Unleashed (End of an Assassin Book 3) Page 10

  Cori said, "You weren’t hurt, and we can still make a plan from here."

  "Where's Omar?"

  Cori sighed. "He wanted time alone. I advised against it for everyone's protection, but it's worth the risk to him."

  Kaden huffed, "Loser."

  Benny said, "I've got good news. I have a lead, a genuine, organic lead. I found it as you arrived at the juicery, and I am kicking myself for not calling you off."

  "No kicking please. But, we need reassurance that it's real. They're crafty, and we haven't had the upper hand in intelligence since the BCG job. Waste of an upper hand if you ask me."

  Benny glanced at Cori before saying, "We're done using Sub Rosa for intel. It's obvious they know we're watching. No, I got this lead from traffic cameras."

  "Goose is still monitoring police radio?"

  "Of course."

  Kaden made her way to the table. She tapped her chin with her fingers, and said, "I'm listening."

  Benny ran all license plates of people hurrying out of Wholly Fresh and into a car within the past week, and pored over the registration information of each vehicle. Only one was a rental car. The renter was still checked in at a bed and breakfast, and Kaden soon found herself inside it, listening at the closed door of the visitor's room. The owners were elderly, meaning she could be noisier than usual, but she couldn’t leave a gory mess for them to find.

  The house's silence was overbearing. Goose, perched in a tree across the street, spoke, and his voice at full volume jarred her. "The man sitting at the desk matches the photo ID. He is working on a laptop and wearing earbuds."

  She wouldn't assume the headphones were in use.

  Benny said, "Since he's on a laptop, I'm adding to your job. If Sub Rosa is up, keep the laptop open and on. Do not let him close it or touch any keys. We'll need the charger too. Access to his account is the jackpot."

  Kaden turned around and whispered, "Goose, alert me if he acts like he heard me." Before she'd left, they'd tried to imagine every scenario where Sub Rosa had made this B&B into another trap, each more ridiculous than the last and eventually sounding like a Marvel movie with the elderly couple as the villains. She placed a hand on the cool white door and waited.

  Once ready, she picked the lock in under ten seconds. Goose remained silent, so Kaden turned the knob at a snail's pace and cracked the door, stepped in, and closed the door just as slowly. Three large duffels lay on an unmade queen bed, which occupied over two-thirds of the bedroom. A thin man sat in a wheeled desk chair with his back to Kaden. A soft orange bedside lamp lit a corner of the room.

  The forest green light from the laptop lit the desk, and it matched Sub Rosa’s green background.

  She edged toward him and grabbed the pair of knee-high socks in her back pocket. If she wanted the laptop to remain open, she had to subdue him instantly.

  The keys clacked as he typed, oblivious that an assassin crept five feet behind him, then four feet, three, two... She'd make Benny proud. She leapt to the guy's side and wrapped him and the chair in a hug and thrust him backward without letting the chair crash to the plush carpet.

  She stuffed a sock into his mouth as he tried to shout, then tied it in place with a second knee-high sock. She hopped over his laid-out body to sit just above his head as he hollered into the sock and thrashed in the seat. The arms of the chair trapped him, and instead, he bucked awkwardly without making headway. She dragged him up by the armpits, made sure the gag was secure, and wrapped her legs around his thin body, immobilizing his arms. He tried yelling again, but that devolved into a muffled coughing fit.

  The laptop was undisturbed, still blazing light into the bedroom.

  Kaden exhaled. Not time to relax yet. "I have a rifleman sighting you, so nothing funny." It wasn’t a total bluff. Goose was equipped with a deadly laser. "And I could kill you before you stand, and unfortunately for you, I would find that liberating. Nod if you can agree with that statement."

  He nodded. She dropped him and scrambled to pin him from the front. Using bodyweight was easier, plus, she needed to watch his face for lies. Her head created a shadow on his face, so she cocked her head to at least see his eyes, dark brown and blinking rapidly at her.

  His strong jawline and wide face didn't match his thin body. She smiled at him and said, "Have you heard of Wholly Fresh?"

  Nod.

