Swallow (Kindred Book 2) (32 page)

“For the most part, Rigor and his guys are low level criminals. They talk a good game, but they don’t persecute and suppress innocent people. The only thing they’re hiding from is the cops. Chances are they’ll turn it into a drinking den, a makeshift casino, whatever, they won’t be planning a war. Rigor just isn’t that motivated.”

From what she’d experienced of Rigor, she’d say Brodie was right. That he’d shot at them after he lost the poker game didn’t seem to be any kind of issue and she had to ask why. “He shot at us, are you ok with that?”

He ran a hand up the front of her bare thigh. “Everyone had too much to drink and tempers ran hot. Rigor hates to lose,” he shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time someone’s taken a bullet for winning a hand.”

She could no longer say that Brodie was the one who lived in a different world from everyone else because she was now a part of that world as well. She’d been shot at, seen men die, and become a murderer herself. Her initiation into the Kindred certainly seemed to be complete.

After this was done, there would be plenty of time to rest. She’d started this mission with the Kindred, and she was determined to see it through to the end. “Tell Falc to get the chopper ready, we’ll be out of here in five.”

She didn’t ask more questions, her chief had given her an order and she’d just learned tonight how sexy it was to follow the orders of the man she loved. Packing up the last of her important things, she shoved everything else into a box in her office and then they were running down the stairs of her building to get to Brodie’s bike out back.

There had barely been time to dress let alone shower or think about grooming. But if Brodie was right, they needed to get the drop on the compound now or the window of opportunity would close. Zara didn’t know how this would play out, but it was clear. This was going to be over tonight.

They met Tuck at a bar less than a mile from the Sutcliffe compound. Zave had stayed with the chopper, which they’d landed in a field without permission. Zave didn’t seem to be the type to get his hands dirty, yet he was completely aloof about flying them here, there, and everywhere, even in spite of what the plan was. His conscience couldn’t run too deep. But based on what she’d seen so far, his bravery was negligible.

On approaching the small, single story concrete structure, she saw only shadows in the high windows and little light. A notice on the battered wooden door declared the premises closed and from the neglected fascia, she wasn’t sure this bar was ever open. It looked abandoned, yet looked to be in better shape than the biker bar Brodie had summoned her to. So it could go either way.

Alone, she and Brodie walked through the entrance. There was no music or noise that would indicate fun, so she guessed the place served a purpose for them and their allies tonight that had nothing to do with drinking and dancing.

Brodie hadn’t said anything since they left Zave, so she guessed he was getting into his game head and when he took her hand, she was startled. The gentle intimacy wasn’t his style, if he wanted to claim or touch her, he grabbed her neck or pulled her body.

Inside, Tuck was with Rigor and a bunch of other men whom she didn’t know, though she recognized some faces from the biker bar. Brodie squeezed her hand, but didn’t look at her. He might have been trying to console her in this intimidating situation, but she thought that was unlikely.

When the dangerous looking men, who she assumed were affiliated with Rigor, spotted their physical connection few hid their surprise. Brodie wasn’t consoling her. He was marking her, and highlighting her significance to him. Tonight wasn’t a night for playing, and she doubted few would try flirting with her, but she was the only woman here.

There was no time for them to explain their relationship to these people. He wanted to get straight to business. Most of the tables had been pushed into one corner of the hardwood floor, giving the lower ranked men space to loiter, while those who made the decisions stayed together. A map was spread out on a large central table, just like in their motel room, and that was where the men congregated.

These men had been working hard and Brodie needed an update before the final push. Tuck acknowledged them with a nod, then turned to the table when she and Brodie got to his side. “We’ve still got guys out there,” Tuck said. “They’re holding the perimeter. We flushed out everyone we could.”

“How?” she asked and Tuck glanced at Brodie.

“There was already confusion ‘cause Ben told them Sutcliffe was dead. So we went in and confirmed it, most ran as soon as they figured it was true. There’s a bunch of guys holed up in the house. We exchanged fire outside, but as we suspected the majority fled. We followed and found them at the bunker. After they did a weird ceremony and buried Sutcliffe like he was some kind of deity, they started to load their trucks. Didn’t take them long to figure out the crates were empty.”

“They split?” Brodie asked.

“Most of them,” Tuck said with a nod.

Using the map that the more important men were fixated on, Tuck talked about the perimeter security and the four cult men guarding it.

