by J. M. Dabney
TRENTON TOOK NO PRISONERS
He stared through his scope at the street below, cataloging hardware and picking out the guards trying to act natural. Their cheap suits didn’t conceal the bulge of weapons, most likely automatic rifles. There was a guy seated on the stoop about four doors down with the worst damn Hawaiian shirt. His hair greased and swept backward to expose a receding hairline. He counted at least ten men guarding the front. He opened his tablet and checked the cameras he’d placed in the alleyway behind the townhouses.
They weren’t hiding in the rear. He counted another six. Not a huge force. An elegant woman had entered with just two men flanking her. One last thing to check, he scanned the building with infrared looking for heat signatures. He wrote down some more notes, to add her and another six people to the list. Small army but it wasn’t impossible to take them out.
He’d have to change tactics. He’d probably be able to take out most of the ones out front, but unfortunately, they’d determine his position before the bodies finished hitting the ground. He’d tried every rooftop and attic space, but the angles were all wrong. There were too many opportunities for innocent casualties.
Best option was a soft entry, suppressor or blade. That was a team operation, and he was working with a barely healed rib. His maneuverability was limited. He returned his rifle to the soft case and packed the rest of his equipment into his backpack. He left the transmitter in place to keep up surveillance from his apartment. Nero was arriving later that night.
A team of four wasn’t ideal, but it was better than going in solo. He went down the fire escape at the rear and jogged to his car parked at the end of the alley. The ride across the city was filled with more plans and worries, thoughts of Raul and would he be safe. He called an old contact two weeks before, and he was informed the prison transport was due to arrive at any time. They’d told him they’d move Corza with no fanfare.
He’d avoided visiting Raul. They still exchanged coded messages, but the tone of them had turned frosty. That didn’t mean Nero wasn’t making regular contact with Benito. He made sure Raul had received regular updates. He pulled into a parking spot down the block from his building. He grabbed his case and backpack, then checked his surroundings before exiting.
He kept his head down, avoiding the cameras in case Hunter was running facial recognition all over the city. He wouldn’t put it past the hacker. He jogged up to his floor but froze as he noticed the black string on the light-colored welcome mat. He set his things down and removed his weapon. He hugged the wall and approached his door. He forced himself to calm, slowed his breathing, and he peeked through the crack in the door. Nothing was ransacked, the interior looked just as he’d left it.
He pushed the door all the way open, entering, and clearing his blind spots. When his back was pressed to the wall, he pivoted his body as a hand appeared, and tried to strip his gun from his hands. He feigned backward, grabbed a vase in his right hand, and swung, the ceramic exploded. He moved around the corner, raised his weapon, took a deep breath, and started to squeeze, then he froze.
“Fuck, Pure, nice way to greet a guest.”
“What the fuck are you doing here, Gage?” He holstered his Glock and retrieved his things from the hallway. When he came back, he slammed the door. He headed for the kitchen without giving Gage a second look.
“Seems you’ve been misbehaving.”
“You’re not my Daddy, Gage.”
“If I was, you’d be locked up and nursing a very raw ass right now. What the fuck are you doing?”
“I’m handling what I need to,” he answered as he started the pot of coffee he’d readied earlier that day.
“You don’t take on an OP of this scale alone.”
“I have backup.”
“It’s not us,” Gage yelled.
“I’m no longer a part of the us, so go home, Gage.”
“We didn’t betray you, Nicolas.”
“Do you know how many kill shots I’ve taken in defense of y’all? How many bodies I’ve buried when we knew the target wouldn’t stop? And the minute I needed y’all to back me, y’all forget.”
“Yes, we dropped the fucking ball. We should’ve done better. You and Raul should be on a beach in a non-extradition country right now, but that’s not what’s going down. The only option we have is to erase the threat.
“Corza is arriving at the state prison in forty-eight hours. Peaches has arranged a welcoming party. But first, we have to take out the entire threat. His daughter and the crew she’s building needs to disappear.”
“That’s twenty-three bodies.”
“We’ve hit compounds with more.”
“We?”
“Us, Trenton, we’ve arranged a little party. You know Trenton doesn’t take prisoners.”
“We can’t make that many disappear without bringing down heat. One person, me, I go in, I take as many as I can.”
“Pure, you’re not sacrificing yourself for him. What would Jenn say?”
“We talked about it, worst case scenario I go down and she makes sure Raul will always see a friendly face.”
“Your Daddy wouldn’t want that.”
“My Daddy…” He let out a bitter laugh. “I saw the shot coming in the woods. I drew fire.”
“Pure.”
“I distracted the last shooter knowing he’d take me because I was in the open. Horace and Freddie were ordered to stay on Raul at all costs. I planned the entire operation. Raul was supposed to run when I was lifted out.”
“Raul has never left you behind. How many operations was he on your Six? How many times did he refuse solo jobs because he wouldn’t leave one of us to protect you? We have to end this. We destroy the Corzas, make an example.”
“The only way to do that is to sever the head of the beast and clear Raul. How do we do that with minimal body count?” He preferred his plan, taking out the targets would put a definite end to the problem.
