Page 108
Story: Five Fingers of Death
Knight’s nostrils flared as he walked over to Cash, gripping him by the arm as he hauled him to his feet. “You want to know what’s going on? Don’t fucking trust Michael.”
“Why?” I stepped in front of him, refusing to let him go anywhere. “Give us a fucking reason.”
Cash wiped the blood from his face, spitting on the floor. “You got us here. We answered your fucking questions.” They shoved past us, refusing to answer any more questions.
“Not nearly enough,” I spat. “How many more people have to fucking die because of this?”
Cash stopped and turned back toward me. “As many as fucking necessary.”
“Does that include the rest of us at OPS? Or was Kavanaugh enough for you?”
His jaw clenched hard and his eyes turned steely. “Kavanaugh wouldn’t stop fucking digging, and he paid for it. Don’t make the same fucking mistake.”
“Just like fucking Rafe,” I snapped. “So fucking cryptic. You said you would never be like him, but here you are, taking up his cause and pushing everyone away who’s trying to help. You’re gonna end up dead, and then your wife and kids are gonna be all alone.”
If I had hoped to get through to him, I was sorely mistaken, he turned around and walked out with Knight, not sparing us a backward glance.
* * *
“Did we give you enough time?” I asked Jack as he joined us back at the motel.
“Got it done,” he answered. “I had hoped they’d leave something behind?—”
“It’s Knight and Cash,” Rae scoffed. “Did you really think they’d be stupid enough to do that?”
“Not really, but it was worth a shot,” Jack continued. “I planted several trackers. You wouldn’t believe how fucking long it took to find their bikes.”
The door to the motel sprang open and all of us reached for our guns, only to relax when Fox walked through with a spare pair of boots in his hands. “Did I miss him?”
“Miss who?” Jack asked.
He rolled his eyes with a laugh. “The Kamau, of course. I got him a matching set of boots. You know how much he loves his boots. And since we have the same taste, I thought I’d spring for a pair this time. I can’t believe you guys didn’t tell me you were going to see him.”
“There was a reason for that,” I muttered.
“And that reason would be?”
“Because Cash wouldn’t have come for anyone at OPS,” Johnny told him.
Fox looked pointedly at Rae, who sat on the bed, twirling a knife in her hand. “She works at OPS. You can’t lie to me like that.”
“Rae’s an exception. We needed her skillset.”
Scoffing, he tossed the boots on the ground and pulled a sandwich from his back pocket. “What skillset could she possibly have that I don’t?” he asked, taking a large bite.
“Hacking,” she answered, walking over to him. She grabbed the sandwich out of his hands, earning a scowl from him.
“That was my sandwich. I don’t share.”
“How did you find us?” I asked. “We didn’t tell anyone where we were going.”
“Nope, but when you left all cryptic-like, I shot your vehicle with one of my tracking darts. It didn’t take long to figure out where you were going. The three Js on the road with the can opener. Seriously, guys. I think you could have done better at hiding your tracks. Did you at least find something?”
“Yeah, Cash is losing it,” I muttered.
“Nope,” Rae said, popping the rest of the sandwich in her mouth. “He’s lying.”
That was news to me. “You beat the shit out of him for taking the shot.”
“Why?” I stepped in front of him, refusing to let him go anywhere. “Give us a fucking reason.”
Cash wiped the blood from his face, spitting on the floor. “You got us here. We answered your fucking questions.” They shoved past us, refusing to answer any more questions.
“Not nearly enough,” I spat. “How many more people have to fucking die because of this?”
Cash stopped and turned back toward me. “As many as fucking necessary.”
“Does that include the rest of us at OPS? Or was Kavanaugh enough for you?”
His jaw clenched hard and his eyes turned steely. “Kavanaugh wouldn’t stop fucking digging, and he paid for it. Don’t make the same fucking mistake.”
“Just like fucking Rafe,” I snapped. “So fucking cryptic. You said you would never be like him, but here you are, taking up his cause and pushing everyone away who’s trying to help. You’re gonna end up dead, and then your wife and kids are gonna be all alone.”
If I had hoped to get through to him, I was sorely mistaken, he turned around and walked out with Knight, not sparing us a backward glance.
* * *
“Did we give you enough time?” I asked Jack as he joined us back at the motel.
“Got it done,” he answered. “I had hoped they’d leave something behind?—”
“It’s Knight and Cash,” Rae scoffed. “Did you really think they’d be stupid enough to do that?”
“Not really, but it was worth a shot,” Jack continued. “I planted several trackers. You wouldn’t believe how fucking long it took to find their bikes.”
The door to the motel sprang open and all of us reached for our guns, only to relax when Fox walked through with a spare pair of boots in his hands. “Did I miss him?”
“Miss who?” Jack asked.
He rolled his eyes with a laugh. “The Kamau, of course. I got him a matching set of boots. You know how much he loves his boots. And since we have the same taste, I thought I’d spring for a pair this time. I can’t believe you guys didn’t tell me you were going to see him.”
“There was a reason for that,” I muttered.
“And that reason would be?”
“Because Cash wouldn’t have come for anyone at OPS,” Johnny told him.
Fox looked pointedly at Rae, who sat on the bed, twirling a knife in her hand. “She works at OPS. You can’t lie to me like that.”
“Rae’s an exception. We needed her skillset.”
Scoffing, he tossed the boots on the ground and pulled a sandwich from his back pocket. “What skillset could she possibly have that I don’t?” he asked, taking a large bite.
“Hacking,” she answered, walking over to him. She grabbed the sandwich out of his hands, earning a scowl from him.
“That was my sandwich. I don’t share.”
“How did you find us?” I asked. “We didn’t tell anyone where we were going.”
“Nope, but when you left all cryptic-like, I shot your vehicle with one of my tracking darts. It didn’t take long to figure out where you were going. The three Js on the road with the can opener. Seriously, guys. I think you could have done better at hiding your tracks. Did you at least find something?”
“Yeah, Cash is losing it,” I muttered.
“Nope,” Rae said, popping the rest of the sandwich in her mouth. “He’s lying.”
That was news to me. “You beat the shit out of him for taking the shot.”
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