Ball & Chain (Cut & Run 8)

Zane glanced over his shoulder. Kelly stood with his arms crossed, scowling. Nick hung back, edging farther from the three of them. Zane did a double take when he saw the look in Nick’s eyes, like he was staring into the distance, no longer truly with them.

“Oh shit,” Zane whispered.

Ty and Kelly both turned to investigate, both of them stiffening when they noticed Nick edging closer to the door like he might be trying to escape. But Nick didn’t look for an escape when he suffered his flashbacks. He went on the attack.

The Snake Eaters had waded into the fray, trying to separate Stanton from the rest of the angry group. Stanton, though, had Livi by both arms, apparently trying to explain his actions to his daughter as she shouted at him. One of the Snake Eaters, the woman named Avery Kline, came up beside Stanton and pried his hands from Livi. Then, in the confusion, she wrapped her arm around his neck and yanked him backward, pulling her gun and using him to shield her body from the other Snake Eaters. Then she fired into the air before Zane could move to stop her.

The shot echoed, like fire bouncing off their eardrums. The glass ceiling shattered and rained shards down on the occupants of the room. Ty and Kelly both hit the ground, covering their heads. Neither man had seen what Zane had seen; they’d merely heard the shot and reacted. Screams of terror and pain followed. People dove to the ground, shielding their loved ones or covering their ears. Rain poured in through the shattered panes. Ty and Kelly clambered to their feet again.

“Anyone makes a move and I put one in his ear!” Kline shouted. She directed her words to her fellow Snake Eaters, who all looked stunned by her betrayal. She knew they were the only ones in the room who were armed because they’d wanded everyone as they came in. “Guns down, now!”

English pulled his lapel aside, showing her his weapon. He glanced at Frost and Park, nodding for them to do the same. All three men set their guns on the floor with great care.

“I came here for one reason, and I’m getting off this f**king island. Now,” Kline said to Stanton. She pointed her gun at Livi’s head. “Take me to that memory drive or I kill her.”

Stanton nodded furtively. She began to back toward the doors, dragging him backward with her. She aimed the gun at Zane and the others, eyeing them suspiciously as they stood with their hands in the air. She sneered at them. “Fucking Recon, my ass.”

Another gunshot tore through the sound of the torrential rain, and then the bullet tore through Avery Kline’s head, dropping her as Stanton cringed away from the splatter of blood and brain matter. He stumbled away, leaving Nick standing behind the body of the woman he’d just shot, gun still drawn.

“That’s Force f**king Recon to you,” Nick said to the dead woman. “Bitch.”

Chapter 10

Ty and the others stood in stunned silence. The only sound in the room was the rain pouring in through the ruined roof. Ty looked from the bleeding body to Nick and back. He didn’t dare move, and he was glad the rest of the room seemed too stunned to make any sudden motions that might set Nick off. He didn’t know if they were losing Nick to the past, or if the man had been paying closer attention to the Snake Eaters than Ty and the others had and had simply anticipated a move.

Either way, it paid to be careful around him.

Nick turned his weapon on the other Snake Eaters when English made a move toward his gun. “Leave them,” Nick ordered. “Backups too, on the ground.”

English, Park, and Frost all complied without complaint. They were all hardened veterans; they recognized a man on the edge when they saw one. They kicked their guns toward Nick and backed away from them, hands held above their heads.

Nick glanced at Ty and the others, nodding his head toward the weapons. Kelly jumped when he realized Nick wanted him to move, and he bent to gather the guns and extra clips, handing the spares over to Ty and Zane and checking them before shoving two of them into his pants. He gave Nick a curt nod, never speaking a word. They reminded Ty of Bonnie and Clyde knocking over a bank.

Nick surveyed the people in the sunroom. Ty glanced over them as well, wondering what Nick was looking for. Several people were drenched from the rain, including Deuce and Livi. More were bleeding from cuts caused by falling glass. Mara’s cheek was bleeding, and Earl was cupping her chin to examine it, paying Nick and his gun no attention whatsoever.

Everyone else was staring at Nick, not sure if he was a hero or a new villain.

“Next person who wastes my time with a lie is losing a kneecap,” Nick announced.

Villain, then.

Ty moved slowly, coming up behind Kelly to whisper in his ear. “Can we take him out without hurting him?”

Kelly shook his head. “Don’t need to. Just watch.”

“Three pieces of tech. Three targets,” Nick said, addressing Stanton. “What are they contained on?”

“Computers. Secure files. You don’t need the gun,” Stanton said, trying to sound calm and failing.

“It seems more effective than being pleasant and trustworthy,” Nick countered. “How are the files accessed?”

“A key code. A six-digit code. I only know mine. And then an override code must be entered. I’m the only one who knows that as well.”

“Well, at least they won’t have to cut out your eyeballs for the security or anything. Next time, don’t make yourself the key,” Nick said wryly. He lowered the gun, stuffing it in the small of his back. He glanced at Kelly, then Ty and Zane, and shrugged. “We’re running short on time here.”

Ty gaped at him. He finally snapped out of it and turned to Stanton, feeling the need to both apologize and yell at the man. The Snake Eaters were all glaring at them, looking mutinous.

“Where’s your other man?” Ty asked English.

“Kid duty.”

Ty walked over to him and handed him his gun back. He held up the backup. “I’m keeping this ’til I can find a better one.”

English nodded reluctantly.

“Get all these people into a room and keep them there. Preferably one without a carving on the wall of an angel attached to a ball and chain.”

“Pardon?” English asked, his tone flat and tired.

“Just . . . roll with it.” Ty checked his clip, then shoved the gun into his belt. “We’ll be back with more weapons. Keep everyone calm.”

Ty turned to his men, casting a stray glance at Nick to make sure he hadn’t truly snapped. Nick was smiling crookedly at him, though. Ty had to fight against his own smile. Nick had obviously enjoyed that a little too much.