Page 26

CHAPTER 26

THEY TRYING TO KILL YOU, GIRL!

Nadira

K ids’ faces of various ages, ethnicities, and genders stare back at me. They mock me for being unable to solve the riddle I left behind. Sometimes they implore me to find the answer before it’s too late. When they peer at me that way, I wonder if the clock I’m running against is mine or theirs.

One positive of looking through the files is bits and pieces of my memory are beginning to form a tapestry, a sort of early Christmas present. Assignments and conversations with some of my handlers paint a picture of a highly prized student. The instructors in charge of training us for combat and intel gathering selected me for the toughest jobs, passing up older kids who lived at the orphanage longer. I was infamous. If not for Julian and Chloe, I would have been a loner.

“You need to eat.” Julian places a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me and raises my head for a kiss that isn’t long enough for my taste.

When he pulls away, I grab his neck, and he slackens, ceding control of the kiss to me. I sip from his mouth, loving the way this big man becomes putty in my hands. He has the strength and skills to overpower me but prefers my dominance. And his submission is so delicious. I moan into his mouth, reluctant to end the kiss, but knowing I’ll make time for us later.

With a grudging sigh, I separate our lips. His hooded eyes and the heat underneath have me reconsidering. I glance at the time on my phone. Eight o’clock. “You’re slipping.” I smile and squeeze his arm. “I didn’t realize I’ve been here since five and haven’t eaten. Thank you.”

“Getting anywhere?” He sits beside me but faces the computer.

While I’ve been busy searching for the connection between the kids, Julian immerses himself with tracking down the headquarters for a shadow organization that keeps its leaders’ identities as secret as the operations they handle.

“Not where I need to get. How about you? Have you heard from Jason?”

“No, but whenever he checks in, I’ll trace his call.”

“Could he have left you a message at your cover home?”

“He hasn’t.”

I sit back and study him, dissatisfied with his responses.

He sighs and pulls up a live feed of a house I haven’t been to. Then he pulls up video files and plays them at four times the speed. “You’ll notice I’ve gotten a lot of visitors since my sabbatical. Jason isn’t among them, and none of them leave anything behind.”

I glare at Julian’s glaring omission. “Except for a hidden camera or two.”

He shrugs. “There’s nothing in that house anyone can trace to this address. Anything personal in there is a misdirection and will lead them nowhere.”

“So you’re no closer to finding your headquarters.”

“It’s possible other operatives know where it is and they singled me out because the distrust extends both ways.”

I glance back at the photos, my frustration getting to a point where I’ll be less productive if I continue to force myself to connect the invisible dots of an unsolvable riddle.

Noticing my growing displeasure, Julian spins my chair until I face him. “It’s Christmas Eve and you need a distraction.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, my phone rings. I raise a finger for him to hold his thought and answer. Before I get a word out, Gary’s voice barks over the phone.

“How soon can you get to Douglas?”

“Hello to you too, Gary.”

The silence that follows my greeting leads me to imagine Gary gritting his teeth as he calms himself enough to speak.

“We just got a top-priority job in Douglas and you’re the closest operative we have. You have to complete it today.”

Why now?

The thought sours my tongue, but I can’t deny why it’s important to know. It has been weeks since my last assignment. I want to trust Gary, but…

“This seems sudden after weeks on no work. What gives Gary?”

A forceful breath in my ear warns me I’m not going to like what happens next.

“What gives? I’d like to know that, too. But when I’m told to do my job and not ask questions, you know what I do?”

“Your job?” I answer seeing where this is going.

After all, Gary is a handler. He’s a middleman whose job is to manage me. He doesn’t call the shots and probably doesn’t have access to the organization’s bigger picture. If I have suspicions, I’ll have to take them up with the higher-ups.

“And you know what I don’t do?” he grumbles.

“Ask questions.”

“That’s right, and the least you can do is offer me the same courtesy. Now, can you do the hit or do I pass it to someone else?”

