Page 3 of Hunt Me

After tossing the muscle to the floor, I wiped his blood on my pants, returning my knife to the sheath. I trailed behind as the other soldiers left. As quiet enveloped the building, I walked into the center of the carnage, glaring down at their lifeless bodies. Laughing, I walked out, listening to the rustle of the soft breeze and the tinkling of music in the background.

And a bad feeling swept through me.

As I moved away from the building, two sounds captured my attention.

Heavy footsteps racing toward me and something else.

A child’s laughter.

What the fuck?

Vissarian lunged from the darkness.

“What the fuck is going on? There wasn’t supposed to be anyone here,” I snarled.

“A birthday party up front.” My cousin was out of breath.

I listened for the laughter again, my nerves on edge. Fuck me. “Get them out of here.” The explosives were concentrated on the buildings at the back of the property, but we’d used enough firepower to create fireworks seen from the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, the decision meant to send a clear warning.

As Vissarian gathered a few additional soldiers, I heard the laughter again.

“Wait. Something is wrong.” I turned in a full circle.

“Whoa. Whoa!” one of our men called. “The place is wired.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Sergio bellowed.

“Not our explosives. All the people up front are in the target zone.” The soldier was out of breath.

Other screams penetrated the night as popping sounds began to occur. What the fuck?

“Those people were brought here to die,” I growled. “Get them out of here. Get them out of here!”

Soldiers ran in every direction.

“We need to get out of here,” Sergio snarled.

Laughter. No, a giggle. From a fucking child.

“Thirty seconds!” one of our soldiers called.

Fuck.

A flash grabbed my attention, a woman screaming and flailing as Vissarian caught her around the waist.

“Mommy!” A strangled sob came from behind me, the voice so tiny I almost didn’t hear her in the commotion.

I spun in a circle, straining to see what the woman was squawking about.

“No. No!” she cried, struggling to get away.

“You need to leave. Now,” I barked.

“No. My baby girl. My baby girl!”

“Get her out of here,” I yelled, immediately rushing toward where she was pointing. I’d done some horrible things, butkilling either a woman or child would never happen. Not as long as I was alive.

“It’s going to blow,” Sergio yelled, trying to stop me. “We can’t stop this.”