“We used FLIR to confirm it,” Tuck said. “These four guys are the last ones protecting the perimeter. Everyone else is in the house battling to take the lead. The perimeter is wide open, it’s too much for these four guys to guard alone. We can ignore them and go in anyway, but then they’re at our backs, so I’d suggest—“

“Won’t take me long to get rid of them,” Brodie said. He and Tuck exchanged a calm look. “Then we go in.”

Tuck, Brodie, Rigor, and three of his men were crowded around the table and in this fully lit space, she got more details of Rigor. He was as shrewd and as shifty as he had been in the biker bar. But his eyes were clearer, he was listening and contributing as the three main men discussed what to do with those in the house.

“Anyone who has ideas of taking over is inside,” Tuck said. “If I was inclined to take bets I might let them alone in there and see how long it takes for them to kill each other.”

Brodie was intense when he frowned. “We don’t have that kinda time, I don’t want them to get the chance to regroup or call back those who have run. This is it. This is our chance to neutralize the threat for good.”

Sutcliffe was dead. His nephew was dead. There was no bloodline to take up Sutcliffe’s mantle. Those who were on the compound looking for a good, idyllic life would have run as soon as Tuck and Rigor showed up, dressed in black, as they were now, telling the cult that their leader had been murdered. Women wanted to protect their children, husbands wanted to protect their wives, those left were those in the army Sutcliffe had built.

Even then, most of them would have tucked tail and ran when they found out their bunker had been raided and their supplies ravaged. There was little left to fight for when the man with the plan was gone. Sutcliffe was the brains and the money. Rigor had done his homework on many of Sutcliffe’s men and was a wise ally for the Kindred. They had no need for Sutcliffe’s land, but they couldn’t leave it empty, that would raise questions and leave opportunity for anyone who might look to move in. People like Grant.

Thinking of Grant, she wondered where he was now, and where Ben was too. “Do we know who’s in there?” she asked because she hadn’t heard any names yet.

“At least twenty men, maybe as many as thirty,” Tuck said. “It’s hard to get a read, but we’re still listening in, the bug hasn’t been found yet.”

“What about Grant and Ben?”

Her concern wasn’t for their safety. If anything happened to Grant, she couldn’t claim he’d been innocent. Any harm that came to him he’d invited. In typical arrogant fashion, he’d believed these people would turn to him as their new savior when he put himself up for the job. As it turned out, he wasn’t the only man with an ego working with Sutcliffe, apparently the Brit attracted that sort of follower.

“They were both seen going inside,” Tuck said. “But it’s chaos and pulling out individual voices is tough. Most of the time, they have meetings in the kitchen and they end up screaming over the top of each other.”

“Has there been any indication of a secondary site or a backup bunker?” Brodie asked, remaining at her side. The heat of his arm against hers was reassuring and standing here with him, absorbing his strength, made it easier for her to keep a clear head.

“No,” Tuck said, looking back at the map. “Doesn’t mean that there isn’t one. Just that Sutcliffe didn’t share that information with anyone.”

“Or whoever he did share it with isn’t talking,” Rigor said.

“Ok,” Brodie said and backed away from the table, giving Tuck the space to roll up the map. “I’ll take the guys at the rear out first, I’ll circle back, eliminate the guys at the front then we surround the house.”

“You think it’s smart to just walk up through the front?” Rigor asked, separating from Brodie and Tuck to join his own men.

“We don’t skulk,” Brodie said. “This is an assault, and we’ve got to be willing to lose people. Anyone who runs, let ‘em go. If they want to come back at us later, let them. I don’t think one little fucker with a BB gun is gonna come after your people or mine on his own later.”

The men chuckled, displaying just how cocky they were about their abilities. Brodie was right that anyone who ran away was unlikely to cause them much trouble because they simply wouldn’t get close enough to the Kindred or to Rigor. But an all-out assault was risky and she could understand Rigor’s hesitation.

An image of Art’s last moments bled into her thoughts. That was how quickly it happened. Sutcliffe’s shot was deliberate, but it was as possible that a stray bullet could catch them unawares. Brodie wouldn’t let her be part of the advance and that made sense because she didn’t have the combat skills of the others.

While Art was bleeding out, time took on a new pace. Her mother had left her. Art had vanished too soon. And she wouldn’t be there to care for her love if something went wrong at that house. She was still staring into space when the men laughed and all began to move, before Brodie could get too far, her arm leaped up to catch him.

