Page 114 of Agony

“I can’t be here,” Azrael said in a high-pitched voice.

Garrett shoved the teenager forward down the passage.

They headed down a long hallway to the back of the house, through a locked door, and then down two flights of stairs. This basement was deeper than the one he’d been in previously.

“I know what you’ve been doing all these years,” Tanis said as they walked.

“What’s that,” he murmured.

“Killing for a living.”

Wrong, he wanted to say, but he tipped his head as if in agreement.

The hallway wrapped around beneath the house until they were back under the study, he guessed.

The sick fuck would get off on having his victims beneath his feet all day.

They reached the end and it was there he faced an iron door that reminded him of a bank vault.

“I don’t want to put you in there, Fisher,” Tanis sighed.

“Then don’t.”

When the man’s eyes searched his, Fisher kept his gaze neutral, his face blank. The last thing he needed was for Tanis to see his hate.

He needed that door opened; he had a barbecue to get to after this mission was completed.

“What do you really want, Tanis?”

The man’s eyes lit up with pleasure when he used his name, which he’d never done before.

“I want you to be my partner.” Tanis reached out and fingered a long strand of his dark hair.

“And get out of my shitty apartment, live here, and help you do what?”

“I’m edging into Solomon’s old business,” Tanis said.

“That’s my line of work,” he frowned for show.

“Exactly.”

He studied Tanis for a long moment and then nodded a bit reluctantly. “I can give it a try as long as you don’t boss me around,” he said, poring it on.

Tanis smiled, pulled a gun from the back of his pants that had been hidden beneath the suit jacket he wore, and handed it to him.

Fisher gripped the gun, keeping the barrel pointed downward.

Garrett moved closer and pointed the automatic rifle at his head.

“Good. Now for your first assignment, kill Crow.”

“What the hell?” Crow said, lifting his hands. “I just brought you these two.”

“I know and thank you, but this is Fisher’s moment.”

Fisher’s mind raced. Fucking hell. Now what? Tanis had effectively turned the tables on him.

They had to get that bunker door open and they needed Tanis to do it.

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