“The FBI wants Corza’s head on a platter. No way do they want that bastard back on the streets, but they also want to neutralize her.”
He made them a cup of coffee, and his plan shifted. He handed Gage a mug of black coffee.
“She wants to take over the city. The other bosses don’t want that to happen. My sources tell me that she’s too well protected. She throwing a welcome home party tomorrow night. She’s invited all the heads of the families. I’d planned to find the best spot to start taking them out.”
“Do you have ears in the house?”
“No, I got eyes on the outside.” He pointed to his laptop on the table.
“You definitely did your homework.”
He watched Gage scan the photos and timelines that filled one wall of the kitchen. Gage opened his laptop and logged in.
“Two weeks of surveillance.”
“What has it showed you?”
“She wants to make an impression, and with the party, all the major players will be in house. If it was me, no one would be allowed inside with weapons, but she wants to build trust. She’s going to try her charms, offer a partnership. We could make a few select kill shots and let them all take each other out in the chaos.”
“Your talents are wasted as a sniper.”
He rolled his eyes and sipped at his coffee.
“What else, Pure?”
“Cops would see it as a gang war, fight for supremacy gone terribly wrong. She’d be taken out in the firefight and Corza is obsessed with her. He’s fighting so hard to get out to get back to her. I think she takes out the heads, then when her daddy comes home, he finds himself in an unmarked grave.”
“You have to trust us, Pure, together we can get Raul out.”
“Gage, I’ll take the kill shot, don’t y’all fuck me over.” He turned away to start searching through his fridge for something to eat so he could take something for his ribs. Trusting them wasn’t sitting well with him, but he had to put Raul’s safety first. Taking her out was worth a few casualties, but as a th
ank you to Nero, he’d pass on the plan. Keeping Benito’s former employer happy would keep Raul alive inside if it turned out his Daddy still had to serve a bit of time.
LITTLE AND LIV were posted down the block with eyes on the attendees. Horace and Freddie were tucked into a narrow alleyway ready to take out anyone who exited the back. He was positioned on the roof across the street. Gage and Linus were acting as bodyguards for Lawton, Nero’s boss. It kept them close to the action to make sure the operation went as planned.
Hunter was back at the apartment and patched into Public Safety to assist in the getaway. He’d make sure it was green all the way to the docks. A panel truck waited for them to drive into and make it to a room they rented at a long-term hotel where the clerks didn’t ask questions.
“Team two, you got eyes?” Linus’ voice came through his earpiece.
“Yes. Full house.” He braced his weapon and focused through the opened curtains. Everyone was playing nice. Through the mics they’d planted during the party setup, He could hear laughter and conversations, but it would be clearer once everyone sat down to discuss business over dinner.
“Pure,” Peaches said his name.
“I have to focus.”
“Look alive.” He caught Gage tapping the earpiece to broadcast to the team. “See y’all on the other side.”
Everyone fell into radio silence until Linus called for the breach. He scanned the interior as he watched everyone slowly make their way to the formal dining room. Only the bosses were allowed inside with one trusted man. The rest posted inside, as soon as shots were fired, everyone would converge to protect their bosses. He’d cover Lawton and Nero to make sure they got out.
Feedback signaled they’d lost ears.
“She jammed the signal.”
He studied body language. Corza exuded confidence that far exceeded her years. The calm with which she carried herself eased the nerves of the bosses inside. She lulled them into a false sense of security. She was all business. Either they were thinking with their bank accounts and happy with a lucrative deal or they were thinking with their dicks? If he hadn’t known what the meeting was about, he’d think it was all friends sharing a meal.
He started to relax, evened his breathing, and kept his entire focus on her. It was a change so subtle no one else wouldn’t notice it. Her gaze went cold. As if in slow motion, she turned to look at each guard that posted themselves behind her chair.
“Peaches, get to the van.”
Luckily, she didn’t argue, and the weapons were drawn in all directions. It would take one shot. Chaos and paranoia. He had to focus on her. Gage and Linus had Nero covered. It’s her smile that gave it away, muzzle fire and another player went down. He squeezed the trigger, the glass barely cracked, as he took out both her main guards.
He covered Gage and Linus as they extracted friendlies and then he followed the ascent of her arm, weapon drawn. He synced his shots with hers, one to each shoulder and she fired wildly. As he surged to his feet, he saw a hole open in the center of her forehead. They were on the move.
He glanced over the edge, dropped his weapon into the waiting arms of Freddie or Horace, the masks concealed which. His steps sounded too loud as he clipped the line into his carabiner and dove in a controlled descent to the street below. He stripped off his mask and gloves as he jogged down the alley. The van pulled to a stop with the side door open, and he jumped inside.
Adrenaline raced through his veins as the scream of sirens drew nearer, and they headed in the opposite direction. Minutes passed in slow motion as they took as many alleys as possible, then tires squealed.
“Guys, it’s gonna be tight, speed up, you have ten seconds to make the next light and thirty before you converge with two marked. Keep it tight, and stash your gear now.” Hunter’s voice ordered, they stripped down to their tactical gear, exposed their bail enforcement vests and badges. Everything else was shoved into the secret compartment. Nero and Lawton were secured with flex-cuffs.
