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We’re in a quiet neighborhood. The street is lined by two-story houses with generous front lawns and wrought iron fences, each boasting a state-of-the-art security system. Ariana grew up on the nicer side of town. I’m glad for her. She never experienced poverty or real hunger. She has, however, experienced true heartbreak, and I don’t think there’s a deeper pain than that.
“Six, but there were arraignment hearings today. Our lawyers will give us an update in the morning,” Sky says, turning the engine off.
The pickup truck we’re in isn’t the flashiest, but it's not the dullest, either. It’s relatively new and black, helping it blend in with the other cars parked up and down the road.
“What about Shiloh?” I reply, pulling out a gun and a couple of magazines from one of our go bags. I check them both and slip them into the back pocket of my jeans. “How is she feeling?”
“She’s going to be all right,” Sky mutters. “Pissed as hell, of course.”
“I can’t blame her.”
“She’ll sue the city over this.”
“As she should. I suppose she’ll be using our lawyers.”
“You bet,” Sky replies.
We get out of the truck and linger for a couple of minutes, carefully analyzing our surroundings. At this hour, folks are most likely sitting down to dinner or relaxing after a long day at work. Henry is out of the house on his way to a meeting with Ariana and Kendric—he doesn’t know that yet, however. He thinks he’s meeting with Thierry Estes to get some dirt on Masterson.
I know that even if Masterson does eventually give up for one reason or another, somebody else will be there to take his place. Once the Black Hand puts a hit out, it stays forever or until the target is extinguished. I intend to ensure that Ariana survives. She deserves not only the truth but peace and happiness as well. And I intend to survive, too, along with Kendric and Sky, so that we may be a part of her said peace and happiness. Too many people have suffered for too long because of these pricks.
“What are the odds that the mansion isn’t under surveillance?” I mumble as we take one of the side roads leading to the back of Henry’s residence.
“Close to none,” Sky says. “He’s even more paranoid than Thierry. Then again, he has every reason given the recent events.”
“And given what he’s hiding.”
“Right. But we’ve done this before. And Ariana gave us enough intel that we already know the inside of that house down to the last nook and cranny,” Sky says.
Indeed, we do. We sat her down for a whole evening, and she used a pen and plenty of paper to draw everything she remembered—every room, approximate dimensions, furniture positions, and potential hiding spots. We are aware of three different safes in the house, including one in the basement, but we also know to look in the less obvious places, especially in Henry’s private study.
Sky thinks we’ll hit the motherlode somewhere in his bedroom, but I have my doubts. We should’ve placed a bet on it. I guess I love being right a little too much.
“I’m nervous about Ariana being there. I know Kendric is with her, but still …” Sky says as we casually walk down the street.
I smile and wave at one of the neighbors. He’s out with his dog, waiting for the pooch to finish his midnight business on somebody else’s lawn, and he waves back even though it’s clear to me he has no idea who we are. But we’re waving and friendly, so we must be local residents. That’s how these neighborhoods work. People think they know one another, but they really don’t. If they did, Henry’s house would’ve burned to the ground a long time ago.
A couple of evening joggers pass by, and Sky gives them both a slight nod as they run past us.
I glance over my shoulder to make sure they’re not looking back. They keep running and chatting in between ragged breaths. Not a care in the world. Of course. It’s not their lives that hang in the balance tonight. It’s mine. Sky’s. Kendric’s. Not to mention Ariana’s.
“Ken will keep her safe,” I remind Sky. “We couldn’t trust her with anybody else.”
“I’d rather she didn’t go at all.”
“You know that’s not how this works. She needs to look that bastard in the eyes. She needs to confront him more than the three of us put together,” I kindly say.
He nods slowly. “Yeah. I just want her to be okay.”
“She will be. Henry won’t bring anyone with him. He won’t want anyone tailing him, either. You heard Thierry. The man loves his daughter; he wants her to survive.”
“But he won’t renounce his ties to those fuckers, either.”
“Well, that won’t bode well for him,” I say. “They’re going to be fine, Sky. All they’re doing is keeping Henry busy over there while we’re over here.”
He nods again, but I can tell he’s not entirely convinced that we’re playing it smart. We’ve never really played it smart. There’s no way of doing that when you’re going up against an organization like the Black Hand. They have contingency on top of contingency, plans B, C, and D already in place, always.
All we have is this insane desire to destroy them and our combined military experience. It’s better than nothing, but I doubt it’s enough to guarantee success. We have to try either way. We also have to accept the risks and keep pushing forward, no matter what. Sky knows this. And so does Ariana.
