18. Joker
All the teams break up and move into position. I look around the small gathering of men and women in mine and Queen’s group of people. They are all lined up, waiting on instructions and for us to hand them their coms and radios. Usually, we would have already passed them out and would have been ready to go. We didn’t want to take a chance of the radios picking anything up, especially since our group passed all the checks. They are clean, and there is no chance of a rat among them. “Listen up. You are all here because you have been loyal. A few members in the other groups are informant rats and need to be exterminated. They are going into a trap currently, and we are their backups, or so they think. We need most of you to sit here and watch our backs. You’re with Queen and I, Simon, Gregory, Chris, and Michael.” I kneel and explain the plan by unrolling a blueprint. “Their groups will be here and here.” The men move in closer, and I point to the two areas. I pull out a handful of puck bombs and hand them to each of them. They pocket them carefully, and I wait until everyone’s eyes are back up. “I need you to place these and detonate them when the blast outside happens. Then, kill anyone who survives while the Queen and I clean up. Make the noise to draw anything to you while we sneak and take out the major players.”
Everyone’s eyes are on me, listening to every word, and I point at the entire group. “Be on backup. So that means being alert and ready for anything. Once the blast happens, move up to this building if anyone tries escaping.” We pass out the radios and turn on our designated channels. I turn to Queen and put my head to hers. This is supposed to be like any other mission we have been on, but it couldn’t feel more different now. She always has been everything to me, but now she is more. Now that I have acknowledged what she means to me, everyone knows my heart lives outside my body. Death has never scared me before, but to lose her would be the end of me. I would never forgive myself. “After this is done, we have so much to discuss.”
“It is just like any other mission. Don’t get in your head about it.” She doesn’t pull back from me though, and I lean forward and kiss her. I pull her close, gripping the back of her neck tightly as I deepen the kiss, letting my kiss say all the words I cannot. Words are something that I don’t have a lot of skill with. For her, I will try; for me, actions speak louder than words ever could.
When I pull back, I look into her deep blue eyes for a second longer. I want this memory of her to be burned into my memory. Her lips are slightly swollen and a tint darker than they usually are. I cannot explain the feeling that has taken over. All I keep thinking over and over in my mind is that this must be the day I die. I have gotten to experience my idea of heaven, touch, feel, and fuck it. Why wouldn’t it be my last day on earth? For the first time, I’m terrified of dying, of leaving her. I am begging the universe to let me stay with her. Death, I used to welcome it. Now I feel like I am stepping out, walking the plank of life, only to dive into the unknown. “Stop looking at me like that,” she says, narrowing her eyes, looking like she wants to hit me.
“Like what?” I run my thumb across her bottom lip to keep her from frowning.
“Like you’re saying goodbye. You don’t get to do that shit to me, and you don’t get to walk away from me even in death. Do you understand me?” Her head tilts to the side, and for a moment, I think she might punch me in the face. Knowing Queen, I wouldn’t put it past her. Maybe the bruises that adorn my face will keep her from following through.
“You want me to haunt you, baby?” I look at her with heat in my eyes and bite my lower lip for dramatic effect.
“To have you there and not be able to feel, see, and touch you? Hell no. We have done that song and dance for too long, and I couldn’t take not seeing you. If you die today, I will never forgive you.” She pulls back, and her sharp jawline tightens as she grinds her teeth together. “We have a date with a bottle of tequila and you’re not getting out of it.” It makes me think of when she actually died when we got to the ER. Seeing that and being helpless, I could only stand there with panic in my eyes. She doesn’t let me respond before she spins and looks at the four going on with us. All of which are looking anywhere but at us. I give these guys credit; they are loyal and intelligent. “You all understand your mission? Place the bombs, take cover, and kill anything that moves after.” They nod, and she points her finger at each one of them. “Don’t you dare not cover our asses.”
“We understand, Queenie,” Gregory responds. I would hate to be on her shit list. Having been there several times, I can speak from experience. Except I have never failed in covering her. We all knew I would take a bullet gladly for her. Grabbing our weapons and supplies, we sneak off into the night.
Letha has been in the know about this mission from the beginning. She has been at this for hours longer than us, watching the cameras, adjusting them, and studying the layout and floor plans. King’s hire is paying off, and we got doubly lucky that she brought Ash along for the ride. Between the two of them living at the Fortress while all this has been going on, their outside-the-box thinking has been crucial. Pack that in with Letha’s computer hacking and programming knowledge. I feel a little better with her watching us from above, especially since we don’t have ears for what is happening with the rest of the teams.
Letha shifts the cameras slightly in our favor and we get the text that it is go time. We move fluidly with no stumbles or hiccups. The building is an old furniture building warehouse. The bottom floor is all storage, including old machinery and utility storage. There are several ways to get to the main floor as we move the old metal framed window in the basement, trying to make as little noise as possible. There are several that have broken over time and the years of neglect show from being abandoned. This part of the country used to be booming, but several large companies went belly up and the old buildings became virtually useless.
The window lets out a creek and a small pop fills the air. The window gives way and folds inward. We slowly lower it inside, setting it on the ground. One by one, we ease inside; the place smells like mildew and musty dampness. Cobwebs line abandoned wood chair frames and every corner of this place. Queen and I move to the center and motion the men to climb the old machine that transported materials down from the top floor. This was where they would insert the puck bombs along the walls before going under the two rooms. Whatever is in there will fall through when it’s all said and done. Queen and I move to the far end of the building. “Queenie and Joker,” Letha says through our earpieces. “There are five people. Two are sitting, three are standing, all watching out the window currently. One man is in the bathroom. When he gets back, I will signal.”
Queen locks eyes with me and nods. We moved and located the small staircase from the maintenance room that goes to the basement. We should be safe from the blast there. After all, it used to be a tornado shelter zone for employees. Queen and I stand in the closet amongst the leftover cleaning supplies and a random assortment of tools; we are both rigid and alert, waiting for the signal. My mind goes to Ace, King, and Jack. Not knowing what is happening on that end makes me slightly twitchy, wanting to know how things are shaping up. Letha is our eyes in the sky, so we trust her and focus on keeping our mouths shut and not making noise. I trust her to keep us updated on anything we need to know. The anticipation is mounting along with my adrenaline.
“Everyone, get in position for detonation. 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.” The blast is almost deafening, and it feels like the building is about to collapse. I brace myself against the wall, not wanting to fall from the movement of the building. We have little ear protection from needing to hear Letha, so our hands are the only protection. It’s so loud between the explosion and the destruction that follows of everything falling onto itself. Queenie moves forward to throw open the door, but I pull her back and cut in front of her, determined that she will be the one watching my back. I’ll gladly pay for it later, then get to enjoy the perks of make-up sex. That’s never been on the table before, and I look forward to that experience.