“Motherfucker’s jerking his shit off,” I spoke between clenched teeth. I spotted the asshole, standing there stroking his dick near the tall metal fence without a care in the world.
“They are not expecting us,” Arjen stated so that everyone could hear him. Let’s proceed with our plan,” he continued, standing from his prone position.
I stood, readying my weapon, and fingering the sheath carrying my hunting knife.
If the FA had set a trap for us, the men were good actors.
Ten of the twelve of us were going into the compound because they would expect us to attack with an army. We would have to use guerrilla war tactics, and I, along with everyone on our team, was confident enough to believe we’d get in and come out with Desiree. After confirming there were ten protecting the outside of the compound and five additional inside, the task would go smoothly if we followed the plan.
We had no intention of leaving anyone on the compound alive. There hadn’t been any signs of Angel Ramirez, their fearless overlord, which may explain why the men were so relaxed.
“Be careful,” Arjen warned as we prepared to trek towards the compound. He wanted to kill me because of Desiree, but he wanted me to be careful at the same time. “I will,” I replied, unable to keep a smirk from my lips.
When two distinct flashes appeared, the sign we had been waiting for, made it back to us, I stepped into the darkness, the beast in me ripping through my bones and taking over.
The first unlucky bastard I encountered was introduced to the thick metal of S. Ripper that tore through his veins and tendons until it sucked the marrow from his bones. The man was unable to call out before his body caught the silent bullet from my HK45. A large portion of his mushed head contents beat his body to the ground. The sick sound drew the attention of the one who lifted his wrist to his lips, preparing to call for back up.
However, his voice was cut short when a chunk of his face was shredded and forced through the back of his skull, Linc adding a body to his weapon. Under the dim lighting, it appeared that grade-A ground beef was oozing from the hole in the man’s head.
The sight gave me pause as he stumbled around with a chunk of his head missing, an eye dangling from its socket, and a mix of blood and shredded meat continuing to siphon from his cracked open skull. The sight proved that Linc was just as sick as me as he lingered in the darkness watching his handiwork.
I watched the gruesome scene while my knee sat buried in the upper back of the one who was taking too long to bleed out. “Shhh,” I whispered to the man choking on blood and fighting shock. I’d had to subdue him, stabbing him multiple times in the neck and back to keep him quiet and still.
“Movement coming from the south,” Arjen’s voice sounded in the earpiece. “Not anymore,” Cass’ voice sounded, replying within seconds, the amount of time it had taken him to put a man to death.
This all seemed too easy. I’d had tougher times hunting down two-bit criminals than this supposedly high-profile team tasked with protecting one of the most notorious criminals in Mexico.
Why would they take Desiree and leave her at this compound with a group he should have known would be easy for us to take out. Something wasn’t right.
A gleam of light dancing along the wall caught my eye before I turned and fired. I’d spotted the man at my back, allowing him to think he was sneaking up on me. His guttural moan sounded and was followed by the sound of his heavy body thumping to the ground.
A big knife embedded deep in his chest had him clawing uselessly at the area. With his mouth open in shock, his throat made a clucking sound as he attempted to scratch the knife out.
By the light shining from the house’s window, I noticed that the blade had pierced his heart. Therefore, each breath he took edged him closer to death. Arjen appeared from the shadows and stood over the struggling man. His authoritative gaze was locked on mine, even as his boot ended up on the hilt of the knife in the man’s chest, shoving it deeper.
“I told you to be careful,” his tone was low.
“I saw him. Look closer. Your knife wasn’t all that went into his chest.”
Arjen glanced down, noticing I had also shot the dying man. The tiny smile on his lips flashed his pride. He knew all too well that I was an efficient killer, but his big brother gene would often kick in, and he needed reminding.
He’d never said it, but I think he believed my limited vision impaired me when it did the opposite, making me that much more aware of what surrounded me.
“We have an opening. East side,” came the voice of Webs, informing us we were free to enter the house through an opening he had secured.
“Doesn’t this seem too easy?” I questioned Arjen as I planted my gaze on the view of the inside of the house. From my vantage point, I saw parts of the living room area, well-lit, and showing no movement inside.
“Yeah, but we’re almost in. I don’t think Angel is here. These unlucky fuckers were probably slacking on their duties while he was out. I say we kill the rest, rescue Desiree, and get the fuck out of here before we start a war. We don’t need the syndicate and especially not its committee members getting involved in this.”
“Agreed,” I replied. Arjen snatched his knife from the man’s chest and sheathed the bloody blade before taking off. He didn’t cast a second glance at the man whose blood had pooled around his body like a flowing dark lake.
“Package. Second floor. Off stairs, right. First door, left,” came confirmation from Hunter.
“I’ll get Desiree,” Arjen announced as bullets exited his silenced weapon and sliced through the chest and head of the man at the foot of the stairs. He was already heading towards the stairs and therefore exposing himself, knowing the rest of us had his back if harm came anywhere near him.
Unusually silent, there were at least three more guards inside the house. Make that two. Our team had just taken out the one that had been position outside the bedroom door.
“Level one clear,” Cass announced, confirming that the only one left was in the bedroom with Desiree.
“Bedroom do—” came Arjen’s voice, but his words were cut off.
“Arjen, say again.” I was running towards the stairs, but was stopped at the sight of him backing up, each step cautious and steady. He aimed straight ahead, but something had captured his attention and kept it.
“Fuck!”
The sight of Angel Ramirez, dressed as one of his guards with a gun pressed into Desiree’s skull stalled me. Had Angel just used his men outside as pawns to lure us into his house?