Page 18 of Five Fingers of Death

I strode out the front door, down the sidewalk to the end of the street. Red joined us, giving me a slight nod.

“So, are you planning on telling us?—”

“Nope.”

“Don’t try. I already asked all the same questions,” Eli muttered. “Didn’t get a damn thing out of him.”

“So, we’re just going to follow him and hope for the best?” Red asked.

“Well, if he was going to get us killed, I wouldn’t be following him. Then again, he didn’t include us in his plans, so maybe he does plan on us getting killed. Maybe we’re going to screw everything up.”

“We’re the third wheel,” Red grunted.

“Speak for yourself. I was with him first. That makes you the third wheel.”

I pulled out my gun, checking it over as I cut across the property toward the fence line as they continued to bicker. I cracked my neck, wincing when the skin pulled. Fuck, I really hated the fact that I got hit by that fucking sniper.

I glanced at the sky and hoped the weather held for the most part. I didn’t mind a storm, but I didn’t want to get soaked while I worked.

“I’m just saying, there are only two wheels. You’re the third wheel,” Eli snapped.

“Most vehicles have four wheels,” Red argued. “That means we’re actually down a wheel.”

“But that’s not the saying. It doesn’t work that way!”

“Not to interrupt this fascinating debate, but if you keep shouting, you’ll let our friends know they have company, which would totally defeat the purpose of us sneaking up on them.”

“You’re walking right across the property. You’re not even ducking down,” Eli pointed out. “Frankly, at this point, I’m not sure stealth is a priority.”

“I have it all worked out.”

“It would be nice if we knew how you had it all worked out.”

“I just told you I did.”

“Seriously,” Red huffed. “Give us something. You knew these guys were coming for you. How? How do they know you’re alive?”

“I may have let it slip.”

“Are you fucking stupid?” Eli snapped, grabbing my arm and yanking me to a stop. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“Because I’ve been in hiding for too fucking long. My mother has feared for her life since my father was shot.”My father. The senator. Fuck, I couldn’t believe I was calling him my father again.

“Still, you could have come to us. You could have told us.”

“And you would have told me to give you more time. That’s the same song and dance I get from Lock. Give it time. That’s all we need. Well, I’ve given it time. I waited to recover, but I won’t wait around for the other shoe to drop.”

“You don’t even know what the other shoe is,” Red pointed out.

“Exactly. I’m bringing the fight to my home turf.”

“And you should have let us in on that.”

“I’m prepared this way,” I said, stalking forward. “I laid the breadcrumbs perfectly. Trust me.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I had Rae do it,” I grinned at Eli.

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