Chapter Thirty

Around seven o’clock, they gathered around Dave’s dining room table.

Echo sipped on a hot cup of coffee. Ice was next to him, with Wrath on Ice’s other side. Across from him was Savage and Thane. Real was on his feet and Dave was at the head of the table with Stone at his side.

Dave glanced at his watch. “We are waiting for one more to join us.”

It had to be Justice. Echo glanced around, the only other one that he knew of besides those already here was Justice.

A few moments later, Dave’s doorman showed Justice into the room and the assassin took a seat next to Wrath. Wrath gave Justice a dark look, but Justice only smirked at his brother.

Dave glanced at Real. “Do we know how many locations Solomon has?”

Noise at the coffee counter jerked several pairs of eyes including his and he found Cash casually pouring a cup of coffee. The young man turned and leaned against the counter and lifted the cup to his lips. Cash didn’t seem at all intimidated by the stares from the Erebus assassins.

“I’m sorry,” Real said with a shake of his head. “But you can’t be at this meeting.”

Cash gazed at Real. “Fine. I lived with that asshole for ten fucking years. He has three places.” Cash snapped his mug down on the counter and stalked toward the door.

Ice stood abruptly and blocked Cash from storming out.

“Easy now,” Ice said, closing a hand around Cash’s wrist to keep him from leaving. Cash gave Ice a defiant look and then glared at Real.

Real turned toward Dave, who lifted a hand. “Let him stay.”

Turning back to Cash, Real pulled out a vacant chair and gestured to it. Instead of sitting there, Cash pulled out the chair next to him and sat—Echo patted Cash’s shoulder.

“Cash,” Real said, carrying over Cash’s abandoned coffee. “Are you sure there’s only three locations?”

“Yes,” Cash said, taking the cup from Real.

“How do you know that?” Real asked.

“Because I’ve been to the other two.”

“You’ve been there?” Echo asked, his attention locked on Cash. “Has Rogue or Fisher been to those locations?”

Cash shook his head. “I don’t know who Fisher is, but Rogue has never been.”

“How can you be sure.”

“Because Solomon is paranoid.”

“Then why would he show you?” Echo was confused.

“Because I’m his nephew.”

Dead silence swept over the room and Cash huffed out a sigh.

“You all must be thinking that I’m a traitor. Or why didn’t I run when I had the chance? You have no idea how many kids he has locked up in those three places,” Cash said between his teeth, sounding so much older than he should have.

Nobody spoke and Cash took that as the okay to continue. “He shows me all of his business because I’m his only family. He thinks I won’t betray him and that I’ll take over when he’s gone.”

“Why are you turning him in?” Real asked gently.

“Because he’s got three-year old Josiah.” Cash clenched a fist on the table and his other around the forgotten mug.

“What the fuck was a three-year-old doing on the streets?” Thane hissed, and Savage placed a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“He wasn’t. Josiah was snatched from a drug house,” Cash said.

“Why didn’t you go to the cops?” Thane asked.

Cash looked at Thane like he had a screw loose. “Cops? First, Solomon has connections and secondly, he would have killed as many kids as he could before the cops even stepped through the doors.”

“What do you mean?”

“He has booby traps.”

“So why are you telling us now?” Echo murmured, pressing on Cash’s shoulder in comfort.

“Because you got us out of that place.” Cash’s voice cracked, reminding Echo of just how young twenty-one-years-old could really be. “You saved me, Apollo, and Azrael. And I figured if you could do that, you might be able to save the rest. You are one of the originals.”

“Originals?” Dave asked.

“Yeah, the original three. Echo, Rogue, and Fisher,” Cash said.

“Okay, thank you, Cash. Let’s take a break,” Dave said gently and Cash hurried from the room. The rest got up to stretch their legs and get fresh coffee.

Echo, along with Ice, stepped out into the hallway and found Cash and Apollo waiting.

“Cash told you everything?” Apollo asked him.

Echo nodded. “We’ll meet up in a few hours and make a plan.”

“Can we help?” Apollo offered.

“No,” Real said flatly, coming to stand next to him and Ice.

“Not this time,” Echo said gently, shooting Real a glare.

“What you can do is stay here and tell Dave everything you can about Solomon’s operation so we don’t miss anything,” Ice said, placing a gentle hand on Apollo’s shoulder.

“Where’s Azrael?” Echo asked.

“I don’t know.” Apollo shook his head. “I’ve searched the entire house, but he’s hiding.”

“Where can he hide in this place?” Echo turned to Ice. If anyone knew this place, it was Ice.

“What room was he given?” Ice asked Cash and Apollo.

“Dave said to pick our own.”

“You two, search every room. Echo and I will look outside. Take my cell phone and call Echo’s number if you find him.” Ice handed over the cell phone to Cash.

