Page 88 of Caught in the Crossfire

“Not yet.”

“We’re killing him tonight, no matter what happens,” Ryu said, voice deadly calm. “I’m tired of this fucker existing.”

“Torture first, right?” Cas asked. “Pretty sure your dibs still stand.”

A devilish smile split Ryu’s face. “That’s right. Dibs don’t expire in this household.”

Ciel frowned down at his laptop. “I think he’s going to an…auto-repair shop?”

My eyebrows knit-together. “Really?”

We were closing in on them, but still at least ten minutes away. He tapped his phone, dialing Wynn now instead of just reading his texts. He put the phone on speaker.

“They’re at an auto-shop?”

“Yes,” came Wynn’s reply. “I’m parked down the street. He left the safe house with five other men and is now inside the shop. I’m not sure if anyone else is inside.”

Auto-repair. Why auto-repair? This was the first time we’d heard of their being associated with the auto business. We’d thought they stuck to pawn shops, nightclubs, and liquor stores.

“Could it be another safe house?” Cas asked. “A front?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Ryu said. “We’re killing him either way.”

“Wynn, wait for us to arrive, and we’ll engage together,” Obi said.

“Copy.”

“ETA 5 minutes,” Ciel added. “We’ll park two blocks away and close in on foot. Everyone good?”

We all answered affirmative. I double checked my weapons and knives. If adrenaline weren’t coursing through my system right now, I’d be passing out from exhaustion. These guys were used to 4 a.m. missions, but I was not. Yet.

Obi parked the van. It only took us another minute or two before we made it to Wynn’s location. He gave us a little hand-raise. I glared, still angry, but Ciel beat me to it. He strode over, smacked a hand on Wynn’s chest, and pulled him close. Their faces were inches apart.

“You fucking lied to me,” he hissed. Wynn’s eyes went wide. “You told me you were going to bed.”

“Ciel—” Wynn whispered.

“Don’t you dare do it again,” Ciel said before shoving him back.

Wynn looked at me in disbelief, and I narrowed my eyes. “We’ll talk at home.”

“Lover’s quarrel,” Ryuji snickered to Cas.

Ciel whirled on him. “Cállate. Dick.”

“Whoa,” I said, stepping between them. “We need our heads level for this. Everyone put a pin in it, or go back to the SUV and wait. I can handle this myself if you’re going to be idiots.”

They all went silent.

“What are we working with, Wynn?” Obi asked.

Wynn pointed to the auto-shop at the end of the street. We could see a single light on inside. Old and run-down cars filled the entire parking lot.

“The lot is fenced in, with only one entrance and exit. There’s a front door to the building itself, and exits from all the bays. Only one is open. My suggestion is to enter through the bays, cut the lights, and take them out. I’m guessing there are more of them inside.”

Obi nodded. “Agreed. Follow my signal.”

We followed Obi from shadow to shadow until we reached the auto-shop fence. Bodies moved around inside, many more than the six Wynn thought. What were they doing in there?