Assassins & Mob Wives: Couples Retreat

by Posey Parks

  “Shit.” Brandon ran his fingers through his hair.

  “Rich people love their art.”

  “Brandon, yeah they do,” I chuckled.

  “There’s a group of wealthy vacationers here for the auction. I looked up their last names and they’re worth billions. I heard a group of them talking earlier. Could they become targets?”

  “Zoey, not the thieves we’re after. They’re paid based on retrieving the items they agreed to steal. They’re focused and determined.

  There could be other thieves targeting the wealthy. I hope not. We have enough to deal with. The authorities would have to handle their own problems. Our focus is stopping the heist.”

  “Jacob, who are the thieves?”

  He hopped up and pointed the remote toward the TV. Four twenty somethings popped on the screen.

  “These are our targets. Arnold Maury Twenty-four, Emery Novak, Twenty-two, Charlie Dunn, twenty-four and Sloane Ebron, twenty-six. Sloan is the most dangerous out of them all. He doesn’t care who he has to kill to complete the job.”

  I glanced around the counter. “I’ve arranged for the paintings to arrive earlier than announced. There’s an air tight room off the banquet area we’ll use to store until the auction begins.”

  “Good.” Brandon nodded.

  “This team is skilled. They move quickly. There will be some sort of diversion.” I peeked into their eyes.

  “We’ll be ready,” Jacob assured.

  “Let’s keep Dominic in the midst of the party and

  Dillon near the back door. We’ll place tags on the painting and the bracelets. But the crew could ditch them. Dillon can re-tag if they exit the back entrance. Samantha and Jacob, you may need to intercept.”

  “Understood,” Sam grinned.

  “Zoey, you’ll have the kitchen detail near the rear entrance. You’ll be there as Dillon’s back up.”

  “Counting on it,” she smirked.

  “Sydney, you’ll be on high alert. We’re detaining their team. Carry both sniper rifles. One with tranquilizers and the other with bullets.”

  I pointed to the map. “You’ll wait here. One mile away amongst the trees. We’ll hand off the team to the FBI ourselves. Sloan is wanted for murder. He killed two civilians during their last heist. All our missions our dangerous. But this one has a heightened element of danger.”

  “Agreed,” Jacob stated.

  Sam raised her hand. “Jacob and I will talk up the guests at the party and keep eyes on those around. We’ll be locked and loaded.”

  I widened my arms. “Brandon and I are your eyes and ears. He’ll stake out on the roof with his drone. And I’ll sit in a white utility van in the circular drive outside the hotel.”

  “That’s right. The drone will be ready for battle,” Brandon snickered.

  “We’ll have other trucks parked here and here. If needed.” I pointed to two other points on the map surrounding the hotel.

  “Sebastian, great. Invite the rest of the crew over and we’ll bring them up to speed.” Jacob grabbed a beer out of the fridge.

  “On it.”

  ∞

  Wednesday morning, Hunter and I stood in the guarded room staring at the paintings. Rémy and Romeo were eager to take the first guard shift.

  I gruffly rubbed my new bearded face. “Ready?”

  “Yes.” Hunter tapped the side of the gadget glasses.

  “Brandon, do you have visual?”

  “I do. The team’s gathered around the TV. We can see the paintings.”

  “Good. Caden and I will scan both paintings to determine authenticity. Each painting will have a special tracker.”

  We stood side by side and held our phones over the tiny barcodes in the wooden lip of the painting on the backside.

  “This painting flashed red. It’s the fake. Caden will add a yellow tracking sensor.”

  “The authentic painting flashed green. I’ve added the rainbow tracking sensor.” I flicked my wrist, waving my arm in front of the sensor. The watch beeped.

  “Everyone’s wearing the special watch. If you walk behind the painting, you’ll hear it beep in your earbuds.

  I heard whispering in my buds.

  “Nice, spy shit,” Marco stated.

  “Thanks, we have lots of cool toys.” I grinned.

  “Everyone should also have a pair of gadget glasses.”

