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When they reached the spot Mick had circled on the map, he assessed it closely. They parked at the foot of the rocky hills, and quickly moved to higher ground. They scaled the rocks with urgency. It was unlikely anyone was directly on their heels, butthey needed to get into position and wait. Cover was important too. Drones could be in play. Who knew what these people would do to take out Topeka?
Perched atop the hill, weapons at the ready, they waited. Harry scanned the horizon, his mind racing with the possibilities, the “what ifs” that plagued every decision they'd made. He needed to know if Mick was thinking the same.
"What if they don’t ping the phone again?" he muttered, voicing the concern gnawing at him. "We've left the others more vulnerable by leaving. Maybe we should have stayed."
Mick, ever the pragmatist, didn't bother to look at Harry as he responded. "It'll work out," he assured him. "That phone is the best lead those bastards have. It’s what led them to this area in the first place. You've gotta have a bit of faith in the process, Harry."
Harry exhaled a humorless laugh, his eyes still fixed on the terrain below. "Faith. Right. How have you done this for so long, Mick? How do you bounce back when things go south?"
For a moment, Mick was silent, contemplative. Then he admitted, "I've been trying to get out, Harry. Charlize and I, we had a plan. I’ve loved what I’ve done over the years. The reward has always been worth the risk. But it gets harder and harder each mission. That’s how I know I’ve come to the end of it. Or so I planned."
Harry glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "One of your make-it-up-as-you-go plans? I thought you said those usually worked out."
Mick's lips twitched into a semblance of a smile. "We got close," he said. “Charlize and I were on a beach, actually relaxing for once, only half looking over our shoulders. But then she got the call. Her mother was dying."
The confession hung in the air, a rare glimpse into Mick's personal life, into the dreams even a man like him dared to dream.
"So what's next for you then?" Harry asked, the question seeming too intrusive but also so important. Harry had no clue what his life would look like after this, if there would even be an after this. If Mick had some grand solution or vision, he wanted to hear it.
Mick’s gaze was steely as he looked back out across the landscape. "I’ll go to her," he said firmly. "I’ll draw a line in the sand of this career, and then I’ll make a change. I’m out here because I knew you were in trouble. We’ll sort this out, then I’m done."
The words were a promise, a vow from a man who had spent his life in the shadows, to step into the light. Harry nodded, understanding the significance of such a decision.
As the hours passed, the two men remained vigilant, the silence between them a testament to their shared resolve. They were warriors of the same war, each fighting for a chance at a life beyond the constant danger and vigilance.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of crimson and purple, Harry laughed.
“This is the kind of sunset we should be watching with the women we care about, and instead I’m crammed behind a rock with you.”
“No kidding. I’d pay a million bucks to be back on that beach with Charlize right now. Or here in Italy with her for a completely different reason.”
Their chatter was broken up by the sound of engines in the distance. Harry and Mick watched from their vantage point as three cars turned onto the secluded road below, dust billowing in their wake.
"How many do you think there are?" Harry asked, his voice low, eyes tracking the slow progress of the vehicles. “Three vehicles. We’re going to be outnumbered.”
Mick didn't take his eyes off the scene unfolding below them as he lifted the binoculars to his eyes. "I don’t know for sure. But, more than we'd like. We need to be smart about this. Can't just go in guns blazing. We need to take them out systematically."
The cars came to a stop, and men spilled out, their movements quick and purposeful. Through the binoculars, Mick counted the figures, assessing their body language and weaponry.
"Looks like they're not taking any chances. They're armed to the teeth. Standard
tactics—surround and conquer. We'll have to disrupt their pattern, create confusion."
Harry nodded, his mind racing with potential strategies. "Divide and conquer on our part then. Hit and run. We can't get pinned down."
Mick grunted in agreement, watching as one man broke away from the group, his approach to the truck more frantic than the others. He rifled through the cab before his hand emerged, holding the phone high for the others to see.
The man barked orders, pointing up toward the hills where Harry and Mick lay in wait. The armed men fanned out, beginning their ascent. Harry's grip on his weapon tightened, his body coiled and ready.
"We let them spread out, thin their line. Pick them off from the shadows," Mick whispered, formulating a plan on the fly.
Harry nodded, the plan clear in his mind. "Wait until they're within range. Choose your targets wisely."
“And then we have to scatter too. Once they know we’re firing on them, they’ll try to home in on our location with more of their men. Wherever you shoot from, don’t be there long.”
Silence fell between them, a charged quiet that stretched on as the men below continued their climb. Harry's pulse thrummed in his ears, the familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through him. Beside him, Mick was a statue, his focus unbreakable as he waited for the perfect moment to strike.
Harry and Mick were shadows among shadows, their presence unknown to the men who hunted them.
