Page 3 of Sweet Touch of Venom
With one foot over the other, I stroll up the L steps, crouching down with my gun leveled with my shoulder. I take my time staying under the radar since steps are thin plaited wood that shifts each step you take. Including scraps of debris and chipped pebbles residing across the stairs. They’ll think it’s probably a mouse if one is kicked, but I won’t take the chance.
As I go around the steps to the gap before getting to the next level, my body tenses as I spot a green shoe. I shut the night goggles off to inspect it closer. Dirt and dried blood is smeared on the shoe—I am guessing they dragged her up here. I bite down on my jaw, my grip on the gun constricting in my hand.Goddammit,the part that makes me sick to my bones. I let out a short, shaky breath to control the rage clawing at my chest.
They’ll die a painful death.
Voices chatter above, guns clicking and the pleading from the victim ringing in my ears loud. And it makes me want to bolt up these steps and get to her sooner. But I have to play it smart and safe.
“Please,” a frantic cry pleads out. “Just let me go, I don’t have anything.”
“Yeah, but your parents do. Your whole damn family does. So shut the fuck up before I blow your head into space,” the person spits out before hearing a loud slap echoing through the shallow walls along with another cry from the blow.
My neck stiffens as my movement picks up an urgent pace. Mal and Boone meet my marks by keeping up. Depending on the takers, most of the victims make it out unharmed, but some like this group are brutal. They abuse, assault, and even kill the victims. Similar to my situation.
I purse my lips, rounding the corner, the rocks and dirt scraping under my boots. The voices grow closer and clearer, my heart pounding louder and louder. I glance at Boone, gesturing my head up to the next L shape steps. It seems they are up there, from the way the dull light cascades toward the top of the entrance. I take a step and another creak.
Fuck
It’s easy to stay quiet, but sometimes man-made creations and Mother Nature can be so fucking against you.
“Something there. Go check it out. And shoot anything moving,” one targets says.
Oh, they wish they could.
The person doesn’t question it and heads toward the entrance, where the steps descend. The sound of his gun cocking kicks my heart into a race. I slip the gun into my holster, then slowly slide the knife up and out.
Mal and Boone disappear back around the lower level. I know they aren’t too far. I can sense them lurking along with me. And if anything goes to shit, I have at least ten men outside ready and armed to dissect the mission. He slowly creaks to the steps, mumbling something under his breath. I shut my eyes, counting the beats of my heart, the rushing waves of my ears connectingwith my blood, every drip and breath. I tip my body into recline. The skit of his boot veers around the corner where the dark shadows meet the steps. Once he moves past the dark spot, my hand wraps around his mouth, bringing the knife to his throat then slitting it. His body squirms in my stiff hold and crimson spills on my knife, filling my hand with liquid.
His muffled screams are not loud enough. Not beneath the gurgling from his own blood. His frame is large, so it takes a little more in me to hold him up. Then he limps in my body. Lifeless.
Boone comes from around the dark corner, grabbing him from me and dragging him away.
“Why hasn’t he come back yet? Elliot!” Their weapons begin clicking. The girl screams along with the chair, knocking onto the floor and scraping for our attention. We’re coming. Don’t you worry.
“Help! Help me,” her scream pours out and my throat tightens.
“Didn’t I tell you to shut the fuck up!” I know this time, instead of a slap, he punched her by the loud thud.
“Two on your left and three on your right. And one directly by the hostage,” Chris calls out into my ear. He’s my guy with the other team that scopes the outside. Using ray vision to get a visual of the suspects in the buildings.
Gazing over at Mal and Boone, her lips snarled up and Boone stoic as usual; I nodded my head, confirming they heard the directions.
Then we storm the scene, aiming my gun at the two men to the left, shooting them directly in the head. The girl screams and watches two bodies next to her collapse before they can put their fingers on the triggers. Mal shoots the man on the right, along with Boone gunning down the other two beside him. Leaving the one and only man left.
Too goddamn easy.
“Oh, shit!” The man left standing grabs the girl roughly, swinging her to his body. She cries and continues screaming, blood leaking from her swollen lip. Her clothes are dirty and torn, with a large laceration slit on her shin. And there it goes, the one shoe on her foot. My eye twitches as my blood ignites at the sight. Now I have to chop off his foot just for that.
“Come one more step, and I’ll shoot her right in her pretty little face.”
My shoulders slack; a headache at the root reels in to make its way over. I sigh, placing my gun back in my holster, with Mal and Boone still pointing at him. We don’t shoot, especially if the target is in the asshole hands.
“I’ll kill her right here.” His hand shakes as his eyes dart around to his men who sprawled out on the floor.
I shake my head, letting out an exasperated breath. There’s that headache. I rub my temple in agony. “Why do they always make it so hard?” I ask rhetorically.
“I don’t know. Maybe they’re trying to hold off their death for a little while longer.” Mal lets out a chilling chuckle.
I nod, slowly advancing on him, even though he walks backward with the death grip on her neck.
