Tricks and Traps (Gray Spear Society Book 7) (36 page)

"The doors are closed!" Sheryl yelled. "We're locked in!"

"I know," Aaron said.

"We have to turn around."

"Just stay with me. I have a plan."

You always have a plan,
she thought.

He ducked down and forced his way into the tightly packed crowd. His big body moved obstacles aside like a bulldozer.

When they were surrounded on all sides by panicked civilians, Aaron said, "Costume change."

"What?" Sheryl said.

He took off his jacket and dropped it on the floor. He ripped off his shirt, revealing several guns strapped to his muscular body. Without warning, he slugged the guy next to him in the gut. Aaron pulled off that man's shirt and put it on himself.

"Hurry!" he yelled.

Sheryl looked around for a victim. An overweight woman in a black T-shirt was the logical choice. Sheryl stomped on her toes to make her bend over. With Aaron's help, Sheryl stripped off the shirt. Folds of flesh underneath weren't pretty to look at. Sheryl pulled the shirt over her head and winkled her nose at the sweaty odor.

Security was breaking up the crowd. Aaron and Sheryl would be exposed in a few seconds.

"Fire!" Aaron bellowed. "Fire! Run!"

That got everybody moving in random directions. The security guards yelled as they tried to regain control.

Aaron grabbed Sheryl by the hand and yanked her hard. Using the scattering civilians as cover, they went back up the staircase to the second floor.

"What are we doing now?" she said.

"Getting out."

"How?"

Aaron took her through the maze of small rooms and passages. She had no idea what he was hoping to accomplish. There weren't even windows on this floor.

Many of the games were still being played. Sheryl couldn't believe the gamblers had simply ignored the loud gunshots and screaming.

They eventually arrived at a blank wall.

"Here!" Aaron said.

"Where?"

He reached under his shirt and took out a plastic bag containing a white substance that looked like clay. He smashed the bag against the wall, and it stuck. He fished out a small electronic device from the right leg of his pants. He set a timer for thirty seconds and pressed it into the bag.

He ran off. She squeaked in fear and followed him.

They went into the next room. He huddled in a patch of darkness against the wall.

"Stand in the open," he said. "Pretend to surrender."

The order was confusing, but she knew better than to argue with him. He seemed confident. She raised her hands.

Four guards came running. She got their attention, and they began to surround her.

Aaron shot all the guards in the head. Blood splattered on Sheryl's face, and she recoiled in horror.
I was a decoy,
she realized.

The explosive went off in the next room, and the shockwave hit her with tangible force. Her ears were left ringing.

"Move!" Aaron yelled in her face. He gave her a shove to emphasize the point.

The explosion had punched a nice hole in the wall. She saw red light from a setting sun through it. He kicked at the edges to make the hole a little wider.

He went through. She followed him onto a narrow strip of roof covered with tar and gravel. The second floor was stepped in from the first floor, creating a walkway that went around the building.

The ground wasn't too far away. She expected him to jump down to the parking lot, but instead, he stayed on the second level. He ran along the roof.

She followed him. "Why aren't we leaving, sir?"

"Snipers." He pointed up.

She craned her neck. "I don't see any snipers."

"Where there are mercenaries, there are snipers. Keep your head down!"

Sheryl hugged the wall of the second floor and ducked down. She trusted Aaron's judgment.

He stopped when they reached the other side of the building. He laid down on the rough gravel, and she did the same. They were positioned to be invisible from above and below.

"Now what, sir?" she gasped. She was having trouble catching her breath.

"I make a phone call." He wasn't even breathing hard.

He opened his phone and put it in speaker mode. He dialed a number.

Norbert's voice answered, "Sir?"

"We ran into a little trouble at the Pot of Gold Casino," Aaron said. "Shots fired. Civilians down. I need a massive police response ASAP."

"I'll get on it."

"Thanks." Aaron hung up.

"He's calling the police?" Sheryl said.