Little made the light, but he slowed and stopped to allow the cruisers to pass by. Everyone in the van held their breath until they were clear.
“You’re running behind. Everyone is waiting, ramp is down. Drive in, and you’ll head east. See you in twenty.” Communication was cut, and Hunter would already be en route to the meet up at the hotel. Horace and Freddie were in charge of making the truck and van disappear.
“Did she go down?” Peaches asked.
“Yeah, but none of us took the kill shot,” Gage answered from the back where he had eyes out the back window.
All light dimmed as they hit the ramp too quickly.
“Dammit, Little,” Linus growled.
“Hunter said we were behind schedule.”
The arguments raged around him, and he slid to Nero and Lawton. “Wrists.” He cut the cuffs now that they were in the clear. Nero and Lawton would take a trip south until the heat died down. The survivors wouldn’t be able to say anything more than Lawton’s men extracted him when guns were drawn.
“If you ever want to make better money, give me a call,” Lawton offered.
“I am in need of a job.”
“The fuck you are. You don’t need a new job until I fire your ass,” Linus yelled. “Ally or not, Lawton, I’ll take you down if you try to poach my people.”
They settled in for the short ride to the hotel where they’d lie low for the night and go their separate ways the next morning. The high started to ease, and his ribs started to ache, and he needed a beer. But he wanted to see Raul, hear his voice, but he knew he wouldn’t be in on the operation the next day. Gage and Linus would accompany Peaches to the prison. He wouldn’t relax until he knew it was over, that Raul was safe and hopefully coming home.
NOTHING WAS AS IT SEEMED
Benito and he kept their backs to each other. They’d been ordered out of their cells and shackled in the middle of the night. Five officers had led them down to the lower-level of the facility. The air was humid from the exhaust system and musky—moldy air. They moved in perfect sync as they circled. The restraints had them at a disadvantage, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be able to cause damage in hand to hand combat.
“Who we piss off?”
“I got no idea. Maybe our friend wants a little retribution.”
“Gentleman, sorry to wake you up so rudely.”
“Fuck,” they cursed in unison as the warden came out of the shadows into the open space.
“You two have some…influential friends.”
“I’ll take him and you—”
The man cut off Benito’s plan. “Violence is unnecessary.”
“C.O.s dragging inmates from bed in the middle of the night makes us less likely to be courteous.”
“I see prison hasn’t improved your attitude problems.” Peaches stepped up to stand beside the warden. Her suit was perfectly tailored, and if he wasn’t mistaken, that was designer.
“Peaches, what are you doing here?”
“Peaches, as beautiful as I remember. You leave Gib yet? You know that man can’t handle a woman like you.”
“Benito,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I’ve imagined the marks she could leave for twenty-five years.”
“Behave, Benito, I have some good news for you later.” Her heels echoed through the cavernous space until she stopped in front of them.
“Where’s Pure?”
“Safe. He never hesitates to take the shot.”
Relief went through him. For a minute, he’d thought she was there to inform him that Pure had started a war and hadn’t made it out. “My boy is the best.”
“For the reason we’re here, we thought it was time you met the man who has been causing so many issues.”
He caught movement from the corner of his eye, and Jenn appeared. She was outfitted in a vest, jeans, and a t-shirt. A bail enforcement badge around her neck. He was sure Pure hadn’t approved of his mother being used on an operation. “Shit, what is—�
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“I needed some assistance. Now, meet Anthony Corza.”
Peaches pivoted to the side, and a man in cuffs and shackles stumbled into sight. The man wore a jumpsuit with inmate emblazoned across his chest. Corza had to be in his sixties but was still powerfully built. His dark eyes burned with hatred.
“What the fuck is going on?” Corza demanded.
“I’m glad you ask,” Peaches said as she made a show of opening a file folder that she plucked from the warden’s hands. “Warner, prepare.”
He shot his gaze to Jenn, and she began to fill a syringe from a small bottle.
“You’ve caused me some significant issues. You messed with my boys, and I’ve been waiting for months to destroy you.”
The coldness in Peaches’ voice froze him through. The warden and a few officers flanked him, while three more kept shotguns trained on Corza. Peaches started dropping photos onto the ground at Corza’s feet. As she did, she named crime bosses, ten in total, and he felt Benito tense as the former boss’ name was called. Yet, he ignored that as the smirk on Corza’s mouth pulled into a sadistic smirk.
“Oh, I forgot one.”
Everything changed when the soft whisper of paper hit the floor, and Corza lost his mind. He started to fight forward when Jenn entered the danger zone, but all fighting ceased when the needle pushed into the side of Corza’s thick neck. The man had transitioned from pride to devastation to anger in seconds, then the mysterious needle.
“She was a very beautiful girl, but…” Peaches paused and pulled out her phone.
“Daddy served his purpose. You stick to the plan. As soon as he steps foot outside, you better take the fucking shot, or you’ll be buried next to him.”
“A daughter to make a man proud. She wanted to be queen and to do that everyone knows the king has to be sacrificed.”
“What the fuck do you want?”