Sharp Teeth and Bloody Claws (Gray Spear Society Book 12)

by Alex Siegel

"I suggest you back off," she said. "If anybody in this room needs more respect, it's me."

  Verdugo sneered. "Brave puta." He gave her shoulder a rude shove.

  She looked over at El Toro. "Do you mind if I kill him?"

  "Huh?" He appeared confused.

  "I can't allow anybody to touch me like that. I have to protect the dignity of my office."

  "You're unarmed."

  "It doesn't matter," Marina said.

  El Toro snorted and smiled. "If you can kill Vergudo, then he deserves to die."

  "I'm glad you feel that way."

  She snapped out a kick which bent Vergudo's knee backwards, and simultaneously, she snatched one of the large knives strapped to his chest. He tried to grab her, but she was far too quick and slippery for him. She ducked underneath his flailing arms, stepped behind him, and slashed his throat with the knife. She backed off before any blood sprayed on her nice suit.

  The only sound in the room was her enemy choking and dying. All the gangsters drew their guns and aimed at her.

  * * *

  "Your girlfriend is crazy, sir," Liam said.

  Aaron was looking through the telescopic sight of his massive sniper rifle. He was as motionless as a statue despite the weight of the weapon. With his big shoulders and thick arms, it looked about the right size for him. A thin film of extra shadows clung to the hollows of his face.

  "Why?" he responded without moving anything but his lips.

  "She's in a room full of armed criminals, and she's acting like she's the boss."

  "You want her to squeal in fear like a little girl?"

  They were crouched on the roof of the office building. The location gave them clear views of both the front and the back of the car dealership. A light breeze was keeping Liam cool in his thick body armor.

  "I don't know, sir. I just wish she would act more human sometimes. She scares me."

  "You don't understand her job," Aaron said. "Be quiet. I need to listen."

  His phone was lying open on the rooftop. They could clearly hear what was happening inside the garage. Liam settled down and listened.

  Chapter Eleven

  "Bajar sus armas," El Toro said. "She had my permission."

  The gangsters lowered their guns. Marina maintained a passive expression.

  "Can we finally get down to business?" she said. "The job is simply to locate a teenage girl. Don't abduct her or harm her. I just want to know where she is. I'll pay you for your time, of course. What's a fair price?"

  El Toro took off his sunglasses and stared at her with bloodshot eyes. "Who are you?"

  "That's none of your business. You also don't need to know why I want the girl. All that matters to you are terms and conditions of payment."

  "I'm not comfortable dealing with a complete stranger. This could be a trick. Maybe I should have you and your friend beaten until you tell me the truth."

  Marina sighed with impatience. "You could try, if you don't mind losing more men."

  El Toro didn't appear impressed.

  Wan Heung was starting to wake up. He clutched his head and moaned in pain. The anesthetic foam left its victims with a very nasty headache.

  Marina was still holding a big knife, and she decided to put it to use.

  "Break his arms and legs," she told Ipo. "Immobilize him."

  The legionnaire immediately complied. He viciously stomped on Heung, and the old man's thin bones snapped like dry sticks. He flailed at Ipo in a useless effort to defend himself.

  When Ipo was done, it was Marina's turn. She unzipped Heung's pants and pulled them down to his knees. With his broken limbs, all he could do was scream in pain.

  "I was told you like to cut off the dicks of your enemies," she murmured. "Let's see how you like it."

  She grabbed his penis and sliced it off with one, quick stroke. His screech made her smile. She dropped the amputated member into his open mouth just because she was in that kind of mood. She wiped off the blood and stood up.

  "Are you ready to negotiate?" Marina asked El Toro.

  He was trying to hide it, but she could tell he was disturbed, and some of his men looked outright shocked. The women in the room were whimpering.

  "First," El Toro said, "tell me who you are."

  Marina shook her head. "If I did that, I'd have to kill you. I'd have to kill all of you."

  He glanced at the men around him.

