Atonement: The Hunter Mercenary Series (Book One) Page 4
“I could teach you some manners, woman.”
She laughed. “I could make you cry like a girl, man.”
Ethan cleared his throat.
“In the lowest level, and that’s not easy to find in New Orleans. All that pesky sea water,” he stated, enlarging a screen, “you have more space.”
“What goes on down there?” Rogue asked.
“You have some cells to lockdown anyone you need to keep contained.”
They all started laughing.
Ethan and Marcus didn’t.
Clearly, they were serious.
“This room is the weapons room,” he said, showing them the assortment of guns and ammunition.
“It’s all accounted for, so if you have any plans on ‘selling’ some weaponry, think twice.”
They all looked at Rogue.
“What? You do a few arms deals and you get tagged as a dealer for the rest of your life.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Yeah, go figure.”
She whistled and the dog trotted her way.
“I wouldn’t touch him,” Rogue warned. “He bites.”
She crouched down and held out her hand. The dog licked her and then she scratched him behind his ears.
“What’s his name?” she asked, as the man simply stared at her in surprise.
“Kugsha.”
“You realize that isn’t a name but a name of a breed, right?” she asked.
“I didn’t want him. He found me. He’s a pain in the ass. I get fur all over me.”
She kissed the wolf.
“He knows you’re full of shit. Dogs know people. Wolves…they know people. Let’s call you Odin. He was the God of ravens. He could shape shift. You look like you could be a Norse God.”
“Did you just rename my dog?” he asked. “Seriously?”
“You didn’t name him. He wants a name. Right, Odin?” she asked.
The dog rolled to his back.
Rogue didn’t get that woman. She’d tamed his beast.
“Kugsha, come!”
He didn’t.
Great.
Ethan was amused. His wife was good with animals. Dogs loved her.
“Anyway, this is your home—for now. Use it, enjoy it, and make use of it.”
He stood from the desk.
“What if we change our minds?” Zayn asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “What if we don’t want to be yanked around like puppets by you two suits?”
He had a very good question.
And they had an answer for him.
“Well, then we put a bullet in your head because we don’t have time for this,” Ethan stated. “We’ll start with you, Mr. Thundercloud.”
He didn’t like that.
In fact, it pissed him off just like Ethan had hoped. As the man moved toward him, he didn’t bat an eye. Before Zayn could even reach him, Elizabeth was on the man.
She sucker punched him, kneed him in the balls, and flipped him over her body without even breaking a sweat. He landed on the furniture with a crash.
That one chair would never be the same again.
As he stared up at her, she placed her booted foot on his chest and pointed his own Sig at his face.
“When my husband tells you to do something, I suggest you do it. This ‘squaw’ doesn’t like your threatening behavior toward her Native brave. Got it?” she asked.
Yeah, he got it.
“Do you know who they call out to handle the rogue killers that no one else wants to handle?” she asked, staring down at the Native man on his back.
He didn’t move.
“Well, do you?”
He swallowed as he heard the safety go off.
“I’m the executioner,” she said, patting his cheek. “Play nice, Zayn, or we’ll be having this conversation again. Only next time, I won’t be gentle. Ask Dakota about me when I get mean. He’ll tell you the horror stories. I’m still picking his ass from my teeth.”
The man got it.
He wasn’t going to fuck with the Blackhawks. He’d heard about them, but he didn’t think they’d play this kind of game.
He’d been mistaken.
He actually liked them more since they lived in the shadows like he did.
That he respected.
Plus, Blackhawk’s old lady had just taken him down. That was hot.
“So, are you ready to talk about this case?” Ethan asked, sending the information to the wall.
All three men took a seat while Odin remained by her side. She lovingly pet the dog.
“I’m ready,” Dakota stated. “Let’s get it done. I want my information on Lottie Tipton, and I’ll do anything to get it.”
Ethan smiled.
That was why they’d picked him to lead the group. He was the calm one.
And that was saying a lot.
Chapter Two
W hen they were ready, Ethan was back at the helm. He was aware that his wife was right behind him, and he was sure she’d keep any of the three from crossing a line. At first, it was odd having his woman play protection. It was a man’s world, and a part of him thought he should be doing that job.
Well, that wasn’t how it played out.
Plus, he knew she was safe. Security was there. The last thing he wanted was for them to come rushing into the room. They tended to get a little handsy when it came to handling a situation. They needed these three men, and that was the bottom line.
They were handpicked to do the job.
“If you’ll direct your attention to the screen, you’ll see the man who has contacted us to help him. His name is Danforth Harrington. About a month ago, he arrived at his home to find it ransacked, his two daughters missing, and his wife gone. Their security was killed, and their family dog eviscerated.”
“Assholes,” muttered Rogue.
He snapped his fingers and his dog ignored him.
Again.
They all looked at him.
“What? Who kills the family dog? You have to be pretty low in the cesspool to do that kind of shit.”
Elizabeth happened to agree.
Odin did too.
