Page 80 of To Have and To Hold

It would be Rei’s job to enter the shipping dock, take out the first guard, and then call for us to enter. The plan was to go up the service elevator, surprise Volkov’s two guards, and enter the condo.

This mission didn’t need nine people.

The possibility of us being caught off guard was why we had the extra men. It seemed unlikely that Volkov would feel the need for extra bodyguards while he was fucking his mistress, but we couldn’t be too sure. We could be walking into a setup.

“Loading dock cameras are diverted,” Sebastián said through our earpieces.

The area near the loading dock had tall lights, brightening the parking lot. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as the lights slowly dimmed, darkening the area. “Fuck yeah,” I whispered to Sebastián. Between him and Silas, they knew their way around this technology.

“Eight o’clock,” Jano said.

Rei opened the side door. Wearing all black with his military-grade gear, he stayed in the shadows, making his way up the side ramp.

I held my breath as he picked the lock. The door opened. “Under ten seconds,” I relayed as Rei disappeared into the loading area.

We all waited until Rei gave the all clear.

The next seven minutes lasted years, or at least they felt that way.

Rei’s voice came through the earpieces. “Clear.”

We exited the van, moving in tandem. In our black gear, from the air, we’d appear like worker ants following a trail. Once inside, I saw that the guard was dead, his throat slit. We were following the plan.

There wouldn’t be a cleanup crew following this mission. The point was to leave clues leading to Makarova. Rei had the service elevator waiting as all nine of us piled in. The grate doors would expose us when we reached the floor of the condo. However, there shouldn’t be a guard at the service elevator.

We all held our long guns, pointed at the entrance as we moved higher in the skyline.

A collective gasp filled the air as we were met with no guards or guns.

“Volara,” Jano whispered.

“Quiet,” I repeated for our Russian friends.

The blueprint of the floor was etched into our brains. With Rei in the lead, we moved stealthily through the back hallways, created for workers to remain invisible. Cracking open the door from the janitor’s closet, we had visual of the guard outside Volkov’s door. The fucker was looking down at his phone with an earpiece in his ear.

Shouldering my gun, I approached quietly. The Chargers’ score was zero to zero as he realized I was there. My eight-inch blade sliced his neck, letting blood spurt from his carotid as he slumped into the chair. Piero hurried past me, on his way to his mission: the guard at the elevator.

I couldn’t see what happened, but as soon as Piero returned, we were joined by the other seven.

“I’m going in first,” Nick said, looking atel Patr?n. “He’s your kill, but you’re not meeting a gun upon entry.”

Jano nodded.

Rei picked the lock and a second later, Nick pushed his way in. We scanned from left to right. Luxurious furniture and expensive décor could be found in every room. Music filled the air. There were dishes on the dining room table as if a meal had recently been consumed. Nick led with Jano on his tail. The sweep of the first few rooms had me worried that Volkov had been tipped off.

Nick pushed open the primary bedroom door.

No one.

The bed sheets were tousled, but there was no one.

We all stilled at the sound of voices.

Jano motioned with his head toward what I assumed was the bathroom door. He kicked the door in. Volkov and Leah were submerged in a long bathtub. Leah screamed and dropped her glass of wine. The glass shattered, splattering red wine on the tile floor. Volkov jumped to his feet, his face beet red and his shriveling dick disappearing.

Jano stepped forward. “Esta noche mueres.”

Rei turned to Volkov, translating Jano’s warning. “Tonight, you die.”

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