
“So, in order to bring my message to you loud and clear, I leave the head of your informant as a gift of sorts. The gift of foreshadowing.” Behind me, I sense my brothers stepping in closer to the decapitated head. Each of them, needing to hear the words recorded just for us.
“This is your warning, gentlemen. Stop your futile attempts to find me. It will never happen. After all, I was never here in the first place. This decrepit, repugnant place may have been my ignorant little brother's refuge, but it was never mine. You haven’t the slightest clue as to where I’m located, nor will you. I will forever be three steps ahead of you, carrying my still bloody blade, seeking my next tongue to snip. Only next time, I will be slicing closer to home. The lovely Sofee is still within my reach after all. In fact, you hold in your hand the evidence of how close I’m able to get to her.”
White-hot rage fills me at the mention of Sofee. All of my blood thrums through my body on a harsh beat as I realize what he’s saying. I glance at Owen’s hands as his fingers graze against the curly black hair dangling from the recorder. Sofee’s hair.
“I was surprised to find that I quite enjoy the smell of her hair. The rosy scent seems to fit her nicely. Wouldn’t you agree?” he chuckles, the sound ricocheting throughout my mind. I see my brother steal a glance my way, and I force myself to keep my sight trained forward. Though he never says my name, I get the feeling that Matteo is only speaking to me.
I clutch my firearm tightly against me, my palms screaming for relief as a darkness I’ve never known before floods my vision. My heart skips a beat before accelerating impossibly fast, stuttering in my chest. A low, rumbling growl threatens to escape my throat at the thought of this psychopath being able to get so close to her.
“All this to say, our tryst is coming to an end. I grow bored of the games I play with what you consider yours, and only the sensation of your blood coating my fingers will satiate the beast within. Trust that we will meet, and soon.”
I glance over my shoulder as static fills the air, the feeling of doom right along with it. I catch Liam’s stare, and a look of unfiltered rage clouds his eyes just as surely as it does mine.
Has Matteo always had the upper hand, and we didn’t know it?
He speaks of playing games with what belongs to us. Has he been able to get his hands on us this entire time? On Sofee? But before I can question his words anymore, his voice fills the room once again.
“Oh, and one last thing. To show you that I don’t take this intrusion lightly, I have left you with one last gift. You need not move; it will come to you.” A lead ball coated with terror settles in my gut as his words strike chords of fear deep within my being. Something is coming, right now.
Suddenly, Dom is barreling back into the room like a bull in a china shop, heading right for Rome. Matteo’s next words almost fade into the background as Owen drops the recorder and moves toward us.
“I would look for something to hide behind if I were you.”
His words seem to echo throughout my head as movement from outside the window catches my eye, right before the world explodes around me.
“Everyone, down!” Owen’s voice booms just before all the windows in the suite shatter and explode. Glass is thrown everywhere, making me shield my eyes and crouch down as the bullets start flying.
I barely make it out of the way as four men come flying in through the windows on ropes. Each of them is dressed in all black and armed to the teeth. I pull my rifle up and fire two quick shots at the closest one. Blood squirts from the wounds before he crumples to the floor in a massive heap. But just like a Hydra, you cut off one head and two more appear with automatic rifles of their own.
Gunfire sounds echo through the hallway, diverting my attention to Cooper and Ace. Both of them fire into the hallway as if we are surrounded by Matteo’s soldiers. Amidst the chaos, I find Liam and yank him behind a nearby sofa by the lapel of his jacket. He fires off shot after shot into the bodies of strangers as we move. Reacting quickly, Liam and I turn off our flashlights as more bullets pierce the back of the furniture shielding us.
“Pull out! Now!” Owen shouts at us as he fires into the hallway with my brothers by his side. I’ve lost track of Romeo in all the havoc, so I can only hope that Dominic got him out safely.
Crouching behind the sofa, I still myself and listen, trying desperately to hear anything other than the sound of bullets leaving rifle chambers. The room is dark, illuminated only by the stray lights on top of a single intruder’s rifle. Idiot . It doesn't take a genius to know that if you find yourself in a life-or-death situation, you need to make yourself invisible. Which is exactly what Li and I have done.
I watch as the novice soldier’s flashlight grows brighter with each step he takes towards our hiding spot. Breathing silently, I slowly reach for the blade I had used to stab myself only two nights ago. Removing it from my boot, I prepare myself to strike as soon as the opportunity presents itself. And thank fuck I don't have to wait long.
