Page 60 of Gunner

“Golden goose.”

Before the last syllable left his lips, Osbourne’s head exploded, and a series of pops went off around him as men hidden from his sight fell dead to the ground, killed by the men watching over him. Gunner ran straight through the middle of it all as if he was bulletproof, his only thought getting back to Lacey.

He reached the chopper and saw Waggs run from the woods nearby. His job had the most risk, so it made sense for the medic to be close.

Gunner was calling Lacey as he threw on headphones and started the bird. Waggs jumped in beside him and closed the door, taking his own phone out and dialling a number. Gunner could hardly focus on what he was doing, his brain on autopilot as he tried again to reach Lacey and failed.

There could be a perfectly normal explanation for her not answering. It was two in the morning, and she could be in a heavy sleep, but every sense of urgency in him told him this wasn’t the case.

They hadn’t been able to find Carmine since he’d been released from prison and that wasn’t normal, not for a team who had both Will Granger and Lopez on their side.

He could hear through his comms as news came through that the Queen and the King Consort were safe and that Fortis had taken the Palace. James Fitzgerald would ensure the woman taking over as Deputy Director had all the information she needed, if not all the information.

The press office would handle the news of the accident, and news of the tragic death of Deputy Director Osbourne and any other loose ends would be handled between the agencies of Fortis, Zenobi, Eidolon, and the Palace.

“Viking, I just heard from K, Carmine attacked Roz in her home. He threatened Deacon and Lacey agreed to go if he left the baby alone.”

Waggs was watching him closely as he relayed the information and Gunner held a death grip on the chopper’s controls, not allowing emotion inside his head. If he did, he’d lose his mind, and he needed to stay in control so he could hunt down Carmine, get Lacey back safely, and then slit the bastard’s throat for touching what was his.

“Get Bás on the line.” Gunner knew his tone was harsh, but he also knew Waggs would do what was needed.

The night sky seemed to stretch endlessly in front of him as he made his way back towards Hereford, a thirst for blood on his tongue seeking vengeance for every hair he hurt on Lacey’s head and that was before he started avenging Deacon.

“Viking, this is Bás.”

“What the fuck happened, Bás?”

“Not sure. Last I heard Osbourne didn’t know where Russo was.”

“What about Frederick Granger?”

“He’s with Osbourne, isn’t he?”

Gunner looked at Waggs, a moment of understanding passing between them. “No, he fucking isn’t.”

“I’ll find him.”

Bás hung up and Gunner fought with whether he’d been a fool to trust the man, but he’d shown him nothing but support.

“Gunner, I have Cosmo on the radar. Her tracker is holding still at her place of residence.”Lopez had been lightning-fast off the mark to find her, and he realised every free agent would be looking for her.

“ETA is thirty minutes. Who do we have free?”

“Just Zenobi. K won’t leave Roz who’s fit to be tied.”

Gunner knew that threatening the newborn baby of a woman like Roz was a death sentence and if he weren’t feeling so bloodthirsty right now, he’d let her have at it.

“See if Bebe, Evelyn, and whoever else they have available will check it out?”

“On it.”

Never had a journey seemed so long, the feeling of helplessness that was overwhelming him was almost so thick he couldn’t breathe.

“Stay frosty, Gunner, we’ll get her back.”

Gunner glanced at the man who had been the quickest to forgive his sins with desperation on his face. “What if he hurts her before I can get to her?”

Waggs pursed his lips, his jaw ticking with anger. “Then you help her heal, brother. We all do.”

Waggs nursed his own pain so privately nobody knew how broken he was, but Gunner had seen it. While he’d been working for the enemy, he’d followed Waggs when he’d gone back home to see his parents on the anniversary of his twin brother’s death, and Gunner had witnessed his pain first-hand.

He hadn’t told a soul and would carry it the grave, but it was that knowledge that made him sure Waggs would do what it took to stop others feeling the same grief that consumed him.