  “Right,” Hunter agreed. “The glasses are high tech. We can read a person’s body temperature to determine if they’re nervous. Or if they’re concealing a weapon. Don’t forget we’re keeping an eye on the ancient Egyptian gold arm bracelets too. The rainbow tracking sensor has been added,” Hunter stated.

  “Do you have any questions?” I asked.

  Light chatter again from our team.

  “No, Caden,” Sydney stated. “I love you and I’ll see you tonight.”

  “I love you too, sweetheart.” I tapped my earbud.

  This was the tough part of the mission keeping your focus on the task, so you’ll see the one you love after it’s complete.

  BULKED UP MEN WEARING dark suits and dangling earpiece wires guarded the entrances throughout the hotel. I had eyes and ears everywhere. The Smithsonian guards were mixed in with ours.

  I ordered one of my employees to overnight four state-of-the-art heavy duty computer screens and an extra laptop. My view was so detailed I could see someone’s nose hairs in HD.

  Sitting on the rolling stool, I glided back and forth between screens. There were two orange cones, one in the front of the utility van and another in the back. The electric company was always the perfect cover. No one ever asked me to move my vehicle.

  “All right team, look sharp.” I zoomed in on everyone’s location.

  Skylar looped her arm around Hunters. Iridescent jewels sparkled over every inch of the navy cocktail dress. The hem of the A-line skirt stopped below the knee. Perfect place to hide Glocks.

  Our team blended into the elegant ballroom. Gold lighting fixtures hung from the ceiling throughout. The cream and gold walls gave the room a luxurious feel.

  Sierra sat in the front row, legs crossed wearing a little black cocktail dress. A few men admired the painting, then their attention gravitated to her legs.

  Dominic and Marco stood on either side of the podium posing as security for the painting. Across the room, Carmen served hors d’oeuvres to the guests. She wore a white dress shirt, a black bow tie, and black slacks. Her short red wig was a nice touch. I could spot her in a heartbeat, so could Dominic. The last thing we wanted was her husband losing his shit because he couldn’t keep his eye on his wife. Back to the door where Dillon was posted, Zoey wore a chef jacket, barking orders at the catering staff.

  Brandon leaned against a peak on the burnt orange roof.

  “Syd, come in please.”

  “Go for Syd.”

  “How are you looking out there?”

  “It’s quiet. No visual yet.”

  “Tony and Nadine look sharp.”

  She tapped the gadget glasses, giving me a better visual. A crewman approached them as they boarded the ship.

  “May I help you?”

  “Yes, I’ve been assigned to fill in for Captain Gary Marks.”

  Tony flashed his credentials. The man stared at his badge longer than expected.

  What the fuck was going on? My heart raced.

  “We didn’t receive word that another captain was taking over tonight.”

  “It was a last-minute decision. Captain Marks fell ill.”

  His eyes shifted to Nadine, then back to Tony. “I’ll have to verify.”

  “Sure.”

  “Wait here.”

  The man turned, walking into the ship. Tony hooked his arm around his neck, gripping tight until the crew man lost consciousness.

  Nadine’s head swiveled, checking their surroundings. “We’re boarding the ship.”

  “Roger that, Nadine.” I continued monitoring their movements.

  Tony s
hoved the man in a storage bin upon boarding.

  “Good evening.” Emoni’s voice poured through the earbuds. I flipped back to her camera.

  She stood at the podium wearing a red form fitting cocktail dress. She was in her element. Charity organizer extraordinaire. Emoni had the gift of persuading people to spend their money.

  Sierra was a front. She waved the purple paddle a few times but never won a bid.

  “We have company guys,” Dillon stated.

  Dillon stared straight ahead at the wall in front of him. Careful not to draw attention to himself. “Arnold’s wearing a catering uniform. He looked my way, then walked toward the ballroom. He slipped black gloves over his hands.”

  “Thanks Dillon.”

  I stared at the second monitor. “Team he’s blended in with the catering staff serving guests near the back wall. Carmen, walk the room. I need to know if the rest of their team is there.”

  “Got it.”

  “Caden, we have a problem?” Tony stated.

  My body vibrated. “What’s wrong?”