“When he arrived, there was a ransom note. All his security cameras were destroyed with only audio left.”
He pushed a button.
There were screams, chaos, and finally, bullets.
Then silence.
“Small caliber guns,” Rogue stated. “I’d say nine millimeters at the max. Maybe three different guns.”
Ethan pulled up the report.
He was right.
Rogue shrugged. “I know my guns.”
Yeah, and that was just one more reason he’d been chosen for this team.
“Did he pay the ransom?” Zayn asked.
“Yes, he did what they asked, and he paid the BIG request for money, they didn’t follow through with their end of the bargain. They sent his wife’s finger.”
He flipped to another screen.
There was the woman’s finger.
“We tested it, and it was confirmed to be hers,” he said. “It was also confirmed that it was removed while she was alive.”
Marcus took over.
“Danforth is extremely distraught. He contacted the FBI, and in this case, they suggested he pay the six million dollars—to buy some more time—for the family.”
“But?” Dakota asked.
“Nothing. He didn’t want the FBI really getting involved. The killers told him they’d all die. He wants them back.”
Zayn laughed. “They’re dead,” he stated. “They likely took the money, locked the family in a storage container and dropped them in a lake.”
“That’s pleasant,” Elizabeth stated. “Someone should write kids’ books for a living.”
“Hey! I call it like a see it.”
“Because that’s what you would have done?”
“Yes.”
“Liar. You have a soft spot for kids. You’re full of shit.”
He growled at her.
“Well, the FBI has exhausted all of its resources, and they even used up mine,” Marcus stated. “We realized that in order to find this family, we have to play dirty.”
“Yeah, what’s beneath the swamp?” Elizabeth asked. Then she looked over. “Oh, yeah…”
“Har-har, Lyzbeth. You’re full of funnies today,” Dakota stated.
“You missed me.”
“Like a rash.”
“You should be more selective, and then you won’t get them.”
He sputtered.
Elizabeth winked at her husband. Dakota might not know it, but she was the one who vouched for him for this job. She had faith in him, even when Marcus and Ethan thought letting him run this was a nightmare.
She went to bat for the man.
He’d better not let her down.
“We couldn’t help anymore, but then that’s when we figured we could come up with a solution.”
He pointed at them.
“Yeah, are we getting paid?” Rogue stated. “I don’t usually lend out my services for free.”
Elizabeth pulled out her phone and sent a picture to the screen. In it, was Rogue stealing something from a local museum.
“We found it at your hidey-hole, your prints are on it, and I have this little photographic evidence. I think you’ll do it for free.”
“I should have known the job was too easy. I was set up.”
Ethan laughed. “Yeah, you were. So…?”
“Who are the people we’re looking for?” he asked.
Ethan sent the wife’s picture to the screen. “Here’s Maia Harrington. She’s his second wife. His first wife died in a boating accident—a couple decades ago.”
“Did you both run the husband?” Dakota asked. “He’s had a wife die, and now a second abducted. He’s either trying to get richer or has really shitty luck.”
“We checked. His first wife wasn’t out with him on the boat. She was out with someone else. She was the mother of the one girl—Stella Harrington. The other child, Mercedes, is the youngest and she’s Maia’s only biological child.”
He pushed a button.
While the men expected to find two little girls on the screen, they found the opposite. Stella Harrington had to be about thirty, and her sister, Mercedes, had to be about eighteen.
“They aren’t kids,” Zayn said, focused on the older sister. She had lots of black hair and pretty blue eyes. There was something about her.
She was absolutely gorgeous.
He knew women.
He was a man, and they were drawn to pretty things.
“No, Stella was about to head off to finish her medical degree. She was home from school and planning out her career. All that is left is her residency rotation.”
They made notes.
“Mercedes was taking a year off from going to college. She was a recent high school graduate. She was wanted by a few colleges for her gymnastic skills. Still, she deferred,” Marcus stated.
“Where did they live?” Dakota asked.
“Here in New Orleans. They had a large estate in the Uptown section. It’s in a ritzy community. How they got in…we have yet to figure that out. No one saw anything.”
Dakota knew what he needed to do.
“I want to see the home. If I have to track them, I have to start where it all started.”
That made total sense.
“You have an appointment to be there later today. Mr. Harrington will be waiting for you.”
“Good.”
“Great,” muttered Zayn.
“Problem?” Ethan asked.
“I hate people.”
Elizabeth laughed. “No, really? I didn’t see that one coming. A big, oaf of a man hates people. Let me guess. They don’t like your cheery, pleasant disposition.”
“I really don’t like you.”
“I’m heartbroken.”
“Children,” Ethan warned. “Can we continue? We have a flight to catch to get back to DC by tonight.”
“Continue, Ethan,” Dakota offered.
It looked like their leader was taking control. This was what he’d hoped for. One person, with the law in his blood, was leading two reprobates who just didn’t give a shit.
What could possibly happen?
How could this go wrong?
