“Get it. We’ll be ready in thirty.”
“Y-yeah, you got it.” Slade ran across the wood floor as if he couldn’t get out of the cabin quick enough.
“We gotta find that kid,” Ex fumed.
“We will. But first you need to release,” Meridian whispered against the back of his head. “Gear up.”
“This is a lot of firepower you got in here, Mere,” Ex said, staring out of the window as Slade drove them up I20 towards Chastain Park. It was dark out, and desolate on the streets. Well after midnight and time for predators to hunt. There was nothing to see on the interstate except for trees the closer they got to the affluent neighborhoods of the city.
“I do. Enough for you to let all that pent-up shit out of you,” Meridian said. Ex watched his partner’s intense features as he assembled another one of their compact Uzis.
“What do you plan to do? Line up a firing squad for me? Because I seriously need to put a bullet in somebody,” Ex said. He was vibrating with energy, curious and anxious to see what Meridian had planned for him. It was crazy for him to just up and demand they hit the streets loaded with military-grade machine guns. But Ex trusted his partner more than anyone, and whatever was about to go down, he knew he was going to enjoy it. Even the idea of being left in the dark until the eleventh hour was stoking his flames further. “Are we on our way to have a talk with the DA?”
“Nope. We’re on our way to have some fun.” Meridian looked weird saying that with such an impassive expression.
“Fun, huh?” Ex rubbed his hand over the light stubble on his chin. If he pressed hard enough he could still feel the slight sting from Meridian’s beard where he’d burrowed against the side of his face.
“GPS says five minutes, fellas,” Slade notified them.
“All right. You ready to enjoy yourself a bit before we go and rid Atlanta of these snakes?” Meridian removed the safety from both Glocks and returned them to his black leather holster, then covered them with his long coat.
Ex wished he had the strength or will to tell his partner no, they weren’t going to rain judgment down on their own soil. That the right thing to do was to not interfere in Godfrey’s investigation. That whatever was uncovered, those men would get their day in court. But all the mercy and compassion had been beaten out of Ex. He didn’t understand the meaning of those terms any longer. The Warlords had unfortunately caught the attention of two of America’s most savage defenders.
Then they’d gone and made it personal; Ex was now deadlier than ever. These men were domestic terrorists. Innocents were being killed. In his mind he’d rationalized that if they didn’t act, they’d be doing their own country a disservice. That wasn’t what either of them had signed up for.
“I’m ready,” Ex gritted out, his trigger finger twitching to operate one of those powerful weapons.
Slade cut the lights and began to wind them down a two-way street. Large homes loomed in the distance, most of them dark with dim flood lights on their roofs near their cameras. Since they didn’t have the time to scramble nearby security systems, Ex mimicked Meridian and put on his black widow half face mask. It was made of a flexible neoprene material that started at the bridge of his nose and molded to his jaw and over his ears. Ex snapped his securely at the back of his head and moved his mouth around to get used to the tightness.
He glanced over at his partner in the blacked-out SUV. Ex squinted, his heart picking up speed that he didn’t bother to try to control. Meridian had slid a black beanie over his head and pulled the front down to his brow, leaving only his charcoal-colored eyes gazing right back at him. Jesus. Ex watched Meridian inch forward before jerking back, his Adam’s apple dipping noticeably beneath the clingy material around his throat before he looked away, letting Ex know Meridian was feeling the effects of their new bond too.
Slade wound around a wide circular driveway and stopped in front of the walkway leading to the porch. While the house wasn’t a mansion, it was luxurious, complete with professional landscaping and a guest house at the back of the property.
“Whoever said the drug game wasn’t lucrative was fucking lying. How does someone buy a house like this and has never filed taxes?” Slade grumbled, staring up at the house. “It’s obvious money talks.”
Ex was sick of hearing that term. Meridian took one of Ex’s tablets and held it up to the window facing the house. He used their heat-seeking software to scan the home to ensure there was no one inside. While Slade had said the brothers weren’t married or had kids and were hiding out at another house, they still didn’t want to risk an accident. After a few seconds, Meridian set the tablet aside.