  “I walked the ship. There aren’t many onboard. They’re enjoying a night out. That’s good because the bomb on the top deck is ticking.”

  Nadine looked at him. “He swept the back of his hand across his brow, wiping away the beads of sweat.”

  “Can you dismantle it?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Nadine, I need eyes on the device.”

  The screen read five minutes. “Shit. Everyone remain in place,” I ordered.

  “Nadine, get as far away from the ship as you can.”

  “Tony, no. I can help. Just walk me through what to do.”

  I noticed the intensity in the teams’ faces as they listened to the pain in my cousin’s voice.

  “Tony, you got this,” I stated.

  “I believe in you, Tony. Give it all you have,” Dillon pushed.

  “Guys, I spotted the target,” Carmen whispered.

  “He’s walking toward the stage. Charlie’s in the back corner of the room with Emery. The gangs all here.”

  “Roger that, Carmen.”

  “Hunter, he’s coming up on your right. Move into him in three, two, one.”

  Hunter turned, and his drink dripped down the front of Sloane’s tuxedo.

  “What the fuck man?” His brooding dark brow deepened.

  “I have a napkin.” Skylar dabbed at his soaked shirt.

  He shoved her back. She fell into Hunter.

  “I don’t need your help,” Sloane growled.

  “Asshole of the year goes to,” I joked.

  “There wasn’t any reason to push her. She was just trying to help,” Hunter stated with a southern drawl.

  “Thanks, but no thanks,” he barked.

  “Tony, how are we looking?” Sweat dripped down my forehead.

  “Almost there.”

  A detonator lowered from Sloane’s cuff. His thumb hovered over the button.

  “Tony, abort. Abort. He’s about to blow the ship.” My heart slammed against my ribcage.

  My team was ready to tackle him. They knew to stand down.

  “I got it,” he yelled in a whisper.

  Nadine stared at the bomb. Zeros appeared on the screen.

  I slumped in my seat. “Thank God. Get off the ship. We need your help in the ballroom.”

  “Caden, we’re on our way.”

  Sloane’s thumb pressed the detonator. His body tensed and he tapped it again and nothing.

  He yanked his phone from his inner jacket pocket. He stared at the screen, cursing under his breath.

  I caught a visual of his screen. My eyes widened. He pressed the big red button. There was nothing I could do.

  The ground shook beneath me, rocking the van.

  Screams erupted all over the island. Panicked tourists ran in a frenzy.

  “Guys who’s with me?” Two of my screens went black.

  Skylar and Hunter swung into action.

  Tony and Nadine ran into the hotel at top speed. I clutched my chest, happy to see they were safe.

  Everyone sounded off except for Brandon and Sydney. My heart was in my throat. Grabbing a laptop, I tossed it into a bag with my sniper rifles and swung it over my head. I burst out the side door.

  “Sydney, Brandon, come in.”

  Ripping across the property in search of Brandon, I continued calling out for them.

  My eyes darted left to right. I hit a button on the left arm of the gadget glasses. Infrared people came into focus, running in every direction. Curving the building, I halted. My heart thudded my ears.

  Stay focused.

  “Brandon.”

  I flipped off the infrared.

  Slumped on his side, he didn’t move. I pressed two fingers against his neck, checking for his pulse. “Buddy, can you hear me?”

  He stirred. “Ouch, shit,” he grumbled.

  His crimson hand left his side. He stared at the blood.

  “Nadine, I need you out here now.” I checked my surroundings. People continued running in terror. Car alarms sounded. Screams pierced my ears at every angle.

  “Where?”

  “I’m behind the hotel. I think he fell off the roof. I haven’t heard from Sydney. I have to find her.”

  A hand patted my shoulder. I peeked up to my right.

  “Go, Caden, I’ll take care of Brandon.”

  “I hope you find her,” Brandon’s voice was barely audible.

  Jumping to my feet, I tore through the resort toward the sea of trees where Sydney was supposed to be.

  I doubled tapped the right side of my glasses. “Seth, come in.”

  “What the fuck happened out there?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me. Do you have eyes in the sky?”

