by Pinki Parks
“Jackson, I do stress a cautious approach without the need to go in there guns a blazing.” I didn’t know what to expect from him and sometimes he was a little too careless for his own good.
“I will go ahead and get into place. The two of you need to find a way to get word to Melanie. Get creative. I’ve seen you both do amazing things when you put your mind to it. You might be a little rusty, but it’s like riding a bicycle.” I wasn’t sure if he was directing his comments at me, but I had a feeling it was mostly concerning Gillian.
“I take offense to your accusation. I’ve never been clearer about anything in my life. I may not like the family, but it doesn’t mean I want them to pay for our sins.” Gillian was obviously not happy about her current predicament.
We had barely scratched the surface to the reason why she was playing house with someone she didn’t even love. I wanted to shake the truth out of her, but this was the time for diplomacy.
“You can take offense all you want, but you know how we need to stay sharp. I don’t have to stand here and debate this issue with you. We all know what we have to do. We take this one step at a time and then we come to a consensus like we always do.” It was the basis of what a good team was made of.
Jackson left us to ponder his words and I watched him carefully as he drove away from the house. I was aware of my surroundings and how every car could be more than it appeared. I could easily revert back to the old days where I acted first and asked questions later. I didn’t like how I could be cold and calculating.
I let the curtains fall back into place and I found myself quite interested in what Gillian was doing. She was mapping out the layout of the estate by memory. It was one of her greatest strengths. This wedding was something she was dreading. Grant must’ve had something to use against her.
“We have to find this doorway on the other side of the estate. It’s probably covered by new siding. We will have to pry it loose to give us the element of surprise against our enemies. I don’t know what kind of resistance we are going to find. The guards on Grant’s payroll are predictable when it comes to scheduling. There’s no way to know how the cartel is going to patrol the area.” She was focused on the task at hand.
The dreariness of the house made only by her absence had been given a fresh coat of paint in my mind courtesy of her feminine influence. The walls didn’t seem so plain with the way she smiled to weaken my resolve.
“It doesn’t look like you need my input. If I were to suggest one thing I would say that the cover of darkness is our friend. I think that I can rustle up a couple of night vision goggles for us to use.” It felt like old times with one glaring difference. We kept looking at one another out of the corner of our eyes like two awkward teenagers passing each other in the hallway in school.
“It feels good getting back to the basics.” We didn’t want to say it, but we both understood the risks.
We might’ve been back under the umbrella of the red, white, and blue flag, but death didn’t take a holiday.
“I have this insane desire to throw you on top of the table and have my way with you. I miss what it feels like to be with a woman there for more than pleasure. We complete one another. It might sound corny, but it’s true.” She listened intently and helped me to amass a range of weapons into black bags with some strapped to our bodies in strategic places.
We were ready to move out in less than 10-minutes. There were several things to take into account, but there was no point on dwelling over something out of our control. It was time to come face to face with the past.
Chapter 21
Gillian
The estate was completely dark except for where the living room was located. It was a little unexpected to find them in one spot altogether. It was merely an illusion to lull us into a false sense of security.
“I’ve already taken care of the gate. The fencing is child’s play when you know what you’re doing. This is where you take the lead. You have a better understanding of how to find this doorway than I do. I’ve always given my people the freedom to speak openly. A leader knows when to take a step back. He also has to understand his limitations and rely on his team.” He respected me for my opinion, but I could also see how he was undressing me with his eyes.
“It would stand to reason you would know how to get in since you’ve already done it a couple of times. There’s no reason for you to confirm or deny it, but I already have my suspicions you were the one I chased in the estate. I don’t know what you were thinking.” He knew better than to overstay his welcome.
He had pushed it to the limit by allowing his personal feelings to shadow his judgment.
The grounds were quiet, but the night vision goggles showed unwanted pests. They didn’t think anything of smoking and making it easier for us to get a bead on their location. They weren’t soldiers, but it didn’t mean they weren’t as deadly as we were. Their guns could cut an enemy in half in less time than it would take for a response. We had to be careful not to give them any reason to report back.
“Dalton, I’ll take the big guy and you make sure the other two don’t become a problem.” I knew how to make an opponent’s weight advantage a weakness. It wasn’t going to take much for him to overexert himself, but fighting him was a last-ditch maneuver.
“I will give them credit for wearing camouflage to blend into their surroundings. It won’t do them any good against us. We are well trained and have been taught by the very best. We know how to strike with efficiency and with no wasted motion.” I couldn’t believe that I was working with him and not against him.
“I think it goes without saying we should avoid firing off a gun… wait… don’t tell me that was you on the street looking like someone down on their luck. That wasn’t the backfire of a car. It was you protecting me without being seen. How close did they come?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.
