by J Gaines
“Aren’t you?” replied Amias.
“Yes! I’m not going to shit you, Amias. John and I discussed it and I thought it best that you’re with me. This way I can be sure you’ll follow the plan.”
Amias was surprised and a little hurt that John had agreed to Lucas’s request, but he hid his annoyance. “And if things turn bad, then you’ll have me here to save your ass.”
Lucas stopped as a voice was heard on their radio earpieces.
“The building’s now secure. Anthony and I are awaiting Sophia and Marcus’s arrival.”
Lucas scowled. “They’re late. Marcus, please respond. Sophia… please respond.”
There was silence as they waited for a reply and Lucas looked at Amias anxiously. Suddenly Sophia’s voice could be heard in both of their earpieces; she sounded excited and slightly out of breath.
“Sorry, we’ve just arrived. We were delayed and couldn’t respond just then. Kaden’s people are everywhere. Be careful when entering the building. I think it’s better if you split up and try and get here alone. Take different routes.”
Lucas breathed a sigh of relief and then turned to Amias with a frown. “Okay, here’s your chance. Let’s split up, and I’ll meet you at the building in ten. Don’t let me down.”
“Aren’t you worried I won’t follow the plan?”
Lucas rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It seems I don’t have much choice now. Anyway, if you don’t, it’ll be your ass on the line with John.” He didn’t give Amias a chance to reply and disappeared down a dark alleyway.
Amias peered into the darkness for a few moments and then also stepped into the shadows of the alley. The rain was still incessant but he dropped his hood for a moment, leaning back and letting the drops fall on his face. It felt good to be alone and outside of the confines of their facility. He closed his eyes for a few moments before pulling his hood up and following in the direction Lucas had taken.
As he made his way down the narrow alleyway he was suddenly aware of the dangers his path carried. He turned and uneasily checked behind him. There were buildings on either side, so the only escape route would be forward or back. He increased his pace and fingered the hilt of his sword through his coat. He reached the end of the alleyway and stopped, quickly checking the road it led onto. It looked safe enough; he ducked out and quickly made his way along the pavement. A row of shops, all closed, ran along the road to his left, and he glanced into the dark windows as he passed. Suddenly he stumbled and stopped, as if he’d collided with something; he felt shocked when he realised there was nothing there. Then, in the same instant, two men emerged from a doorway and almost walked into him. They stopped and looked at him strangely, as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. As the realisation hit him, he put his head down and began walking again, nodding at the two men as he passed them. His heart began to thump, and it took every bit of self-control not to turn around and leave his back unprotected. Every instinct he had was telling him that they were two of Andre’s men and he listened intently for footsteps behind him. Seconds passed, and he could sense the men still watching him; then he heard the sound he’d been waiting for – the sound of them following a short distance behind.
His mind raced as he approached the building that his team would now be waiting in. He walked past the entrance, keeping his head down so as not to draw attention to it. He could hear the men getting closer and knew he would soon be at the building where the weapons exchange was taking place. He listened for any sign that they were raising the alarm, but he couldn’t hear voices; they must still be unsure of whether or not he was a threat. He had less than thirty seconds to decide. He slowed his pace slightly as he saw a sheltered doorway in front of him. This shop was closed, too, and the entrance was dark. Now the men were only a few feet away from him as he drew level with the doorway.
He felt a hand reach towards his shoulder as the rain grew heavier and as the fingertips reached his coat; he grabbed the hand, spinning around and throwing the man into the entrance of the shop and into the shadows. He twisted around to face the other man as he reached inside his jacket. Amias kicked his upper arm, stopping him from reaching for whatever was concealed inside. The man grunted and Amias could see he was about to shout for help, so he threw an open palm into his chest, just below his neck. The man dropped to his knees in pain and gasped for air, lurching forward, a gun falling from his jacket.
