16
SHE DID WHAT?
TEDDY
At just after eleven o’clock, Teddy slid the last bullet into its magazine, loaded it into his Glock. He secured it in the holster, did the same for his second Glock.
Body armor. Check.
SWAT gear. Check.
Helmets with night goggles. Check.
Multiple weapons. Check.
Their surprise ambush.
Checkmate.
Teddy glanced over at his brothers. Greystone and Gabriel were huddled together, staring at Gabriel’s phone as they stood in Luciano’s weapons room in his Great Falls mansion. When he and Simone had left the mansion for Italy, Gabriel had taken up residence.
Teddy turned his attention back to his phone. He’d hopped online and hacked his way into Arlington county’s traffic signal controller to shut down as many traffic-light surveillancecameras as he could within a two-mile radius of their target location.
“Are you sure they’ll all be there?” Greystone asked.
“Sure?” Gabriel replied. “I’m never sure until I put eyes on someone.”
“Good answer,” Teddy said.
They exited the mansion, trotted down the front steps, and over to Greystone’s ALPHA SUV parked near the fountain.
“Isn’t this too much house for one person?” Greystone asked.
“It’s a house,” Gabriel replied. “I’m here, sometimes.” A wicked smiled filled his face. “Most times, I’m on a sleepover.”
Teddy chuffed out a laugh.
They set their helmets in the back, Teddy did a quick check of the long guns before the brothers climbed into the vehicle. Teddy rode shotgun, Gabriel in the back.
Greystone drove down the long, tree-lined driveway, the skeleton-like branches of the tall oaks a chilling sight against the night sky.
The six men who’d tracked Gabriel down were part of the Bratva, a ruthless group of Russian mafioso who’d been at war with the Cosa Nostra for decades.
The fightinghadbeen happening on their home turf, but when the men tracked Gabriel to the DC area, Gabriel had to stop them. They would target the people Gabriel cared about. His family. And they would execute them one by one until no one, but Gabriel, was left.
And then, they’d kill him, but not before they tortured him first.
The restaurant, located in an older section of Arlington, served authentic Russian cuisine. It had been a popular eatery until the Bratva had shown up. They’d taken over, and were going after every store and every business in the area.
“It’s too early for a hit,” Teddy said.
“The restaurant closes at ten,” Gabriel said. “But I’ve spent the last week with eyes on the place. The guys are there ‘til two or three every morning.”
Greystone glanced over at him. “Teddy, do you need to see the pics of the men we’re going after again?”
“No,” Teddy replied.
“If someone other than the six opens fire—” Gabriel said.