“It was a little too close. I take full responsibility. I didn’t act quickly enough and was temporarily blinded by you wearing a wedding dress. It shouldn’t have affected me, but it did. I make no excuses. We managed to neutralize the problem. We tried to send them on a wild goose chase, but your wedding announcement was hard to ignore.” He told me in the car coming over that they had gotten their hands on one of their radios and was feeding them misdirection.
“It felt like a straitjacket. I really don’t know how anybody is able to wear a wedding dress and make it down the aisle without stumbling.” I was making light of it, but I knew he was wondering what compelled me to make this kind of commitment to Grant.
“I have to salute you for being a good soldier. I don’t know the full scope of your situation, but I can surmise. Grant has something hanging over your head. I’ve never taken you for having skeletons in your closet. It brings to mind what we did on January 1. He knows and is using it as leverage to make you a pawn in his political aspirations.” He had put two and two together pretty quickly.
I was impressed with how he was able to use the part of his brain that didn’t involve shooting first and asking questions later. He was one of the few who were able to think and act with deadly precision at the same time. We were different parts of the spear. We used the strengths we had and tried to avoid the weaknesses.
“I don’t know if I want to give you a confirmation. This isn’t your problem. I have made my bed and I will lie in it. Grant isn’t a bad person and he never had a chance to be his own man. He pretends to have the power, but we both know he doesn’t. His father has always been the influence behind the man. The same thing can be said for his mother.” I didn’t know why I was defending his honor. I felt it was necessary at the time.
“I hope you don’t make a habit out of being a martyr for a cause. I hope you know what you are doing. I won’t interfere unless you want me to. I will say his leverage might be short-lived considering the circumstances.” I could tell from the way he was staring he could see his opening and was going to use it.<
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“It would be nice to cut the strings off of his puppet. I’m getting tired of dancing every time he wants me to make him look good with the public.” Brunch was the furthest thing from my mind.
“I can see how it’s weighing heavily on your mind. Try not to think about it. You’ve always landed on your feet. I believe in you and I always have. You always made me feel like I had to be better. I pushed myself hard to match you.” I began to laugh. I tried not to but it was futile.
“I always thought it was you pushing me to be a better soldier. Being a Navy Seal is a privilege and honor. We are the best of the best. Most people have no idea what we put our bodies through. I learned some valuable life lessons.” He was already moving and was upon his target in seconds.
He reminded me of a jaguar stalking his prey in the wilderness and bringing the two of them down with a fierceness that was inspiring. It was time for me to do the same thing with the bigger guy. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I was ready to use my pent-up aggression in a more constructive way.
This was my time to shine and to show that my talents could be relied on. I used the trees for cover. Looking up, I could tell Jackson had fulfilled his part of the bargain. The drone was silently hovering above. You wouldn’t know it was there unless you looked up. It was whisper quiet. I heard his voice in my earpiece.
“The area is clear. It’s interesting to take a page from the past. I remembered the last time we were connected by a voice. I believe the positions were reversed at the time.” When we were a team, we were constantly changing roles to never feel like we were going through the motions.
The light snowfall made my approach tricky, but Jackson was there with encouraging words. He told me when to move and how far to go before stopping.
I was soon behind my adversary. I could smell his overpowering cologne. We would have never been caught dead wearing anything aromatic.
I struck the back of his knee, dropping him to the ground with a grimace of pain in a compromising position. The cigarette in his mouth dropped into the snow and sizzled upon contact. My hand went over his mouth and I put enough pressure on his carotid artery to feel the fight extinguish from his body.
He didn’t go down without flailing his limbs and digging his fingernails into my arm. I blocked out the pain and concentrated on what had to be done.
His hands slapped against the side of his pants and I waited a moment longer before dragging him to the outcropping of trees. I took off his belt and bound him with it. The leather was coarse against my fingertips. I made sure to give him very little room to maneuver. His breathing was steady and I could see the puffs of cold air coming from his mouth.
“That was textbook perfect. You did everything by the numbers. I do wish I wasn’t watching all of this play out. It is rather amusing to see the both of you working like a well-oiled machine. It must feel weird being back in the shoes you left behind.” I signaled with a slight hand motion to Dalton who was finishing up rendering his two subjects into unconsciousness.
The wind had picked up, swirling the snow that was a fresh powder on the ground. I could feel the chill through my clothing, but it reminded me I was alive. The adrenaline rush was something I missed. There was no better feeling.
I pretended not to notice, but Dalton wasn’t the same gentle soul giving my body a reason to cry out in joy. He had the dead eyes of a seasoned soldier who had seen too much in action.
Chapter 22
Dalton
I had been watching and in the back of my mind, I wondered if Gillian was still a soldier. She was able to put my doubts to rest by attacking her unsuspecting victim. There was no hesitation. This was only a small step and we still had a long way to go.
