“That’s not what we discussed. I don’t have enough time to case the place. I’m not going after him blind like last time.”
“I know this isn’t ideal, but Chang got a hold of his schedule and he’s headed out of town tonight for two months. We need to strike now. I’m here, casing for you. Do you trust me?”
“Of course I do. I don’t trust them.”
“That’s why I’m casing. How fast can you get to the private airfield?”
I didn’t like this. Something was screaming at me to wait until Plowers got back from the trip. Maybe we would get lucky and his jet would crash so I didn’t have to go after him at all.
“This doesn’t feel right.”
“We only have fifteen people left on the list, then you can retire. Think about it, Matt. We finish this and you get your life back. You don’t have to worry about putting V in danger, you can just be with her. The longer we wait on the judge, the longer it takes to go after the rest.”
That was true. We were almost six years sincethe incidentand over three hundred people down the list. There were times where it felt impossible, but now that we were so close, I was starting to slack off. Like the fifteen left would take me no time at all when in reality they were the hardest to get to.
It could be on the table.
If I finished this, I wouldn’t have to worry about my feelings putting Violet in danger. I would fake my death like I’d always planned and then I could just be a normal guy. A normal guy with a normal girl.
“I’ll be there in thirty.”
I madeit in twenty-five minutes. We were hiding in an abandoned park across the way from the airfield. I was counting the private security guards camped out on the perimeter while Eva used the heat sensors to check how many were inside. There were twenty in total, which seemed like overkill to me, but Plowers was super paranoid even before I went after him so it made sense. Eva had done five circles before I arrived. There were six ways in, which meant six ways out. Not ideal, but I could make it work.
“I’ll go freeze the doors while we wait for him to show. Do you have an earpiece?”
She handed me one. It was one of those beige ones meant to blend into your ear.
“I’ll warn you if someone is coming. Make sure you stay outside, don’t get trapped in there.”
“I know.”
There was a large cornfield separating the park from the airfield, but obviously it was mid-December, so no corn. I had to take the long way around, using the elevated ground and a few snowbanks as cover instead.
“Duck,” Eva’s voice chirped in my ear.
I hit the ground, waiting for her to give me the all-clear. It was a minute before she spoke again.
“Okay, move. Quick. Another one is headed your way.”
I was on my feet running to the nearest car. I paused for a second to send everyone’s attention to the south, shooting an icicle out of my hand. It hit a garbage can just inside the hangar and every head snapped in that direction.
I made a mad dash to the north side of the building. I froze the door shut and left a thick layer of clear ice on the door handle. That wouldn’t budge.
Then I made my way around the back. There were four people guarding the two doors back there. I used the same trick I had on Chang, forcing them into the wall in an ice cocoon, with an added piece over their mouths so they couldn’t yell for back up.
Once doors two and three were taken care of, I went for four and five on the south side. Two guards were pacing this wall. That wasn’t right… Eva said there were?—
A shot rang out. I hit the ground, not knowing where it was coming from. I felt the air separate as it whizzed past me, that was too close.
“South wall! Now!” Someone behind me was yelling.
I couldn’t think about it, I had to move.
I ran for the closest cover, a crane a hundred metres out. More shots rang out behind me, but luck was on my side because no one could shoot. At fifty metres I made an ice path so I could slide the rest of the way. I made it under and behind the crane unscathed. But more guns were joining the originals. I would guess at least ten.
“Blacksmith, how do I get out of this?” I waited, no answer. “Blacksmith?” I said more urgently. “Eva! Where the hell are you?”
“Circle around! We’ve got him pinned down!” Unnamed gunman four was yelling.
