“Dominik wouldn’t let me. And he made a good point. I wouldn’t be helping them. I would be putting them at higher risk. I’m Liot’s target,” I stop talking when we enter the office and see Sammy with my father sitting by his table, with five screens all showing each camera’s image separately.
For now, everything is quiet, the boys are talking while Dominik drives them to Liot’s house. I don’t listen to the conversation all I focus on is Damian’s camera, his camera sometimes points directly at Dominik. I don’t know if he’s checking him because he’s worried, like I am. Or if he’s just looking because they’re sharing the front seats and there’s nothing else for him to look at but him and the road.
Dominik doesn’t seem in pain, so that’s what I hold on to. An image of Dominik perfectly calm, displaying his emotionless act. Not once does he flinch or seem bothered while driving, and I thank God Liot has an unprotected area a couple of blocks away from his house. It makes Dominik’s wound ache to walk or stand for too long.
“What’s Damian saying?” Sammy asks and my father turns the volume of his microphone up while closing in his camera’s recording.
“I think it’s weird he has a house by the woods,” Damian says and Josh chuckles before he leaves the car.
“Plenty of space to bury the bodies,” Josh says Marcus’camera shows his hazel eyes narrow as the sun falls right on him.
“If he’s in middle age,” Damian comments, his tall figure standing on Rian’s camera.
“And they are. They are stuck there. Now some silence, everyone. Unless you want to start digging your grave already,” Dominik says and I laugh, is he that unpleasant with anyone else?
“Fuck, I saw a shadow,” Rian says and they all grab their guns, all but Dominik.
“Maybe you were tripping,” Dominik whispers yet he does hold his gun, ready to shoot. “We need to enter the deep woods, you follow exactly where I step,” Dominik commands and everyone nods, I see the cameras moving slightly up and down. They have cameras on their fake glasses and backup ones on their suits.
They start moving deeper into the woods and I keep watching every camera to check if I spot something they don’t. But there’s nothing. Nothing until we hear at least two people talk, the boys hide in different places, behind rocks, bushes and trees. Dominik is holding his gun so tightly I almost fear he’ll accidentally shoot the ground or himself.
“Think the guy can make it through another day?” one of the guards says, near Damian’s right hiding spot.
“Yeah, he’s going to pull through, still thinks his friends will come for him. Stupid asshole,” Dominik slowly gestures something to Damian.
“What did he say?” I ask my father and he doesn’t reply he keeps his eyes on the screen. “Dad?” I reinforce andI get my answer on the monitors. The guards start approaching the guys' hiding spots, and Damian and Dominik each incapacitate one of the two guards.
Dominik’s hands moved fast almost too fast, too mechanical as he broke the guard's neck in one or two seconds. Dominik walks to the unconscious guard and also breaks his neck. “We can’t take any chances if we want to get Aiden and leave breathing,” Dominik says and I force my half-open mouth close.
“You got four guards approaching from the north,” my dad says while pressing a red button.
“How do you know?” I ask him and he shows me his tablet. I still don’t understand. I don’t understand until the cameras he’s showing me change and I see Liot’s house, or better, where they’re keeping Aiden. He’s too hurt, it’ll take him weeks to recover physically and months to recover mentally, I just don’t say years, because I know Aiden, he’s not going to let this scar him for long.
“You have access to Liot’s security cameras?” I whisper-ask, my dad nods, his light brown hair impeccably styled. I swear my father always dresses to impress. And not much is needed. Josh is a small version of him and they both have the irreprehensible Kane’s charm. They’re perfect looking, proportion-wise. “Why didn’t you tell us that before?” I ask, my father smiles.
“Some things are better left unsaid until the right moment arrives,” my father says and I’m about to ask him if he’s keeping anything else to himself, but there’s fast movement on the boys' side. They’re jogging in the opposite direction the guards are coming from.
“They’re flanking you, they know you’re there, codehawk,” Code hawk?
“What the hell is Code Hawk?” Maya whispers and Karl touches the microphone’s red button.
“Get them out, sir,” Karl says and I look at Liot’s cameras. They’re trying to surround them.
“I leave no one behind. Give me your pistol,” Dominik says directing himself to Rian. Rian unsurely hands it to him. Dominik hands him a rifle hanging on his shoulders. “We’re going to kill the guards who are flanking us, then you’re going to wait as Josh and I will kill everyone inside the mansion and make a run for it while you cover us,” Dominik orders and Josh grabs one of his rifles and gives it to Dominik. In baby steps, they’re learning to live with one another, and I’m smiling at the screen. I’m smiling and smiling before the shooting begins.
I close my eyes for one second, and only open them when the shooting stops. Dominik is lost. He’s not there as a person, he’s only seeing allies and targets, I can tell it by the way he analyses the space.
“Josh,” Dominik calls, his face almost doesn’t move, his eyes or expression don’t change. He nudges his head towards the house and starts jogging. It’s scary how fast the others stop seeing and hearing them, us included. Liot’s cameras don’t spot them. All we see is the occasional glance at one another from Dominik and Josh, Josh more often. Only then do I notice Dominik is farther away from the forest and approaching the house, while Josh stands by the tree line.
“What is he doing? Dominik is going to die!” I almost scream nervously, my hands trembling, my kneesgiving in, so I sit down. I sit down and do the only thing I can, I watch.
“He’s not going to die. He’s protecting your brother. He’s used to working solo,” Karl says looking at me with a friendly expression. I thank him, unsure of what to say and hold Maya’s arm. It is warm, and unlike Sammy’s, not shaking.
“Josh is going to be fine. If anyone can make it through hell and back it’s him,” I assure Sammy holding her arm as well, until my arms are locked with both of them. I look at Josh’s camera hoping not to see it fall. Josh is the one to make it, but I don’t know if this is doable even for him. I assured Sammy and she’s slightly calmer yet I’m not.
I hold my breath when Dominik opens what seems to be the back door, noiselessly. I thank God and pray he isn’t found. He enters a closet and puts a silencer on the end of his gun, refilling it as well. When he walks out there’s movement to his right, before I even see anyone there’s a shot, and something or most likely someone falls to the ground. I don’t see it, I just heard the “bang” on the wooden floor. Several shots are taken later and shooting erupts from everywhere, but no one hits Dominik. The ground floor is empty of living souls when Dominik’s camera almost seems to fall to the ground. There’s no sound until I hear footsteps downstairs.
“Josh, get inside the damned building, man down,” I say taking control over the situation. My father hadn’t realised what happened yet, or preferred Dominik dead over Josh. I’d prefer if none of them die today.
