I physically can’t speak anymore. Nothing comes out, only fast breaths. Glancing behind me, Tomás is driving right up our asses and André is propped upright too. He has the same idea as me—blow these motherfuckers out of the sky, whoever the hell they are. I swallow against the hammering pulse in my throat and grit my teeth.
Racing out of the natural canopy, Blackwater comes into view in the distance. My scalp prickles when I look skyward, counting at least four aircraft dotting the navy-blue canvas.
“There’s an army of them!” Matheus yells. “Who the hell did you piss off this time, Gio?”
I try to inhale and exhale through mounting anger. Already the monster inside of me is ready to exact brutal revenge on the enemy flying in from all directions, via land and sea.
I’m still not close enough to reach India and Leo by foot, but I am in range to fire the first rocket.
It soars through the air and rips off the tail rotor of a chopper moving in from the coast. Spinning out of control, it plunges beyond the cliff face. Dropping from view, an explosion signals the small victory. However, it wasn’t the only chopper to crash and burn since André had unleashed a rocket, too.
We systematically reload and launch while Matheus and Tomás drive like maniacs. My heart is thumping within my chest, so hard I swear it’s going to stop all together.
Papá screwed with my emotions for years until I was numb. In hindsight, maybe that was a good thing. Then I wouldn’t be so goddamn out of control now. I wouldn’t be in this position—and neither would my brothers.
None of that bullshit matters, though, because they’re mine to protect. And I’m on a mission to murder every single fucker who breaches Blackwater and threatens my family.
Tapping my earpiece, I talk to my kill team again and reinforce the message. “There are three innocents. Two women and a boy. They are the priority. Kill anyone who isn’t a Souza or a member of The Covenant. Don’t hold back. And I don’t care who the enemy is. My direct order is to wipe them the fuck out.”
I glare at the soldier closest to me in the Jeep, the one with a buffalo stitched on their balaclava. If this attack was organized by Carlos Blanco, she wouldn’t last five fucking seconds. I’d kill her myself.
The Jeep speeds through the coastal air, tearing over uneven terrain in the darkness toward my home. The full beams catch glimpses of flaming debris. All out of rockets, I pack my utility pants full of ammunition, grenades, and sling a machine gun strap over my shoulder.
Nodding to the soldiers in the back, I roll down my balaclava and inhale slowly, purposefully––deeply. The warm air catches in my lungs when my thoughts turn deadly. So bleak, I can barely see straight.
Another helicopter hovers over the ancient slate roof, ropes dangling and men zipping down like spiders. From this distance, I’d need my sniper rifle to wipe them out. Except, the ground we’re rattling over is too uneven to lock on moving targets. Tonight, I opt for high-impact weapons. Our enemies won't get out alive.
This is fucking war.
The wheels lock up, stopping next to the stone boundary wall, close to the entrance that only my fingerprints would unlock. Matheus climbs out and grabs a machine gun, his chestnut brown eyes almost black now.
“Here.” I round the hood and toss him a bulletproof vest, realizing there isn’t enough to go around. “Put this on.”
He frowns at it. “Where’s yours?”
“Mat.” I step into him, our chests bumping. “Put the fucking vest on. There’s more of those guys than there are us. I won’t be there to have your back. Not until I find India and Leo.”
“You still think I’m not good enough, don’t you?” He rips open the Velcro and stuffs his head into the neck hole, his tone gritty.
Tomás slams on the brakes and parks next to us, both him and André reaching for machine guns and vests too.
“You’re my brother, Mat. I taught you how to shoot. I know you’re good. Tonight is the night you’ll earn your ring. Just don’t get yourself killed. Now keep close and I’ll get us inside the Manor House.”
Tomás appears beside me, his expression tight. “I assume you have a plan?”
I nod. “Get inside the walls. Use the shadows. Find India and Leo. Kill everyone else.”
“The walls?” he repeats, pulling a bulletproof vest over his head.
“We’ll get in on the ground floor and work our way through the passages from there.” My pulse jumps. “Tomás…” I look right at him, my nostrils flaring, trying to contain the storm raging inside of me. “You don’t have to do this, you know… you can leave… you’re the head of our family… you’re the boss. Papá wouldn't want you to risk the organization.”
Tomás stares at me for a beat. The features resembling our father darken, but his expression remains utterly blank. “Fuck Papá. And fuck anyone who challenges Souza authority.” He positions a tactical helmet on his head and adjusts the night vision monocle over his right eye. “Your family is my family, don’t ever forget that, brother. Now let's show these motherfuckers what the Souzas are capable of.”
I offer him a tight smile and slap his bicep. “Watch your back, Tommy.”
André joins us, a cigarette clinging to his lips, wearing a vest and has a machine gun primed in his ringed fingers. “Ready to butcher these bastards?”
“Always.” I spin around, trying to hide the fact I’m a mess inside and train my focus on getting inside Blackwater as quickly as possible.