I glance at Julian as an idea unfurls in my head. “With little time to plan, it might get messy.”

“Messy is good. The client wants to make a statement. They’re paying ten mil.”

As Julian listens in, his lips wobble.

I mouth to him, “You said I needed a distraction. What better way to clear my head than to clear someone else’s right off their shoulders?”

He turns away, but his shaking shoulders betray his amusement.

“So are you in?” Gary asks.

“Yeah, send me the details. Douglas is three hours away.”

“Already in your inbox.”

I hang up and spin Julian’s chair with more enthusiasm than I had earlier. “Murderventure anyone?”

“If we keep this up, we should start taking assignments as a team.”

His suggestion makes me consider the possibilities. I’ve gotten so used to working with him I already think of us as a team, in sync with each other’s rhythms and inseparable.

“If you hate the idea?—”

“I love it,” I interrupt Julian before he tarnishes the vision in my head. “We’ll be the assassin’s version of Misty Knight and Iron Fist, the comic book version.”

“Instead of fighting crime, we’re… how does that work exactly?”

“You’re ruining it. Point is, we’ll be the best killers out there.”

“Like Kate but black, and John Wick. I dig that.”

“Kate? Really? Doesn’t she get poisoned?”

“Well, obviously you won’t die. I’m not putting that shit out in the universe to come through. We’re going to keep taking contracts even in our golden years.”

I eye him up and down. “So you’re in?”

He pulls me from my seat. “Try to keep me away.”

“We’ll need to pack and get on the road.”

“Minor correction.” Alastair enters the basement. “You’ll just need to get on the road. I’ve already equipped the Land Rover with what you’ll need.”

I glare at Julian who shrugs in response.

“He’s usually on top of things,” he says.

“Are you sure I can’t take him from you?” I study Alastair, wondering what method will work to bribe him away from Julian.

“Not a chance, but he might be open to sharing.”

“Rather than discussing me as if I were a piece of property and not a person able to decide his fate for himself, shouldn’t you be getting on the road? Your assignment will be difficult as is if we get half the expected snow they’re reporting.”

Julian leads the way. I collect Leaper. If what Alastair said about the weather is true, we might have to spend the night. Leaper hasn’t spent a day away from me since I got her. Julian drives while my cat watches the scenery from the dashboard, and I read the dossier from Gary.

“Who are we after today?” Julian asks.

“The head of the Douglas mafia family, Sansone De Luca. There’s a list of properties he frequents. Hmm, from this profile, he’s been pretty active recently, spending a lot of time in his downtown condo.”

“Is that where we’ll stage the hit?”

“Not sure. Let’s visit some of the other places on the list first. I want to get a feel for his security. A man with his reputation is likely to have an army around him.” My stomach growls, reminding me of the untouched breakfast Julian made for me.

I peek at him, but he remains silent. The only indication he heard my body’s demand is when he pulls off the highway in search of a gas station. After the brief detour and a bag full of food, we hit the road.

“Hopefully, the weather holds out until we finish the job. I don’t like the look of those clouds.”

I glance up from my file to see the sky darkening, although it’s still early in the day. We get off the main highway and are on a state road traveling west. This stretch runs through the mountains and can be treacherous during heavy storms, but we’re making good time.

Regardless of the weather, I’ll complete the job. Although I redeemed myself with the last assignment, the blemish from my record still irks me. Despite forgiving Julien for ruining my perfect kill, I can’t help remembering it when I take on new assignments. And the memory makes me more determined to execute a flawless contract going forward.

When we enter the city limits of Douglas, the Christmas decorations are more lively than in Denver. The cheerful Santas, elves, and reindeer, the colorful explosion of garlands and wreaths, and the music playing from the stores remind me of my parents.

Ever since the night I dreamed about my abduction, small pieces of my life with my family pop up at random times. With the holiday season in full swing, memories of shopping and baking fill me with nostalgia and feed my anger toward the people who keep sending killers after me.

