“Will do.” That’s what Paulie says, but he still has his eyes on the main road.
“Fucking moron,” I mumble before activating the radio. “The back drive is behind you, asshole.”
Paulie glances up in my direction with a glare. He probably thinks I can’t see him when he flips his fingers unde
r his chin. I flex my finger around the Barrett’s trigger but don’t actually pull back on it. As I watch, he walks over to the edge of the building where he would have a clear view. His eyes are still on the main drive, though.
The rumble of a diesel engine pulls my thoughts from the useless so-called security specialist. I turn the scope to watch the truck roll up the drive and around the main building to the back next to the empty truck. From the passenger side, a tall, dark-haired man drops out of the truck and approaches Rinaldo.
I can’t hear their words, but their posture is friendly enough. They speak for a few minutes until Becca brings over her tablet and starts going over the details of the shipment. Everyone’s nodding, so the shipment must be in order.
So far, so good.
I check the perimeter again and then out along the line of trees near the preserve. A slight breeze has picked up, and the dense, rustling leaves make it difficult to spot any human movement. I adjust the scope, watch carefully, but see nothing.
I swivel the rifle around and look out toward the cemetery. It’s just across a small river from our location, and I see a couple of recreational boats out on the water. I have to wonder who in their right mind is out on a boat this time of year and narrow my scope in on the people.
They’re all just sitting there, looking around. Not drinking a beer, not fishing, and not talking as far as I can tell.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up.
“Paulie, send a couple guys east to the tree line and the river. There’s something going on over there.”
“Got it.” The radio clicks off, and I watch Paulie direct some of the crew in the direction I indicated. They move at a good pace, guns drawn. I watch them approach the river just as one of the boats hits land.
I’m not at all surprised when shots ring out.
I focus and aim. There are four of them in the first boat and five in the second, which has yet to reach the shore. My first shot is at the guy in the back of the second boat—the one with his hand on the outboard motor’s tiller. He falls backwards into the water as the others duck below the boat’s side.
Everyone else is hidden by the trees, and I’m having trouble getting a lock on any of them. One of Rinaldo’s people goes down, and I try to aim at the one who took him out. It takes two shots, but he drops as well.
There’s yelling coming from behind me, where Rinaldo and the trucks are, but I don’t have time to turn and look. Another shot, another body. They’re getting closer, and Rinaldo’s last man on that side drops to the ground, screaming. I can’t get another shot off until after someone comes up close and pops him in the head.
They’re now racing through the trees, and I can’t aim properly with them moving so fast. I take a couple of shots, but they don’t find their marks. I’ve only managed to take out four of the nine so far, and there is currently no one else between them and Rinaldo.
“Get your asses over there!” I yell into the radio.
Automatic rifle fire erupts behind me. I look away from the scope long enough to see everyone scrambling behind the trucks. From the back side of the building, three SUVs have pulled around.
I quickly change my angle and start shooting at the vehicles. I take out the driver of one car, and it skids before sliding into a parked truck. The other two keep coming.
“Rinaldo’s hit!”
I have no idea whose voice comes through the radio. As soon as I hear the words, I desert both my post and my Barrett. I only climb half way down the ladder before dropping to the ground, handgun out and heading toward the trucks.
A group of men jump out of the SUV closest to me. I raise my gun and fire four times. Four bodies drop to the ground. The driver tries to turn the vehicle around, but I get him through the window, and the SUV rolls until it hits one of the guys on the ground.
Paulie and Beni are firing rapidly as one of Rinaldo’s other guards drops to the ground, blood seeping from his chest. From the side of the lot nearest the river, shots are still being fired as well. I ignore them all and race to Rinaldo’s side.
The asphalt digs into my knees when I drop down next to him. There’s blood on the ground nearby, but I can’t tell for sure where it’s coming from. Rinaldo’s face is pale, and his eyes are blank, but I can see his chest rising and falling.
“Rinaldo!”
He blinks and looks at me.
“I…I think I’m all right.”
I grasp his arm and roll him slightly. Blood is pooling near his hip, and I can see a gash in his pants where the bullet tore through, but as I tear more of the fabric away, I can see the wound is serious. It’s near the artery, and he’s losing blood fast.