  "I should mention one thing," she added. "I didn't come alone. I have friends outside, and they will come if I call. You wouldn't like that. You may think you're tough sons of bitches, but my organization wouldn't even consider you a threat."

  "The weak boast of a frightened woman," El Toro said.

  A popping noise made her look up at a wall. A bullet hole had appeared, and she surmised Aaron had shot through the wall from the outside. The .50 caliber rounds penetrated stucco and wood as if it wasn't even there. More bullet holes appeared in rapid succession, and half a minute later, there was a smiley face. Marina chuckled. She loved his sense of humor.

  She looked at El Toro. "Name your price."

  He hesitated.

  "Twenty thousand dollars," she said. "Is that enough? It seems like a lot for one teenager."

  He took a breath and seemed to come to a decision. "A hundred grand."

  "What?! All I want is her location. I'm not asking you to assassinate the President!"

  He put his sunglasses back on. "That's what I charge for finding lost children."

  She gritted her teeth. The money was unimportant in the context of the mission, but if she accepted his price too readily, he would just get greedy for more.

  "I gave you this asshole." Marina kicked Heung, and he moaned. "That's not worth anything?"

  "It's the only reason I'm talking to you," El Toro said.

  She made a show of being unhappy. Finally, she said, "OK, but the entire sum is payable upon delivery." She put down her briefcase. "All the information you need is here. I made plenty of copies. I'll be in touch." She took a step towards the door, but then she stopped and turned back.

  "What now?" he said in a tone of annoyance.

  "I know what you're thinking. You're planning to abduct the girl and try to extort extra money from me. Don't, or you'll end up like your Chinese friend." She slashed the air with her knife. "Dick-less and broken."

  Marina and Ipo walked out of the garage. Once she was safely away, she sighed with relief. The situation could've become ugly. They headed back towards the van at a quick pace.

  "Every time I see you work," Ipo said, "it reminds me why I never want to piss you off."

  "Was I too extreme?"

  "Cutting off Heung's penis was hard to watch even for me."

  Marina shrugged. She had done much worse things to men.

  The rest of the team had regrouped at the van by the time she arrived. She gave Aaron a quick kiss.

  "Let's go home and sleep," she said. "It's been a long day. I think we'll have a little training session tomorrow morning while we wait for El Toro to find the girl for us."

  Aaron cocked his head. "What kind of training did you have in mind?"

  "I'll let you decide, dear." Marina winked.

  * * *

  Liam, the other legionnaires, Marina, and Aaron were in the shooting range. The fifty-yard tunnel had been excavated underneath headquarters, and it was like a long, skinny basement. The walls, floor, and ceiling were concrete treated with a coating that reduced chipping. A wall of dirt at the far end absorbed the energy of the bullets. The range was wide enough for two shooting lanes.

  For Liam, the most impressive aspect was the selection of guns. Shelves held weapons of all types from single-shot, .22 caliber pistols to an M249 light machine gun. An AA-12 fully automatic shotgun with a drum magazine looked like it belonged in a video game. Crates of ammunition were on the floor beneath the shelves.

  Aaron was standing at one of the lanes. He was wearing the formal robes of a commander, and Liam thought h
e was very impressive. Marina had similar robes, but on a woman, they looked decorative instead of authoritative. Liam kept those thoughts to himself.

  Aaron was holding a Beretta M9. The accuracy and reliability of the weapon had made it one of the most popular in the world. It seemed strange for such an extraordinary man to carry such a common gun.

  "Being a good marksman requires a combination of skills," he said. "Accuracy is very important, of course. You have to hit your enemy to do any good."

  He aimed down the range at a paper target at the far end. He was standing sideways and holding his gun with one hand. He quickly fired fifteen rounds, the capacity of the magazine. Everybody was wearing ear protection, but the gunshots were still thunderous in the enclosed space.

  He pressed a button, and an automatic system pulled the target up to the front of the range. He had drawn an almost perfect circle with bullet holes. It was the best shooting Liam had ever seen in his life. All the legionnaires applauded politely.