  "It exploded. Do you know who would do such a horrible thing?"

  He took too long to shake his head. She didn't need Cameron to decipher that lie.

  "I confess, I know it was you, so that puts you in quite the pickle." She pressed a forearm onto his neck, and he coughed. "If you stay quiet and open up to me like a flower in spring, I might let you go. If you don't, that nice couple will find you cold tomorrow. The only kindness I'll give them is using a pillow to smother you instead of bleeding you out. What do you say? Should we have a chat?"

  He nodded. A tear had leaked from either eye, and they rolled into his hair, already slicked back.

  "Lift your head."

  He obliged, and she removed the gag. She asked, "Name?"

  "Gabriel."

  "Gabriel, what's in the bags? We can go through the uncomfortable process of me tying you up so I can search them, or you can tell me."

  "Ex—" he said in a shrill voice. He cleared his throat and said, "Explosives."

  This guy was comfortable sharing his bed with explosives.

  "You set the bombs that blew up Wholly Fresh."

  "No,” he said. Too quick of an answer, plus a face revealing dishonesty, including a trembling lip.

  "I should be more ashamed to say this, but I'm glad you're tightlipped. It gives me the green light for revenge. Your friends tortured my friend for information. His name was George, and he was much more pleasant than me. While I'm pissed about many things right now, I never got to show my appreciation for that particular crime. Have any clue what I'm talking about?"

  He shook his head, and from the confusion on his face, he might’ve been telling the truth. Too bad for him it didn't matter.

  From her other back pocket, she pulled a tool that looked like a pointed screwdriver and continued, "No? I have here, and I have no idea why it's still sold in hardware stores, an ice pick. I didn't see what your buddies did, but they called it, tickling his shin bones." She looked at its point. "I can guess how that works."

  His eyes widened, and he said, "Fine. I don't care about those guys anyway."

  "Good.” She replaced the pick in her pocket, oddly relieved she wouldn’t have to torture him. “The truth, then. You set the bombs that blew up Wholly Fresh."

  "Yes."

  So this was the guy who killed her colleagues. Surprising, for someone that reminded her of a wary squirrel. Blood pounded in her ears for the first time that night. She squeezed her hold to watch him wince, and his bobbing Adam’s apple was asking to be cut open, but killing him now would be foolish revenge. Didn't mean she wouldn't threaten him.

  The plane ticket Kaden had found in the Jeep was to Venezuela. "Are you going to Venezuela tomorrow?"

  "I'm not going to that party. I don't care to socialize."

  "A party, huh? You can tell me all the details later, after you come with me."

  "Ah, dammit."

  "This last one, I'm dying to know. Why help that psycho?"

  He kept his voice low. "Edward?"

  "Green eyes, black glasses?"

  In an instant, his face and shoulders went from cowering and desperate to full of purpose, and he said, "Search below the surface to see the service he's doing for humanity. His vision shows a trust in humanity's God-given free will."

  Kaden lifted the thin gold necklace around his neck. Its pendant, a crucifix, dropped onto his red sweater.

  She said, "And look what you did with yours." She wanted to spit on him, but gritted her teeth to focus on the silent surroundings and the vermin in front of her.

  His face contorted, and he shook under her slightly. He said, much lou
der and showing teeth, "Likewise. I know only enough about you to be acquainted with your sins."

  "That’s creepy. Those are my questions for now. Another choice: I can break your limbs and carry you out, or you can walk out with me."

  "Do you know someone named Jonas Gonzales?"

  She didn't, and that meant he was stalling. Kaden reared back and punched him in the face. "I ask questions, you answer. If you stray from that script, I will fracture your arm."

  "I'll walk."

  "Good arsonist." Kaden smirked and gagged him.

  She should’ve let him up, had him message his colleagues that he was going home now that his part was done, and walked him from the B&B with his bags. She couldn't resist though—she broke his left forearm first, then did the rest. The added time of watching him struggle and wince was worth the disapproval she'd receive from Cori.

  She smiled. Finally, real information. Sounded like they might need to crash a Venezuelan party.

