Page 27 of Hurt

“Over and out, O-Face.”

Like smoke, Jamie circumnavigated the building. With the silenced .454 Casull in his hands, he crept along the eastern wall of the building. Silencing a .50 caliber .454 Casull wasn’t easy. The silencer had to be adapted to fit the massive handgun, and even then, it was incredibly heavy and impractical for the average person to wield.

Jamie was not the average person.

Crouched, he looked around the corner and saw the sentry. The fog and night made it difficult to see the man, but the lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth made it easy to pinpoint exactly where his head was.

Leveling the gun, he exhaled and squeezed the trigger. The gun exploded almost silently—a small pop muted against the dense wet atmosphere. Jamie felt the recoil in his shoulders, and he grinned ferally.

The cigarette was still lit. It had rolled away from the dead man, and Jamie plucked it up just before the pool of blood reached it. The sentry’s eyes were still open, a perfect hole where his right eye had been. The back of his head would be a pulpy mess. The exit wound of a .50 cal was never pretty.

Dragging on the cigarette, Jamie stepped over his body and closed the door he had been leaning in. With the butt of his gun, he snapped off the handle and made sure the door was barricaded.

Blowing out a plume of smoke, he stooped and set the stick between the dead man’s lips. “Thanks for the drag.”

Retracing his steps, he circled back around to the front of the building. The two guards there were loitering too close together. It would be too easy to take them both out quickly, and neither had night vision. Their sight would be highly limited.

Hiding in the shadows, Jamie shot the first through the throat. He wetly gasped and clawed at his bleeding throat. His comrade turned to him and leveled his SKS rifle at the dark. Before he could shoot, Jamie popped another round through his left shoulder. As he fell back, he squeezed the trigger of his rifle. The shot was loud, echoing around the cement industrial complex.

So much for stealth.

Jamie ducked his head and ran to the front door, shooting the man through the forehead in passing as he raced by and through the front doors.

Never leave a live enemy at your back.

Elijah had taught him that their second mission together. He left an injured goon behind him, and Elijah had taken a bullet meant for him. They finished the mission and got out, but Elijah lost a lot of blood and almost died.

He would never make that mistake again.

Taking the stairs, he wondered if the five guys in the room heard the shot. Their fate would be the same. It would just be more fun if they put up a fight.

Climbing the stairs two at a time, he made it to the third floor. With only a glance, he shot the elevator’s control panel. Electricity arced and spit as the wires desperately tried to finish their current.

The hallway was wide and lined with motivational posters and OSHA violations. They were hiding out in the admin offices of the warehouse, probably using the computers and WIFI to stream porn.

Dropping down, Jamie paused and listened. He could hear the murmur of voices coming from the last room on the right. That was where the light was coming from, and he knew most of the men were clustered inside. Still crouched, he moved to just outside the door. Light was spilling into the darkened hallway from the crack under the door. Dropping to his belly, he turned his head and closed his right eye to see under the door.

His vision was limited, but he could see how bright it was in the room.

Pulling out his cellphone as he righted himself, he sent a quick, silent text. Sliding it back into his pocket, he glanced at his watch.

3…2…1

The lights cut out in the room. There was a commotion as the men stood up from their chairs and began trying to figure out why their electricity suddenly cut out.

His heart was hammering, and adrenalin was thrumming under his skin. The finger resting on the trigger of his gun was itching. Every second, the temptation to lift the gun and start squeezing was growing.

Sliding the .454 Casull back into its holster, he got up onto the balls of his feet. If he was right, then…

The door opened, and a guy holding a cellphone came out. The flashlight app was on, and he glanced up and down the hallway before stepping into the dark.

Before the beam could illuminate Jamie, he stood and wrapped gloved fingers around him. Right hand over his mouth, his left twisted until his neck snapped, and his full body weight dragged them both to the ground.

Catching them before they fell, he dragged the body away from the door. Grabbing the phone, he flicked off the flashlight.

Four to go.

Another glance down at his watch told him he had thirty seconds. Pulling the shotgun from his back, he racked the gun and took a deep breath.