by Kishan Paul
“Moose and Ari?”
He shook his head. “Not through me.”
“If you’re lying, we will all die in here.”
Om met Eddie’s gaze. “I didn’t tell them anything more about the team.”
“What else?”
“That we were following him. That I would bring Sara to the drive.” Om paused for a beat and stared at his hands. “That’s it. Nothing else.”
Eddie watched him. He believed his words. It aligned with the way things played out.
“My mother…” Om slammed his eyes shut and swallowed. “Is she…?”
“Alive. For now.”
He rested his head in his hands and let out a breath.
“Don’t get too excited. Wassim has an IED belted on her, and he has the transmitter. He has plans to kill her and us…” Eddie checked his watch. “In under thirty-five minutes.”
“I did this,” he whispered.
“Yeah, you did.”
“I should have told you. Should have trusted you and the team.”
“No argument here.” Eddie pulled out the magazine in the gun, replacing it with a magazine of blanks.
“If she dies, her blood will be on my hands.”
“Also correct.” He checked the chambers, making sure there were no bullets before placing the weapon on Om’s lap. “How about instead of thinking about how bad you’re going to feel when she dies, help me save her life?”
Om stiffened.
“I am not asking for your loyalty. I don’t think I can ever trust in it again.”
“I don’t deserve your trust.”
“No. You don’t.” He pointed in the direction of the third floor. “But the woman you call your mother believes in you. She loved you enough to sacrifice herself to help you get your sister back.” The heat of anger crept up his gut. Eddie swallowed it, refusing it access. Not now. Not when he needed to think clearly. “So now, I need your help to get her out of the hell you put her in.”
Tension radiated from Om. Eddie paused to see if the kid would say anything further. Instead, he kept his face expressionless and dug his fingers in his jeans.
“The decision is yours. Leave now, or help us get her out of here.”
Om’s Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. “I’m in.”
“Good. Here’s what I know. Wassim wants our team, in particular me and your brothers, to show up in a little over thirty minutes. Otherwise, he’ll kill your mother. He’s already shot Tay.”
When Om’s eyes widened at the mention of Tay’s injury. Eddie waved his hand.
“He’s in the hospital but will be okay. The point is, we believe Wassim’s goal is to blow her up anyway. He’s going to want to kill me and the rest of you as well. Which is why I asked you who all he thinks is on the team. If we don’t show up with a member he believes we have, this won’t work. We can explain Sai’s and Tay’s absence because of how badly hurt both are. Which means you and Raz need to be with me when I show up. We need to get that remote transmitter to your mother’s IED from Wassim at all costs. What we have going for us is that as far as we can tell, Adil’s not aware your sister is free. Nor does he realize you’ve clued us in on the whole story. So if there is more, this is the time you share it. All.”
Om shook his head. “You know everything. I told him we were watching him. That Sara would be at the drive. That’s all. Nothing more.”
Eddie patted the weapon on Om’s thigh. “If you’re lying, I will kill you.”
Om nodded. “Understood.”
“You’ll be on your own. The team will not be covering you.”
He picked up the weapon from Om’s lap. “It’s empty. Wassim will think it’s strange if you show up without one.” He didn’t release the grip when Om took it. Instead, he gave it a tug to emphasize his point. “If you try to harm anyone on the team. If you do anything I consider suspicious, let me repeat. I. Will. Kill. You.” Eddie pointed across the room. “Your belt and uniform are over there on the dresser. Get ready. Stay in here until I call you.”
He rose to his feet and handed him the flashlight.
“Boss.”
Eddie stilled. He fought the urge to tell Om to never call him that again. Instead, he waited for him to continue. “Thank you, for helping my sister. I know I didn’t deserve your help.”
“I didn’t do it for you.” He left Om in the room making sure to lock it from the outside.
“Thirty minutes,” Wassim mumbled. Three minutes less than the last time he’d made the announcement, but each of those minutes felt like an eternity.
Her hands and wrists tingled from lack of use. An ache in her shoulder began shortly after they’d tied her. Ally tried to adjust her sitting position to ease the pressure, but it seemed to make things worse. Sweat dampened her scalp, streaking down her neck. When she tried to swipe it off her shoulder, pain radiated farther down her chest to her stomach.
The tension among the others was palpable. Adil ran in and out of the room, making sure their tasks were complete and sharing the news of the progress with a nervous Wassim.
All the glass cases were now void of valuables and the van loaded. None of which appeared to relax Wassim. He pulled out his handkerchief and mopped the perspiration off his face for the hundredth time while the speed of his pacing increased with each passing minute.
“They will come,” Adil reassured him and handed him a drink. “I know them. They are as loyal to her as I am to you. In the meantime, let’s get in position.” He tipped his head at the men congregating by the door, their guns drawn.
Two of the guards and Rafi left their watch, making their way to Adil. Whatever he whispered to him had all four glancing in Ally’s direction.
She stiffened, ignoring the spasm of pain shooting through her chest, and swallowing the fear bubbling within while she twisted and worked the thick tape securing her hands to the back of the chair.
