Eagle
WHEN BRASS CALLED to set up the exchange, we were back in Link’s office with the team he’d selected for the op. Link put his cell phone on speaker and set it in the center of his desk, and Havoc, Tap, Spade, Stocks, and I all crowded around, waiting for the details. Tap fidgeted with some sort of device connected to Link’s phone and typed on his laptop.
“You know the concrete bench between Pier sixty-two and sixty-three? The one that faces the water?” Brass asked.
Link looked to me, and I nodded. Pier sixty-two and sixty-three were located in the South Park District, which was just south of the Industrial District, where I worked. South Park was a shitty neighborhood, but the bench Brass mentioned had a nice view of the Duwamish Waterway and the Georgetown District beyond. If you didn’t mind being accosted by homeless people or watching the occasional drug deal go down in your peripheral, it was a decent spot to stop for lunch. I took extra sandwiches and went down there occasionally.
“Yeah, I know of the spot,” Link replied.
“Meet me there at eleven. Bring the cash and come alone.”
“Let me talk to my sister.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Brass fired back.
“You want a hundred-k? I need to know she’s alive.”
“What, you don’t trust me, Link?”
Link was bottled rage, barely keeping it together. Every vein throbbed in his neck. “You’ve always been a junkie. I was hoping there was more to you, but I was wrong.”
Brass chuckled. “Still think you can save everyone, huh? Stop wasting your breath on me and save your preaching for someone who gives a fuck.”
There was some rustling of the phone, and then Naomi’s voice came over the line. “Link?”
A collective sigh of relief floated around the table. We’d all been holding our breath, waiting to hear her. Knowing she was alive and able to talk filled me with so much emotion I could barely stand beneath the weight of it. Leaning against the table, I drew closer to Link’s phone.
“Yeah, I’m here. You okay?” Link asked.
“I’ve had better days.” Her voice sounded shaky. Scared. Angry. It put every protective instinct within me on high alert. “Is Eagle there with you?”
She was in trouble and she needed me, not her brother. If Link still had any doubts that this thing between me and Naomi was real, I could tell that she’d stomped them out with that one question by the way his gaze cut to me. He was waiting for my reaction. The entire table was, but I didn’t give a fuck about them. I needed to reassure her. I wanted to tell her that I needed her and the baby in my life. To beg her to survive this and build a family with me. There was no time for all that now, but I couldn’t leave her hanging. I had to say something to let her know I was all in and that I’d make sure she was safe.
“I’m here, sweetheart. In it for the long haul. We’re gonna get you home safe, so we can continue that conversation we started.”
“I’d like that.” Her voice was thick with emotion.
Link was still watching me. “We’re setting up the exchange. We’ll get you out of there, Squirt.”
The phone rustled again, and then Brass came back over the line. “See, she’s fine. Do we have a deal?”
“I’m not meeting you alone, Brass,” Link said.
“I have Naomi. I’m calling the shots now, Prez.”
“I don’t trust you, you son-of-a-bitch. Naomi’s only worth a hundred-k if I can get her away from you alive. If I go in alone, there are no promises you’ll let me walk out of there with her. I know you have at least two motherfuckers with you. If you want this money, I’m bringing two men with me to cover my ass and make sure you don’t double-cross me.”
The line went dead. We all looked to Tap, but he shook his head. Brass hadn’t hung up. He’d probably just muted the call, so he could discuss Link’s counter-offer. I held my breath, waiting for Brass’s response. Finally, the phone clicked again.
“One,” someone else countered. I didn’t recognize the voice. “Or I’ll blow her head off right now and find someone else to use as leverage. Maybe that pretty little lawyer bitch of yours.”
“Who is this?” Link asked, straightening.
The speaker laughed. “I think we leave that little surprise for later. Do we have a deal? Or do I get to have more fun with your sister?”
In the background, Naomi cried out in pain.
“I bet she can take a lot before she breaks, but I’m up to the challenge.”
Link’s jaw ticked.
Everyone around the table tensed.
