Page 165 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

He shrugged. “BlackWater turned up sniffing around. You were the designated fall guy, I just had to put the plan into action.”

“And McCullough, what did he do?” She asked.

“Nothing. He was simply collateral damage.” He shrugged again.

“How so?”

He laughed. “It was right in front of you. Anderson. He was onto us, knew what we were doing. That’s where the money was from. He was blackmailing us. But he got too big for his boots, too demanding. I got McCullough to tail him, told him it’d impress you, showing initiative. Of course the kid lapped it up. He was so eager to please, to prove himself. All we had to do was sit and wait and bam, we killed two birds with one stone. Anderson was gone and you were suddenly all BlackWater could focus on and the heat was off us and we were free to continue unobstructed.”

“You fucking bastard.” She snarled and he laughed tightening his grasp and she cried out feeling the pain in her side turn white hot.

“Why are you even bothering with me then, if I’m just the fall guy then why not leave me, I’m only going to slow you down Burke.” Maddie said through gritted teeth.

“Where would the fun in that be?” He laughed.

She scowled looking over at Mark. He was on his phone still, ducked down low, obviously anxious to avoid any sniper shots.

She could hear them then, the BlackWater Agents, climbing the stairs, approaching them. She glanced at the door almost exactly opposite them. Any minute they’d be smashing their way through, she thought.

“Here we go.” Burke muttered pulling a gun from his jacket and clicking the safety off before placing it against Maddie’s head. He moved his other arm, his hand against the front of her neck, his fingers digging into her jaw forcing her to hold her head still.

Maddie swallowed, feeling the coldness, feeling the barrel against her temple. Would he really shoot her? She wondered. After everything, after feigning friendship for so long would he really just put a bullet in her head?

“How long?” Burke yelled at Mark and he checked his phone.

“Two minutes.”

“It better be.” Burke muttered as the door smashed open and BlackWater Agents stepped out, weapons raised pointing right at them.

“Take one more step and she dies.” Burke barked at them.

Back at base Cole exchanged a look with Brandon before looking back at the screen. Maddie was there, beaten up, covered in blood, pulled onto Burke’s lap, with his legs wrapped around her and his hand holding the pistol right to her temple.

Cole narrowed his eyes, the man had his hands wrapped around her, his fingers digging into her skin like he had a right to touch her, like he had a right to be near her. He bit down the anger, bit down the rage, forcing the control back to the surface.

“Fuck.” Becky muttered beside him.

They knew he had her, they’d traced her phone as soon as it had gone dead. Traced his too.

Cole looked on, seeing the Team Lead standing in the entrance, shifting slightly so that everyone back at command could see the full roof and who was there.

“Hold your position.” Brandon said. He didn’t want a shootout, not there, not right in the middle of the god damn city and especially not while one of his team had a gun pointed to her head.

“We need to move.” Cole said and Brandon frowned.

“You want to risk her life?” He asked him.

“He won’t shoot her, if he does he has no collateral, no protection.” Cole replied.

“That’s a hell of a bet to make.” Brandon stated.

“We’ve got company.” The radio cackled and they both looked back at the screen.

Maddie was talking, they could see her lips moving and Burke replying but the field team were too far away to pick up what they were saying. She looked calm, controlled almost, Cole thought, except for her eyes. He could see the wildness there. The old feral look.

And then the helicopter appeared. It rose up from behind the building.

“Fucking hell.” Brandon said next to him but he barely heard it, he was too focused on what was happening, what was unfolding.

Someone in the helicopter started shooting, the team fell back, ducking out of the doorway and for cover, leaving everyone at base with no view of the roof, no view of Maddie.

Maddie yelled, kicking out despite the gun to her head. Burke yanked her to her feet and started dragging her towards the now hovering aircraft.

“Not a fucking chance.” She snarled trying to break free. She didn’t care if he shot her, she thought, she’d rather be dead than in their hands. Burke grabbed at her but she got loose stumbling back from him.

She heard the gunshot before she felt it.

Heard it echo in her ears, reverberate in her head and she frowned, not believing that he had done it, that he had actually pulled the trigger.

She looked down, feeling a new pain, a hotter, sharper, more overwhelming pain and then she saw the blood, bright red, visible even against her dark jeans. It was wet, almost glistening in the sun and she fell hard onto her knees.

Her breath was coming fast. Really fast. Her heart was pounding, she could feel it.

She looked back up. Burke was still there, gun in hand pointing it at her. Pointing it right at her head now.

“Shoot her already.” Mark yelled from the helicopter but she kept her eyes on him, on Burke. Was this how she died she wondered, right here, on this shitty pub roof at the hands of someone she’d thought was a friend? Was this really it? She stared at him, forcing him to meet her gaze. If he was going to do it, if he was actually going to kill her she was going to make him look her right in the eyes as he did it. Look her right in her eyes as he pulled the trigger.

She opened her mouth to speak, to say something, anything, but gunshots rang out behind and then he was down too. Lying flat on his back, motionless.

The helicopter started shooting again. She curled up quick, huddled into a ball but they weren’t aiming at her.

It took off, still shooting, still targeting the agents until it was high enough to turn and fly away.

Maddie gasped, looking over at Burke. He wasn’t moving. He hadn’t moved an inch since he’d hit the floor. Was he dead, she wondered, hoping that that wasn’t the case because she wanted answers, real answers not the half lies and riddles he’d given her.

An Agent ran up to her and she frowned realising it was Aiden. He rolled her over onto her back and looked at her wound. She could see from his face that it wasn’t good.

There was so much blood everywhere, she realised, covering her, covering the grimy concrete around her too.

“We need a medic ASAP.” He said into the radio before yanking his belt off and tying it tightly around her right leg. Another Agent was there then, next to him, he crammed something over the wound pushed down hard.

“It was Burke.” She said to him and Aidan nodded. “He was behind it.”

“It’s okay. We know.” He replied and she blinked feeling like he didn’t understand it.

“No he was behind it. Behind Anderson, and McCullough too.” She stated.

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