“As I was saying, we’ve managed to track one set of prints from the scene. It’s this man.”
He pulled a picture up. On the screen was a badass.
Zayn recognized him.
Oh, did he ever.
“He’s one of the leads for my sister’s case. I’ve been chasing him for a long time.”
Blackhawk was aware.
He handed him the envelope.
Zayn ripped it open. Inside, there was one name on the paper. It was that man’s.
“He’s involved in my sister’s disappearance and these women’s disappearances?” he asked.
“Yes.”
That was all he needed to hear.
He was officially in all the way.
“What do you know about him?” Dakota asked, trying to find his bearings.
“That’s Gus Cobb. He’s trouble with a capital T. If he’s got his hands on one of those girls, he’s going to be abusing the shit out of them. He’s a sadist.”
That wasn’t good.
“Would he really hurt them?” Dakota asked.
“Well, if you don’t call rape hurting, then no. They’re fine…”
This was bad.
Dakota went with his gut.
The cop in him came out.
They had to help this father.
Zayn continued, “The only thing Mr. Harrington has in his favor is that as long as the man is paying the ransom and keeps his wits about him, Gus won’t ‘damage’ the goods. As soon as that’s not the case, she’ll be under him on a mattress, and then dead. Maybe not in that order.”
It made all of them sick.
“Yeah, he’s that vile.”
“Danforth has to do a drop soon. If he doesn’t, then whoever Gus has is going to die,” Dakota stated. “When was the last one?”
“A week ago. They come in seven-day increments,” Ethan offered.
“Finding them is going to be hard,” Rogue offered. “With that many hostages, it’s safer to keep all three of them apart. They won’t try to escape in fear for the other two’s lives, and if one gets caught the other two are still bargaining chips.”
And that was why they wanted them on this team.
They were criminals.
They thought like the people doing the evil deeds.
“Then we had better get to the old man’s house so we can get a jump on this. I’ll do the next drop for him,” Rogue stated.
“Why you?” Zayn asked.
“You look like a mercenary, he looks like a cop, and I blend.”
Ethan laughed.
“What?” he asked when Marcus shook his head. “It worked out the way we planned.”
That it did.
This favor, so far, wasn’t blowing up in their faces.
“I suggest you get moving,” Elizabeth said, as Callen headed into the room carrying a sniper rifle.
Immediately, he slung it over his back and went to his wife’s side.
She gave him a kiss.
Zayn was watching her.
“Sue me. I have a thing for Native brothers.”
He laughed.
“It makes me wish I had a brother,” he stated.
Callen growled. “One bullet. That’s all I need.”
Elizabeth patted him on the ass.
Ethan hoped they would be okay with this job. They really needed these three men to do their best.
“Good luck, gentlemen. If you need me, Dakota, you know how to reach us.”
Elizabeth waved at him. “Dak, call. Don’t play hero. This time, you have to play the villain. The games are more fun on this side.”
He was surprised s
he was even thinking that, let alone saying it out loud.
The Bonnie thing had damaged more than just him.
Marcus shook his old employee’s hand. “Be careful, Rakin. The city is waking up. You’re going to need a miracle,” he stated.
Elizabeth took her place between her husbands, and she pointed at Rogue. “You can’t come home with me, Odin. Go to Rogue.”
The dog trotted toward his master.
“How did you…?”
She simply smiled, and then placed her arms around her husband’s waists.
They headed out.
Marcus waited. “Oh, and Dakota?”
“Yeah?”
“Tag. You liked to make my life hell as an employee. Here’s your payback. They are YOUR responsibility. You can’t shoot them, you can’t kill them, and you have to make sure they don’t burn the city down—or this house. It’s Elizabeth’s gift from Callen. She hasn’t even gotten to use it yet. Be gentle.”
“Come on!” he said, “Why would you play me like that, Marcus?”
He smiled his toothy grin. “Yeah, Karma is a bitch, son, and you just got a double serving of it.”
With that, he headed out too.
They watched them exit the courtyard on the security cameras. At the one gate, Elizabeth looked back and saluted him.
Dakota sighed.
He knew he was screwed, and here was the proof. Elizabeth had played nice.
“She’s hot,” Zayn said.
Dakota shook his head. “She’s like a black widow. How those two men are still alive…no idea. Don’t even go there. She’ll hand you your ass.”
He laughed like he didn’t believe him.
Well, that was on the man—not Dakota.
He’d warned him.
“Dibs on the highest floor,” Zayn said before either man could call it. “I like to be up high.”
“I’ll take lowest,” Rogue said. “I like to enter through windows sometimes.”
“Well, then here I am, stuck in the middle with you,” Dakota stated.
Neither got it.
This was going to be a long mission.
He could tell.
“We’d better suit up and get ready. We’re going to have to move fast,” he said. “If Rogue is right, the clock is ticking.”
“Oh, I’m right,” he said.
And that was what Zayn wanted to hear. He was going to work with these chuckleheads for one reason, and one reason alone.