Page 59 of Gunner

Chapter 25

It had beena while since Gunner had flown a bird like this one owned by Eidolon, but it felt good to be back as he landed the chopper in a field close to where he was supposed to meet Osbourne. Bás had come through and managed to make sure the key players were in place. The only one that was not one hundred percent was Frederick Granger. Fortis was ready to seize control of Buckingham Palace security. Blake and Astrid had secured the Queen and the King Consort and were waiting for the word to take down her PPOs.

Gunner made sure his mic and comms were secure before checking his weapon one more time. His job was to draw Osbourne out with the promise of the thumb drive and plans, then the rest of Eidolon would move in and take him and his men out. This wasn’t a mission where Osbourne would live—he faced death for his crimes with only them as his jurors.

It irked Gunner that the man would still receive all the accolades of his title, but none of this could ever come out. He would die at the hands of a random criminal shooting and be hailed a hero for the work he’d done.

“This is Viking, check.”

Mitch’s smooth voice came over the radio “Viking, we have visual on you.”

Knowing that he had these men watching over him made him feel more confident about this takedown. Arriving at the rendezvous point at an abandoned cattle farm on the outskirts of London Gunner waited.

“We have a visual on Wasp,”Jack announced, and Gunner felt his heart rate slow, his instincts sharpen, and his brain clear of all the dross and clutter until it was just him and the mission.

“King and Queen are in place to secure. George and Wilma and Fortis are ready for your sign.”

Gunner wondered if the Queen knew Eidolon had given her the nickname Wilma on operations or that Astrid and Blake now had King and Queen as their code names. Wasp fit Osbourne perfectly, the man was a pest that had no good in him only evil intent, looking for its next victim.

Gunner stepped forward as Osbourne walked into the dim lights of the farmyard covered in shit and hay as the drizzle that had been forecast began to fall.

“Do you have it?” Gunner could practically feel the urgency as the man held out his hand for the weapon he would use to end the Queen’s life. They didn’t know his exact plans, but he’d made it clear that he wanted power and to have that he needed to control the Crown, and this Queen was not a woman to be controlled by anyone. Gunner suspected it had to do with the mission where Siren had been a target but had no evidence.

“I have it, but I want to know why you want it before I hand it over.”

He could hear the go sign as Fortis went into the Palace through the service entrance James had left open for them, followed by the low pop, pop as they secured the security rooms. He waited a beat, hearing the rustle of movement as Fortis moved silently and then a shout and more pops. He waited a moment longer and then Zin came over the line.

“Jester secure.”

Gunner knew that meant Fortis had secured the outer rooms and were moving on to the next phase to secure.

He turned back to a blustering Osbourne, his cheeks going puce with anger the hand by his side twitching as if he wanted to pull a gun and kill the man who dared question him. Gunner remained calm, his features showing no emotion, his hands hanging loosely by his sides. He wanted to make sure the Queen and all of the Royals were secure before he finished this.

“What the fuck has that got to do with you? Now is not the time to grow a pair of balls, Ramberg.”

“Oh, really, and why is that?”

“Because it is too late, soldier. The monarchy will fall, and the rightful heir will take the seat of power with me at his back.”

“And who is the rightful heir?”

Osbourne laughed. “You really have no idea, do you?”

“Approachingresidence.”

Gunner recognised Jace’s voice through the comms. Being Jack’s, cousin he’d been at a lot of Eidolon functions, and by that, he meant piss ups. He needed to stall Osbourne until this last part of the mission was completed. It was also the most dangerous as the men close to the Queen could put her in danger if this went wrong.

Gunner breathed through the anger firing his blood and tried to glean more information.

“Why don’t you spell it out for a simple soldier, Osbourne?”

“No, I think it’s more fun to watch you squirm and especially now that your woman is back in the arms of her ex-lover thanks to Frederick and you’re no longer needed.”

Every cell in Gunner’s body turned to ice at those words, and he reacted on instinct. The plan had been to try and get a confession first in case it ever came out and the Palace needed a reason for his death, but now he just wanted him dead and this over so he could call Lacey.

“Fred and Wilma are secure.”

As those words left Zack’s lips, Gunner knew the Queen was safe.