  The din of intoxicated voices and Friday-night laughter around their booth forced Kaden to lean forward and turn her head to hear Benny and Cori. Benny had looked through the arsonist's messages and the private admin forum to gather enough information for them to make a move, if they chose to.

  Cori said, "They're throwing a party in a castle. Attendees are likely members of international cartels. Again, Edward is trying to expand his operations."

  "The party is just to schmooze?" asked Kaden.

  Benny said, "It's also a celebration for what they did to us."

  What they did to us. Kaden sat back and closed her eyes. The grief hit like a wall. Her hand gripped the rocks glass, slippery with condensation and with bits of ice floating around. She had aimed to drink just enough to avoid withdrawals but overshot the mark. She started weeping, not caring who noticed.

  A single voice rose over the crowd. "Hey!"

  Kaden opened her eyes to see Omar towering over them. She had thought her last memory of him would forever be him groaning, overwhelmed by the pasta selection at Wholly Fresh, so she wanted to vice-grip him in a hug. But, anger radiated from him, pulling her back. His nostrils flared and chest heaved. If he brought that intensity to Venezuela, they’d demolish Sub Rosa for sure.

  Omar's black eyes bore into hers. He said, voice controlled and low, but carrying to the table, "You want to know why I wasn’t inside Vigilant Citizens?"

  Her mouth fell open before knowing what to say. Omar was singling her out, and she had no idea why.

  He said, "I was on a walk, because Moe had just told me the truth. You kept me in that basement."

  "Oh, no," tumbled out of her. Benny shrunk in his seat, and Cori put a hand on Omar's arm. He thrust it away.

  He continued, "You let me tell my story over mimosas! No wonder you refused to talk about your past. Nothing but a disgrace. How could you keep it secret?"

  Kaden's voice rose. "Because I knew you would react like this! How could you not? I was afraid of losing a friend."

  His knuckles were white from gripping the table. "We were never friends, not with a secret like that. Five months I lived in a basement because of your willing ignorance. You may have saved a few, but you’ve helped imprison so many more. Your work has ruined lives."

  Kaden's gaze had drifted to the crowd that embraced their transition into the weekend. On her own, she had wrestled every point he'd lobbed at her, even forgiven herself for her part in imprisoning them. But forgiving herself meant nothing. To hear the same ideas from someone in that basement was the nightmare she deserved.

  He shouted, "Look at me!"

  She looked at him, shoulders clenched by her ears.

  He said, "I'll never find my sister. I'm sure they keep her in another basement, where she'll stay until she's all used up. No thought haunts me more, and I'm only telling you because I want it to haunt you for as long as you live.

  “I always defended you to our colleagues. I tell… I told people how you’re focused on what matters, not impressing others. But they were right. You only care about yourself.” He paused. Like the eye of the storm, nobody at the table moved or spoke. He said, so soft she strained to hear, “I looked up to you. Now I see you, and I despise you.”

  He stood there, hands in tight fists. It seemed like he hadn't blinked once.

  Although a part of her wanted to run, or fight, or defend her ignorance, she held fast out of respect for Omar. She could only ask for forgiveness. "Omar, I—"

  "Don't say my name," he spat and slapped her across the face. The whack dazed her, and through blurred vision, she caught Omar disappearing into the crowd, wiggling his fingers in tense anger.

  Kaden sat motionless, sensing the stares of the other patrons. She stared at where he'd disappeared, hoping he’d return, showing himself to be a master of forgiveness. From her first training session with him, he’d been friendly, energetic, and eager to learn. Whenever his coworkers chatted with him, they walked away with their head a little higher.

  For Kaden, that Omar was gone. She had to assume the worst, otherwise hope would siphon her attention from what she had to do.

  "I'm sorry," said Benny.

  Kaden grunted and said, "You got off easy."

  "We weren’t close like you two."

  Cori said, "I can work on him tomorrow. We need to be united."

  Without even thinking, Kaden waved her hand and said, "I don't care what you have to say."

  "Geez, Kay," said Benny.

  Her cheeks heated at her abrupt rudeness, even if it were true. Kaden was suddenly fed up with Cori's leadership, and honestly, with Cori herself. Kaden stood. "I'm getting another drink. Anyone else?"

