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“Cailean?” I ask in my earpiece.
“I can see three vans from my peripheral, parked in the back, and probably 20 men inside,” he replies to my silent question.
Nodding my head towards Em, we start to move slowly. Eilidh, Isla, and Skye are with me, while Lachlan, Logan, Fraser, and Keith are on the other side. Some may underestimate the power of a team dominated by women, but I have found them to be the driving force behind our achievements. And badass ones, if you ask me.
“I have a clear view of the front. Eilidh, you’re with me. I want everybody else in the back. No one is getting shot today. We look around, and we leave, got it?” Looking around me, I see that some of them are not happy with my decision. Too bad. I’m not risking anything today. “Cailean, send the camera.” I can hear the small noise of the engine coming to life. It’s really small. You’d think it looks like a rat or something like that. That will allow us to see what’s happening on the inside.
Out front, two masked men guard the main door. Their masks are not quite like those of The Twelve but very similar, except they cover only half of their faces. My eyes are fixated on the small window on the side, and I gesture for Eilidh to come closer so that we can get a better look inside.
“Damn it.” It’s completely cluttered. I can’t see anything.
“Shh, listen,” says Eilidh, putting a finger on her mouth. I strain my ears and catch the sound of distant voices.
“Do you think they know?” asks a raspy voice. I don’t recognise it.
“No. They’re so focused on the Snakes that they’re not looking elsewhere.” I’ve heard this voice before, but where?
“Good. The deal still stands. I want them dead. They’re no good for business,” the other voice replies.
“We will, father. You can count on me,” another voice says.
“Boss. You need to leave now. Two other vans just came in,” Cailean says in my earpiece, interrupting my eavesdropping.
“Copy.” Moving my head towards Eilidh, I say, “You go. Now. I’ll be right behind you.”
“If you think I’ll leave you alone here, you’ve lost your mind,” she answers with a frown on her face.
“That wasn’t a suggestion. It was an order. You go. Now. I’ll follow suit.” With a loud exhale, she shifts her weight, but before she moves, I feel the metal of a knife against my throat. Fuck.
“Well, well. What do we have here?” His accent is heavy. Italian. I don’t dare to move, but I can see Eilidh in the same position as me.
“Looks like we found pretty things to play with. What are you doing here?” Think. Fast.
“We… Hmm… we were trying to find the palace, and we got lost. We were trying to see if someone could help us find our way back,” I say, my voice laced with false timidity. They are both giants with cicatrices on their faces. I can feel the blade pressing deeper into my throat. I don’t move. I don’t even dare to breathe. Eilidh looks at me with wide eyes.
“Well, well. Looks like you’re in the right place. Why don’t you come inside? I’m sure my brothers would be happy to meet two young women as pretty as you.” As he speaks, the pungent odour of cigarette smoke emanates from his breath.
“I’m afraid I don’t think it’ll be possible for us right now.” I can feel his body shaking against mine as he laughs.
“That wasn’t really a question, pretty girl.” As he tries to make us move, Eilidh and I exchange a glance, and we strike. I grab his arm, but his towering height makes it almost impossible for me to pin it against his back. Almost. I profit from the element of surprise and hit him on his leg, causing him to lose his footing.
“Cazzo. You fucking bitch.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Eilidh’s precise footwork as she brings the other guy to his knees. I let my guard down for a moment, and he takes the opportunity to pull out another knife and press it into my left side. Fuuck, that hurts like a bitch.
“What do you think you’re gonna do now?” he asks in broken English. A grin spreads across his face as he speaks. Gasping for air, I fumble for the knife I’ve concealed in the back of my jeans, but two gunshots, deafeningly silent, interrupt me. The sound of bodies hitting the ground echoes through the air as the two guys fall simultaneously.
My earpiece buzzes as I hear Isla on the other side. “You’re welcome.” A laugh tries to escape me, but I’m starting to feel light-headed. “H-he i-is not d-dead. H-he g-got shot in h-his shoulder.” I try to speak, but the pain makes it almost impossible.
A curse escapes Eilidh’s lips as she looks at the guy.
“We need to go asap. Fuck, Blake. Fuck, Fuck, Fuck. She has been stabbed in her abdomen,” Eilidh says in her earpiece.
“I’m f-fine,” I manage to say.
“You’re bleeding. You’re not fine. Can you move? We need to get out of here before someone sees us.” She tries to help me to get on my feet, but damn it’s painful.
“Cailean—” she calls before I see him appear.
“I’m here. Shit. I thought the rule of not getting shot also applied to you,” he says, trying to lift me in his arms.