"Even better. The security booth is wired into the police dispatch system. He can get the word out directly to the units." He settled back and stared at the sky.

She also tried to relax, but her heart was still racing. "That was intense, sir."

"Yes."

"The way you killed all those people..." She bit her lip.

"What's the problem?" he said.

"It was brutal."

"Did you want me to apologize after I blew their brains out?"

She didn't know what she wanted exactly. She certainly couldn't argue with the results. They had escaped from a seemingly inescapable trap, and he had made it look easy. It was almost a miracle. She now understood why the rest of the team held him in such high regard.

"A little emotion would've been nice," she said. "Just to prove you're still human."

"If I cried now, would it help?"

"No, sir." She sighed.

Nobody spoke for a moment. The sun was a red ball on the horizon. She swatted a mosquito on her hand.

"You seemed to have a plan the whole time," she said. "When did you think of it?"

"I knew from the beginning what would happen. It was a predictable scenario."

He drew his gun. A guard came around the corner of the building on the roof. Aaron shot him in the head with a single, quiet shot. Aaron relaxed again and put his gun away.

"Very predictable," he added.

Sheryl grimaced. "Will I learn to kill like that?"

"I hope so. I'll try to teach you."

She wasn't very happy to hear that news.

She heard police sirens coming from multiple directions. A moment later, she saw the flashing red and blue lights. There were dozens of cars.

People began to flood across the parking lot. Apparently, the casino had finally opened the front doors and let them out.

"Now we can go home," Aaron said.

He rolled off the building and landed silently on his feet. She got down much more awkwardly, and he caught her with his hands.

They walked back towards the car.

"What's next, sir?"

"This is a real mission now," Aaron said. "That makes our job straightforward. We have to erase the stain completely."

"What about Jack?" Sheryl said.

"We'll find him. He won't be able to hide here much longer."

"Why not?"

He grimaced. "Because I'm going to burn this fucking place to the ground tonight."

* * *

Jack stared at the controls of the monkey machine. He was back in one of the private game rooms, and the machine was set to run without needing money. It was exactly what he had wanted. He had betrayed his own commander, not once, but twice to get here. He had given up all the things he loved including his honor.

The only thing stronger than his desire to play was his self-hatred. He had become what he despised most: a weak, cowardly traitor. A single strand of the old Jack remained, and it told him his duty. This time, he would listen. Even the ringing of the monkey machines couldn't drown out his resolve.

He grabbed one of the levers on the machine. The steel construction was designed to withstand a lot of abuse, but he was highly motivated. He yanked the lever back and forth with all his might. Soon, he was sweating with the effort, but he didn't slow down. He could feel the metal bending.

Memories of his crimes gave him extra strength. His violent attack was shaking the whole control mechanism. He roared in anger as he pushed and pulled, pushed and pulled. He would not be denied.

"I serve the Lord!" he yelled. "He is my Master! I am a Spear now and forever!"

The lever broke free abruptly. The bent steel edge had a sharp point.
Perfect,
he thought.

The door of the game room flew open. Jack expected to see security barge in to protect the machine, but Cantrell entered instead. He looked badly shaken. Two bodyguards flanked him.

"We had a little trouble catching your boss. He got away."

Jack sneered. "Body count?"

"Twenty-three... and growing."

"I warned you."

Cantrell shook his head. "I've seen a lot of crazy fighting in my day. I've watched professional killers at work. This was different."

"You have no idea," Jack said. "You're lucky the rest of the team wasn't here. They would've stayed and finished the job."

"What are you holding? Did you break my game?"

Jack held up the jagged piece of metal. "I needed a weapon."

"If you attack me, you'll be dead before you take two steps." Cantrell got behind his bodyguards.

"It isn't meant for you. Calm down."

Cantrell regained his composure and straightened his suit. "What's really going on? Who are you?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. Ask my boss when you meet him, and you will. He's coming for you." Jack stood tall.

"Talk, or I'll take away your game privileges."

Jack spat at the machine's controls.