Just as the unnamed assailant steps into my line of sight, I move with practiced grace. The roar of anger I emit is a feral thing as I slam the wicked hunting knife down into the man's boot-clad foot. The sharp blade slices through the thick boot, into his foot, and only stops once it hits the filthy carpet below. The man howls and loses his grip on his rifle as I move.
With quickness most will never possess, I yank the blade free as I rise to my feet, seize the barrel of his rifle to control his movements, and ram my blade up into the soft spot behind his chin. Though his flashlight casts limited light, I can still see the terror and agony in this stranger's eyes as I bare my teeth savagely. I ensure he sees the deathly vow reflected in my own eyes as he chokes on his own thick blood.
I shove the slowly dying man away, and he stumbles to the ground, trying his best to quell the bleeding as his strength slowly vanishes.
Not wanting to waste any more time, fearing that my MC brothers might still need help, I crouch back behind the sofa and reach for Li again to pull him toward the door. He grunts as I tug on him roughly, but I don’t have time to be gentle. We need to get the fuck out of here.
The remaining bodies of those who came through the windows litter the ground around us. Empty shells and jagged pieces of glass coat the floor as we make our way out of this bloodbath. With a quick glance, I'm sure there isn’t anyone left alive in this room other than Li and me, but it's still not safe here. The sounds of bullets raining down hell and loud crashes coming from the surrounding hallways, I know we’ve been completely ensnared, and our brothers need our help.
Liam’s hand grips my arm before he stumbles, nearly pulling me down with him as he lands on his knees.
“Fuck,” I barely hear him groan as I turn to support him. “Tate is going to kill me,” he says, his lips trembling as he clutches his middle. “This is her favorite shirt,” I glance down to where his hand is pressed against his side. Dark red blood oozes out from behind his fingers as he applies pressure to the obvious gunshot wound.
Panic flares as I swing my rifle to my back and move to apply more pressure. I cover his hands with one of my own and push down on the wound, causing his eyes to tighten as he winces. Quickly, I tap the transmitter in my ear. “Li’s been shot,” I speak in a much calmer manner than I should be for a man who is watching his brother bleed out in front of him.
“Get him out, the East entrance is clear. We'll keep them occupied.” Cooper’s commanding voice sounds in my ear, accompanied by the sounds of gunfire in the distance.
I slowly help Li to his feet, my hands covered in his sticky blood, as we stumble out the door into the hallway. A sharp breath escapes between my teeth as the stitches in my thigh pop and tear through my skin. Groaning low in my chest, I try to ignore the sharp pain as blood pools and leaks from the wound. I’m not worried about myself though. Li’s losing too much blood for me to give a shit about my own needs. I have to get him out at any cost, even if it means I have to fucking carry him out myself.
“Stop being a pussy and help me get you out of here,” I grunt as I force him to walk with his weight on me. He chuckles, but the sound is weak, causing the cold clutches of fear to snake down my spine.
“Sofee’s right, you are a dick,” he winces as he stumbles on. I force a laugh, even though all I’m feeling right now is panic.
“Speaking of, just wait until your sister sees what she has to fix now. I don't think we have to worry about Tate being the one to kill you,” I say, trying to make light of the situation. In reality, I’m wondering how the hell I’m going to get Li down three flights of stairs by myself. Even now, I’m barely able to keep him on his feet.
But just as I contemplate dragging his big ass down the grimy, blood-stained hallway, I hear movement approaching from behind. Quickly, I push Li against the wall and pivot, positioning myself between him and the unknown threat. Reaching past my vest, I grab my Glock and raise it, completely prepared to shoot until I recognize who it is.
Romeo is bleeding from a large gash above his eye, causing the thick blood to cover most of his face, making him almost unrecognizable. His button-up shirt is torn at the collar, and his slacks look as though he had been wrestling in the dirt. His rifle is gone, replaced by a pistol. He rushes up to us, not fearing the Glock in my hand.
“We have to go; first responders are on the way. We don’t wanna be here when they find all this,” he rushes to say before sliding up next to Li’s other side.
Liam’s normally tanned skin is now pale white as Rome pulls him to lean against him. He’s lost too much blood, and we need to get him to his sister before he passes out. I take up his other side and split his weight with my brother. I say nothing as we start to walk, too afraid for my best friend to speak.
The distant echoes of gunfire finally lull as we push through the door that promises freedom, signaling that someone has emerged victorious. Only, I fear, there are no winners today. Because as we reach the stairwell and descend into the shadows, death continues to stalk us.