“You have an answer for everything.”
“And you have none.”
I gestured to the protective glasses and earplugs. “Put them on. The last thing I need is you getting hurt and your boss accusing me of reneging on our deal.”
To my surprise, Benoit slipped the glasses on and pushed the earplugs into place. “I know, somehow I even manage to make these look good.”
He did. But I wasn’t about to let him know that. Instead, I headed behind the gate and let him follow.
Once inside, I spotted my man standing over by the table where several of the new weapons we’d acquired sat—the latest semiautomatics, sub-machine guns, grenades, night-vision and thermal devices, and predator drones. “This is the first order that came in,” he said. “The second is due next week.”
I nodded and went straight for the MP5K sub-machine gun. I’d been waiting on this piece of equipment in particular. As I picked it up, I noticed Benoit move as far away from the table as he could, so much so his back almost hit the fence.
So it was true, he wasn’t a lover of weaponry, and didn’t seem to like violence of any kind. That was interesting, considering the line of work he was in. I couldn’t imagine his two friends having the same aversion. Not with the way that Lachlan guy had cradled his weapon like a lover.
I moved away from the table and into position in front of the target range, then positioned the gun so I could get a feel for the weight of it. It felt good, lightweight compared to a normal machine gun. A fact my customers would enjoy.
I checked that the magazine was loaded then lined it up with the target and let it rip.
Pop. Pop. Pop.The piece was easy to control as I fired, the accuracy unparalleled for close-quarters encounters, and it had a setting for longer distances. It was easy to see why it was in such high demand.
After firing several rounds at the target, I engaged the safety and turned back to where my man stood, arms crossed, a smile on his face.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”
“Very.” I nodded and headed back to the table, putting it down next to the others. “You got the numbers I’d need. Is it possible?”
“Definitely. Will take a little time, but we should be able to have it within a couple of weeks.”
“Good. That’s good.” I was about to reach for the night-vision goggles when a radio crackled on the table.I scooped it up and barked, “Stavros. Go ahead. Over.”
“Boss, there’s some disturbance on the outer perimeter of the compound. Over.”
“Define disturbance. Over.”
“Three vehicles with stolen plates closing in fast. Over.”
“How’d they get past the checkpoint? Over.”
Static was all that answered for a long moment before he was back, his voice cutting in and out. “…refusing to stop… armed…”
My guards poured out from the headquarters, weapons in hand, and into armored off-road SUVs. The vehicles kicked up sprays of sand as they hauled ass out of the compound, and my jaw clenched tight.
“Find out who the fuck it is,” I said into the radio, but in the back of my mind I already had a name. If this was an attack, it had to be the Redwater Syndicate. We’d already heard rumblings that they were considering moving in on our territory, but since our strained meeting the night of my gala, they’d ghosted.
The radio crackled again, and this time, there was an edge of alarm in his voice.
“Boss… advise… take shelter?—”
The line died and I growled in frustration, thrusting the radio into the chest of my weapons man.“Get a good line open and track them.”
“Boss, maybe you should go underground.”
“I don’t run from terrorists.”
“Understood, but…” His gaze landed on Benoit standing just behind me, and I cursed.
Benoit in a shootout would be the worst-case scenario, and I couldn’t trust him to be alone. He’d only end up escaping, tracking down the action, and getting himself killed.
