“We’re not going to wait on back-up,” Strike told Ruck. “We need to get moving.” We all watched as an older lady pulled in and parked a few spots down. She started hauling bags of groceries out of her car. Sort of answered the question about whether civilians lived here.
“The longer we stay here, the more likely we’ll be spotted,” Flir added, looking down at his watch.
“I know. Go in. I’ll send the others now and they’ll be there in about thirty minutes. Be careful and don’t fucking shoot them when they show up.”
“Ten-four,” I said in acknowledgment of his order. “Tell Glitch to send me any intel he finds on this place. Straight to my cell.”
“Will do. Watch your sixes.” Ruck hung up with that.
I grinned at my brothers. “Ready?” That old familiar feeling was creeping over me. It was a…preparedness. I didn’t know how to describe it. Like my muscles were tightening. My nerves were settling, ready for whatever was going to come at us. I wasn’t nervous, or anxious, I was ready. Focused. Prepared to do whatever was necessary to make sure all my brothers and myself came home.
I knew, from talking with the others, that they all felt something different when this happened. Relay had admitted it swept over him like a backdraft of fire. Lit him up from the inside. So much so that his hands would shake for the first couple of minutes while adrenaline raged through him. It made sense considering this was like a reward to him. It hit him like a dopamine rush.
My phone buzzed and I stared down at the text. It was a blueprint and info on the building. I shoved it back into my pocket as we stacked up along the back entrance to the apartment. It was a twenty unit building, two stories. That alone would be a pain in the ass, but with the risk of civilians in here, we had to be extra careful.
Due to that, we were changing our normal tactics a bit. I was running point, breaching the rooms with a shotgun. Only instead of using slugs or buckshot, I was using riot rounds. Hard rubber balls that were non-lethal, but hurt like hell. I still had my nine millimeter on my hip, but this way I could be a little less discriminate about who I shot.
Granted, I didn’twantto shoot a civilian with rubber rounds either, but there was a good—no, guaranteed, chance this would devolve into a shit show. Breaking some innocent dude’s ribs was better than him getting mowed down in the cross fire. I just hoped like hell everyone would stay put once the shooting started. Panicked civilians were a whole new level of chaos that we didn’t need right now.
Relay was behind me with his rifle. The plan was I knocked Collective shitheads down, he pumped them full of lead, then on to the next apartment. If I shot a civilian on accident, hewouldn’tpump them full of lead. At least that was the hope. Strike and Flir would watch our sixes for the first couple minutes, in case any heard the commotion and came up behind us, then they’d need to split off to search more rooms. This was going to go fast. I just hoped it went smooth as well.
We all pulled black ski masks over our heads. It wasn’t exactly original, but it would keep us from being identified. We’d left our cuts back at the clubhouse for that exact reason.
I glanced at Flir and nodded, he looked at his watch, silently counting down. I watched his lips.Three, two…He opened the door for me and I went in, taking position at the first apartment. He kicked the door right at the doorknob, splinters flying then stepped out of the way so I could enter, followed closely by Relay.
CHAPTER 28
Bolo
Iran in, shotgun fitted against my shoulder. Two assholes popped up off the couch in front of us. It took me half a second to assess the room. Smelled like weed, which didn’t mean anything on its own. The two guys, tatted up the neck and face. Gang tats. Two hand guns on the table next to…a stack of cash. Bingo.
They were already diving for the weapons. Civilians or not, they weren’t planning to stand by and let us barge in. These weren’t upstanding men whose night we just ruined.
“Fucking Saint’s Outlaws,” one of the men barked.
Well, they definitely knew who we were—though I had no idea how, maybe we were the only group ballsy enough to pull a stunt like this—which made them Collective. And targets.
I fired, pumped, and fired again. The rounds hit with a satisfying thump to each of their chests, sending them hurtling backwards over the table and tumbling across the floor. Fuck Iloved these rounds. I swept to my right to check the next room. The kitchen. Empty. I heard two sets of two shots. Relay had taken care of them. I moved to the bedroom.
“Empty,” I called out. I could hear gunfire from the other end of the building. The surprise was gone, now the real fun began. I slung the shotgun behind me and drew my pistol, letting Relay lead us out of here. The shitheads would start pouring out of the apartments into the hallway.
We’d take them out in the open, then continue sweeping the rooms. Strike and Flir were already heading up the stairs. They’d cover the top floor. In a perfect world we’d have a third team to mow through the other hallways and guard the stairs, but we simply didn’t have the manpower. Not a problem. Just meant more action for us.
The dinging of the elevator was our only warning before the doors slid open. Relay swung his rifle at the opening, eliciting ear piercing shrieks from the women inside. They cowered away from him, holding onto each other as they watched us with wide eyes.
I grabbed the barrel of the rifle and shoved it down. “Sorry, ladies,” I told them.
“Get the hell out of here,” Relay growled when they just stood, frozen. He jerked his head to accentuate the order.
They scrambled out of the elevator, their heels clacking on the tile floor. “What the hell is going on?” one asked.
“I don’t know, but they’re kind of hot…”
“Eliza! They’re holding guns. That’s not hot. Besides, you can’t even see their faces,” the first girl snapped.
“I can see their bodies,” Eliza countered, smiling at Relay.
The looks on her other friends’ faces said they sort of agreed with her assessment.