I saw red. I opened my mouth, but Havoc put a hand on my shoulder, reminding me that I couldn’t react. This asshole was looking for a reaction. My words would never be enough, so I’d have to wait and give it to him in person.
“We have a deal,” Link ground out.
“Good.” Brass was back on the line. “Link, I know you don’t trust me, but don’t fuck with these guys. If you screw this up, they won’t just kill Naomi. They’ll make her beg for death.”
The line clicked off.
“Fuck!” Link shouted, turning and punching the wall behind him. Plaster fell away, leaving a big-ass hole.
I understood his frustration, but I had no intention of wasting my anger and energy on plaster. I was bottling that shit up to unleash on these bastards.
“Tell me you got something, Tap,” Link growled.
“It didn’t pinpoint his exact location, but it did give me a radius.” He angled his laptop toward us so we could see the screen. There was a red circle around the South Park District. “He’s somewhere in this area.”
“Did you get his number?” Link asked.
“Yes.” Tap hit a few more keys. “But his phone’s already offline. Brass knows a little too much about what I can do.”
“Goddammit. I wish I knew who we were dealing with,” Link replied.
“I ran face recognition software, but the images I pulled from the city’s cameras were too grainy. They didn’t come back with shit.”
Link glanced at his watch. “We have fifty minutes. You guys ready to head out? We need to get Eagle in position.”
I patted the left side of my cut, finding comfort in the metal of my pistol against my chest. In addition, I had two knives on me, and my best rifle was already loaded in the back seat of Havoc’s truck. Link wanted me to find a perch and cover him and Havoc, but I wanted to be closer to the action. I wanted to be the first person Naomi saw when she was released, and the last person these motherfuckers laid eyes on before they died.
But in the end, Naomi’s safety trumped any of my own needs or wants.
I grabbed the bag of cash from beside Link’s desk and slung it over my shoulder. Then Spade, Stocks, and I followed Link and Havoc to the vehicles. I stuffed the bag of cash in Link’s saddle bag as I gave him and Havoc directions. As the two of them talked amongst themselves, the rest of us piled into Havoc’s truck and headed out. Stocks drove with Spade in the passenger’s seat while I sat in the back, affixing my new Nightforce NXS sight to my rifle. The sight had cost me a pretty penny, but it was second generation and the best on the market. I couldn’t wait to see what it could do.
“Where are we going?” Stocks asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.
“There’s a storage facility across the street from the piers. Orange and white building, four stories high. It has a fire escape on the back of the building with roof access.”
“How do you know this?” Spade asked, turning in his seat to watch me.
I double checked my rifle, making sure everything was ready to go. “Old habit.” I shrugged. “I work not far from the pier, and I’ve walked by the building a few times.”
The look he gave me said he thought I was crazy. I don’t know what Spade did in the service, but he clearly hadn’t been a scout sniper, or he’d understand. Whenever I frequented a place, I made damn sure I knew how to get up high and take out threats. I knew of four sniper nests surrounding the fire station. If we were ever attacked, I had plenty of spots I could pick off our attackers from.
We arrived with twenty minutes to spare, so I directed Stocks to park on the side of the storage facility and shouldered my rifle case. It was dark, and not much was going on in the South Park District. At least, not much that decent, law-abiding folk would be interested in. Residents of the South Park District knew how to mind their own damn business.
With Stocks and Spade watching my six, I quickly climbed the fire escape up to the roof and set up my rifle. The two of them would stay on the ground and make sure nobody ambushed Link and Havoc or surprised me.
Once my rifle was in place, I used the sight to scan the area. There was nobody hiding in the bushes, no nefarious looking vehicles idling nearby, nothing looked out of place. I texted Link and Havoc an all-clear before settling in to wait.
* * *
Naomi
After practically pulling my arms out of their sockets, Joe settled a dark bag over my head and shoved me around until I was seated again. There was the rumble of a vehicle starting, and then we were on our way. I was hungry, thirsty, weak, and exhausted, and the bag over my head was warm and stuffy. I fought to stay awake, but kept slipping in and out of consciousness throughout the drive.
