Page 42 of Killer Moonshine

“I sort of figured there was nothing left,” said the older man. “Here’s where I pay you back that favor. The Samaan family is in country looking for a few of you boys. Now, normally, I wouldn’t give two shits about four or five men coming after you and your team. You’d figure that out. But rumor has it that they’ve got a dozen men on the ground who will be helping them. That changes the odds significantly.”

“It does,” frowned Ghost, nodding at the others in the room. “But it’s nothing we can’t manage. I do appreciate the heads up, D’Agostino. Consider your debt paid.” Sly handed a note to Ghost, who started to chuckle.

“Everything okay?” asked the other man.

“Well, you can thank my tech nerds later, but we just deposited your six million into your accounts.”

“Y-you what? How the fuck do you know what accounts are mine? Where did you get that damn money?” he asked.

“I don’t think you want to know how we know which accounts are yours, and it doesn’t matter where we found the money, but it came from Hugo’s accounts. It was under another alias sitting offshore. You’ve been paid.”

“This is why I leave you the fuck alone,” he smiled. “You know, one day, I’d love to just sit down with a glass of wine and talk to all of you. No guns, no fights, nothing illegal. Just talk.”

“You know what, Francis? Maybe we’ll do just that. I think the world needs a bit more of that right now.” The line went dead, and Ghost looked at the room, eyebrows raised in humor.

“Are the accounts drained?” asked Nine, looking at Sly and Code.

“We left a little. Thirteen cents,” smirked Code. Nine smiled, nodding.

“Good. That problem is solved. Roughly sixteen or so men, with at least a few grenade launchers, and they’re coming for all of us. Time to get prepared. Move all the kids out to the Sugar Lodge. Everyone on high alert. Close the café, salon, all of the businesses at the front of the property.”

“Done,” nodded Luke. “we’ll take care of all that. You guys take care of the Samaans. If you need us, we’ll be on comms, listening.”

“Then let’s do this.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“Is everyone alright?” he asked their doctor.

“So far, everyone is doing surprisingly well. How much farther do you think we have to go? Is there no way to get vehicles?”

“I think walking is still the best. If we stay off the main roads, no rentals, no identifications, we’re going to be better off.”

“Did you find him yet? Any contact at all?” he asked.

“I’m still working on that. We sent a few of the boys ahead to scout for potential areas. He’d be at least in his seventies now, maybe older. I’m not sure. I never asked the man his age. Hell, I’m sixty.”

“We’re all old,” smiled his friend. “But we’ve done alright, don’t you think? We’ve helped others like us.”

They watched as their technology and communications specialist walked toward them, rubbing his temples.

“Are you alright?”

“I think we’re getting close to someone like us,” he said. “I can’t pinpoint it exactly, but I’m getting feedback from the search signal. It feels strong.”

“Then we’re headed in the right direction. This will hopefully be the last time any of us ever has to move.”

“You’re putting a lot of faith into this man,” said his friend. He nodded, looking at them all.

“I have to. I don’t have another choice.”

Nine sat on the bench near the fountains, watching Victoria and Monroe whispering to one another. He was scratching his head, and Victoria nodded, doing the same.

“Something wrong?” asked Ian, coming up behind him.

“I’m not sure it’s wrong, but someone or something is absolutely trying to connect to those kids. Did we check them for tracking devices, anything that might have been implanted?” he said, frowning.

“We did,” said Cruz and Wilson, walking up to join them. “It was one of the first things we did when they got here. We couldn’t find anything. It wasn’t until this week that we noticed the strange specimens from their brain biopsies.”

---