Page 33 of The Devils' Darling

“But we don’t put their lives at risk,” I add hurriedly. “That needs to be a priority. No risks.”

“Right.” Tino nods and echoes my words to his men. “No risks. They need to stay alive.”

“Sir?” One of Tino’s men steps forward. He’s big, muscular, with a short buzz cut and hard eyes.

“Yes, Leon?”

“I’ve carried out extractions before, when I was in the military. Some of them were of VIPs, and the most important factor was bringing the victims out alive.”

I regard him. “What would you suggest?”

“The weapons we brought with us contain a number of things like flashbangs.”

“Flash-whats?” I ask, confused.

“Stun grenades,” Leon supplies. “They make a lot of noise and produce a blinding light. We use them to disorientate people. The smoke helps, too. They won’t be firing because they’ll be stunned and then unable to see.”

“Will the smoke affect Mackenzie and Kirill?”

“It might make them cough some. I’m not talking about poisonous gas, here.”

“If you have the equipment for that, it sounds less risky than going in weapons blazing,” I admit.

“We’ll check out the lay of the land when we get there,” Tino says, “and make a decision then, but we bring the weapons. We ought to make sure each man has a supply right now.”

Nataniele nods. “Let’s armor up.”

Leon opens the back of the vehicles, and I stare at the number of crates. He flips the lids on them, one by one, revealing numerous weapons. It’s like being a kid in a toy shop.

“Impressive,” Nataniele says.

“Thank Mr. Rossi,” Leon says, referring to Tino’s father.

“I will be sure to once we’re all back safe and sound,” Nataniele says.

I pause at his words and then gesture for him to follow me off to one side. “You can’t come,” I say to my father.

He scoffs. “Excuse me? It sounded for a moment there like you were giving me an order on the grounds of my own fucking college.”

“Dad.” I drop the animosity and the formality that always simmers between us because in this I am right, and I need to make him see that. “If you come, you risk destroying all of this. You can’t ever be found to have gone directly up against the Pakhan who sends his kid to your college. It will bring it all down. Your son, though? If he did it without your knowledge, what could you do?”

“I am not letting you go up against Grigoriy Stepanov alone.”

I laugh. “I’m not alone. Tino’s men are here.”

“So, it’s okay for his father to help but not me?”

“His father isn’t directly here, is he? It’s different. These men are working for Tino now. Plus, you can make sure Lucia is safe, and the college itself. We don’t know what Grigoriy might do.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose, but when he looks at me, I know he’s seen sense.

“Don’t come back to me dead.” He swallows hard.

I think it’s the most love he’s ever shown me. “I’ll try not to,” I say.

The man called Leon clears his throat and raises his voice, addressing the rest of the men.

“Remember, this is an extraction, and the goal is to protect the lives of the hostages at all costs.”

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