  “Yes. An explosion erupted, and I had to pull back.”

  “I need your help to find Sydney.”

  Bumping the shoulders of frantic townspeople, I continued on.

  “I’m on my way. Over.”

  “Roger that.”

  The palm trees where my wife may have been were burnt and broken into pieces. I gripped my head in horror. “Oh shit. Where is she?”

  Glancing to the left, a mushroom cloud of black smoke rose from a cluster of cars. The flames slowly devoured the last car.

  My eyes widened. “Get out of there.” I waved my hands toward the people running past the burning cars. “Boom!”

  The car flipped in the air and exploded.

  My body flew back into a parked car. My bullet-proof vest took most of the heat. I peered at the wreckage. The car landed on the couple I tried to save.

  Sliding upward, I staggered to my feet. The warm wind whipped through my hair. I leaned over and grabbed the gadget glasses. I winced. The pain in my back throbbed.

  The ringing in my ears overpowered my ability to hear anything around me.

  The screaming stopped. All I noticed were wet faces and open mouths. I yanked the earbuds out of my ears and tried to collect my bearings.

  Shielding my eyes, I glanced at the helicopter hovering in the air above.

  I pushed the glasses onto my face.

  “Caden. Can you...” I pointed to my ears. His words came through in muffled pieces.

  Hunched over, I took a deep breath then ran into the cluster of trees. The light from the helicopter lit my path. My eyes bulged.

  “Sydney,” I shrilled. Tears slid down my face. I ran toward her and fell to my knees. Her limp body laid in a fetal position. “Baby, can you hear me?”

  Holding her in my arms, I stared at her lifeless face. Blood dripped from her forehead.

  “No, you have to wake up.”

  “Caden, can you hear me?”

  “Yes.” My hearings coming back.

  Rocking back and forth, holding her in my arms, I lost it. I wasn’t in control. Life had no purpose without her. “Baby, don’t leave me,” I growled against her tattered hair.

  Her fingers moved. I laid her flat on her
back and performed CPR. Her eyes popped open and her chest lifted as she took a breath.

  I held Sydney in my arms. “Baby, I thought I lost you.”

  Shit, it hit me. I failed. My job was to the mission first. I wasn’t supposed to abort the mission to find Sydney. Hopefully my team continued on.

  “Caden, come in,” I faintly heard in the earbud.

  I shoved them into my ears.

  “Go for Caden.”

  “It’s Hunter. We need a ride.” He huffed and puffed. Sounded like he was running at top speed.

  Gunshots rang out.

  “Hunter, I’m on it.”

  “Caden, I’m lowering the basket,” Seth stated.

  “Ok.” Standing with Sydney in my arms, I reached for the basket. I placed Sydney inside and strapped her in.

  My lips fell against hers. “Love you, sweetheart.”

  She grinned.

  I wasn’t sure how much pain she was in.

  “Take her away.”

  “Shit, wait? How will you get her in the helicopter?”

  “Marley my co-pilot.”

  I exhaled. “The second you get her loaded, we need you to loop around the island.”

  “Roger that.”

  Nabbing my laptop out of my bag, I hit the screen. In the top left corner, I stared at the beach view. I zoomed in. Hunter ran, aiming his Glock over his shoulder, shooting at the people quick on his heels.

  “Seth, Hunter’s running along the beach. He has company.”

  I tapped another camera. Samantha leaned forward; fists high. She and Emery danced in a circle. Samantha jabbed her foot in Emery’s face, knocking her to the floor.

  I pulled up the button cams.

  Dillon’s fist slammed into Arnolds face.

  “Hunter needs help on the beach. Who can help?”

  “Caden, I’m on it.” Tony huffed and puffed. I tapped his button cam. He fired his Glock. Charlie dropped in the white sand.

  Gripping his leg, he cried. “Ah.”

  “Don’t move motherfucker,” Tony bit out.

  “Zoey, Emoni, come in?”

  “We’re chasing Sloane down the beach. He has one of the paintings.”

  Gun fire rang out again. Sloane held the painting tight in one hand as he shot at Zoey and Emoni.