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“What if something happens?”
I wanted to tell her, something always happens. She’s been on enough missions not to realize that.
But instead, I just shook my head.
“We’ll do what we can.”
“Yeah.” She took a deep breath and sank back into her seat to wait.
I watched the clock and scanned the block. It was another hour before we were going in. I wanted to make sure the house wasn’t heavily guarded and we weren’t walking into a trap. It was past midnight, the crickets were out in force, and I could almost imagine why people would want to live anywhere but right in the middle of a bustling metropolis.
Not like this was the country or anything. It was still Philadelphia, just the edges of the city. The houses were still brick-fronted, but they had yards and were about twice as big as traditional Philly homes were. Some had front porches with colorful awnings in the front. Big doors and wide windows made them look like giants built the front.
I was used to the city proper. I was a street rat, an urchin kid that used to run around and fuck shit up late into the night. All this space made me uneasy, and I just wanted to get this over with.
Nothing much happened. A neighbor came out at one point, an old guy with white hair, black boxers, and a white t-shirt. He smoked a cigarette then went back inside. Cop cars drove past in the distance, their sirens wailing and bouncing off the houses and windows.
Robin jumped at every shadow.
I wanted to leave her back at the hotel, but she refused, and I knew I wasn’t going to win the argument. We’d been through enough shit by now.
The time slipped past. I didn’t hear from Reid or Oleg but I knew I wouldn’t. We were keeping it radio silent for a while before the operation began. I checked my gun a few times, just to have something to do, and tried to stay calm.
When the time came to move, I reached out and touched Robin’s thigh.
“Stay here.”
She looked at me and nodded. “I don’t want to.”
“I know. But it’s going to be too dangerous. I can’t keep you safe and save all the girls at the same time.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said before. And I guess I believe you.”
“Trust me, I want this to work out.” I leaned forward and kissed her. She kissed me and let her hand linger on my cheek.
“How’d we end up here?” she asked. “After all this. Me and you.”
“I don’t know. The first time I saw you, I killed your cousin and took you captive.”
“And now we’re fighting my family together.”
“Fucked up, right?”
“Fucked up.” She smiled. “But I sort of like it.”
“I knew you would.” I kissed her again, bit her lip. “I’ll be back, I promise.”
“You better.”
I pushed open the door and walked out into the night.
It was cool and crisp. I pushed Robin from my mind. I had to concentrate on what was going to happen next, not think about the pretty girl I left behind in the car waiting to see if I’d make it out alive or not. My breath fogged up and I could see movement at the other side of the block.
Two figures came toward me. I recognized Oleg and Reg, both decked out in black, both of them heavily armed.
I pulled my own gun.
We converged on a house with a big blue door. Beat-up white plastic chairs sat on the porch and cigarette butts overflowed from an ashtray. I nodded at Reid, who stepped up to the door and knocked.
There was noise inside, whispered voices. Someone stopped just on the other side of the door.
“Who is that?” A girl’s voice, young sounding.
“Pizza,” Reid said. “Got a pizza here. From Gino’s.”
“We didn’t order pizza. Go away now.”
“Come on, lady. It’s really hot. Seriously, it’s burning my fingers. Just open up and pay, I’m running way behind.”
“No, no pizza here, please. Go away now. No pizza here.”
“Lady, what the hell? This is the right house, it’s on the freaking address slip. Take a look if you don’t believe me.”
More whispered sounds inside. Then a man’s voice.
“The lady said to fuck off. I say also fuck off now.”
Oleg stepped up, pressed the barrel of his long rifle against the door, and fired two shots.
A grunt and screams from inside.
Reid fired his rifle at the handle then up toward the top of the door. He yanked at it, kicked it, and the door popped open, the locks shattered from his gunfire.
Inside was chaos. A man in a black shirt and jeans lay on the floor, several holes in his chest pumping blood. Girls ran all over the place, some wearing practically nothing. Two older men sat on a ratty brown couch, both of them with shocked looks on their faces.
