Chapter 26
Donatello
Well, fuck.
Couldn’t a man catch a break? Like maybe for his wedding day?
While the last time I’d been inside a church had been to cut and gut an enemy, which I’d done with finesse, I knew enough about religion to realize a man’s wedding day was supposed to be sacred.
Not to be interrupted by a group of souped-up gunmen hoping desperately for a quick shootout and kill so they could make their afternoon flight.
Too bad I wasn’t going to abide by their rules.
I was one pissed-off groom.
“Careful, darling,” I told Emmeline after we’d both ducked behind the altar, each reaching for our weapon as was our training. I had mine in both hands, peering out around the end of the thick wooden bench, counting the number of soldiers. Eight and likely more outside.
They’d come locked and loaded.
Fucking fantastic.
My instinct told me we needed to be careful, but for fuck’s sake. They had to attack us here?
Pop! Pop! Pop!
“I’m always careful,” she retorted, her teeth gritted and I’d be damned if she didn’t slip around the other end, firing off two rounds in response to their three.
“Well, you married me. Didn’t you?” I pulled her from the end, giving her an admonishing look. “We’re heading to the back to a rear exist. You’re going in front of me.” I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
My shots were calculated, yet not devoid of emotion as they normally would be.
I was protecting my wife after all.
Bastards.
Two shots hit their mark, one killing the fucker instantly while the other just knocked him down, his shoulder injury nothing but a badge of honor.
The other two had managed to move closer, which wasn’t in our best interest. If we could get behind the closed door, maybe we could block it off and buy ourselves a little time. For what, I wasn’t certain. But we were sitting ducks right here.
“Good point.”
“Stay in front of me and don’t deviate from the plan.” I pulled her closer, immediately hearing a clicking sound.
Well, shit. The fuckers had graduated to explosives.
“Go. Go. Go!” I kept my hand on her lower back as we raced toward the door with me firing off indiscriminate shots for cover.
The explosion drove us forward, my shoulder colliding with the wall just outside the hallway.
While the agony was blinding, I ignored the pain, lumbering into the corridor.
She was already working on trying to find something to block the door while I’d closed and locked it, catching sight of the aftermath of their crude pipe bomb.
Smoke filled the air, the stench acrid. Immediately, my eyes watered.
“God, you’re hurt,” she said, her usually strong voice wavering.
“I’m fine. Come on.” Together, we yanked a credenza from the wall across the door. That wouldn’t hold them for long, but hopefully enough we could make some headway.
As soon as the deed was done, we jogged down the passageway. When we reached the end, she started to turn one way, I started to turn another. Then we stared at each other for a beat.
“Trust me. Come this way,” she said, pointing.
“No, this way.”
“Nope. You’re wrong. They’re going to come from that way.” I’d be damned if she chose not to give me a choice, rushing around the corner.
“Fuck,” I hissed, rushing behind her. I’d barely made it to the corner when the air echoed with heavy running footsteps. “Keep going.”
“Not without you.” She was right beside me when the four soldiers came into view.
While I was pissed she couldn’t listen to a single order, maybe even wishing to get herself killed, she was a damn good shot. All the guilt she’d gone through before faded as she took crucial shots, easily gunning down two of the four.
As soon as I took out the other two and they crumpled to the floor, she let off a little woofing sound before grabbing my face and planting a kiss on my lips.
Her wild actions stopped us both cold, our breathing labored as if going through several rounds of passion.
“Nice shot, baby, but when this is over, we’re going to need to talk about your level of obedience.
Stay right here. And I mean right here.” With a single growl, I rushed toward the downed soldiers, yanking their weapons into my hands.
There could never be enough ammunition to fight a brigade of mobsters paid way too much money for a hit.
Or maybe they were involved in a little friendly competition given their clothing wasn’t at all what I’d expected, each one dressed a little differently.
Almost as if they’d decided on their manly attire from one too many war games.
Boom!
I didn’t have time to lament their fashion choices.
The door we’d blocked had just been blown wide open.
Rushing back, I handed her one of the assault rifles, not taking the time to ask if she knew how to use one.
By the way she swung the strap over the opposite shoulder, I had a feeling there was little the woman couldn’t do.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t my job to keep her safe and alive.
