Page 86 of Sacrifice
Entry, clearing, extraction.
The weight of weapons against my body is familiar, comforting.
Tools of the trade.
My arm barely hurts now—Tor's cocktail kicking in nicely.
The Sunset Motor Lodge squats beside the highway like a neon-lit tumor.
Single story, L-shaped, office at one end.
Half the letters in the sign are burnt out—SU SET M TOR LODG.
Perfect representation of the place—dying slowly but still functional enough for those who need it.
We park behind an abandoned gas station across the road.
Weeds grow through cracks in the concrete, and the pumps are rusted shells.
Good cover, clear line of sight to the target.
Doran's guys are already in position, two cars blocking potential escape routes. Professional. Clean.
"Comms check," Magnus murmurs into his throat mic.
Everyone reports ready.
I flex my wounded arm, testing range of motion. Limited but functional enough.
"Two guards," Magnus continues, binoculars trained on the motel. "Rooms 4 and 6 have lights on. Rest are dark."
I borrow the binoculars, study our target.
The guards are trying to look casual—one smoking by the ice machine, other leaning against a door frame.
But their eyes never stop moving, and I can see the bulge of weapons under their jackets.
"Surveillance equipment's probably in 6," I say. "That's the corner room. Best vantage point."
"So we hit 6 first, then sweep." Rio checks his suppressor, "Magnus and I take the guards. Rest of us stack up."
I want to argue—the guards should be mine. But my arm won't be steady enough for precision work. Have to trust the team.
"Wind's shifted east," Tor notes. "Approach from the west side. Keep any noise traveling away from the rooms."
Good catch. Details like that separate how professional and experienced we are from dead amateurs.
"Go."
Rio and Magnus melt into the darkness.
The rest of us move closer, using abandoned cars and dumpsters for cover.
My wounded arm throbs with each heartbeat, reminding me why we're here.
They shot at my woman. Tried to take what's mine.
The motel looks worse up close.