Cantrell narrowed his eyes. "When did you grow a pair?"

"I had an epiphany. I realized how I got into this mess."

"You became addicted to my games."

"No." Jack shook his head. "It happened when I lost my passion. For the last few years, I've been the security guy on the team and nothing else. I sat in a dark room and watched everybody else bask in the glory. I did my job well, but out of habit more than desire."

"So?" Cantrell said.

Jack took a step forward. Cantrell's bodyguards tensed.

"But it's not a job. It's a calling. A divine mandate. My destiny was tattooed on my soul when I was born. My assignment might be humble, but the mission is not. We are the guardians! We fight the fights that nobody else can win. At some point, I forgot that. I became just a role player, and that was my failure."

"What are you talking about?" Cantrell said.

"You'd never understand. It's about doing what must be done. It's about being strong, even when you're alone. Thanks to you, I'm remembering now." Jack squeezed the piece of metal. "The anger helps. For the first time in my life, I'm feeling the deep burn that my friends talk about. God's breath."

"I'm not impressed. Graveyards are full of heroes like you."

"And I'll be glad to join them."

"Seriously," Cantrell said, "I'm going to break your fingers if you don't start giving me useful information. What kind of enemy am I dealing with?"

"One who will give you the death you deserve. Tell Aaron I'm sorry."

"I'm running out of patience with your blabbering."

Jack smiled. "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done!"

He plunged the sharp metal point into his own carotid artery.

He died.

* * *

Cantrell stared at the dead body. A pool of bright red blood was spreading across the marble floor. He was very confused. There was no reason in the world for that man to take his own life. It accomplished nothing. Being dead was the definition of failure, not success.

Cantrell had bigger problems to worry about though. He had an enemy who was far tougher and deadlier than any he had ever faced. Cantrell was at a loss for how to counter that threat.

The police were another problem. They were swarming through the casino. Until the authorities sorted out the mess to their satisfaction, no gamblers would be allowed inside, which meant no income. The management and ownership of the casino would be forced to answer questions about an inconveniently large number of dead bodies. Some were civilians. Criminal charges would be filed.

The solution to both problems was the same. It was time to disappear. His grand plan had failed. He would lay low for a year, and then start over somewhere else.

He faced one of his bodyguards, a member of the Shkotovo Company. Like most of his comrades, the man was big and had a full beard. Cantrell still owed money to the mercenaries. Konstantin would be unhappy when he found out Cantrell wasn't going to pay that bill, but Cantrell still needed protection until he found a safe place to hide. It was a very sticky situation. He would have to keep his cards close to his vest until he managed to extricate himself.

"We're going back to the hotel," Cantrell said. "This isn't a good place for me to be."

"Yes, sir," the bodyguard said.

"And let's fill a suitcase with cash on the way out."

* * *

Sheryl was feeling completely drained by the time she got back to headquarters. She just wanted to eat dinner and relax for the rest of the evening. She deserved a break.

Aaron obviously had other ideas.

They walked into the entry chamber. Norbert was sitting behind the bulletproof glass.

"I've been listening to the police reports, sir," he said. "It sounds like you made quite a mess at the casino."

"Not my fault," Aaron said. "They tried to ambush us."

"They're calling it a slaughterhouse."

"Just let us in."

The side door buzzed. Aaron and Sheryl entered headquarters. He hurried off without a word and left her standing alone.

She knocked on the door of the security booth, and Norbert let her in.

He gave her a comforting smile. "Rough night?"

"Terrifying." She nodded. "If it wasn't for Aaron, I'd be dead now. That man is unbelievable. Bullets were flying everywhere, and he didn't even look worried. He killed so
efficiently
."

"It makes me jealous sometimes. He's so good at everything."

"Where are Tawni and Smythe?"

"An hour away," he said. "I'm sure we'll have a meeting as soon as they get here. I suggest you eat and rest in the meantime."

She winced. "Do you think we're going back out tonight?"