Amias turned his attention to the other man who was picking himself up a few metres away. They glanced at each other, and before the man could also try and raise the alarm, Amias picked up the gun and flung it as hard as he could at the man’s throat. The force of the object took him by surprise; he raised his hands to his throat as he desperately fought for breath. Amias then launched a knee into the other man’s head, knocking him unconscious. He caught him before he fell, carried him forward forcefully and then used his own momentum to throw him into the man he’d thrown the gun at. Both men lay sprawled across the shadows and Amias knelt beside them, checking they were both incapacitated.
A moment later he looked up and saw a large grey van pass the shop. He fell back into the shadows and watched as another similar van followed. They slowed and stopped temporarily, close to where Amias was hidden; then they pulled across the road and waited at a gated entrance between two large walls. He watched as the gate opened and both vans pulled inside, before slowly moving to the edge of the entrance and looking through the glass to see the gates close. He was about to make a run for the building where Lucas and his team were waiting but he was stopped by a voice in his ear. He dropped back into a crouch in the darkness of the doorway.
“Don’t do it, Amias. You can’t see them, but there are at least three men watching the entrance to the warehouse and the road in front of it. If you leave that doorway, that’s it.”
“I can’t wait here!” he replied, looking around at the minimal concealment the doorway provided.
Lucas’s voice rang out again. “At the moment they can’t see you, and if you stay there then it’s likely it’ll stay that way. We have eyes on you and Kaden’s men, and that’s enough.”
“And what if somebody walks past the shop and sees me in here with these two?”
“It’s a chance we’ll have to take. Stay put for now.”
Amias shook his head and looked at the two men lying across each other at his feet. He quickly propped them both up against the shop door, leaning them against each other as if they were asleep. He took off his coat and his hooded top and placed his sword and gun where they couldn’t be seen. He then wrapped the jumper over one man and pulled up the hood, before pulling the coat over the head of the other. “What’s happening, Lucas?”
There was a prolonged silence before he heard Lucas’s voice again. “They’re in the warehouse. We’ve lost a visual on most of them, but we can still see the men watching the road, so don’t move.”
Amias clenched his jaw and lowered his head. “Is Andre with them?” There was another, slightly longer silence before Lucas replied.
“We haven’t been able to confirm it’s him. We don’t think it is.”
There was another silence and Amias raised his head. “You need to be sure.”
As he waited for a response from Lucas he heard Sophia’s voice. “A woman and a man are coming your way, Amias.”
He instantly put his arms across his knees and dropped his head in between them, rocking back and forth slowly as he heard the footsteps approaching. He heard a quiet gasp of surprise and then hushed voices. “They scared me,” was followed by, “Don’t worry, just keep walking.”
Sophia’s voice spoke quietly again. “Well done, Amias.”
Amias ignored her. “Lucas, are you sure Andre’s not there?”
There was another long silence before Lucas replied once more. “He’s not there.”
Amias shook his head in frustration. �
��John was so sure!”
“Anything could have happened,” Lucas replied.
The minutes ticked by as Amias waited for further contact from his team. He was desperately trying to be patient and to control the urge to investigate himself. It’s possible they’re wrong. His fingers tingled with anticipation and he closed his eyes, thinking of how John would react if he went against Lucas’s orders. He knew this was his only chance to show Lucas the respect he deserved and to try and regain some of John’s trust. He dropped his head back against the glass behind him and breathed deeply.
“The doors of the warehouse are opening. They’re about to leave.” Lucas’s voice was hushed and Amias sensed he was preoccupied with something. “Make sure you don’t move, Amias. If we blow our cover for nothing, they’ll know we’re getting legitimate information on them, and it’ll put our informant in danger. We don’t want to risk that if we’re not getting a chance to apprehend one of Kaden’s captains, or Kaden himself. Do you understand me?”
“Yes. I understand.”
“Good.”
