Page 104 of Reaper Flame

“I suggest you check again,” Zander instructed smoothly with an air of entitlement that I’d find infuriating to be on the other end of.

As the guy looked at his clipboard, West lunged with the ferocity of a wild animal and slammed the guard’s face into the wall. His nose exploded, and he dropped to the floor with a thud. His chest was still moving, but he’d have a monster headache tomorrow.

West kneeled to search the unconscious mound for weapons and stashed a gun in his waistband. The big man didn’t need weapons to fight, but knowing there was one less gun on someone on the other side was a comforting thought.

We huddled around the trap door that led to the Maven below, and Zander gestured for the first pair to go.We’d agreed to enter in stages. It’d create too much of an impact for the entire gang to arrive together. This way, we could stay under Hiram’s radar for longer.

Vixen and Rocky stepped over the unconscious guy and pulled up the hatch, unleashing the roar of the pumping bass.

“See you on the other side,” Rocky said.

They headed down the metal staircase into the flashing strobe lights. My heart hammered, already counting down the seconds until we were next. Standing and waiting wasn’t my style. Hiram was somewhere in the pit below, and time standing still was another moment wasted. But we had no alternative when the element of surprise was our biggest advantage.

Minutes passed, but they felt like hours.

“Next,” Zander ordered.

West took a firm grip of Mieko’s hand for them to step up. She inhaled deeply, but her confidence did not waver. She descended after West and didn’t look back.

“How long do we have to wait?” I asked as we slammed the hatch down on them.

“We’re going in another entrance,” Zander replied coolly. “Through the tunnels.”

I frowned. “But that wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Plans change.”

I grabbed his arm to stop him from walking away. “But it’ll waste time!”

Time we didn’t have.

“Trust me,” Zander said softly. He wasn’t using the voice he reserved for firing orders as a gang boss, but it was the tone he used when he admitted his feelings for me. “If Hiram has been watching and is expecting us to come down next, I will not let you walk straight into his hands.”

“Fine,” I conceded. “As long as it won’t take long.”

“It won’t,” he promised, leading us out of the container. Giving the others time to nail down Hiram’s location had its advantages, but I hated leaving them to do the dirty work for me. I wanted to be among the chaos.

“How much further?” I asked, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

Zander didn’t answer. We continued through the shipping yard until we reached a railing that stopped us from tumbling down a steep drop into black water that stretched ahead like a sea of tar. Once upon a time, many ships would have pulled in to unload, but empty containers were all that was left of the dead industry.

Zander turned right and kept on walking until we reached a rusty gate. He kicked it, making it burst open. The lock on it was so rusted it stood no chance against his foot. Beyond the gate, we followed a thin path until we came upon a stony staircase. The stairs were concealed from view from the yard, impossible to find if you didn’t know what you were looking for.

“Seriously?” I raised an eyebrow.

The stairs were so crumbled and weathered they looked like they’d erode with any weight. Zander didn’t flinch and started walking down them.

“Watch your step,” he said. He stopped on the second stair and turned, holding out his hand.

I batted it away. “I’ll be fine.”

Well, I hoped so. Plummeting into the murky water wouldn’t be an ideal way to spend an evening. The steps miraculously held out as we followed them down to a door embedded within the rock face. Had port workers used it as a control room? A large faded ‘danger’ sign warned trespassers away.

Zander took no notice. He pushed the heavy iron door open, making the rusty hinges groan. If the suicide staircase or warning sign wasn’t enough to scare any sane person away, why lock the door? This must be a lesser known entrance for it to have zero security.

Zander felt around on the side of the rocky wall for a switch and flicked it on. Emergency orange lights flickered to life down a long tunnel. Without them and with the door closed, we’d be in complete darkness. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of dank water. It must have flooded once, but the concrete below our feet was surprisingly dry.

“You sure know how to give a girl a grand entrance,” I grumbled, trying not to flinch at the scratching noise of rats scuttling near our ankles. “How do you know about this place?”

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