Page 40 of Savage Little War

“Perfect,” Dmitri replies. “Give Luca the address. Be specific about the location but not suspiciously specific.”

Luca flashes him a confused look, but he still nods and writes down the address on a nearby notepad.

“We should have men posted by the villa to let us know when they arrive and how many there are of them,” I suggest.

“Sean, can you set that up?” Dmitri asks him. “The rest of us will head out to find a guard to ambush. We’ll need to move quickly. Sunset will be here before we know it.”

I glance toward a nearby window, seeing the blue tint of the sky slowly darkening. The day passed by so quickly, and we still have so much left to get done.

“Will do,” Sean replies before heading out of the suite to inform the others of what’s going on.

“Can I go too?” I ask Dmitri.

Dmitri sighs as he tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. “You know what answer I want to give you, especially now.”

If he didn’t already see me as precious cargo, he definitely does now.

“I’m the only way you can figure out who the guards at the farmhouse are,” I point out.

“Stay close and take this,” Dmitri replies before pulling a sheathed knife out of his bag and handing it over to me. “Don’t be afraid to use it.”

I nod and slide the knife into my back pocket, tucking it under my shirt.

Dmitri glances at Andrei and Luca. “Let’s go.”

Together, the four of us leave the hotel and venture through the crowd toward the back streets, keeping our heads down but our eyes open. There’s a good chance that guards will be working in pairs or groups. It won’t be an easy one-person takedown.

As the sun continues to slowly set, shadows drape over the streets, providing us cover as we move from shadow to shadow. All we come across are locals and tourists for what feels like forever, but Luca jolts to a stop.

“Aspetta,” Luca says as he holds up his hand, motioning for us to stop and wait.

We all freeze as two men in dark tactical gear walk onto the street about fifty feet ahead of us. Luckily, they head in the opposite direction as us, but they’re still close. I can also make out the radio pouches on their belts.

Guards.

“I’ll cut them off from the front,” Andrei whispers before hurrying up a small flight of stairs to our left.

“Stay back,” Dmitri warns me before nodding to a nearby entryway. “Hide.”

As much as I want to protest, I don’t. The last thing that I want to do is get in the way and cause someone to get hurt or killed. Quietly, I creep into the entryway before peeking around the corner to watch Dmitri and Luca slowly follow the guards.

My heart leaps into my throat when Andrei lunges first, slamming into the closer guard, driving him sideways into the second. They all hit the ground, shouts echoing up and down the street.

Dmitri and Luca sprint in. Dmitri tackles the guard on the left. Luca grabs the other and they fight for the weapon.

The guard on the right with a shaved head snaps a boot up into Luca’s stomach. Luca stumbles back, grabbing his stomach as he wheezes painfully.

Andrei jumps onto the back of the guard that kicked Luca, wrapping his arm around the guard’s throat and squeezing tightly.

Luca straightens up and slams his foot against the guard’s stomach in retaliation. “How do you like that, stronzo!”

Dmitri slams the guard he’s fighting against a nearby wall.

The back of the guard’s head smashes against the hard surface, and he immediately slumps to the ground.

“End it!” Dmitri snaps at Luca and Andrei.

Andrei grabs the guard’s head and twists roughly, cracking his neck and letting him fall to the ground. He draws in a sharp breath through his nose, blood trailing down his chin from a cut on his bottom lip.