“Wait,” she said. He stopped to frown at her because everyone else was moving toward a door at the back of the room. This was obviously going to happen now. “I don’t want you to go.”

His aloofness became tension. “What?” he said, turning to face her. He came closer as his frown became a deeper disbelieving smile. “What the hell are you—“

It was pathetic and not her role tonight, but she was scared she might lose him when she finally thought that their future was secure. She had to share her fears with him. “It’s dangerous. The sniping at a distance I can handle but… I’m willing to lose other people or to give my life for you. I’m not willing to lose you.”

He blanked his expression and took a breath. “You said that you wanted to be a part of the darkness. That you wanted to be a part of what the Kindred do.”

She nodded and hated that her eyes were beginning to blur. “I do. I do. But…” Focusing on Brodie’s grief had allowed her to sideline her own. She hadn’t known Art for long, but she’d cared for him and watching a good man die had damaged her. It had reopened the wounds that made her recall what losing her mother was like and seeing how it affected Brodie traumatized her. “I won’t be either of those if something happens to you, will I?”

“You’ll always be Kindred,” he said, taking the back of her neck in one hand and touching her cheekbone with the other. “Even if Swift and I don’t make it out, Falcon will—

“I don’t want Falcon,” she said, whispering her petulance. They were alone inside now, vehicle engines came to life out the back signaling the other’s departure. “I want you.

“I have to go,” he said, straightening his body. “I’ve got to go to work and I can’t afford to be worrying about you while I do it. Stay here.”

“But…”

“If we need you to negotiate, we’ll call.”

His hands fell away from her body and he backed away then turned to beat a retreat out of the rear door, making no secret of his anger. His hard expression chastised her because he didn’t need her pulling this kind of shit when he was getting into the zone. She could chase after him, could make a fool of herself and of him in front of men who respected and feared him. But if she did that, he’d resent her for making such a scene.

“I love you,” she murmured.

Whispering the words to an empty room consoled her, but that feeling didn’t last long. The room got quiet quickly. Too quiet. The bar was closed and the front door was locked, so she didn’t have to worry about anyone looking for a drink. All she could do now was wait.

Pouring herself a measure of liquor, Zara shut off the lights, so as not to draw attention to the premises because she didn’t want to argue with anyone who rattled the doors. She didn’t know much about how long it took for a sniper to do his work, but they weren’t far from the compound, so the troop would have arrived.

She finished her drink then laid down on one of the wooden benches that lined the far wall of the room. By now, Brodie would have taken out the men in the rear and probably the men at the front as well. If he had a vehicle then the drive would only take a few minutes. They would only use vehicles to get up the path to the house if they wanted to announce their arrival, otherwise they would be sneaking in on foot and it would take longer.

Brodie had been right to ignore her concerns. What else could he have done? The mission had already started. He couldn’t have walked out back to face the men who were gunning for a fight to tell them that he’d changed his mind and was going to sit here on his ass because his girlfriend decided to pitch a fit.

She wanted them to take their time and get it right, so as not to lose any men. But she also wanted them to hurry up and get it over with, so she could relax and stop worrying about her love. Selling her apartment, giving up her job, traveling the world with a marksmen, she couldn’t believe her life had become so unrecognizable. But she wanted a life with Brodie more than she’d ever wanted anything.

Smiling, she sat up and scrutinized her empty glass. Brodie was capable. He would get this job done and then they could concentrate on loving each other for a while. He might be an unconventional choice, but Brodie gave her everything that she needed.

Bold, brash, and domineering, she couldn’t claim to have changed the man, but if he changed for her then he would no longer be the man she fell in love with because Brodie always thought he knew best and that was just how she liked him.

A noise at the rear door made her look up. If they were back already that must be a record, they’d been gone for less than an hour. Pushing her glass to the center of the table, she rose to her feet and began to move toward the door. She hadn’t heard any vehicles, but they were so close to the compound that someone could walk or run here.

If someone had fled the scene, it could be an indicator that something had gone wrong. Picking up speed, she was ten feet from the door when it burst open, and she skidded to a halt.

“You’re a lady who likes her liquor.”

The night outside hid his features, but she recognized the build and the tone of that self-satisfied voice. “Caine,” she said. Her purse was on the bar and she thought about running for it when he took a step forward to reveal the glint of his own pistol.

“Care to come in for a drink?” she asked, taking a step back and opening an arm toward the bar. If he came inside and let her go behind the bar, she could get her gun.

“Another time,” he said. “There’s somewhere you need to be.”

