Page 62 of Domino
“I said let’s get to work. I need to see the ground.”
“Okay. Let’s hook up then. I’ll send you the location.”
“See you soon.”
***
We’re standing in the parking lot of an old, abandoned gas station. It’s in the same stretch of unincorporated land we meet the Warriors when we do our deals. It’s just a different side of the same old town. I turn in a circle, scoping out the land around us. It’s mostly flat with just a few dilapidated old buildings dotting the landscape.
“Pretty fucking desolate,” Cosmo says.
I nod. “Yeah, it is. Couldn’t they have met in a place full of hills and rocks and shit?”
“That’d be too easy, brother. And life is never easy. Not for guys like us.”
“Yeah, well, it should be.”
Cosmo snickers and takes a drink from his canteen, then hands it over to me. I take a swallow and continue to survey the land.
“You know you don’t have to be out here doing this,” he says.
“You wouldn’t have asked me in the first place if you didn’t need me. Besides, none of you idiots can shoot worth a damn. You need a professional,” I reply.
He punches me in the arm, laughing. “Asshole.”
I nod. “Sometimes.”
“I’m serious though, kid. I know you’ve got some good things goin’ on now, what with your girl and the kid of hers. I wouldn’t blame you in the least if you wanted to focus on them instead of this bullshit. Nobody would.”
I turn to Cosmo, my expression serious. “I’d blame myself if this all went sideways and any of you guys got hurt.”
“That’s not your responsibility. You’re not our appointed guardian, and it’s not on you if we get ourselves shot up.”
“No, but you guys are my family. You guys gave me a home when I had nothing. What kind of brother would I be if I refused to go to war with you guys when the chips were down and you needed me?”
Cosmo sighs and takes another pull from his canteen, shaking his head and looking miserable.
“I just hate to think of you putting your ass on the line for this when you’ve got a girl and kid you’re building a life with. Shit was never supposed to get this serious with the club, man. We never intended to get our wires crossed with a fucking cartel.”
“Like you said, life’s never easy for guys like us. It is what it is. Now, it’s on us to get those wires uncrossed and get these cartel fuckers out of our town, and out of our lives for good.”
“You’re a good man, Domino.”
“Only following the example you guys in Leadership set.”
We both fall silent for a few minutes and I can practically feel the wave of relief wafting off Cosmo. All of the guys in Leadership are very capable soldiers. They’re terrific leaders. But none of them can do what I can do with a rifle in hand. The MC needs me, and I’m resolved to seeing this through. But I am going to need to talk to Ashley tonight. I’m going to have to tell her everything because if this all goes to shit, I don’t ever want her wondering why I disappeared or thinking that I’d just up and abandoned her. I want her to know what could happen if we lose this fight.
“Over there,” I say, pointing to a small rise.
“You kiddin’?” Cosmo replies. “That’s got to be two to three hundred yards away.”
“Which is exactly why I need to be the one to take the shot instead of you guys.”
He looks at me. “Touché. Asshole.”
We walk over and scout the area. It’s a small rise but still gives me a shot on a downward slope. And judging by where the sun is now, it’s going to be at my back, which is only going to help me and hinder them when they inevitably return fire. With the sun shining directly on their faces, they’re not going to know precisely where the shots are coming from or be able to mount an effective response. I’ll be able to pick them off one by one if I need to.
“We got a clean car?” I ask.