  "But accuracy is only one component," Aaron said. "Staying focused under fire is just as important. I've seen plenty of guys who can kill paper targets but not real ones."

  He replaced the target with a fresh sheet, and he sent it back down the range. Then he swapped the magazine in his gun with a loaded one. He gave the gun to Marina, and she seemed a little surprised.

  "Go about ten yards down the range and shoot the target, darling," he said. "Take off the ear muffs. Demonstrate focus for your team, please. I will attempt to distract you."

  She gave him a suspicious look. "OK."

  She walked down the range a short distance and got into a stance. She pulled off the orange plastic muffs which covered her ears.

  In the meantime, Aaron picked up a bolt action sniper rifle. It wasn't the biggest gun available, but it was still an intimidating weapon. He pressed the butt stock against his shoulder and aimed down the sights at her back.

  "Begin," he said calmly.

  Marina began shooting at a steady pace. When Aaron fired his weapon, it sounded like a cannon going off, and the concussion reverberated from the walls. He missed Marina by only a few feet.

  She twitched, but amazingly, she maintained her aim and kept shooting. He fired again and again at different spots near her body. Her gaze was locked on the target the entire time. Liam could hardly believe her self-control. He was afraid, and Aaron wasn't even shooting at him.

  The demonstration ended, and Marina brought the target up. The holes weren't as perfectly spaced as Aaron's, but it was still an enviable pattern and one that seemed impossible under the circumstances.

  Aaron kissed her. "That was great, dear."

  "My ears are ringing," she said. "That rifle was fucking loud, and I think I have powder residue in my hair."

  "All in good fun. Ipo, you're next."

  Ipo's face tightened. "Yes, sir."

  Aaron went through the same exercise with the legionnaire. Ipo maintained incredible composure despite high-power bullets missing him left and right. He had the focus of a samurai warrior. Liam knew it would be his turn soon, and he tried to calm himself in preparation.

  Hanley went third. Marina considered him a rookie, and his inexperience showed in his lackluster performance. All the bullets hit the paper, but the grouping was lousy. He jumped a little every time Aaron fired his rifle. He kept his eyes forward though, and he maintained a steady shooting rhythm.

  It was Katie's turn next. She was already shaking when she took her position, and her breathing was rapid. She gulped and aimed at the target.

  "Don't look at me," Aaron said. "Eyes on the target at all times."

  "Yes, sir," she replied in an unsteady voice.

  He fired, and she squealed in fright, but she followed orders. Her marksmanship was so poor, some bullets missed the paper entirely, but she got through the exercise without breaking down. Tears were on her cheeks when she handed the gun to Liam. She leaned against the wall with her face in her hands.

  The gun needed to be reloaded, and Liam used that fact as an excuse to take extra time. He pushed bullets into the magazine methodically.

  "Hurry up," Aaron said. "You're wasting our time."

  "Yes, sir," Liam said.

  He finished loading the gun, and he took his position on the gun range.

  "Ear protection," Aaron said.

  Liam reluctantly removed his plastic ear muffs.

  "Now shoot!"

  Liam nodded. He fired at the paper target, but he was so nervous, he couldn't even tell if he had hit it.

  The rifle went off. It sounded like it was right behind his head, and the hot gasses warmed his neck. The shockwave from the rifle bullet teased Liam's hair. He almost soiled himself. He wanted to drop to the floor and curl up into a fetal position.

  "Keep shooting!" Aaron yelled.

  Liam pulled the trigger a few more times, but he didn't bother to aim. He couldn't stop thinking about that big rifle.

  "You're not even looking," Aaron said. "What if your life depended on your next shot? What if your enemy was about to kill you? For God's sake, focus!"

  Liam's teeth were chattering, but he managed to get both eyes on the target. He aimed down the sights. He was about to pull the trigger when Aaron fired the rifle again. Liam's knees buckled. He could sense death in the room like an invisible vulture waiting to take him.

  With great difficulty, he regained his focus and shot at the target. Tears in his eyes made it hard to tell where the bullet had struck.

