Page 27 of Scarlet Mark
Clear rookies from their inabilities to hide their intentions.
This is definitely an ambush. And Jenkins hadn’t been thorough enough to send qualified assassins to take me out. Instead he’d employed roughly two dozen untrained men. The only one who appeared at ease was Boris, the obvious leader.
He would be the one I needed to take down first.
“Hold on. Before I send her over, I need to know if you want the cuff or not.”
Boris gazed in my general direction, his men antsy at his back. “Cuff?”
“Yeah, it’s how I tagged her. Sort of like a fancy shock collar that doubles as a GPS tracking device. You can test it if you want.” I left the offer hanging, my tone nonchalant. When he didn’t reply, I shrugged. “Well, it’s worth too much to go to waste, so if you don’t want it, I’ll just take it back, then.” I started backward, toward the rear of the car, my eyes on his mouth.
“Wait,” he said, causing my lips to curl. “A shock collar?” Even from thirty feet away, I could see the evil intent pouring from his stance and expression. “Can it go around her neck?”
I chuckled. “Nah, it’s designed for the wrist. It’s perfect for bringing a woman to her knees without risking her throat.”
Amara gasped while Boris smiled. “Yeah, I’ll test that” was his reply.
“It’s a lot of fun,” I said. I moved in front of the car, standing directly in the center of the headlights.
Now would be the correct time to shoot me, except they were all awaiting their leader’s signal. And I’d intrigued the man in charge too much for him to act.
I held up my hand, showing the remote. “Catch.” I tossed it to him, my aim true just like with my daggers, and he caught it in his palm. “You just have to hit the button,” I explained, tucking my hands into my pockets to find the flash bangs.
“Step into the light, Amara,” Boris urged, a vicious grin spreading over his lips. “You know how much I’ve missed you. And Malcom’s given me permission to play.”
She didn’t move.
“Now, Amara,” I added, my tone laced with command. I didn’t chance a glance at her but felt her gaze on me.
And then heard her boots shuffling against the gravel.
Good girl, I thought as she moved to my side, her expression stoic.
I took a subtle step forward, not wanting her within touching distance.
“This button?” Boris asked, his thumb hovering over the only trigger on the device.
“Yep,” I replied, my own thumbs pressing down on the items in my hands.
His forearm flexed, giving me the signal to close my eyes and toss the flash bangs to the side.
Boom!
The crack ricocheted around us, the light bright behind my closed eyes.
But I’d been the only one prepared, the earplugs saving my hearing and keeping me upright while everyone else reacted.
I analyzed the scene in quick succession, my pistol already in my hand and taking aim.
Seven to the left.Bang. Bull’s-eye. Bang. Forehead.Refocus. Bang. Bang. Headshot.Seven down.
An eighth bullet went dead center, taking out the man directly beside a screaming Boris. I left him alone, switching out my magazine in two beats, then took out six more men along the sides.
A bullet whizzed by my head, causing me to tuck and roll to the side, finding the closest meat-shield to eat the incoming fire. He was already dead, having met my fatal mark first, and absorbed the impact as I picked off two more of the men. Not having a free hand to replenish my gun, I threw a blade into a heaving chest before bending to retrieve Victim One’s gun.
Fully loaded machine pistol—perfect.
With him as my armor, I took out the remaining assholes along the periphery.
