Page 89 of My Crazy Killers
“What’s happening?” I ask, trying not to panic.
“They’re firing at the roofs.”Jagger and Elias are up there.I clench my fists, feeling useless, but knowing this is the plan. I just hope Ivan’s already dead.
“What can I do?” I ask as Sly takes what I think are a few well-aimed shots.
“Watch my back.”
“I’m on it,” I say quickly as I scurry to the back of the building, deciding to watch the back entrance in case they try to sneak up on us like they did last time.
I peek out the back door just in time to see someone slip inside the building Jagger is on the roof of.Chyort poberi!I curse in Russian. He’s going to sneak up on Jagger.
I contemplate going back through my building to tell Sly, but time is of the essence, especially since a second man follows the first one. Two against one, and they have stealth on their side.
Making sure there’s no one else out back, I step out and make sure the door is silent when it closes behind me. I arm myself with my gun in my right hand and a knife in my leftas I quickly make my way to the door they disappeared through.
It’s stuck open, so I don’t have to worry about opening it as I peek inside and see the men quietly making their way to the stairs.
I move to the other side of the doorway so most of my body can be protected by the wall, then lift my gun hand and try to remember everything Elias taught me. Aim a little high, eyes open, hold firm, squeeze, don't pull.
I aim at the head of the man in front and take the shot. The glass in the front window behind him shatters, telling me I was at least ten feet off as I quickly pull back, pressing my back to the outside wall. A couple of shots ring out as they shoot through the opening.
At least they might have alerted Jagger to their presence. I know if I lean back in to take another shot, I’m just as likely to miss again and just put myself at risk of getting shot. Hearing them moving closer to me, I do the smart thing and run. Of course, I’m on the wrong side of the door now, so instead of running back to the building Sly is in, I’m running toward the warehouse, since this is the last building before it.
I slow down at the edge of the building and peek around it, before I can even register what I’m looking at, I’m shoved back against the metal wall, my wrist slammed against it so hard I cry out and drop my gun. The guard does the same with my other hand, and my knife tumbles to the snow along with my gun.
I try to reach for my other knives as he pulls back, but he slams his fist into the side of my head and throws me over his shoulder. My head spins from the pain, and being upside down helps nothing.
I’m vaguely aware that he seems to be running, and I am given a split second of clarity when he sets me on my feet right in front of one of their vehicles. I sway on my feet, but my eyes immediately go to the rooftop, looking for Jagger. I know the moment he sees me. His head shoots up before he drops it back to the sight glass of his rifle. The man tries to push me into the SUV, and I glance the other way, seeing Elias on the roof fighting a guard.
Shots ring out from everywhere as guards fire back at the buildings, and the man behind me curses, stepping back as a shot rings out. I see blood dripping from where he’s been hit in the shoulder, no doubt Jagger’s work, so I try to shove him back even further and give myself space to grab the knife from my thigh holster.
But this guy is big, and he barely moves. This time, when the shot rings out, he freezes, and I watch his face, noticing a trickle of blood trailing down his forehead.Dios mio!Jagger shot him right in the forehead. I shove him so he falls backward, then try to run, but someone tackles me to the ground, knocking the wind from me.
When I glance at his face, my blood runs cold. It’s Viktor, the guard who whipped us. This guy is a true sadist. He grins when he sees the expression on my face.
“Nice to see you again,kukolka.”
“Get off me, yousvoloch!” I yell as I try to wiggle free. He chuckles as he gets his feet under him, keeping me tight against him and staying low, clearly smarter than the other guard and not wanting to get taken out by a headshot.
I hear a car door open, then I’m shoved inside as he follows me. As I scramble to sit up, he grabs the knife from my thigh holster and points it at me. “Sit back and shut up,” he warns in Russian-accented English.
“The boss is gonna be so happy to see you.”
“He isn’t dead?” I ask, a feeling of dread pooling in my belly.
“Did you really think it would be that easy?” he asks with a grin. None of this seemed easy at all, but I had expected it to work. How did it go so wrong?
I never should have gone to that other building. But those guys would have snuck up on Jagger. If I ever get out of this, I’m going to insist we always work in pairs so we can watch each other's backs. It’s ridiculous that we hadn’t thought of that.
I just hope the others are okay. This is an unusual SUV, with the two back rows facing each other. Two more men climb in, sitting in the middle row that faces us, before the door is slammed shut and the SUV starts to move. I don’t pay attention to the gunshots ringing out around us. All I can do is stare at one of the men who’s joined us, the one with a bandage wrapped around his arm and staring daggers at me.Ivan.
He just stares at me silently as the sound of bullets hitting the side of the vehicle starts to fade. I glance at the other man and try not to let the surprise show on my face.
Sergei.He’s the one who gave me the key to Jagger’s cuffs and aided our escape. Would he help me again? He looks angry, but I don’t know if it’s at me, or for me. I never knew why he helped me in the first place.
Turning away, I look out the window and realize we’re nearing the end of the street. I swallow the lump in my throat as we round the corner and leave my men behind.I hope they’re all okay.
My eyes move back to Ivan, the man behind all my problems. If he gets me back to his house, it’s going to take theguys a while to infiltrate and get me out. I know they will, but we hadn’t wanted to attack Ivan there because we knew how difficult it would be.