Amias returned to the edge of the shop window and watched as the gates began to roll open. The rain pelted against the glass as he leaned on it. One of the vans appeared but it stopped, with the engine running, across the entrance to the warehouse grounds. Amias watched for a minute as it remained stationary. “What’s happening?” he whispered. There was no response. He saw smoke rising from the van’s exhaust pipe and could see the lights of the second van behind it. “What’s going on?” he asked again.
There was a further silence before Lucas’s voice broke in. “Drop back, Amias, they can see you there. Drop back now.” His voice sounded suddenly concerned, and Amias was about to move back into the shadows when a loud bang rang out, followed by three more. The rain was incessant and noisy, but the sound was unmistakeable: it was the sound of gunshots. Amias pushed his back against the glass but remained watching as one of the van doors swung open. A man walked almost nonchalantly towards it and stood looking out into the road before getting in. Something gripped Amias suddenly; he reached for his sword and gun and got up. He was still hidden but was desperate to get a better view. His heart thumped and his muscles tensed as he realised who the man was. Lucas’s voice erupted in his earpiece. “Amias, stay there, that’s an order. Do not move, do not engage.”
But Amias had already left the shop entrance and he raised his gun as the rain cascaded off his arm. Andre was lifting himself into the cab of the van when he saw Amias and he stopped, lifting his head above the door and watching in surprise. Amias pulled against the trigger and his first shot shattered the window of the van but missed its target. Andre instantly dropped to the ground as Amias followed his first attempt with shot after shot that scorched into the side of the van; Andre ran back through the gates and into the warehouse. Amias threw the gun onto the ground and broke into a run as the driver’s door of the van opened; a man leaned out and pointed a gun at Amias as he reached the gates. He didn’t have time to fire as Amias launched himself into a kick that slammed the door shut and trapped his would-be assassin. The man screamed in pain and dropped onto the concrete as Amias flew past him. The other van doors opened, but Amias didn’t stop, running through the warehouse doors as gunshots rang out behind him. Bullets crashed into the wall as he ducked through.
He found himself in a large open warehouse. It was brightly lit and had row upon row of huge shelves stacked with different types of boxes. Dead bodies and blood littered the floor. There was no sign of Andre, but he could feel he was close. He heard Andre’s men approaching the warehouse doors and ran for cover behind one of the rows of shelves. There was silence except for the occasional whistle as the men spread out across the warehouse floor. As two of them approached his hiding place he sprinted quickly across the floor and moved behind another row of shelves, pushing his back against one of the boxes. The two men passed by his new hiding place and continued towards the next row of shelves. He was about to move but suddenly he felt a presence within touching distance. As quietly as possible he readied himself for an attack, spinning around to face his attacker who dropped beside him from the shelf above. His hand snapped around the person’s throat and the man made a gargling noise and grabbed his arm in retaliation. He placed his other hand over the man’s mouth – and looked into the wide eyes of Lucas.
He let go and Lucas raised his hand in warning, showing him three fingers and pointing through the shelves into the next row as four more armed men approached. They were searching the boxes and shelves, slowly placing the barrels of their guns through the gaps as they eased the boxes apart. Amias shrank back into the shadows and Lucas fell in beside him. He mouthed Andre’s name and Lucas shook his head slowly. As the men approached their hiding place they looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
“The others?” whispered Amias.
Lucas scowled. “I’ve come alone.” He turned and slipped out of their hiding place, leaving Amias alone. As he waited in the darkness he felt the welcome sensation of his body stimulating his fight or flight response, and the hormones that provided his strength flowing through his muscles. His hands tingled as he gripped his hands into fists and gritted his teeth, counting the seconds that felt like minutes until he was discovered.
