Not good.
They moved in the shadows, Ex only a partial step behind and shielded by Meridian’s larger frame—it was how they’d been trained to operate. At first glance the enemy would see Meridian but once they blinked he’d be gone, and Ex would be there with the kill shot—distraction and extraction.
The rows of townhomes in Grove Park backed up against each other, and between the fences was a narrow sidewalk for gate access. It would’ve been smart for the residents to have petitioned for streetlights or something because anyone could sneak down the dark alley and come through the back completely undetected—just like they were.
Meridian’s back was close to the fence but not touching as he moved sideways to the fourth house down the row. It was after two in the morning, but he could see through the cracks of the gate that the inside of the house was alive with activity. The patio door was half open, there was a man smoking a joint outside while he hollered and talked shit over the rock music. It was the middle of the night on a weekday, so Meridian figured he’d throw in a little revenge for these asshole’s neighbors who had jobs to get to in the morning.
The frigid night air stung his face but he didn’t shiver. He felt Ex against his back, his breath warm along the base of his neck. “Do you have a visual?”
“I do,” Meridian murmured, careful to keep his voice lower than the annoying pumping bass music. “Got one man outside. The yard’s fifteen by twenty. Both Stewart brothers are inside. We got three more sitting around a table on the right, ten feet from the door. No women or kids. Kitchen on the left appears empty. I only have a partial view of the living room that looks to be empty.”
“There’s no movement upstairs.” Ex told him. “If there’s no women in there, then go with a flash, Mere. We’ll be able to get in faster.”
Meridian didn’t know why he felt his partner’s palm flush against the center of his back. He didn’t bother to hide his reaction, flexing his muscles under Ex’s touch before relaxing them again. He felt a rush of excitement between his legs when his partner inched closer. Closer than he needed to be. Meridian didn’t close his eyes, keeping them trained on their marks as he spoke. “This is crazy.”
“I know,” Ex whispered so close to his ear that Meridian could not only hear his thrill, he could feel it. Ex’s breath was visible from the cold and ghosting over his face like a soft fog. “I’m on your mark, Mere.”
Meridian turned his head just enough to brush his lips over Ex’s temple. He dipped his head, soaking in Ex’s response to their new madness. He reached into his jacket and took out a flash grenade. He held it tight before he pulled the pin. His voice was low, but he’d counted down their op so many times that he knew Ex could recognize the opening syllables of the words against his cool skin. “Two, one... Mark.”
Meridian reluctantly broke their connection as he reared back and kicked the unstable wooden gate with one forceful thrust of his boot. The wood made a loud crack as it flew apart from the hinges. The man in the backyard froze with his smoke halfway to his mouth as Meridian exploded through the gate first and immediately darted to the right, making Ex appear. He tossed the light grenade through the open door just as his partner struck the stunned man in his temple with the butt of his Desert Eagle, sending him to his knees, then face first into the hard dirt. Ex was at Meridian’s side just in time for him to throw up one side of his coat to shield them both from the flash. The moment they heard the deafening explosion, they charged forward.
The men were temporarily stunned and disoriented by the blinding light. They tried to call out and coordinate with each other, but it was useless. The device was designed to create chaos and confusion as Ex seized the moment. His partner darted past him to do a cursory check of the rest of the house. If there was a child or woman inside... they’d abort. He heard Ex call out clears while he moved through the small home. One man scurried along the stained floor, reaching for his pistol. He waved the handgun around, his eyes still closed from the startling flash of light. Not making a sound, Meridian came up behind him and slammed his boot into the side of the man’s shin, hearing bone crack and shatter. The man’s roaring cry preceded tears, but Meridian felt no sympathy.
Ex rounded the corner with his gun gleaming in the dim light. He put two bullets in the stereo system to shut it the fuck up. The sweet pop of Ex’s silencer made the other men freeze and throw up their hands like punks. They’d entered like a SWAT team but neither he nor Ex had yet to make a sound. If they’d been police, they would’ve identified themselves by now.