“Now, Daley, I’m going to take revenge for my brother, and you’re going to scream.”
Chapter 29
Rian
“How many guys are there?” I squint through the night at a boring-looking office complex. The parking lot is filled with cars, mostly beat-up trucks and SUVs, but they’re all set back away from the structure at the far edges of the parking lot. The building is rimmed with huge windows, any of which could be used for rifle fire. There’s no cover from the main road to the front door, and some barricades have been set up along the edges, creating a sort of funnel leading to the main entrance.
A killing field.
It’s a classic military strategy. Funnel your opponents into a wide-open space and force them to run through it to reach an objective. While they’re out from behind cover and defenseless, you slaughter them.
Seems like Emin isn’t an idiot after all. He must’ve earned his nickname the honest way.
“We don’t know,” Callum says. “So far, we’ve counted a dozen. I’m guessing there’s twice that number.”
“Some of our guys say they heard laughter,” Nolan says, shaking his head. He’s got a bandage over his swollen nose. I should feel bad, but I fucking don’t. “Like they’re having a party or something. Can you imagine having a party right now? They know we’re out here.”
Callum sounds uneasy. “What the fuck would they be celebrating?”
I know, but I can’t say it out loud. I feel numb right now, all my adrenaline stored up and ready to burst out. I know what’s coming, the violence and fear and near-misses if I’m lucky or death if I’m not, but I can’t let myself feel any of that fear or worry, not right now.
I focus on Daley. She’s in there. I’m so sure of it.
And that’s what they’re celebrating.
Their fucking prize.
“How do I get inside?”
“Not through the front door, that’s for fucking sure,” Callum says with a sigh. “We found a side entrance. It’s dark, and I don’t know where it leads, but that’s your best bet.”
“They’ll know about it. They’ll be watching. If Emin’s smart enough to set up this trap, then he’s smart enough to make sure all his bases are covered.”
“We’ll provide the distraction,” Nolan says, running a hand through his hair. “All you have to do is break in and bring her out. You have the easy job.”
“I don’t think anyone’s got it easy tonight.” I nod toward the building. “When do we get started?”
“Right now,” Callum says as he steps out of the car.
I follow him with Nolan on my heels. We meet with several lieutenants and their crews down at the edge of the parking lot. At least twenty men are hidden in the meager bushes and behind the bunched cars, all of them armed and ready. Most of them look hard, and they all know what’s about to happen. Some of them will die here. There’s no question about it. There’s going to be blood no matter how perfectly this operation goes.
But tonight, success or failure is all up to me. The longer I take inside, the more of them will die.
I feel the weight of that pressure on my shoulders, and it’s hard to carry it, but I will. For Daley.
“This way,” Nolan says, moving out to the left, circling the property clockwise. We run at a low crouch, sticking to the shadows at the edge of the road. I spot the side entrance after a short distance, and we remain crouched about fifty yards away. “Wait for the signal.”
There’s nothing else around. It’s a cold, dead run down to that doorway, and if even one Turkish bastard is waiting in the windows above to gun me down, I’m finished. This distraction better be good or else I’m not going to make it.
“What’s the signal?” I ask.
He shakes his head and we sit in silence.
This operation came together fast. The Turks gave themselves away when a shipment of food arrived at the office. The other houses remained quiet, but the office had much more action. There’s no solid evidence that Daley’s inside, but it’s our best lead and nobody wants to wait around. The longer we leave her in their hands, the worse this is going to be. It’s a one in three chance, and I’m hoping we’re lucky.
“There’s something we didn’t tell you,” Nolan says quietly, staring straight ahead. “Callum said we should keep it from you, but I think you need to know. We intercepted a car leaving this place a few hours back.”
“Who was inside?”
“A priest.” Nolan grimaces and looks at the ground. “He says he saw Daley. He says he performed a wedding for her. She’s alive and mostly safe, though a little beat up and very scared, but she’s definitely in there.”
I take a sharp breath. It feels like my body’s trying to reject his words. Like my heart wants to rip from my chest and my throat wants to close down until it’s nothing more than a tight wad of bloody flesh. A priest, a wedding, and Daley, my Daley, my fucking Daley—