It couldn’t be a coincidence that he was here. Though if this bar was owned by Rigor or his men, Caine could be here to loot their supplies or maybe he knew something about the building that she didn’t. “Oh yeah? Where am I supposed to be?”

She expected a smart answer, but his words weren’t spoken for amusement. “The scene of the crime.”

“What the—“

“Come with me,” he said and pushed the door open with his back, keeping the gun on her. Glancing toward the bar, she wished for her purse and considered making a run for it. “You can try and do something stupid, but you know I’ll get a shot off before you get to where you want to go. I’m here to retrieve you because I’ve been watching Swift and his dumb friends all day.”

“You like to watch, don’t you?”

Caine had first introduced himself to her while watching Raven and his progress in stopping Grant from first selling the Game Time device. Then he’d come into her life again through Grant after watching her at Purdy’s during the assault. Brodie was locked in his seclusion then, and Caine had deduced her importance to the younger McCormack. Without his usual subject available to stalk, it seemed he’d promoted her to pole position.

“I’m pretty damn good at it.”

“Everyone has their strengths,” she said. “Like Raven, he loves to watch a man suffer and he never forgets a debt.” If Caine hurt her, Brodie would be set on getting his revenge. After today his calendar would be clear for a while, especially if she was gone. How ironic would it be if she got herself killed after claiming Brodie would be safer staying here?

Caine kept his aim on her. “I’m the king of holding a grudge and proud of it. Now come on, sweetheart, let’s pay lover-boy a visit.”

“Fine, let me get my purse,” she said and managed two steps toward the bar, but he leaped forward.

“I don’t fucking think so, get your ass over here now or I’ll put a bullet in your pussy and watch you bleed slow.” She stopped. “There’s more than one way to kill a guy. How you think he’d like fucking the mangled mess I’ll leave him with?”

Caine had been a nuisance and she hated him because he dogged Raven, constantly nipping at his heels, dragging him down, distracting him from business. But she had never heard Caine be so evil or make such threats, certainly not about her. Art had said Caine would only put a bullet in her if Brodie was there to watch, now she wasn’t so sure about that. He could put a bullet in her then drag her bleeding body through the streets and dump her in her agony at Brodie’s feet.

Caine wouldn’t last long after that, but she wasn’t certain enough of the guy’s sanity to test his resolve. “Ok,” she said, trying to stay cool in an attempt to keep Caine calm. “Let’s go.”

Leaving the bar, Caine walked behind her and she considered her options. Except there weren’t many. The street was wide and clear, if she tried to run, he would get a shot off before she could get to the other side of the road or to safety. This was also a remote part of town and this was the road out of it. No one lived out here, there weren’t even any cars she could try to flag down.

The walk didn’t take long, and when they turned into Sutcliffe’s estate, she expected to see activity. But there was none. She didn’t see a soul or hear anything but nature. Whatever was going down, it had to be happening at the house.

Engaging him in conversation might get her some answers. “You do know Raven is armed,” she said, but he poked the gun barrel into the back of her shoulder to keep her walking up the path toward Sutcliffe’s house.

They were most of the way up the dirt road that led to the main house. She hadn’t expected it to be so quiet. The calm was eerie. Caine came closer to her back, but the gun stayed against her shoulder. Having a gun pointed at her wasn’t as scary as she thought it might be. It was scary, but logic kept her fear to a minimum.

Caine didn’t want to kill her. He’d had the chance before. He could have put a bullet in her and left her at the bar for Brodie to find. For now, she was safe, but the chance she’d stay that way would fall dramatically when they got to the house. But Brodie was in there and confidence in her guy helped her maintain composure.

Caine wasn’t much in the mood for talking after they left the bar, he hadn’t tried to engage in chitchat, and during their previous encounters he’d always enjoyed the sound of his own smugness. Either he was worried or he was anticipating the need to focus.

Getting him to talk might help to distort his thinking. If she could distract him from planning or thinking about the next step, she might put the Kindred at an advantage. “Surprising the Kindred isn’t smart, especially when the first thing they’ll see is you pointing a gun at one of their own. Does Grant know about this stunt?”

“We don’t know each other well, Swallow,” he said. “I love the alias by the way."

And she wasn’t going to spend time quizzing him on how he’d figured it out because that was probably what he wanted. His life was dedicated to stalking Raven and had been for years. If Caine hadn’t figured out a way to get new information she’d be unimpressed. “Your point?”

