Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six

Gunner

L ocke guides the SUV down the small side street that leads to the back gate of the Barrett mansion. You can tell we're in the wealthy part of the city. There's actual space between the houses, which is unusual for New York City.

I'm not even sure this counts as being in the city.

It was a long-as-fuck drive.

Goddamn, I'm ready to be back in Virginia. I'd even take Boston or DC over this hellscape.

"The rear gate is going to be fifteen or twenty feet around this curve." Locke cuts off the lights as he slows the vehicle, eventually coming to a stop. "My guess is they'll have two men on the outside and one in the gatehouse. He's going to be the key. Take him out before he can hit the alarm. The guys on the outside will have comms, but if you keep them from radioing it in, you should be fine. Let us know when they're disposed of, and we'll pull around to join you."

Ranger pulls the AR-15 out from his chest and locks the bolt. He starts his pre-mission function check and goes through the motions. Eventually, he grabs a magazine, pressure checks the ammo before slamming it in, and smacks the bolt release. He tugs the gun up, checking the optics, and nods.

"I'm ready when the two of you are," he says to me and Soren. We're in the middle row with Noble and Maverick in the back. Once we exit, they can cycle up to sit in our seats. "I'll take the shot for any in the gatehouse, and you can address the ones outside."

"Don't forget your mask," Soren says as Ranger moves to toss open the passenger door of the SUV.

"Yes, of course," Ranger mutters petulantly. "I'd love to annoy my sensory issues to the point I contemplate blowing my own brain matter all over the pavement." He still rips the mask down over his face. "Come along, gentlemen. This fabric is making me surlier than normal."

"God, I need a vacation," I whisper, tossing my door open.

Soren sticks to my left, and Ranger stays on the right side of the road. Assault rifles allow for longer ranges, but I'm most comfortable up close and personal with my target.

It's fine.

We all have our roles to play.

Large, well-trimmed hedges line the entire area. I'm sure they provide privacy, but they also help to give us cover.

Soren's arm flies up to block me from moving any closer, and we both crouch at the edge of the final tree in the line.

"On three." Ranger's voice crackles in my earpiece.

I count it out and frown when I realize there are three guards instead of two. The third was blocked by the massive guy with his back to us.

I start forward.

"That wasn't three," Soren hisses, but the glass of the guard shack shatters an instant later.

"Ranger doesn't actually know how to count out seconds." Or I don't, but this is the kind of thing you only learn from working with someone for a shitload of years.

Ranger is always going to act one count before I would.

I tug the Glock from my thigh holster and take out the big guy's left ankle.

He roars, spinning either from the force of the shot or with the intention of taking my head off.

My foot flies at his chest, sending him staggering backward, but he pulls his weapon, meaning I have no choice but to take the head shot.

Soren stands behind one of the two remaining men. He's got a gun extended toward the man closest to me, but he has another pointed downward at the neck of the man against his chest. "Which one of you would like to live a few minutes longer?"

The man struggling against Soren's chest rips a blade from his belt and tries to stab backward at Soren.

Soren pulls the trigger, and it rips through the man's throat and down into his chest due to the angle. At the same time, the one closer to me stops holding his hands up and reaches for his gun.

I take two steps and execute him.

Soren blinks and finally nods, like he appreciates the save.

"I don't know why I'm surprised you bastards don't understand the meaning of a non-lethal shot, either," Ranger hisses as he approaches from behind me. "But I had higher hopes for the two of you. Fine, this is your mistake. You hash it out to decide who gets a boost over the fence."

"Not it," I say purely out of reflex. It's how Maverick and I settle all disagreements about shitty jobs.

Soren simply blinks at me like I'm an idiot.

"Soren is taller than you are and skinnier. He'll likely be easier to lift," Ranger says. "Let's get on with it. They should have breached the front a minute ago if they're on schedule."

"Not to ruin the bonding moment you're having," Merrick says, the sound startling all of us. He's so quiet sometimes that I forget he's monitoring everything. I bet the tech specialists get a good laugh at listening to our ridiculous arguments. "And not that I wouldn't love to listen to Soren bitch and complain about being tossed over the brick fence, but…" He laughs. "The gate is in the process of opening."

"If we were chucking Gunner over, would you have interceded?" Ranger asks.

"Yup," Merrick says. "Soren might be my packmate, but when you're in the field, I watch all your asses without preferential treatment."

"Good to know," Soren says drolly.

Jesus Christ.

He and Ranger remind me too much of each other sometimes.

Ranger, Soren, and I make it inside the gate, dragging the corpses with us.

Locke drives the SUV inside the massive brick fence and pulls off to the side. He, Noble, and Maverick jump from the vehicle, masked and ready to go.

The six of us break off into our two teams, with Soren, Ranger, and Locke heading for the study entrance.

Maverick, Noble, and I aim for the back deck that leads to our breach point.

Noble is a massive fucker, so we stick him in the back of our upside-down triangle configuration as we cross the grass toward the back of the house.

I hit the steps first, staying as light on my feet as possible. Keeping my Glock raised, I scan to the left side of the porch.

It's instinctual to know Maverick is going to have the right.

We just need to put in some time with Noble to start to learn his style.

Maverick's head slides side to side as he stretches his neck and flattens his back against the wall next to the door we're set to breach.

I shimmy up to the wall on the other side of the glass doors. "K-9 is in position."

Several voices volley their agreement as everyone finds their locations.

Noble glances between the two of us. He's the only one of us with an assault rifle, and he's going to take out the glass when we need to enter, but I'd love it if he slid to the side, so no one on the inside has a clear shot at him until we're ready to move.

I wave him over to my side of the door, but instead of moving to the wall, he stays three feet away.

Jesus Christ.

We should have strapped him into a bulletproof vest. His height makes him too big of a target.

There's clearly a difference between straight-up murder for hire and shit like this.

I'm about to tackle his ass when Merrick comes over our comms.

"Front door is being breached in…" He counts down from five, and right on time, the sound of exploding wood fills the air. "You're a go for all secondary entry teams. The kitchen is a hot zone."

I frown, twisting to shield my eyes as Noble takes out the glass on the French doors.

I don't think Merrick has access to cameras inside, but I'm guessing Ranger has someone with thermal. Maybe multiple someones based on the way Merrick continues to spit out different areas to use extra caution.

Sometimes, I wonder how he manages to watch three computers and listen to the massive amount of information being spilled over the comms at any given time, but that's why he's the genius tech superstar and not me.

Noble kicks away several pieces of jagged glass and climbs through the doorframe.

"Come on," Maverick growls, following Noble inside. "Hey, big guy, after this, we're giving you a lesson in tactical commands."

I sigh, scanning the porch and the yard. It's clear, so I climb inside, but silenced gunshots ring through the air.