by Mike Ryan
“It’s not a trick. I heard you guys were hiring, and I could use some extra money. Recker doesn’t pay very well.”
“Take him to the back and kill him.”
“Ronnie… c’mon. You could use the extra help, couldn’t you?”
“Not from you.”
One of the Scorpions pulled on Thrower’s arm to get him off the chair and onto his feet. Just as two of the other men reached the front door, shots rang out, the men immediately falling to their deaths. Everyone started scrambling. Thrower instantly punched the man next to him right in the mouth, stunning him for the moment. Then Thrower ran a few steps down the lane and took a big leap over one of the recliners, just as a few bullets ripped into it.
There was a massive barrage of gunfire that erupted, though it didn’t last for long. Several other Scorpions dropped within moments. Recker’s team continued moving forward, pursuing the Scorpions who were trying to flee out the back. Except for one. As Recker moved through the furniture, his eyes were on Slater, who was trying to hide behind one of the pieces.
Recker stood in front of the one he knew Slater was crouching down behind, and fired right into it. Slater cried out in pain and fell backward. Recker maneuvered between the chairs, seeing his adversary lying there, clutching at his shoulder. The blood that was now on his fingers, and on the floor, told him it was a good shot.
Gunfire was heard in the background. It was Malloy’s team finishing off the rest of the Scorpions. Now there was only one left. Recker held his gun out in front, pointing it at Slater’s head.
Slater puffed his cheeks out. “You’re not gonna kill me.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Goes against your code, doesn’t it? Aren’t you a guy who plays by the rules?”
Though he was in pain from his shoulder, a smile emerged on Slater’s face. He thought he had Recker figured out. He didn’t know how wrong he was.
Recker lowered the gun, and instantly fired into the groin area on Slater’s left leg. Slater let out a loud scream.
“Right now I’m playing by my rules,” Recker said. “And you’re not in the rulebook.”
The smug look on Slater’s face was now gone. He could barely move, and the pain was intensifying. “You can’t kill me.”
“Well, where I shot you, you’re probably gonna bleed out in less than thirty minutes unless you get some immediate medical attention.”
“So get me someone!”
Recker then fired a round into the same exact spot in the man’s other leg. “Now you’ve probably got fifteen.” The man screamed in agony. “You killed Phillips. You shot my friend. You tried to kill my girlfriend. Which part of that makes you think I’m gonna help you?”
“I’m…” The pain was too bad for Slater to continue talking, though he eventually did get a word out. “Please.”
Recker upped his aim a little, shooting him in his gut. “Now you got less than ten. Don’t worry, though. I made sure I shot you in places where it’s going to cause you the most pain that’s possible. So it’s going to be so excruciating for you, you’re gonna be happy when it’s over.”
“Pl… please.”
Recker walked away from the man, instantly seeing Thrower not too far away. He moved his way over to him.
“Looks like you made it out of this OK.”
Thrower smiled. “Told you it was a piece of cake.”
Recker, Jones, and Mia entered the hospital room, immediately getting a smile from Haley, who was lying on the bed watching TV. Mia was the first to get to him, giving him a hug. Once inside, Recker closed the door, then he removed his sunglasses and baseball hat. Jones did the same. It wasn’t the most elaborate costume, but it should do the trick in keeping their faces out of any security cameras. Of course, Jones was planning on hacking into those cameras later just to make sure. But for now, it was all about Haley.
After Haley shook hands with Recker and Jones, he turned the TV off. He was glad to have his friends, though he was concerned that they were there.
“It’s nice to see you guys again, but are you sure it’s wise for you to be here?”
“Nothing would keep us away,” Recker replied.
“What about…”
“You don’t have to worry about anything except getting better. You’re gonna be here for a little while longer, but there’s protection on the door.”
“Yeah, one of the nurses told me there’s some federal agent on the door. What’s all that about?”
“Lawson came through. She initially told us she could only give us someone for a week, but I talked to her again and convinced her to do some fancy talking with one of her superiors. You’ve got someone on the door for as long as you’re in here. So you don’t have to worry about police, criminals, or anything.”
“What’s that gonna cost?”
“Nothing yet. But I’m sure it’s a debt we’ll have to repay at some point.”
“I’m sure. Thanks, though.”
By this point, Jones had sat on a chair in the corner of the room. His excitement at seeing Haley was tempered with the belief that he was the one that put him there. After Recker and Mia did most of the talking for the next ten minutes, they eventually looked at Jones, wondering when he was going to chime in.
“David?” Mia asked. “Anything you want to add?”
Jones faked a smile and put his hand up. “No. I’m… I’m just glad you’re OK.”
“Not gonna lie,” Haley said. “Even I was worried for a few minutes.” Haley noticed Jones putting his head down. “What’s the matter, David?”
Jones looked up, plastered on another smile, and shook his head.
“David feels responsible for you being in here,” Recker said, coming right out with it.
An incredulous look formed on Haley’s face. “What? That’s ridiculous. David, this isn’t on you.”
Jones looked contrite. “I was wrong in not listening to you about Paxton. I should have. If I had, you probably wouldn’t be in here. And for that I’m sorry.”
“David, there’s nothing to apologize for. It’s just the hazards of the job. It was my choice to go in there after him. It’s just what we do.”
“But it’s still my fault for not recognizing it wasn’t working.”
“You just tried to make it work. Nobody can fault you for that. You didn’t do anything wrong. But if you don’t knock it off, I’m gonna get out of this bed and we’re gonna change positions.”
Jones smiled for real this time. “Understood.”
“Now get that out of your head and I don’t wanna hear it again.”
“I’ll do my best. As far as rejoining the team again, I don’t want you to feel like you have to come back after this. We completely understand if you want to walk away.”
Haley laughed. “Are you kidding? You’re not getting rid of me this easily. I’ll be back as soon as I’m able.”
“Chris, there’s no…”
“This is what I do. Being here with you guys has been what’s kept me going these last couple years. I’m not leaving.”
Jones nodded. “And you’ll always have a spot as long as you want one.”
“Speaking of work, what about the Scorpions?”
“They’re done,” Recker answered. “We don’t have to worry about them anymore.”
“We thought that once before, remember?”
“Yeah, but this time it’s good. They’re done.”
“Well, that’s good. On to the next thing I guess, huh?”
Recker nodded and smiled. “On to the next thing.”
Also by Mike Ryan
Continue reading The Silencer Series with the next book in the series, Split Scope.
* * *
Other Books:
The Cari Porter Series
The Extractor Series
The Cain Series
The Eliminator Series
The Ghost Series
The Brandon Hall Series
A Dangerous
Man
The Last Job
The Crew
About the Author
Mike Ryan is a USA Today Bestselling Author. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, and four children. He’s the author of the bestselling Silencer Series, as well as many others. Visit his website at www.mikeryanbooks.com to find out more about his books, and sign up for his newsletter. You can also interact with Mike via Facebook, and Instagram.