The combat boots I wore had never been too far away. I couldn’t find anything more comfortable. It was like my body was accustomed to the military way of living. I couldn’t imagine a white picket fence. That kind of happily ever after was for somebody else. I was born and bred in khaki diapers. I was going to die with my boots on. It didn’t mean I couldn’t find a happy medium with a woman who had captured my heart.
“It looks like there are four others whispering in closed ranks. I’m going to zoom in for a closer look.” I waited with bated breath to hear the all clear sign coming from Jackson. “They are stupidly sharing naked pictures of their girlfriends. I don’t know where the cartel got these guys, but they’re not taking this seriously enough.” He sounded disappointed. He was a gun-toting enthusiast looking to feel the drug of battle running through his veins.
Gillian was waiting for me crouched on the ground surveying the area. This was the side of her that complemented the battle-weary soldier in me. I was still in the prime of my life. There was a lot of living to do and I wanted her by my side.
We didn’t have to say anything to carry on a conversation. She sprinted across the open area. I watched her in the glow of red and green colors through the scope of the night vision goggles. She made it to the side of the estate and waited for me to join her. I had to admire her steadfast approach.
She gave me a nod to confirm there were no unwanted surprises. My gun was at the ready. The cold steel was penetrating the black gloves on my hands. The safety was off, but I was unprepared to use it in this environment. One shot would have alerted them to the breach of their perimeter.
“Stay still and don’t move. One of the men is walking in your direction. He’s not even going to notice you’re there unless he catches something out of his peripheral vision.” We saw him a couple of feet away from where we were standing. He looked bored and not very happy about his assignment.
“I don’t know why I have to be here. The leader is my cousin. I should be inside watching his back. He put me here because he doesn’t want to appear to show favoritism.” He was talking and I was learning some valuable information going forward.
In this business, talking to oneself was a hazard to your health. He was only doing it to hear himself speak. I had a feeling he was bolstering his courage to step up to the leader. He would use his connection to the family to give him an unfair advantage over the others. He was exactly the kind of leverage we would’ve been able to use in the past.
His voice carried on the wind and the beam from his flashlight didn’t even put us in danger. He was soon stomping madly through the snow not being very subtle. I would remember his face. His features were clearly defined when he lit up another cigarette.
“He’s far enough away for you to do what you have to do.” Gillian had produced a Bowie knife and was waving it back and forth in front of her face.
She closed her eyes and I put my hand on her shoulder to give her my strength. It looked like we were in for nasty weather. The heavy cloud coverage was threatening a storm. This was not metaphorical. The barometric temperature was dropping. I could feel the shift in the air.
“This whole thing reminds me of who I am. I will always be a Navy Seal. Our time together almost damn well killed us, but we survived by having each other to look out after one another.” This was a different story for Jackson. He was clearly going to return to what he loved the most.
I watched Gillian dig the knife into the siding and begin prying loose those pieces separating us from success. We had been forsaken from the time that we decided to take the diamonds. It was a colossal mistake and we should have known better. I was beginning to realize retirement didn’t have to come from a bullet. I blamed my feelings on Gillian for clouding my judgment, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“With the kind of money the Hamilton family has stored somewhere safe, it’s perplexing the reason why they would keep the door intact. They could have easily had a professional carpenter take care of it.” I understood what Jackson was saying. It was possible the last generation had no clue the door was even there.
It could’ve also been they wanted to keep it as a reminder of their past with the possibility of having to use it in the future. They wer
e constantly making enemies. It didn’t matter how much security somebody had. If someone really wanted to get to them then they would find a way. Desperate times sometimes came with it desperate measures.
She was on her knees and I began to think of a certain act which would have warmed my body from the inside out. There wasn’t much time, but we had to take that out of the equation. I heard the tumbler of the lock like a gunshot in my head.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the other three have gone looking for their partner. He hasn’t returned and I know the reason. He is dirty talking with his girlfriend on his cell. They will be where you’re standing in less than a minute. I don’t think I have to say this, but there is a high probability of them seeing you. I will do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Gillian was already pushing against the resistance found on the other side.
I put my shoulder to the grindstone and used the muscles I was flexing to give her a hand. It began to move and I almost grunted with the effort to get inside before being spotted. There was enough room for her to squeeze through to the other side leaving me to be a sitting duck.
The warmth of the gun gave me this pleasing sensation of comfort. I could use the weapon as a club and do whatever damage I could without raising any alarms. There was suddenly a light at the far end of the property. Those guys didn’t even bother to keep an eye on their flank. They continued past me looking for the source of the light before it went out altogether.
It was a bitter pill to swallow to have Jackson saving my skin. He had lit up the area for a few seconds to draw their attention and it worked. I was consciously using the ground for support and digging my heels into the snow. My hands and my back were pressed against the door.
I finally got inside and found Gillian nursing her sore shoulder. We worked together to close the door, but the damage to the exterior was extensive enough not to go unnoticed for long. They wouldn’t know what they were looking at until they investigated further.
