Page 28 of Echoes and Oaths

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She glanced over at Jinx, a brow lifted in silent question.

He gave her a nod. "Do it tomorrow. While you’re snapping shots, I’ll get things situated here and talk to Eira about what’s coming the following day.” He had to clean his weapons; take stock of what ammo remained; find his other stockpiles throughout the area; and refresh, clean, and ready those stashes.

Raven grinned, sharp and confident. "Child’s play." She looked down at the small dog and talked to him in baby talk, which got her the helicopter tail wag.

Brando’s voice returned. "Fury wanted you to call once you were able to talk."

Jinx flicked a glance toward Raven. "Call him now."

"Hold the line."

Thirty seconds later, Fury’s voice grated over the comms. "Jinx, what’s your initial plan?"

Jinx rubbed his chin, staring out the cracked window at the stars populating the heavens. "I need to make a statement," he said quietly. "A clear one. Something that leaves no doubt about my lethal tendencies. I’ve asked Brando to get me a full rundown of Ortega’s enforcers. I’ll choose wisely." Someone was going to die to make his statement. He’d try to pick the one who deserved it the most.

A pause stretched over the line. Then Fury’s voice came back, sharp as ever. "Are you planning on joining forces with Ortega immediately?"

Jinx shook his head, even though Fury couldn’t see him. "No. If we’re bringing down Ortega and the Ghost, I plan to stay rogue until both come to me with offers. Playing one against the other as much as I can to draw out the two bastards." A thought sparked in his mind. “A third contending for dominance in the area would stir the pot. Have Brando fill the time between with financial success and ties to as many people they would admire as possible. People we can manipulate or alter communications to show I’m a force to be reckoned with. A small army allegedly coming back to Venezuela after me wouldn’t hurt.”

"That’ll put you in a dangerous spot," Furywarned. "Not having an allegiance to one of them is a death sentence in their world."

Jinx nodded grimly. "It will. But I know these people. I know how they operate. The fact that I won’t immediately pledge loyalty will make them nervous. That uncertainty will ripple through both factions. I want them watching me, questioning me. The pressure may force them to show their hands."

"We need to come up with a name for those military assholes," Raven muttered. "They’re not military, no matter what they call themselves."

"Fine. Those assholes work for me." Fury scoffed.

Brando chuckled in the background. "That’ll look great in my reports."

Jinx glanced over at Raven and smiled. She was sitting cross-legged at the table, the tiny black-haired mutt curled up in her lap, licking her fingers as she slipped him bits of food from her plate. One small ear was pointed up, the other dipped down. Its only coloring was a white splotch of hair on the tip of his nose. For a moment, despite the looming danger, despite the weight of the plan spinning in his head, there was something almost peaceful about the scene. Raven could be the girl next door. Not in a million years would anyone believe she was anassassin … and that thought brought him back to the problem at hand.

"I need to protect Eira and her family," Jinx said quietly, his voice rough with the weight of responsibility pressing on his chest. "And to do that, I might have to make more than one statement." If someone messed with her, he’d have to show his possession.

"You have authorization to get this mission done. You know the requirements.” Fury’s voice came back over the comm, cool and precise. “Minimal collateral damage. Get it done."

Brando interjected without missing a beat. "For what it’s worth, Fury, I’ve been digging. Not one of the people working for Ortega qualifies as innocent. Most have multiple murders under their belts. Some of them are sadists, pure and simple. If any of these bastards were operating in the United States, Guardian would seriously consider letting the Shadows loose on home soil."

"I don’t doubt it for a second," Fury replied. "The world’s changed in the last twenty-five years, but bad people are still seeping up through the pits of hell. The monsters of this world have evolved … and so have we."

Raven’s voice cut in dry and sharp. "Yeah, that’s why working alone isn’t always the best way toeliminate these assholes anymore. It’s not like back in the day."

Fury’s evil laugh echoed over the line, gravelly and amused. "Back in the day? It seems to me I’m stillinthe day. Anytime you want to haul your ass back to the Rose and try your hand, just say the word."

Raven snorted. "Like I’m that stupid? No, thank you very much. I’ll stay right here in Venezuela with my puppy."

A beat of silence stretched over the line before Fury’s voice dropped, tinged with dry amusement. "You already starting a menagerie, Jinx?"

Jinx sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, I’ve been here almost a week. I was just sitting outside, minding my business. He came to me."

"And I’m keeping him," Raven said firmly, scratching behind the dog’s ears. "He’s the cutest damn thing."

Fury snorted. "You do realize we’re not an animal transport service, right?"

"Why no, I hadn’t," Raven replied sweetly, her tone full of snark. "Thanks for the update."

Fury’s voice turned serious again. "Jinx, good luck with her and the puppy. Keep me informed.Daily reports. And I’m not talking about the number of animals you accrue. The Rose is clear.”

“I’m still online,” Brando said. “And just so you know, you really shouldn’t mess with him. My brother Con tried that once. It wasn’t pretty. They still don’t get along, but they tolerate each other."