“I know Sandoval has a dungeon under the castle,” said Jorge. “The rumor is he takes special prisoners there.”
“He’d want someone with knowledge of the hammer, show him how to use it,” said Jason.
“No one on the island knows more about mythological artifacts than Elsie. The Montenegros are sure to have told Sandoval that.” Lucas holstered the Zastava. “We’ve got work to do.”
Jason nodded and slowly lowered his Berettas, sliding them into the shoulder holsters. “Sorry for the disturbance, folks. You all go about your business.”
The two men stepped out of the bar and began walking away. Lucas walked with determination in his stride and it didn’t escape his partner’s notice. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to face Jason.
“What is it, Shroud?”
“We can’t go off running half-cocked. We need a plan.”
“I got a plan,” said Lucas. “It’s called blow shit up.”
“I’m serious.”
“You think I’m not?”
Jason groaned. “If we don’t think this through, we could risk our friends getting killed in the crossfire.”
“And the longer we sit around and debate, the greater the chance Sandoval tortures and kills them.”
“Wait!”
Jason and Lucas looked at the bar. Jorge emerged from the entrance and walked over to them. Lucas reached for his Zastava but Jason grabbed his arm to hold him at bay.
“Let’s see what he wants first.”
Lucas relaxed his hand, but still kept it close to his weapon. Jorge joined up with them and studied the faces of the two men.
“If you’re going to go after your friends, you’ll need help.”
“Why would you help us? It’s your fault we’re in this mess,” said Lucas.
“That is the reason,” said Jorge. “You’re right. If I do nothing, eventually Sandoval will have no further use for me. But if I help you, at least I have a chance.”
“You have a plan then?” asked Jason.
“Not a good one. It might be too crazy to work.”
Lucas folded his arms across his chest. “Crazy’s right up my alley, bud. Let’s hear it.”
CHAPTER 18
Elisa wouldn’t scream. She refused to give Isabel Montenegro the satisfaction as the woman cut into Elisa’s flesh. Adding insult to injury, Isabel used one of Elisa’s own kukri to commit the act.
“Enough!” screamed Asami.
Sofia held a throwing knife up to Asami’s throat, pinning it right to her jugular. “Keep talking, zorra. I’m dying to spill your blood all over the ground.”
Isabel drew the kukri back, holding it up so Elisa could see her blood on the edge. She flashed the myth hunter a grim smile. “I’m starting to understand why my sister likes using these things. There’s a certain satisfaction to slowly cutting into a person’s flesh.”
“Why are you doing this?” asked Tanya. “What has Sandoval promised you?”
“Money, of course,” said Isabel. “But we came because we heard our old friend Elisa Hill was visiting.”
Elisa scoffed. “You’ve gotta learn to let go of grudges, Isabel.”
“A grudge, huh?” Isabel sneered. “Is that what you call it when you betray your partners?”
“What’s she talking about?” asked Asami.
Isabel kept her gaze on Elisa as she gestured towards Asami with the kukri. “So you never told your new partner about how well you play with others? I suppose I’m not surprised.” Isabel moved the kukri, setting the edge of the blade lightly against Elisa’s throat. “It was several years ago, back when Elisa and Lucas were still working together. All four of us were after the same thing—an amulet of some kind, who can remember. Anyway, it was a tough job. One buyer, big enough score for all involved if we split it four ways. So we agreed to team up with them.”
“And then they got greedy,” said Sofia.
“Exactly,” said Isabel. “We had to retrieve it from a museum. Sofia and I handled the infiltration, Elisa was supposed to take care of security and Lucas was responsible for our escape. But as soon as I handed the amulet off to Elisa, she reactivated the security system and ran.”
“We were trapped inside and arrested by the Egyptian police,” said Sofia. “And Egyptian prison is no picnic.”
Elisa felt both the eyes of Tanya and Asami on her but she ignored them and just stared right into Isabel’s. “Like you two haven’t done a whole lot worse in your lives.”
