Page 4 of Wrecked

The helicopter touched down on the concrete pad located at the rear of Dave’s estate.

Crow jumped out, then the pilot waved and lifted the bird into the sky. Sometimes it paid to work for people in power. He hefted his pack higher over his shoulder and headed down the walkway that wandered through the large grassy area between the landing pad and the back of the Santa Barbara estate.

Dave’s right-hand man stood in the doorway waiting for him.

“Thanks for this,” Crow told Stone when he entered the warmth of the home.

It was noisy with loud laughter coming from one of the rooms off the entryway.

“Kids are playing some new game Dave bought them,” Stone said, shutting the door and pointing to the stairs. “Your room is on the third floor, fourth door down on the left.”

“Thanks.” Crow started up the stairs but then paused when Dave spoke as he came out of his library that also served as the man’s study.

“Do you have time to go over your plan before you head out?” Dave asked.

Crow tipped his head. His plan? His only plan was to find Rebel and talk him into coming back to Nevada with him. If that didn’t work? He’d knock the kid out.

“Sure, let me shove this in the room,” Crow said and jogged up the stairs.

Roughly fifteen minutes after Crow arrived, he walked into Dave’s study.

“Coffee?” Dave asked.

“Please, black,” Crow said and settled into one of two large leather chairs in front of a wide window.

Dave filled two mugs and brought them over. Crow took the cup and sipped at the hot brew as Dave sat in the other chair cradling his own mug.

The garden beyond the window was thick with trees that changed with the season. September had the leaves turning from green to gold and some even orange.

“Why didn’t Rebel stay here?” Crow asked Dave.

“I don’t know. I think it was a combination of him feeling there were too many rules or it could have been because he quit Erebus after a week and thought he couldn’t stay here.” Dave sighed. “I never got a chance to ask and before I knew it, he was gone.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty crafty.” Crow nodded.

“So, what’s your plan?” Dave asked him and Crow sighed.

“I’m heading over there later this afternoon.”

“There?”

“The place where Rebel’s mother lives.”

“Is it a stable home?”

“Not hardly,” Crow admitted. “But he’s very committed to her.” Crow shifted, he hated that Rebel hung around that place.

“How did you meet Rebel?”

Crow gave a half snort. “I caught him breaking into my truck back when I was here helping on the Tanis case.”

“No shit,” Dave said and chuckled.

“Yup. He’s fast or I would have kicked his ass then,” Crow admitted.

“He must have been sixteen at the time.”

“Yeah, about that. He turned eighteen a month ago.” Crow only knew that because Savage had texted him a copy of Rebel’s ID. It was standard procedure for Erebus to keep phones and IDs while the assassins took on jobs. That way, the hits couldn’t be traced back to the organization.

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