“This kinda shit isn’t my style. I’m way more subtle.”

Subtle like he had been when he descended on her in Purdy’s to threaten Raven. Yeah, subtle, she almost laughed. A further truth struck her, if this wasn’t his move and he was working for Grant…

“Grant wants me here?” In danger’s way or as a pawn to manipulate Brodie. “Why?”

“Thought he had it all worked out with the double cross. About now he’s hearing from your lover-boy that it didn’t go as he thought.”

Grant had figured out that she and Brodie were still in cahoots and Brodie would take pleasure in filling in the blanks for his brother. “Where do you feature?” she asked. “Or are you just playing lap dog?”

“When he figured out the bunker was empty, then people started dying, and he found the compound in mayhem. Grant suspected your man.”

As he always did. When anything went wrong in Grant’s life, he always blamed his younger sibling.

“He told me to find Raven,” Caine said. “Imagine his surprise when I told him Raven was with you in a dive bar plotting with the men who’d attacked the farm and probably emptied the bunker. Kudos on that by the way.”

“All Raven.”

“I figured.”

The time for conversation passed and neither said another word because the house had just come into view. Although there were lights on, she saw no one outside and no movement behind the curtains. Instead of going through the grand front door, Caine poked and prodded her with the gun to take her around to the back, which led straight into the kitchen where those present were no doubt congregating.

“Up the steps, move!”

Zara didn’t like how Caine hung back as she clutched the exterior bannister and hauled herself up. She still couldn’t hear anything coming from inside, so she had no idea what she was about to stumble into and scaring whoever was in Sutcliffe’s kitchen could be her final act.

Those inside were already edgy because of everything that had happened in recent hours and she suspected that self-preservation was what kept Caine in a rear position. If anyone was twitchy and the back door suddenly opened they may act on impulse rather than rationale.

Leaning as far to the side as she could, she turned the handle then splayed her fingers on the wood to give the door a shove. It swung open and male voices began to shout, but no one took a shot.

“Go,” Caine said, at her back again with the gun barrel pressed into her waist.

Drawing her lips into her mouth, she straightened her back and took a breath in through her nose before she stepped over the threshold, pushing the door fully open as she did. The scene inside immediately made her tense. Grant stood to the right, in front of the wall covered with papers, with Benedict just behind him.

There were men beyond them in the lower part of the L-shaped room, significantly, none of them were standing, all she could see were bodies on the floor. Grant sneered at her, but she didn’t examine him for long, she looked right to where Brodie was standing with Tuck at his side to her left. Rigor was near the door that led to the long hallway, which would take them to the front door, but he was crouched next to a bleeding man, the one she remembered from the bar.

The long table that had once been central, was on its side, shoved against the counters. All of these facts were alarming by themselves. But before she looked into anyone’s eyes, she fixated on the large, scary gun in Grant’s hand.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“What does it look like, Swallow?” Grant spat out. Caine shoved her and when she stumbled, Brodie lunged forward to try to catch her, but a gunshot made him freeze and her scream, as she fell to the floor. “Don’t you dare touch her!”

Pushing onto her hands, she took stock and her heart began to pump again when she saw Brodie was still on his feet. There were holes in the walls, so she guessed the wide shot was a warning.

“She doesn’t need to fucking be here,” Brodie said through gritted teeth. Despite their eyes being locked, there was no softness. All she read was blind anger.

“Doesn’t she?” Grant asked. She turned to see him waving the gun around, definitely pleased that he held court. “I think she does, given that she’s the reason we’re all fucking here!”

His volume grew with every word. “You can’t be that angry,” she said.

“Lies! Lies! Lies!” Grant exclaimed and stormed over to crouch beside her, pointing the gun into her face. “I gave you everything, Zara Bandini, and you threw it all away to take up with my murdering brother. What is it he has? Huh? Did he give you your dream career? A salary that let you live in luxury? Did he?”

He was unhinged and she didn’t dare move in case she angered him further. “I appreciate everything you did, Grant, but—“

“No!” he said and pressed the gun barrel into her shoulder. Brodie’s heavy footstep came toward her, but Grant surged back to his feet to point the gun at Brodie again. “You’re not going to play the hero, brother! You’re the villain.”

“Is this about revenge?” she asked. “You want to hurt us so bad that—“

“You are insignificant,” Grant barked. “Get up!”

Doing as she was told, she slowly got her feet beneath her and began to rise to full height. “If you don’t care about—“