  The miserable exercise seemed to last an hour, but somehow, he got through it. He had no choice. When the nightmare ended, he humbly returned the Beretta to Aaron. They didn't even bother to check the target.

  Marina gave Liam a look that held pity and sadness. He opened his mouth to explain himself, but there was no excuse for his timidity. Even Katie had put on a braver showing, and she was a woman. He hurried out of the shooting range, his face hot with shame.

  * * *

  Marina sighed. Liam's poor performance in the gun range had left a bitter taste in her mouth. The man had whimpered and cowered like a scared little girl. If he behaved like that in a real fight, he would die.

  She was sitting behind her maple desk in her office. All the furniture was made of varnished wood, and the style was elegant and traditional. Chairs with leather padding and tall backs were on steel casters. Even the file cabinets were wood instead of metal. Polished granite tile covered the floor.

  Perpetual Energy Technology had been a battery research company before she had taken over the building. The previous owner had created a little museum of historic battery technology on a shelf in the office, and she had kept it because it looked so interesting. A stack of metal disks in a glass jar was the most primitive type. Another battery used lead foil wrapped in a coil. At the other end of the technological spectrum, a prototype experimental battery had been built using nanotechnology.

  Marina pushed around the papers on her desk. The legate expected written reports, and Marina was falling behind on them. She also had a backlog of correspondence with other commanders in the division. They exchanged hand-written notes using special couriers on a regular basis. The notes could be anything from descriptions of missions to requests for advice to philosophical observations. Reading and responding to all the notes could get bothersome at times, but she valued the opportunity to learn from her colleagues. The process was giving her a much better perspective on her own job. Some questions could only be answered by another commander.

  A knock on the door made Marina look up. "Come in!"

  Aaron entered the office. "You've had a little quiet time. Ready to talk about it?"

  She threw up her hands. "I don't know what to do. I've tried coaching him, encouraging him, intimidating him, and everything else I could think of."

  He sat in a chair across the desk from her.

  She continued, "When I saw him fighting in the ring, I was sure he would make a great legionnaire. He has the physical skills an
d the body for it. You should've seen how he manhandled his opponents. After I talked to him, I was even more confident. He's polite and respectful. He trains hard. I've never had a problem with his attitude."

  "Except he's a wimp."

  Marina sagged.

  "Has he killed anybody?" Aaron said.

  She shook her head. "He's never been in a life-or-death combat situation."

  "I think you may have been hasty when you recruited him."

  "I know." She sighed. "I was so eager to fill out my team."

  "You mean so impatient. That's always been a weakness of yours. You rush into things without taking the time to get the details right. Regardless, the current situation isn't acceptable. You can't have a legionnaire act like that during a mission. How much longer are you going to give him?"

  "I don't know. It seems like I just recruited him. The thought of retiring him..."

  Aaron reached across the desk and held her hand. "It's not easy being a commander, is it?"

  "Ethel made it look easy," Marina said softly.

  "I'm sure she made mistakes at the beginning, too. You just weren't around to see them."

  She rolled her head to stretch her stiff neck. "I'll give him until the end of this mission. If a true battle with God's enemies can't bring out the hero in him, then nothing can."

  "Sounds fair."

  "I think it's time to call El Toro for an update."

  Marina checked a printout on her desk. Min Ho had performed background research on El Toro and had uncovered all kinds of interesting details, but right now, she only cared about a phone number. Marina opened her phone and put it in speaker mode so Aaron could hear. She dialed a number.

  "Hola," El Toro said in a cautious tone. "Quién es usted?"

  "This is Ms. Couteau."

  He paused. "How did you get this number?"

  "Getting secret phone numbers is the least of my powers. I know other things about you." Marina checked the information sheet. "You have an unusual relationship with a woman named Lorena Lorenzo. You pay her to tie you up and..."

  "Stop. Don't talk about that."

  "Then let's talk about Kelsie Green."

  "I know where she is," El Toro said.