Rafi stretched out his arms, stopping the men on either side of him from moving farther. “Varun. Will picking her up make the bomb go off?”
Mustache laughed at his question. “I made it. Trust me, the explosives will only go off when we want them to.”
Satisfied with his answer, they continued their approach. The two others lifted her chair while Rafi looked on, planting her in the far corner of the room. Ally winced at the jerky movements, how it intensified the burn in her midsection, and bit back the groan threatening to escape. When she leaned her head back, the currents transformed into a firestorm searing through her. The burn so intense she slammed her eyes shut, lowered her head, and tried to catch her breath through the spasms shooting through her.
A hand gripped her cheek, forcing her head up. She gazed into Rafi’s eyes.
“Don’t go to sleep now. The fun is just beginning.” Although he glowered, his eyes showed concern. He squatted beside her. One hand still glued to her face, the other to her bound wrists.
“Careful, she might beat you again,” one of the others teased.
She gazed upon the bruises on his face. Bruises she was pretty sure were compliments of Eddie.
He moved in close until his mouth was directly in front of her eyes. “The jewelry cases are explosion resistant. I’ve prepped the one to your left. When it’s time, get the girl inside.”
Hard metal slid between her wrists into her hands.
Rafi pushed off the chair, kicking its leg. He glared at her and stepped back. “I will watch your body rip apart.”
Ally adjusted the smooth, cold object he’d slipped her for a better grip. She flashed him a smile, aware all eyes were on her. “You are lucky I didn’t kill you back in the room. The lights going off saved your life.”
Laughter erupted around her. Rafi’s face scrunched in fury. He waited until it calmed to respond, wiping his hand on his shirt as if being near her dirtied his palm. “Say as much as you want. No one can help you now.”
The deeper meaning of his message was clear, his role in her escape was over
. She palmed the surface of his gift until she found the hard piece jutting out from the handle, understanding exactly what tool he’d provided.
Directly behind her against the corner, Nikki huddled with her pillow, her eyes shut. From the way she flinched when the others laughed, it was clear she feigned sleep.
While the men teased Rafi and talked among themselves, Ally inspected the case beside her. It had no middle shelves, making the interior large enough to entomb a small child.
She fixed her attention on the scared child behind her. “Nikki.”
The little girl didn’t open her eyes but stiffened. She wasn’t sure what language she understood, but prayed it was Hindi. “Do you want to go home?”
Her lids cracked open; her gaze glued on Ally. The child watched her for a moment before giving her a slight nod.
“I want you to go home too.”
Nikki said nothing.
“Sit by me.”
Rafi made a comment at the other side of the room that had the men laughing. The sound made Nikki jump. She grabbed her pillow and crawled her way to Ally’s side, situating herself on the floor next to her chair. When Ally leaned down toward her, an agonizing spasm of heat ripped through her chest and gut. She gritted her teeth and plastered on a smile. “Come sit on the other side, between me and the glass box.”
Wassim tracked the girl’s movements as she situated herself between the chair and the jewelry case while he played with the transmitter.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
SHADOWS
The line of victims stretched from inside the stairwell, down the room, out the exit door, to the garage. Eddie’s team, or what was left of them, stood on either side of the line, quietly watching the procession, their weapons ready for potential threats.
Khalin paced up and down one side while Wassim’s girl did the same on the other side. The two made a great team. Somewhere along the way, Khalin had stripped off his dress shirt and offered it to her. A shirt she clearly needed more than he did. They encouraged the victims, reminding them of the importance of being quiet and keeping them focused on their goal: freedom.
The group consisted of men and women ranging in age from teens to late twenties. Even in their silence, their body language screamed of fear. From the way several of them looked over their shoulders at Eddie and his men, it was clear they waited to be told the escape was all a cruel joke. Several cried silently while others hugged themselves or held the hand of the one in front or behind them or both for strength. They moved fast and efficiently.
Through it all, Eddie’s team stood guard, weapons in hand, allowing Khalin and the woman to herd the victims out to the extraction team awaiting them in the garage.
Eddie walked over and positioned himself between Ari and Moose.
“Raz debriefed you?”
Arms crossed, the muscle-bound Moose dipped his chin. “I don’t trust Om to come through.”
“I don’t either,” Ari chimed in.
“Well, I do.” Moose grunted at Eddie’s confession.
A young girl, sixteen at the most, flinched at the sound from the giant of a man beside Eddie. Fear, mistrust in the world that stole her innocence. He saw all of it when their gazes locked.
Eddie waved her along as he continued his conversation. “He fucked up, but I believe his reasons for doing what he did. He was trying to get his sister back.” He considered how to best explain. “Om knew he had a biological sister. The woman you call your mother, you only had her in your lives for two years and think of the connection you have with her.”
“Bullshit,” Ari mumbled. “I’d have never allowed Adil to do this to me. My loyalty is with my brothers and this team.” His voice rose an octave as he spoke.
Wassim’s girl and Eddie exchanged a look when she moved past. “What he did was wrong. Adil dangled his sister’s life over his head. He should have told us. He should have done a lot of things. But what he didn’t do was tell them our location, list our names, and get us all killed.”