Isabel increased pressure on the blade. Elisa cringed as she felt the edge pierce her flesh ever so slightly. She could feel a light trickle of blood down her neck.
“How many other myth hunters did you and Lucas screw over in your time?” asked Isabel. “And now you’re both trying to play the noble hero card? Don’t make me laugh.”
“What makes you so much better?” asked Asami.
“We may be mercenaries, but we operate according to a code,” said Sofia. “We keep our word, no matter how bad things get.”
“And yet now you work for Sandoval,” said Tanya. “Do you know what that man has done to this country? To its people?”
Isabel removed the kukri from Elisa’s throat. She stepped closer to Tanya and pointed the blade at her. “Do I look like I care?”
“He removes as much dissent as possible. People are encouraged to report on their neighbors and friends—even family. Men, women, children—he doesn’t care who he has to kill or torture to maintain his power.”
“There are only two people I look out for, Ms. Acosta.” Isabel gestured in Sofia’s direction with the kukri, then pointed it to herself. “My sister and me.”
“That’s what Lucas and I did,” said Elisa. “We looked out for ourselves. I wish I could say I was sorry you two had to take the fall.”
Isabel circled back towards Elisa, staring into her crystal-blue eyes.
“But the truth is, if I could do it all over again,” began Elisa, “I would still leave you two to rot.”
She spat in Isabel’s face. This angered the woman and she lunged at Elisa, raising the kukri, preparing to stab it in her face. Before she could plunge the knife in, her forearm was grabbed from behind. Isabel glanced over her shoulder and saw Sofia holding her back.
“If we kill her, Sandoval never gets his information,” said Sofia. “And we don’t get paid.”
Isabel glared at Elisa, her breathing heavy. After a moment, she lowered the kukri and moved away. Sofia stepped in her place, looking Elisa up and down as she hung from the chains attached to the ceiling.
“You will tell us what we need to know.”
“Go to hell,” said Elisa.
Sofia scoffed. “Save us a seat, Hill.” She balled her hand into a fist and punched Elisa in the nose. Then she turned and walked over to her sister.
“We’ll be back,” said Isabel. “Give you some time to contemplate just how much shit you’re in.”
The two women left the room and locked the door behind them. Elisa flexed her facial muscles, testing how much damage Sofia’s punch had done. Her nose stung with pain, but otherwise didn’t seem broken at all.
“Were they telling the truth?” asked Asami. “About leaving them behind?”
Elisa sighed.
“You call bullshit and I’ll believe you. You’ve earned that much from me.”
That would be the easy solution, to claim that Isabel was just lying. And Asami was right, if that was what Elisa said, her partner would believe her. But the kitsune didn’t give her trust out easily. And Elisa wasn’t about to violate that bond between them.
“It’s true.”
“How could you do that?” asked Tanya. “Betray your partners?”
“Back then, I was…different,” said Elisa. “Do the job, get paid, doesn’t matter who got in the way. I did a lot of things I’m not proud of.”
Elisa looked up at Tanya, then at Asami. Finally, she lowered her gaze to the ground.
“I can’t
apologize for what I did. I know what kind of person I was, how many people I hurt.” Elisa slowly looked up and took a deep breath. “I’d like to think I’ve changed. But sometimes…”
“We’ve all got regrets,” said Asami. “Question is, do you wanna waste your time crying about it or do you want to get the hell out of here?”
Elisa looked at her partner. “Got a plan in mind?”
Asami gritted her teeth as she tugged on the chains that bound her. She shook her head and sighed. “These shackles are made of iron. It acts as kind of an inhibitor to the mystical. It’s stopping me from transforming and if I can’t change, I can’t use my full strength.”
“So what do we do?” asked Tanya. “There has to be a way out of here.”
“There is. I want you both to listen to me very carefully. I’ve got a plan. It’s going to be risky.” Elisa looked up at Tanya. “I’ll especially need your help. Provided you think you can trust me.”
Tanya nodded. “I do.”
“You’re going to have to take a pretty big risk if this is going to work,” said Elisa. “I need you to be sure.”