As we drive through the busy streets, a group of black SUVs catch my eye. “Double back,” I tell Julian. “I’ve just found our quarry.” I refer to the dossier. “Looks like I saw him entering one of his homes. Let’s see if we can find a neighboring building that can get me visibility into his place. If I can avoid his security, I’d prefer it.”

“Same here. If we had more time to plan, that would be another story.”

Julian rounds the building and points out possible buildings we could infiltrate. Lucky for us, there’s a hotel across the street as tall as Sansone’s. While Julian parks, I reserve a room.

We set up in a room overlooking Sansone’s apartment, and we wait. Julian stretches out on the bed and Leaper pounces, curling up on his stomach and purring her contentment. Activity from across the street, causes me to rush to the scope on my rifle.

“Finally, he makes an appearance.” As I adjust the scope, my phone rings.

“It’s Gary.” Julian hands me the device.

“This better be good because you’re about to mess up my shot.”

“Then I’m in time. The hit’s been called off.” At my silence, Gary says, “I need you to confirm you’re standing down.”

“Yeah, I’ll pack it in. I still expect my commission for my troubles,” I grumble.

“Already relayed to the customer they won’t get a refund.”

I hang up the phone and start packing my sniper away, muttering about Gary and the insufferable client ruining my murderventure with Julian.

“The trip doesn’t have to be a total waste.” Julian hugs me from behind. “We have a hotel room and a warm bed.”

I turn within his arms and cup his cheek, my frustration melting away under the warmth of his gaze. “As much as I appreciate the thought, I’d much rather go home and spend our first Christmas snuggled up before the fireplace than in a hotel.”

“I can’t argue with that.” He kisses my palm and we check out of the hotel.

While packing the car, Julian pushes me aside and lands on me with a jolt.

On alert, I open my mouth to ask him what’s happening.

“They’ve found us,” he whispers into my ear. “I’m going to lure them away. Get in the car and prepare for my signal. Nod if you heard me.”

By the time I nod, he’s up and gone. I jump into the car, retrieve the extra gun Julian keeps in the console, and recline the seat. Picking up on the tension, Leaper stares at me and remains still.

Minutes that feel like hours pass before Julian appears at the passenger side door. He enters the car in a rush, displacing Leaper. “We have to go now. The asshole called it in from the gas station we stopped at, and there will be more on our tail soon.”

I start the car and peel out of the underground garage. The weather is still holding, which gives me hope we’ll make it home before anyone else discovers us. Within five minutes, a white SUV pulls up behind me, following every lane switch I make and dashing any hopes of leaving Douglas unmolested.

I exit toward Denver, knowing that the ride will pass through small towns with a sparse population. Another vehicle pulls up next to us while the white SUV from earlier cages us in. I speed up, narrowly dodging a bullet to our tires, but so does the vehicle behind me.

They rear end me, forcing the car to jolt forward, and I almost lose control of the steering wheel. “I need some cover.” I drive while dodging their bullets and attempts to run us off the road.

The car beside us shoots, shattering the rear passenger window and missing their targets.

“I got you.” Julian rolls down the window. First, he aims at the windows of the car driving alongside us. When the bullets barely make a crack in the glass, he says, “Speed up.”

I stomp on the gas pedal and accelerate, giving Julian the distance he needs. He adjusts his target to the hood and empties his gun into the engine. The car swerves, scraping against the car behind us, which barely escapes a collision with the mountainside. The second vehicle continues its pursuit.

Julian gestures over a control and the sunroof slides open. He braces himself against the seat, stands, and aims. This time he takes out the tires, causing the white SUV to flip onto its roof.

“Thanks,” I say as he settles himself in his seat. I glance over to catch his grimace. “Julian?”

“Keep driving to the next town and stop at the first hospital or clinic.”

“Why?”

“Because I have a bullet inside me and I need you to remove it.”