Weapon in hand, Raz appeared at the end of the line and shut the door behind him. He gave Eddie a nod. Part one was almost complete.
“I’m not feeling sorry for him.” Moose growled. “He betrayed—”
Eddie cut him off. “I don’t need you to feel sorry for anyone. What I need is for you all to shut down the son and brother part and be the trained operatives you both are. Otherwise, none of us will walk out of here alive.” Eddie froze for a beat before focusing on the back of the final survivor as she moved out the exit. “We all need to get our heads straight and focus on the rescue mission.”
“Fifteen minutes,” Adil announced.
Ally’s thoughts floated to Eddie and the boys, praying they wouldn’t come, yet knowing they would not only take the bait but might lose their lives to save hers. The thought unsettled her. Eddie was right; she put them in this position. Whatever happened tonight would be because of her, and considering she was the bait, they might all die. The guilt weighed even heavier.
She worked on sawing through her bindings while she stared at the door in the far end of the room. More men had arrived. Fifteen new faces scattered across the building in anticipation of Eddie’s arrival. They no longer considered her a threat, leaving only Adil and Wassim in the room with her and Nikki.
The two kept their heads close, whispering to each other. Adil must have felt her watching them; he met her gaze. He whispered something to the elder, at which Wassim tucked his fingers in the same pocket as the remote and dug inside. Ally stilled, her attention fixed on his hand. Instead of the black box, he pulled out a yellow handkerchief. Adil winked at her as he accepted the cloth and wiped the perspiration from the back of his neck.
Arrogance wasn’t the only expression she noticed on his face; she saw pleasure, excitement. His eyes glistened with it all. The jittery intoxication of adrenaline coursing through him probably made it hard for him to stand still. All because of the situation, a situation where he controlled not only her life but the lives of his brothers and so many others in the building.
With Icom and now AM Mafia on his side, he was high off the power he wielded. As much as she wanted to blame Wassim, in her heart she knew Adil made his choice willingly. He had not been forced or deceived into the lifestyle he lived.
Deep down, she’d known not all the boys would turn out the way she’d hoped. Darkness had been a part of their lives long before she’d entered. Like a shadow on a sunny day, it hunted them, never releasing its hold, showing them a far more sinister version of themselves existed. They alone would need to decide if they’d follow the sun or succumb to the shadows. Her hope had been that in their two years together, she’d spent enough time with them, told them they were valuable and good enough times that they’d choose the right path. Adil proved her fantasy was not reality.
Her blade sliced through the last piece of tape binding her, and the tension around her wrists vanished. She lowered her head for fear they’d notice the excitement pulsing through her.
One press of the button on the side of the knife and the metal noiselessly sheathed inside its case. She slid it under her rear and waited for the right opportunity.
While she flexed her digits trying to regain the circulation, one of the mafia men rushed through the door, their mustached leader close behind.
“The prisoners are gone,” the man in a yellow tee announced through breathless pants. “And I found your men dead.”
The more he described the scene, the more the anxiety stiffening her spine eased. Her shoulders lowered, and she let out the breath she’d held since she’d arrived. Khalin and the others were finally released from their hell. Even if Wassim pressed the transmitter, those lives would not be lost.
Nikki shifted from her spot on the floor, her head pressing against Ally’s thigh, reminding her that not all the victims walked free.
“Where are the fucking guards you promised?” Wassim growled at Mustache. “This wouldn’t have happened if your people
had followed through on your part of the deal.”
In response, Mustache stepped closer to Wassim, staring him down. Both men wanting the other to bow down and accept the other’s authority. “Ask him,” he growled.
“Dead,” the yellow tee confirmed. “Their bodies were stacked in a back room with the others.”
Adil inched closer to him. “Did you see who did this? How many there were?”
“No one. Just the piles of bodies and blood.”
Another breath of relief escaped her lips. They’d underestimated Eddie’s team.
Adil paced. Wassim stood with his arms crossed, his restlessness radiating from him. Mustache observed them both as he stroked the tips of his facial hair. “You assured me this was an easy in and out. Fourteen of my men are dead, proving otherwise.”
Wassim patted the man’s shoulder. “It’s almost done, my friend. We need to work together. Remember, we have their woman. They will come for her, and we will make sure they all pay for what they’ve done.”
“Speaking of pay.” Mustache pulled out his gun, inspecting the magazine lodged inside the handle.
In response, Adil’s palm rested on the grip of the weapon he kept in his waistband.
“You promised Mudir a new inventory, but seeing as how your inventory just walked out the building, you no longer have them to offer.”
The hostility in the room, the way two of the men gripped their guns, everything screamed danger, and the adrenaline flooding Ally’s veins was proof her body heard the screams.
She twined her fingers together for fear she’d unwittingly use them and reveal herself and nudged the little girl with her thigh until the child gazed up at her.
“Nikki. Go,” Ally whispered.
The little girl’s eyes widened. Ally gave her a reassuring nod. “Go.”
While the others spent the half hour preparing for Eddie, she’d spent it preparing the child. Nikki’s compliance of those orders was her reward.