“You have risked your life for my cause,” said Tanya. “It is the least I can do.”
“Good.” Elisa looked at Asami. “I hope we’re still on the same page, too?”
Asami gave her an incredulous look. “Do you really have to ask me that?”
Elisa smirked. “Thanks. Okay, now listen carefully.”
CHAPTER 19
Night had fallen and an old, blue pick-up truck with more rust than paint was stopped in the middle of the dusty, mountain road. The hood was up with a small, battery-powered lantern hanging from it, and the driver studied the engine intently, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. The glow of headlights engulfed him and he could hear the sound of an engine from behind. He turned, holding up a hand to minimize the glare and could make out a truck rumbling to a stop.
The driver walked over to the back of his pick-up and leaned against the bed. The truck behind him bore markings of the Corbaton military. Two soldiers emerged from the cab and approached him, their guns relaxed.
“What’s going on?” asked one of them in Spanish.
“My truck broke down,” said the driver.
“You have to move it.”
The driver chuckled. “You think I like being stranded on this mountain in the dark?”
The second soldier broke into the conversation. “Let me have a look at it.” He walked around to the front of the car and looked under the hood. “Do you know what happened?”
The driver shook his head. “Not at all. Why?”
“I can’t see anything wrong with it.”
“You sure you know what you’re doing?” asked his partner.
“Fuck off.”
The driver pulled out a pack of cigarettes and drew one for himself. He offered the pack to the soldier, who graciously accepted. The driver lit both and the two men smoked as they waited for the other soldier to finish his inspection.
The driver glanced over his shoulder and saw movement in the darkness. He smiled to himself, getting ready. He heard the sound of a thump followed by a groan.
“What was that?” The soldier shifted his gun, gripping it as he walked past the driver. He approached the front of the truck and saw the hood was down, lightly laying on top of his partner’s torso. He raised the hood and saw his partner was unconscious.
The soldier spun to face the driver. And that was when he felt the barrel of a gun press up against his head. He held his arms out to the side, letting his gun fall to the ground.
“Smart man,” said Lucas Davalos. He fished around the soldier’s pockets and found a set of keys, which he tossed to the driver. “Jorge, you and Shroud take care of the truck.”
Jorge nodded and ran to the back of the transport. Jason Shroud emerged from his own hiding spot—lying in a brush a few feet back. Jorge unlocked the doors and opened them. Inside were about half a dozen prisoners with canvas bags over their heads. Jorge climbed into the truck and pulled them off, then released their cuffs. He spoke to them quickly in Spanish and they filed out the back of the truck, where Jason directed them towards the pick-up.
Lucas watched them work and heard the soldier chuckling. “Something funny?”
“You are with the rebels, yes? Don’t you know that the President has already destroyed your worthless cause? There’s nothing left for you.”
“What can I say, I’m a slow learner.” Lucas bashed the butt of the gun against the soldier’s head and his captive collapsed.
Three of the prisoners climbed into the pick-ups cab and the other three climbed onto the bed. Jason gave them some further instructions and pulled the second soldier from the engine before slamming the hood shut.
Lucas pulled both soldiers off to the side of the road and looked in Jorge’s direction. “Okay, we’ve got it from here. You go with the prisoners.”
Jorge shook his head. “No chance. You two need my help to get into the dungeon, remember?”
“We can handle it,” said Lucas. “You’ve got more important work to do.”
Jorge scoffed. “A white face dressed as a Corbaton soldier? You think they’ll believe that?”
“He’s right, Davalos,” said Jason.
Lucas sighed. “Okay, but once we get in, you get the hell out, understood?”
Jorge nodded. He shouted orders to the prisoners and they drove off in the pick-up. Jorge stripped one of the soldiers of his uniform and quickly dressed himself in it. When he was done, he followed Lucas and Jason into the back of the truck. Jorge cuffed each of them and then pulled the bags over their heads.
“You’ll need to take our guns,” said Jason. “Armed prisoners are a bit suspicious.”
