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~Dealer~
A WATERFRONT WAREHOUSE.
Priest’s weapon storage facility.
His only one now, according to Cavalno’s intel.
I watch Charlotte attach a silencer to her piece as we stand listening to Cavalno’s briefing. She had me do the same with mine. We already know our part of this mission is gonna be needing some major stealth to start off with. I take in Wraith to her right, his arms folded across his chest, decked out in full tactical gear just like Cavalno and Char, looking real focused as he takes it all in.
We’re a few blocks down from the warehouse in the lot of an abandoned gas station. Half a dozen of Cavalno’s men are flanking him, all decked out in uniform tactical gear, their faces covered by ski masks.
“This mission must be a success,” Cavalno says. “There’s no other option. Priest has consolidated all his arms and tech here. Last night, he welcomed a mammoth delivery that’s pushed the warehouse to maximum capacity. He intends to move all of it tomorrow, an offering to Hounds of Fury. He couldn’t get the contract on merit alone, so he’s pulling out all the stops through these means.”
“Basically prostrating himself before them,” Char comments.
“Indeed. His fear of Julian King usurping him has clouded his judgment.”
“He’s put all his eggs in one fucked-up basket,” Wraith says.
Cavalno nods. “And we’ll ensure we take full advantage of that significant error. We must shut down this operation tonight. Failure to do so will arm Hounds of Fury beyond measure, tipping the scales of the coming war far too greatly in their favor. Moreover, Julian’s life hangs in the balance with every day that passes wherein Priest remains breathing.” He looks out at Charlotte. “Yours too, tesoro.”
“It won’t be coming to that,” I growl. “It all ends tonight.”
He gives me a nod of acknowledgement, then looks at each of us in turn. “You’ve all studied the plans I forwarded you on your journey down here, yes?”
There’s an instant chorus of confirmations.
“All right. We have fifty targets, Priest included. There are four access points into the building. The north and south side, each door in plain view externally and internally. The loading dock to the east. And via the skylight. My men will take out the five guards patrolling the exterior grounds, then position themselves at the south and north doors. They will be waiting on my word before moving in. We need to thin the heard a little beforehand, or my men will be lambs to the slaughter the moment they force their way into the building. To do that, we’ll need to split the focus of the Gatekeepers.”
“Distraction tactics,” Char says.
“Yes. We’ll also be making our move during the execution portion of Priest’s ill-advised meeting.” Cavalno shakes his head to himself and mutters, “He never could resist the stroke to his ego that this annual meeting is for him. Wraith and I will enter through the skylight, taking the high ground.” He eyes me and Char. “You and Dealer will enter through the loading dock entrance, taking out the half a dozen men protecting the trucks within. The moment you’ve taken them out, make your way to the inner sanctum. Once you’re in position, signal us. Wraith and I will interrupt the execution. It will draw their fire. As soon as that happens, you and Dealer will pick off as many of them as you can. My men will flood the building from the north and south access points. With an obvious threat against his life, Priest will attempt to retreat to the office on the north east side. My man will be stationed beside him and he’ll prevent that from occurring. That office is surrounded by reinforced steel walls. He makes it inside there and we’ll have an arduous task penetrating it.” Cavalno looks at all of us in turn. “Shoot to kill. No survivors. No last-minute attacks of humanity. These are the same madmen who targeted your daughter, Dealer. Your life, Charlotte. Threatening your club, Wraith.”
I scoff at his ridiculous warning. “Who you talking to, Cavalno? I’m the devil incarnate, going after my family made damn sure those floodgates reopened and they ain’t gonna close now. Char’s as cold and calculated as they come in battle. Not to mention the personal stake she’s got in this. And, Wraith? Well, I’m ninety-nine-percent sure he ain’t even human.” Wraith smirks at my phrasing. Though we don’t know each other that well, after what he did to help out me and mine down in Brockford, I’ve got his back. “Nah, there ain’t no humanity gonna get in the way here, so chill.”
“Fine,” Cavalno mutters with more of an edge than I’ve ever known from him before, the times we’ve crossed paths over the years. He’s tense about this mission. I ain’t really surprised given his long-time battle with Priest. If everything goes to plan, he’ll finally have won the war against one of his biggest and most dangerous rivals. Being on the verge of that ain’t no small burden to bear.
Steeling himself, he manages to pull it back and continue on, looking all unaffected again. “Once the task is complete, my men and I will extract all the arms and munitions within and prep them for transport between Cavalno Syndicate storage facilities. As soon as they’re all out, we blow the warehouse to hell. Spartan will be sending in his team as a precautionary measure to ensure there is no residual evidence implicating any one of us.” He eyes me. “I understand you have your team on standby ready to conduct a sweep as well.”
“I do.”
“Better safe than sorry,” Char says, backing me up, because it’s clear from the look in Cavalno’s eyes that he’s taking me bringing in my own people to verify all that as a slight against him and his new best buddy ally, Spartan.
It ain’t about that. It’s just good sense, just being extra paranoid. You can’t be paranoid enough in these situations. All it takes is one mistake to ruin everything and have the law catching on to us.
“As you wish,” Cavalno says, noticeably subdued by just a few words from Char.
She really does have some major influence over him.
But that definitely ain’t one-sided. The fact she’s here letting him lead the charge when this is personal to her says it all.
He checks his phone, then pockets it in the next second with a nod to himself. “Gear up.” He gestures to his earpiece. “Maintain communication on COMMs. We take position in five.”
Fucking finally.
* * *
Croucheddown adjacent to the closest of the two loading ramps, I watch Char’s back, my gun at the ready, as she peers over the raised platform inside the loading dock.
