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“You’re hurt,” he says.
“Yeah. Andyouneed to get the others out of here.”
“I don’t fancy giving those snipers any more target practice running back over. They’re plenty good already. So tell Delligatti to get Rook out,” Max says. “I’m staying here with you.”
“Listen to me, this is anorder—”
“Under normal circumstances, I’d do what you want, Capo. But while I was running over here, I saw three guys with shotguns headed this way. We don’t have time to argue. When they come around the corner, I’ll draw their fire. Cover you until you get out the other end.” He nods up the alley, where there are enough dumpsters to offer more cover along the way. “When they’re focused on me, you make a break for it, fast as you can, up to that dumpster. Then we play it like that until you’re out of the alley and headed to the pickup point. Got it?”
“Are you insane? You’ll get picked off!”
“Better me than you. Well?”
If the Castellani dies, I’m inbigtrouble. But that’s not even the thing foremost in my mind right now. It’s the intense way he’s staring at me—like I’m the only thing in the world that exists right now, like I’mthemost important thing to him.
“No,” I tell him. “I’m not leaving you, either.”
CHAPTER12
MAX
We hearit at the same time, the footsteps heading our way, and I quit staring so hard at Bricker and try to focus. Bricker gets up to a crouch, favoring his left leg, leans out to take a long stare out of the alley at the men heading our way, and then he puts the earpiece in and tells Delligatti to shut up and listen, before ordering him to scramble with Rook.
“How we getting you out?” Delligatti asks.
“Don’t worry about me. And listen, weapons free, Van. These aren’t guards and they sure as shit aren’t cops.”
“Yeah,” he says grimly. “Figured that one out for myself.”
It’s a good point, though. Wherearethe cops? They should be here by now. The fact that they’re not…
“You’re going,” I tell Bricker firmly. “On my mark.”
“But—”
“You’re going, and then you can get me out, too. Okay?”
The footsteps have slowed now, as the men headed this way become more cautious the closer they get. On comms, there’s a long space of dead air, but when the radio crackles again, it’s the first good news of the day.
“We’re out,” Delligatti reports. “Found Pony. Bringing the van around to pick you up at the other end of the alley, Cap.”
The message comes through just as the three men come into range, so Bricker doesn’t have time to get mad about Delligatti hanging around to help, or argue anymore about my plan.
“Go on three,” I mutter at him. “One... two...” I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what’s about to come. “Three!”
I pop up from behind the dumpster and take a few shots, allowing Bricker time to run. And thank God, he does. He makes it to the next dumpster.
“Go!” I shout as I shoot again, and he zigzags his way to the end of the street, limping as fast as he can.
“I’m out,” Bricker pants in my ear. “Pony’s here—we’re all here. Now you, Max.”
“You and the crew get moving, Bricker. I’m out of bullets here, so I need to think on my feet.”
“Fuck,” he says softly. “Okay. I’m coming to get—”
“No, you’re not. You’re protecting your crew and you’re leaving me to deal with this.”
“Pedretti, you die on my watch, we’reallfucked.”