Jorge nodded and collected Jason’s twin Berettas as well as Lucas’ Zastava and Serbu. He took them with him to the cab and started up the truck.
The first ten minutes of the ride were passed in silence between Lucas and Jason. After that, it was Jason who spoke through the sack over his head. “You really think this plan of yours is gonna work?”
“Honestly, I have no damn idea. But we gotta try something, right?”
Jason sighed. He supposed Lucas was right. He just hoped they could reach the others before Sandoval had no further use for them or even worse, discovered how to use the hammer.
“We’re slowing down,” said Lucas. “Stay quiet.”
Jason did as he was told and he felt the truck rumble to a stop. The engine turned off and if he concentrated, he could hear voices outside. They grew louder as they moved from the front of the truck to just behind the rear doors. He heard the doors open and shouts in Spanish were thrown at him.
The two men were forcefully pulled from the truck by two guards. They removed the sacks from their heads and the two men were facing off against a soldier of a higher rank. He examined their faces in curiosity, then shouted something at Jorge.
“They were working with the rebellion,” said Jorge in Spanish. “They must have thought these two were dead. They might have some useful information for El Presidente.”
The officer snorted and nodded. He turned and gestured for them to follow. Both Lucas and Jason started walking once rifle barrels were jabbed into their backs. They were marched through a tunnel made of cobblestone. Jason risked a quick glance at Lucas and saw a brief flash of metal in his fingers.
The handcuff keys Jorge had slipped him when he’d cuffed them and put them in the back of the truck. Lucas looked at Jason and gave him a nod. Jason nodded as well.
Lucas spun and grabbed the rifle of the guard behind him, wrestling it away from him. Jason’s guard was distracted by Lucas and raised his weapon to fire. Before he could, Jason threw his arms around the guard’s neck, pulling the handcuff chain right up against his throat. The guard gasped for air and flailed about.
The officer turned at the commotion and readied his rifle. Jason spun the guard he held captive around and huddled behin
d his human shield. After the first few shots, Jason pulled his arms away and kicked the guard forward, right into his superior’s rifle.
Lucas still grappled with his own guard. He slammed the butt of the rifle against his head and pulled it away. He aimed at the guard and fired once in the head, then turned it on the officer and squeezed off several more shots.
Jorge came running down the tunnel after them as Lucas tossed the handcuff keys to Jason. In just a few seconds, Jason dropped the cuffs and rubbed his wrists. Jorge held a small bag and opened it, holding it out for the two of them. Jason and Lucas each retrieved their weapons and also took some rifles and ammunition off the guards they’d just killed.
“Thanks for your help,” said Jason. “We probably couldn’t have gotten this far without you.”
“I still have a long way to go to make things right,” said Jorge.
“And that’s what you’re gonna do right now.” Lucas patted Jorge on the shoulder. “Remember the plan. And make it quick. We don’t know how much time we’ve got.”
Jorge nodded and ran back towards the truck. Jason watched him go, then looked at Lucas. “You think we’ve got a prayer of success?”
“Hell no,” said Lucas, then he winked. “But that’s what makes it fun, right?"
CHAPTER 20
The Montenegro Sisters entered the dungeon once more, shutting the door behind them. Isabel and Sofia walked up to Elisa, locking their eyes on her. Isabel was the one who offered her initial words. “Are you ready to talk yet?”
Elisa blew the hair out of her face. “Sure. Come a little closer.”
Isabel advanced a step. Elisa threw her legs out and kicked Isabel in the jaw. The shock more than the force threw Isabel back. Sofia lunged at her sister’s attacker and screamed, drawing out a throwing knife.
Elisa swung, avoiding the swipes. She wrapped her legs around Sofia and held her firm as the Montenegro sister struggled against her grip.
Isabel wiped the blood from her lip and moved towards them. Asami swung from her chains and struck Isabel in the side, keeping her back. Isabel got up quickly and reached for the coiled whip hanging from her belt. She pulled it free and cracked it, slicing the leather tails across Asami’s face. The kitsune pulled back from the strike.
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