I had no idea how long we’d been on the road when we rolled to a stop and the engine cut off. I heard a van door sliding open, and then I was yanked into the cool night air. The bag was tugged from my head and fresh air filled my lungs, waking me up like a shot of espresso. Blinking to clear my vision, I took in my surroundings. We were facing one of Seattle’s many piers. The distant roar of the freeway was behind us and there was nobody else around.
“I’m hoping your brother fucks this up, so I can do whatever I want to you,” Joe said, tugging me forward as he pressed his pistol into my bruised side. After our call to Link, Joe had gotten a few more punches in on me, and I was feeling every one of them. It was almost time for the exchange and my shot at revenge on the asshole.
Hate and anger reinvigorated me as my gaze dropped to the weapon. It was a Glock with a silencer. Apparently Joe had plans of his own, because nobody put a silencer on a gun unless they intended to use it. Joe was probably going to try to double cross Link and kill us all. Dread filled my veins with ice as Joe followed my gaze and chuckled.
“I don’t think you’re as useless as you pretend to be, bitch,” he said, poking the Glock into my side.
Assuming I made it through the night, my side was going to be bruised tomorrow, along with my arms, face, and stomach.
My stomach.
The baby.
I couldn’t think about that now. I had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, trying not to stumble as I struggled to keep up with the brutal pace Joe set. My shoulders were screaming at me when we made it to the concrete bench and he shoved me down hard on my ass. Gritting my teeth through the pain, I stared out at the water.
Eagle and Link would come for me. And when they did, we’d make Joe and his accomplices pay for everything they’d done. We’d wipe them from the face of the planet so they could never hurt anyone again. These thoughts kept me going as I waited.
Only… Eagle didn’t come.
Havoc walked beside Link who was carrying a stuffed duffel bag. As the two approached, it felt like my heart was shattering in my chest. I was so worried about the baby, I needed Eagle. I needed him to get me out of this and take me to the hospital. On the phone he’d said he was in it for the long haul, so where the fuck was he when I needed him the most?
I met Link’s gaze and saw barely contained rage as he looked me over. It had been hours since I’d seen my face in the bathroom mirror and I could only imagine how I looked.
“Does it make you feel like a fucking man to hit a woman?” Link asked my captors.
“If I find a woman, I’ll let you know,” Joe spat. “This bitch… she didn’t put up much of a fight. After everything Brass told me, I expected more. From you, too, Link. Hand over the money, you fuckin’ pussy.”
Link’s eyes narrowed. He cocked his head to the side and I could swear he recognized Joe, but he didn’t say shit about it. “As soon as you release Naomi.”
Joe chuckled. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen until I’ve got that bag in my hand.” He raised his pistol to my head, and said, “Although, I’d be more than happy to put a bullet in the side of her pretty little face.”
“Let’s do it at the same time,” Link offered. “You pass me my sister as I hand you the bag.”
“Unzip it and show me the cash,” Joe ordered. “It better all be there.”
Link stopped and bent over to unzip the bag.
The pressure of the gun against my head disappeared as Brass shouted, “No!” and jumped in front of Joe.
A shot rang out.
Then three more shots.
Time stood still.
Brass and the third man were both down. Joe’s gun clattered against the wooden pier.
Havoc’s pistol was in his hand, but he had it trained on the third guy. No way could he have disabled Joe and taken out that guy that quickly.
Eagle is here!
The realization registered somewhere in my subconscious making my heart soar as I stepped through my hands, bringing my zip-tied wrists in front of me. Blood dripped from Joe’s hand and he shouted something unintelligible, looking down. He went for his pistol, but another shot rang through the air, taking out Joe’s knee. He fell to the ground as I grabbed his pistol.
“Nae,” Link said, his voice a warning.
Ignoring my brother, I stood over Joe, leveling the gun at his head as all my fear and rage boiled over. “What was that you said about bitches, Joe? Where do you keep them again? In your bed?” I dropped my aim and shot him in the crotch.
God it felt good.
“Fuckin’ crazy bitch!” Joe spat, groaning as he tried to cover his groin.
