Page 58 of The Wrong Drive-
“Itwillpass if you make the conscious decision to clear your mind, just like you do on the range. Focus on the mission, not the emotion. So,” he chuckles. “Maybe the next time you’re at the mall, focus on the mission of getting what you need and leaving without causing any bodily harm. Let the anger pass.”
“Or maybe avoid malls,” I reason.
“Or maybe consider exposure therapy,” Bradford retorts with another one of ourgreatfucking topics. “Slowly and safely?—”
“I’ll get over it,” I cut him off.
“If you’re ever going to be good enough for Em, you’ve got to win the war with thedemonsin your mind, Martin. Otherwise, you’ll be a victim of yourself.”
I fall silent to that one, the darkness in my head threatening to sneak back in.
Bradford opens his mouth to say something more to me, but then stops, his phone buzzing in his pocket. “Hang on a second.” He gives me his index finger, and then steps out of the living room to talk on the phone.
As he moves away, I let my mind wander, and it runs right back to the taste of Em on my lips. I’ve never wanted anyone or anything so bad. And that’s reason IknowI’ll deal with all this bullshit therapy if it means I can be better for her.Safefor her.
It’s just so goddamn hard.
“All right,” Bradford steps back into my earshot. “It looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us. I have a client that’s been getting his operations all fucked up at some community college because of some unwanted gang activity. He wants us to take them out cleanly, without anyone noticing.”
I perk up at the challenge. “At a college? What kind of operations are happening at a college?”
Bradford ignores me, as per usual. “There are three targets. They loiter in a parking garage off campus every night. It should be easy, and since you’ve been working so hard,” he pauses, as ifhe’s not sure heactuallybelieves his own words, “I’m one man short tonight due to a situation. So, I think I’ll let you work out a few of those kinks you still have. Consider it a night to let loose.”
“Fuck yeah,” I grin.
He glares at me in a way that brings back my military days, and instantly eats my smile. “We need to get moving.”
Most of the snow has melted, but it’s still cold as I sit in my truck. I glance down at my hands covered in a pair of gloves.
I could fire with them on.
But tonight, I actually get to have my rifle back in my hands. And there’s only one thing I like being intimate with, other than Em.
The goddamn trigger.
I like the way the grain of the steel feels against my skin, and the way it gives me something to focus on in the middle of an operation. I guess that’s fuckingmindfulness.
Maybe all this hypothetical, philosophical trigger talk has gotten to me. Maybe I should tell Bradford in our next counseling session. Inflate his ego.
Or maybe not.
All of the sudden I’m completely rattled as Bradford’s voice comes over my in-ears. I immediately fuck with the volume, trying to lower the fuzz of the static reverberating in my head.
Shit, this is way too loud.
“Okay, Trigger, time to get those hands warmed up and that rifle ready,” he booms. “We have a positive ID on our targets. All three of them are together as planned. It looks like tonight is going to be an easy one. They seem to be headed towards the eastparking lot, labeled F as in Foxtrot. You should have a clear view from the second tier in C as in Charlie parking garage.”
“Got it.” I glance over to the parking garage sign in front of me. “I’m in Charlie for cover currently. Will head to the second tier.”
I gun the engine of my truck, accelerating up from the ground level to the second story. I have no idea what cameras might be in place or who might be paying attention to me. This whole thing feels dicey.
Butfuck,does it feed the adrenaline pulsing through my veins.
The parking garage is dark, and other than a few vehicles, it’s dead. I back my truck up, facing the parking lot. I roll my shoulders, screw the silencer onto my rifle, and then climb out of the driver’s seat.
“Eyes say they’ve landed,” Bradford comes over the earpiece again. “Take care of it and then I’ll head over for clean-up. Don’t fuck this up. They’ll be loading up in a black Tahoe parked there.”
“Got it.”
