Page 38 of Kill Shot

Waiting Is the Hardest Part

Seb

Seb could barely believe his eyes as he watched the series of bunkers, warehouses, and trucks be engulfed in explosion after explosion. Stone and metal rained down from above, and even from more than a mile away, pieces were falling near them.

He was with his father, sitting in the back of a heavy-duty truck, monitoring the situation.

“Should have done this the first time around,” Pablo said under his breath, watching the unfolding cataclysm like a hawk. He was monitoring exactly what was happening, and every so often, he gave another order into his radio, making minor adjustments to the havoc that his men were wreaking.

This was a side of his father that Seb had never known, yet it still felt oddly familiar.

This was the same cold, clinical precision that he brought to his business dealings with enemies.

While Pablo Altamirano could be the warmest of friends, he could also be utterly devoid of mercy when it came to those that had wronged him or his loved ones.

“We’ve got another coming in, confirmed friendly,” one of his father’s men announced. The man was crouching down outside the truck, watching one of the approaches that led up to their vantage point.

Seb held his breath, waiting to see if this one was Nico. He knew the chances were slim and getting slimmer by the minute, but he still held onto hope.

When the first explosion had gone off, they’d just exited one of the bunker entrances and been assaulted by the blistering sand outside.

Seb had tried to pull away from his father, to rush back inside to find Nico and make sure he was alright, but his body had been pitifully weak and he’d been unable to do anything but moan and groan as his father carried him to safety with steely calm.

“He’ll be fine,” his father said in the present, reading his thoughts.

Seb had recovered enough to talk, but only barely.

“ Fine as in he’ll survive, or fine as in he’ll get his revenge and take the rest of the gang with him?”

His father didn’t answer that. He just kept watching the wreckage, his mind churning with numbers. The probability of success, the number of people that had died, the sheer amount of money that was going up in smoke.

That was just how his father operated.

But then, after a time, Pablo surprised him.

“He’ll get out. I’ve gotten to know the guy a bit over the last few days, and it’ll take more than this to kill him. Besides, I don’t think he’ll let himself die until he’s settled things with Bolero.”

While Seb thought on his words, Pablo looked down at the durable laptop that showed a map of the compound. With a single press of a button, he could set off another set of charges.

And so that’s exactly what he did.

Seb winced and shielded his eyes by reflex. They were far enough away that he could see the flash of light and exploding stone just before the sound reached him, a crack and a deafening boom that made the ground vibrate before his very feet.

How many more people had just died? How was his father so comfortable wielding such terrible power?

But he clearly wasn’t comfortable. One look at his grim features and the tension in his body was enough to see that. Pablo was prepared to do what was necessary, but Seb knew that he would be dwelling on this day for years to come.

“Why… why are you helping him?” Seb couldn’t help but ask. He was terrified of the answer, but he was even more terrified of staying in the dark forever.

This time, his father did turn to look at him, and in an instant, Seb realized exactly what had been keeping his father turned away. It hadn’t been his preoccupation with the deadly work at hand, but rather a deep sense of guilt and shame.

When his father looked at him, Seb could see just how much the man blamed himself for everything that had happened. Because of him, his son had been kidnapped, tortured, and traumatized.

And the worst part of all was that Seb couldn’t comfort him because for the last few days, he’d spent more than a few hours silently cursing his father and blaming him. For that, the son felt just as guilty and ashamed as the father.

Something passed between them, and Seb didn’t know if it was understanding that they would talk about this later or silent agreement that this would never be spoken of again. He didn’t know which one he would prefer, and he suspected that his father was in the same boat.

“You asked why,” his father said at last. “It’s because Nico and I aren’t really all that different when you get down to it. I’m sure he spent years hating me, blaming me for his circumstances.”

He gestured to the swath of destruction before him. Maybe it was just a trick of the wind, but Seb thought that he could hear screams even from this far away.

“Those men down there, I don’t feel bad about them dying. But I’m sure many of them have kids, partners, families, and other loved ones. Those people will probably hate me for what I did here, just like Nico hated me.”

Pablo slouched, almost as if he could physically feel the weight of his decisions crushing down on him.

“Wh-what are you saying?” Seb asked. “You mean… Nico’s father…”

“Technically his uncle, but the man who raised him nonetheless,” Pablo said. “I’m sure Bolero told you something of that while you were his prisoner. If you thought it was a lie, then no, I did kill the man. After all, he’s the one who shot your mother.”

Seb could very nearly cry, but it was tears of relief that threatened to escape this time. Thank goodness his father hadn’t been the monster that Bolero had suggested he was. Seb had tried to ignore those taunting words, but they’d burrowed into his mind and filled him with doubt.

“Then Nico…” Seb trailed off.

“Was misled, just like you were,” his father said. “And now that he knows the truth, he’s going to make Bolero pay.”

“I think that’s the last one coming up,” one of his father’s men outside called.

Seb’s entire body protested, but he strained to lean out and look. It had to be Nico. It just had to be.

He held his breath, and his father joined him. Through the swirling dust and blistering heat, there were shapes, but every time he focused on one, he soon realized that it was nothing more than a mirage.

And then Seb saw him, head held high even as he limped, stumbling his way back to safety after successfully completing his mission. There was an aura of proud triumph to him, but it did not overpower his air of professionalism.

But it was not Nico. It was another one of his father’s men.

“Alright, let’s pack it up and get out of here,” Pablo ordered, closing his own laptop and shutting the door on this brutal affair.

“But what about Nico? Can’t we wait? Can’t we send someone to find him? Can’t we—”

His father stopped him with a look of pity.

“Nico’s the one who told me to get you out of here if he hadn’t arrived by this time. I won’t betray his last wish.”

His last wish .

Did Nico mean that he was planning to die or that he was planning to stay here even if he lived? Even thinking about that for a single moment was enough to make Seb dizzy.

He hadn’t managed to forget about his torture; he’d just put off thinking about it.

However, the debt was coming due for both his mind and his body, and he could barely even manage to stand upright.

He unceremoniously slumped down, unable to even raise his head to take one last look at the brutal scene of carnage outside.

“Let’s get you home,” his father said softly.

Seb nodded, his throat too raw to get a single word out.

Nico .