“Naomi,” Link warned again. “You don’t want to do this.”
My brother had never been more wrong in his life. Not only did I want to do this, I needed it. If I didn’t end this asshole, I’d see him in my nightmares for the rest of my life. I wasn’t giving him that kind of power over me.
“In the kitchen?” I shot him in the stomach.
Joe groaned again.
“What’s wrong, you piece of shit? You don’t like my cooking?”
Havoc’s arms came around me, trapping the gun against my chest.
“Let me finish!” I snapped, trying to wiggle free.
“You don’t want to do this, Naomi,” he said. I turned to face him, and he let me go, settling his hands on my shoulders. “Let us handle it.”
“Don’t you presume to know what I want, Havoc. You have no idea what he did to me. He punched me in the fucking stomach,” I replied. Tears heated my eyes and raced down my cheeks. “I need to do this.” I needed to regain control. I needed to know that I could take care of myself. That I could protect my child and destroy any threat that would come between us. I searched Havoc’s gaze, willing him to understand, but he held firm.
“Let her go, Havoc,” Eagle said.
His voice soothed my spirit like a healing balm. Looking past Havoc, I sought him out. He jogged toward us with a big black case sticking up from his back.
“Let her go. Now,” he repeated.
Havoc’s hands dropped to his side.
Eagle stopped in front of me, anger tightening his jaw as he looked me over. “We need to get you to the hospital, sweetheart.”
“I’m not finished,” I replied.
Eagle stared at me for a beat, and then nodded. “You do what you gotta do. I’ve got your six.”
In that moment, I knew I loved him because unlike the rest of the men in my life, Eagle really understood me. He didn’t try to hold me down or tell me what I needed. He would try to protect me and let me do what I needed to do.
I spun around, aimed the Glock at Joe’s chest and said, “You’re at my fucking feet now, bitch.” Then I squeezed the trigger, sending the last bullet through his heart, and Joe straight to hell.
“Why did you do that?” Link asked.
Thinking he was talking to me or Eagle, I spun around, prepared to let him have it, but he was standing over Brass.
Brass, who had stepped in front of Joe’s shot.
Brass had taken a bullet for my brother. I’d been too consumed with rage to realize what had happened, but now that my head was clear I hurried over to see if we could save him. But I took one look at him and knew we were too late. There were no sirens heading this way. This didn’t look like the type of neighborhood where people called the cops, and even if they did, we were far enough from any neighboring apartment complexes for anyone to hear the shots.
Even if Brass could hold on until an ambulance arrived, there’d be no saving him. There was too much blood, too much damage done to his stomach. His coloring was ashen and his breathing was labored.
“Why the fuck did you do that?” Link asked again, this time sounding angry and confused.
“Because… I never stopped… believing in the cause, Prez. I lost faith in myself.”
“Goddammit, Brass. You shouldn’t have—”
“Keep… marching forward. Brother.”
Then Brass closed his eyes. His chest rose and fell one last time before he was gone.
Eagle’s arm snaked around my shoulders and he pulled me to him, kissing my forehead. He produced a knife from one of his pockets and cut away the zip ties. I rubbed at my wrists and rolled my shoulders.
“We need to get you to the hospital, Naomi,” Eagle said, his expression concerned.
“Is that the fucking vehicle they brought you in?” Link asked, pointing at the black van parked on the street.
I nodded, still unable to speak. The tears wouldn’t stop. In all the evil Brass had done, he’d still managed to save my brother. It could be Link lying on the ground rather than Brass, and I couldn’t stop thinking about that. Couldn’t stop thinking that Link had been right, and there was something worth saving in Brass all along. It seemed so damn unfair it had taken his death for Brass to figure that out.
Link marched over to the van and disappeared inside for a beat. When he reemerged, he was holding two cuts with Seattle’s Serpent patches on the back, swearing for all he was worth. He tossed the cuts on the ground between Joe and the other guy, dug his phone out of his pocket and made a call.
“Texas,” Link growled into his phone. “We got a fucking problem.”