Real cursed under his breath and stalked to the base of the wide staircase. He jogged up the steps and reached the second landing and kept on going until he was on the third floor. One by one, he searched behind each door, trying to think of where he would have hidden when he was a kid. Someplace dark, maybe. Someplace small?

No, he hated confined spaces. He walked along the hallway, not knowing this place at all, but he figured it was like the first level rooms where he was currently crashing.

At the end of the wide hallway was the last door and he pulled it open to find a set of stairs going upward. Taking those to the top, he stepped out into an attic.

With a bed, dresser, and lamp, it was sparse, but doable. On the bed, he spotted the hoodie Echo had given Azrael.

The open window drew him and he leaned out, checking.

Nothing. He stepped out onto the slanted roof and gazed around and then behind him.

Azrael sat, knees bent, arms wrapped around his legs. Wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans that were both too big, the boy looked even smaller than he’d looked earlier on the beach.

Their eyes met and Azrael brushed his wildly blowing hair from his face.

Real pulled out his phone and called Cash.

“Cash? It’s Real. Call Echo. I found him.” He hung up before Cash could ask where.

Walking up the slanted tiles, he sat a few feet from Azrael. From there, he could faintly make out the ocean through the riot of color that was the setting sun.

“Are they looking for me?”

“Yes,” he said, keeping his eyes on the sunset before turning to gaze toward the beach.

“Sorry.”

“Sometimes you just need to be alone. I get it.”

“Yeah.” The boy’s voice was thick with tears.

“People worry because they care,” he murmured.

“I’m not use to that.”

“I know. It’ll take some time.”

“Are you going to kill Solomon?” Azrael whispered, wiping his sleeve against his nose.

“Yes.”

“Good.” The boy’s voice was fierce and hate-filled and tormented all wrapped together.

“I won’t let him live,” Real promised.

“There you are!” Echo popped out of the window and climbed out to stand. “Wow, what a view!”

And that was his cue to get going. He stood, but stopped when Azrael gripped his hand and gave it a brief squeeze. Real walked away, not looking back.

He climbed through the window and down the stairs. Flexing his fingers.

A few hours later, they regrouped in Dave’s dining room.

Along with the locations, Cash told them that there were, to his knowledge, nine kids, including him, in Solomon’s places. Three children in each place. With Cash, Apollo, and Azrael rescued, that meant there were six remaining.

“Real, get in there and get it done,” Dave told the former SEAL. “If you meet any resistance, you know what to do.”

“What about the assassins under Solomon’s control?” Wrath interrupted with a hard voice. “Are they just going to be eliminated?”

“What about the original three?” Justice cut in over Wrath.

Both men stared across the table at Dave. The former SecDef briefly closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. “We need to get those kids out of there before they are killed. If any assassins get in our way, you’ll have no choice.”

“Don’t forget we were just kids when we were brought into this way of life,” Echo reminded Dave.

“I remember,” Dave said. “But you’re no longer children. And if Rogue, Fisher, and whomever else is involved tries to kill those kids or prevent us from getting them out, my hands will be tied.”

With that said, Dave stood and nodded at Real. When the SecDef left the room, Stone stayed behind.

“Our best bet is to locate Fisher and Rogue before we breach,” Stone told Real.

“And how are we going to do that?” Real asked.

“We’re Erebus. Finding people is what we do.”

Real returned Stone’s smirk and then turned to Wrath and Justice. “You two seem invested in finding Rogue and Fisher. So, you’re tasked with getting the message to them. Tell them that if they interfere, they will be eliminated.”

Justice shoved up from the table and stalked out of the room. Wrath moved more slowly, exchanging a squinty-eyed look with Real.

“You’re not my commander,” Wrath said silkily. “I don’t take orders from anyone.”

“Wrath,” Stone said, and Wrath held up his hand to stop Stone’s words.

“But I’ll do it this time because I want to see those kids rescued.”

Real, appearing unconcerned, nodded and lifted his cup of coffee to sip at.

“What about your brother?” Real asked Wrath.

“Justice is good at finding Fisher.”

“Okay, there will be two teams. One for Long Beach and the other for Los Angeles. We will breach at the same time at each location,” Real said. “Don’t forget to wear your comms, take radios, and grab a burner phone. I already programed my number in the phones. Leave your IDs.”

Everyone snatched up earpieces, long range walkie talkies, and a burner phone from the pile in the middle of the table.

“Feels like I’m back in the military,” Savage said, tucking the earpiece into his ear.

“Then I’ll be sure to sound the bugle in the morning.” Thane grinned and Savage thumped him on the forehead with his finger.

Real shook his head and turned to Echo and Ice. “Are you two ready?”

“We are,” Ice said, taking Echo’s hand.

“You got a plan?”

“Of course,” Echo replied and then smiled.

He, Ice, and Real would take out Solomon and whoever he had for protection.

It wouldn’t be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever was.

Now all they had to do was not get dead.