A shout from one of Andre’s men sparked him into action and he watched as Lucas sprang from his hiding place and flipped the man over, throwing a heavy punch into his face as he pulled his gun away. Lucas then spun around just in time, as another of the men lifted the barrel of his gun, narrowly missing as Lucas kicked it away. He expertly twisted the gun so the barrel was now pointing into his attacker’s stomach and pulled the trigger. Amias watched the man drop to the floor and he burst from his hiding place just as a handgun was placed against Lucas’s temple. He launched his sword like a javelin and it knocked the gun from the man’s hand as Lucas moved his head away and twisted the man’s neck until there was a loud crack. They looked at each other and Lucas nodded at Amias in acknowledgement as he picked up his sword and threw it to him. He then bent down and picked up a crowbar that had been left on top of one of the boxes, spinning it nimbly through his hands and fingers. Footsteps were approaching and they readied themselves for the next attack.
They were met by another ten armed men and Lucas sprang past Amias, swinging the crowbar like a sword as he ducked and weaved between them. At such close quarters their attackers were unable to use their large rifles without the possibility they might hit one another, and this cost them dearly. Lucas was a skilled fighter and his true strength was unveiled to Amias for the first time. He’d already disarmed and incapacitated two of the men, and had engaged another who pulled a large machete from his belt. Amias just had time to see Lucas swing the crowbar and knock the machete from the man’s hand before he joined the fray. He ran quickly towards a man who was targeting him with his gun and grabbed the barrel, pushing it upwards as it was fired. He heard the gun discharge as he held it towards the roof of the warehouse, and he used his other hand to bring the hilt of his sword across into his attacker’s face. The man dropped heavily to the floor as two more of Andre’s men came towards Amias. They immediately threw multiple kicks and punches, which he blocked with his sword and forearm, walking steadily backwards as he fended off their attacks. He stopped and suddenly threw his sword to one of the men, who caught it in surprise. It was the last thing he did as Amias dropped low and swept his attacker’s legs away, catching the sword as the man dropped before bringing the hilt down hard between his eyes, knocking him unconscious. Amias placed the sword back inside his coat, before leaping into a spin and kicking the remaining man around the side of his head. He heard a crunch as the man dropped to the floor and lay still.
Lucas had now pulled his handgun, and he moved amongst the remaining group, knocking the men off balance with the crowbar and finishing them with the gun at point-blank range. For a moment they were the only ones standing, befo
re Amias looked up to see more groups running from three different directions. There were too many for him to count and his heart sank as a shadow flipped from one of the shelves above them and landed in their midst. He looked at Lucas who closed his eyes as the men surrounded them in a large uneven circle. They were armed with an array of different guns and weapons, and Amias pulled his sword from his coat and unsheathed it slowly. His eyes fell on the shadow that passed silently through the men.
“Good evening!” The man laughed and the sound reminded Amias of a hissing snake. “We finally meet.” He pointed at Lucas but remained focussed on Amias. “And you’ve brought a friend!” As Andre approached, Amias saw that he was carrying an array of knives on a belt around his waist. He wore black combat trousers and a black shirt from which the arms had been untidily removed. His arms were bare and rippled with muscles and veins; they were heavily scarred.
“Admiring my scars?” He turned his arms in the light. “I’m going to have lots of fun showing you and your friend how I got them.”
Amias remained still as Andre walked within touching distance of him. “Let him go, it’s me you want. I’ll go quietly with you.”
Andre tossed back his head and laughed uncontrollably. “Kaden told me you were like this. Always trying to be the hero and trying to control situations you have absolutely no control over. I do what I want to Amias. You’ll soon find that out.” He paused and then nodded towards Lucas, grinning wickedly. “Him too.”
“Why don’t you just kill us now?” called Lucas, trying to draw Andre’s attention.
But Andre kept his eyes fixed on Amias and lowered his voice to an evil whisper. “Your friend Reuben looked for you until the end.”
Amias clenched his jaw and gripped his sword.
“Was he actually your friend?” Andre continued. “It’s just you weren’t there for him when he really needed you. It’s okay, Amias.” He reached inside his shirt and pulled out his necklace, holding it in front of Amias’s face and shaking it so that Reuben’s severed ears shook. “He can’t hear you!”
