Page 123 of Madness & Mercy
They spring out with blades, two of them, one swinging wild at Julian. He counters with his forearm and buries his knife into the guy’s ribs, twisting hard. I duck under a punch from theother and drive my fist into his gut, then elbow his temple until he drops. Blood stains the dock.
Julian wipes his blade off on the dead man’s coat. “He’s heading for the boats.”
We cut him off just before he reaches the waterline.
I fire a warning shot at his feet.
He slips, skids, and slams into a steel drum, landing on all fours. His pistol clatters across the pier. I walk toward him slowly, like a fucking executioner.
He tries to crawl away.
I step on his ankle and drag him back.
“Going somewhere?”
“Fuck you,” he spits, his breath ragged, blood leaking from his mouth.
I grab him by the collar and slam him into the nearest crate. “You’ve been trespassing onmyturf. That means you’ve either lost your mind… or someone gave you permission.”
Braga laughs, weak and cruel. “You think this is about turf?”
I punch him in the ribs. Something cracks. Hehowls.
“You working with Silvio?”
No answer.
“Who’s feeding you intel? Who’s protecting you?”
He just grins.
“Talk,”I growl, knife in hand now. “Or I open you up and find out myself.”
“Fuck you.”
I drive the blade shallow into his thigh. He screams, tries to fight, but I’ve got him pinned. Julian’s watching from a few feet away, his gaze cold and empty.
Braga coughs, spitting blood at my boots. Then he chuckles low.
“Y’know… it’s funny…”
I lean closer, fuming. “What’s funny?”
“You still don’t get it, do you? You’re asking the wrong questions.”
“What thefuckdoes that mean?”
He looks past me—at Julian.
“Askhim.”
The air stills.
I feel Julian tense behind me.
Braga grins wider. “You ever wonder how Silvio stayed two steps ahead of you? How he knew about the warehouse job? The shipment routes?”
I freeze. My blood runs cold.