  Benny said, "Please don't."

  "I'm not even wobbling yet." She pushed her way toward the bar. If only she’d remembered the Xanax.

  The tequila didn't lessen her cheek's sting, but it made it easier to accept. Omar, her dear trainee and friend, had slapped her. Although, like Omar told Kaden, genuine friends didn’t hide such pivotal truths. Life was much simpler when she’d had one friend, Madeline—her gut wrenched as she remembered that Madeline had also kicked her to the curb. Even when befriending people, Kaden remained self-centered, and she had a throbbing cheek to prove it. The buzzing bar scene around her faded as she continued to rebuke herself in a solo bubble.

  Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She blinked and dug it out, greedy for the distraction. The screen, too bright for the bar, read “OMAR.”

  "Oh!" she hollered, smile creeping onto her face. Unless he'd found more verbal ammo, it meant he wanted to talk, not beat her up. She had to figure out this instant how to put her regret into words and make him believe that she deserved forgiveness.

  She covered one ear and heard the pounding footsteps and heavy breathing from her phone. Omar cried, "Kaden!"

  It was a plea. "What is it?" The sludge of her stream of thought cleared, and she pushed her way back to the table.

  "I need you." Labored breaths, and, "Two men are chasing me."

  He'd left five minutes ago without a car, so he wasn't far. "Where are you going?" The sense of danger sharpened Kaden’s perception of her environment. She stood facing her companions in the booth. They both looked at her.

  "Goby park. A straight shot. I'll have to fight them."

  "I'll be right there. Do not let them catch you. If you have to fight, remember to keep attention on both of them."

  As she tucked her phone into her pocket, Kaden said, "Omar needs us. He's being chased toward Goby Park."

  Benny stood. "I'll drive."

  Kaden stepped back. "You parked a couple blocks in the wrong direction. Get moving your way, but I'll reach him first on my own two feet." She pushed her way out the restaurant, damming up the anxieties until she could act on them. The park was a mile straight down the street. Since he'd only been gone five minutes, Omar only had to hold them off for a minute or two, which translated to way too long in a life-or-death fight.

  Once in open air, she broke into
a sprint on the sidewalk and said, "Goose, Omar is between here and Goby Park, and he's under attack. Go!"

  A lurch in her pocket, and Goose sped away as only a tiny shadow.

  The frigid autumn night felt like jumping into an ice bath. Finally, a use for her need to run whenever her emotions raged. Guided by the soft glow of the street lamps, she jumped over uneven bits of sidewalk and dodged garbage bins. She burst through crosswalks and rocketed past people before they could even make out her face, creating fewer witnesses to the murders she was about to commit. It felt like her feet barely touched the sidewalk as they propelled her forward.

  She sprinted for two minutes before spotting a dented blue trashcan upturned in the middle of the sidewalk. Trash was strewn about the driveway. As she approached, she found a single, small body in the shadow of an overarching tree. She recognized his yellow T-shirt and cried out, laborious breaths becoming choking sobs.

  She squatted over Omar. His bloodshot eyes stared at the sky, seeing nothing. His neck was indented, and his face tinted purple. They’d strangled him. Blood splatters surrounded them. A coldness gripped her core, and she folded her arms around herself.

  Goose hopped onto her shoe and didn't move. "This was the scene when I arrived. I am sorry for your loss."

  "No," she squeaked. "These must be long, realistic nightmares. I am asleep." Her thudding heart suggested otherwise. She grabbed Omar’s hand, already cooler than hers. Under his fingernails was a chunk of skin and black hair.

  Distant sirens wailed. Approaching, meaning she needed to disappear. The shock settled, numbing her emotions and allowing clear thinking. Omar was strangled, so the blood must be from the attacker. With all the DNA lying around, these guys would get caught by the justice system. That would have to be enough, and Omar died hoping that, too.

  Through burning legs, she jogged around the block and called Cori and Benny to pick her up. Her body was numb but her mind lucid and free of doubt. Tomorrow, she would step foot in Latin America.