“I told you to go this way,” she said with clear amusement in her voice.
“Don’t tease me, my wife.” We rushed around another corner and I pushed us both against the wall, trying to ascertain how close they were. “Keep a look out.”
“I’m looking. You just need to figure out how to get us out of here.” She yanked the magazine from the assault rifle, determining how many shots were left before shoving it back inside.
“Me, huh? Since you’re so smart, where are we going?”
Another sound drew my attention. The fuckers were getting closer.
As I took deep breaths, I rubbed sweat from my face and glanced behind me. I could see myriad offices, but no sign of another exit. The small building was like some freaking maze.
Backing away, I wasn’t certain what to tell her.
Where the fuck were we supposed to go?
“Senhor, por aqui.” The man’s voice was insistent. The priest telling us to come this way.
What the hell? He was more than just a priest. That much I’d already ascertained. Given I’d pulled in a couple of favors, I’d realized the friend I’d contacted had faith in the priest. That had raised my hackles and at this point, beggars couldn’t be choosers. We needed all the help we could get.
Emmeline squeezed my arm and we followed him, surprised to see that he was taking us behind a hidden wall panel.
What the hell?
Once behind the thick panel, he swung a metal bar across the doorway. No one was getting inside without being allowed in. The room itself was larger than I’d anticipated, two walls covered with what appeared to be security and communications equipment.
Who in the hell were these people?
The two witnesses, a man and a woman, had changed, all three now wearing fatigues. You bet I’d called in a few favors, asking an old buddy of mine who worked for the CIA for assistance in finding a safe church and how to go about getting married on the fly.
We’d gone back several years, the one time I’d helped law enforcement solve a crime and in doing so, I’d saved not only his life but also that of his family.
While some might say he owed me, burning this connection hadn’t been necessary.
Although at this moment, I was more than grateful he had.
“I’m not going to ask,” I said to the priest.
“Don’t, Mr. Giovanni. It’s best you don’t know. But I’m Francoise Barnett. Sorry for the clandestine operation. We were hoping you hadn’t invited additional guests to your wedding.” He was grinning while nodding to the two others.
Snorting, I glanced at the others, still tense from what we’d just experienced. “I assure you they weren’t on my side of the family.”
“They always blame the wife,” Emmeline barked in her cute way.
Francoise laughed. “You can trust the other two. They’re highly trained operatives. Aren’t you guys?”
“Yeah, yeah,” the male tossed out. “More skilled than you are, buddy.”
It was obvious they’d worked together for some time. I’d yet to tell my lovely wife that while I’d been out, I’d made a phone call to someone I’d had a feeling could help us, both by fulfilling the promise made and with a heightened level of protection. I was damn glad I’d made the call.
Why I’d been hesitant I wasn’t certain, but it was good to have friends all over the world.
“You’re from the company,” I said, using the euphemism my buddy had used more than once.
The three of them looked at each other, which prompted Emmeline and me to do to the same. “We’re more highly trained than the usual operatives.”
“You knew we were being chased,” Emmeline said.
“We had an idea.” The priest grabbed a set of keys.
“Under the church there’s an old secret hideaway built a long time ago.
Sometimes it floods even after the waterproofing done but we’ve been dry lately.
You can go through the tunnel, you’ll end up about two miles from here.
There’s a small building. When you walk out, you’ll be in a parking lot.
There’s a specialized Charger you can use to get away.
Mostly bulletproof. There’s some cash inside, fake passports, and other identification to help you get out of the country. ”
My buddy had come through at his insistence. After I’d told him about what we were dealing with, he’d been insistent we have a second plan in place.
“Thank you for everything,” Emmeline told him.
“My pleasure. We knew what you were dealing with. They’re dangerous people and no one has really taken them seriously. Here are two flashlights in case the underground lights go off, which they are prone to doing.”
“Who are we talking about?” I asked as I took the items, shoving them into my jacket.
The priest seemed confused I didn’t know. “From what I was told, the two of you were aware of what you were dealing with.”
Emmeline studied my reaction.
“I offered my friend a list of possibilities,” I answered.
“While I wasn’t privy to your entire conversation, what I was told led me to believe you could be dealing with the same entity we’re looking for and have been gathering information on for years.”