He tapped on a section below the meeting rooms that led to some tunnels. It always came to that. It was the best route though. The most practical.
“We can go through there and get across into the house, get her and go back the way we came,” I brainstormed.
“That’s the easy way.” Dorian smirked. “I’m not so sure it will work out so well though. I have a few things that may come in handy. These guys fight dirty don’t they?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Bombs of sorts. Sleep bombs. Just in case you need to clear a path and there’s too many people in the way.”
“Thanks.”
Jack opened the door to the study and came in. He had a heavy scowl on his face.
“We got another visitor,” Jack declared with mock sarcasm.
I was the first to get up.
I followed him out to the living room, to where Frankie held a gun at Armand’s head and Giovanni looked him over with delight.
“Found him snooping around outside,” Frankie chanted in a sing song voice.
I was already, ready to kill. Seeing this prick here on my turf, in my playground was not good for him.
“I was simply looking for the boss.” Armand tried to defend himself. He had his hands raised.
“Oh yeah?” Giovanni asked and got up in his face. “Why didn’t you just call me?”
“I wasn’t sure you’d answer,” Armand replied. It was the first that I’d seen the man look so terrified.
If Giovanni had a gun he would have probably ended him. He didn’t need to have a gun though to mess him up.
I stepped forward and he looked to me.
“So Armand, we don’t have time for shit, so I’m just going to cut to the part where you’re a rat,” I accused, just launching in for the kill. No time to ask questions. “You are the fucking rat and you’ve been playing both sides all a long.”
“No, I can explain,” Armand shook his head.
Giovanni landed a fist in his face.
“You fucker, how I hoped it wasn’t you,” Giovanni balked. “How I wished it wasn’t you, even when I knew it had to be. Look at all I did for you.”
I understood where he was coming from. It was the result of being too trusting.
We’d all been guilty of it. In his case I had no sympathy. Giovanni may be here and we may be working together but it was all for Jia. I was doing it for her. I had no allegiance or compassion for him. Things were not okay, or even cordial between us.
And, he could kill Armand for all I cared.
“I never knew it would get this far.” Armand tried to defend himself again.
“What are you really doing here?” Giovanni asked.
“He’s watching us. He’s part of whoever is watching us. He was just too stupid to do it properly.” I answered the question and stared Armand down. He looked to me now. “You, I’ve nearly killed you once before.” I pulled my gun and aimed it at him thinking of all he’d done and facilitated.
Even this, as in what was happening. He’d had some hand in it. He was to blame too.
I pulled the trigger back. It would be so easy to let it go. All I needed to do was recall how he tried to force himself on Jia. It was enough in my head to deserve death. This bastard had done so damn much. Too damn much to be allowed to live.
“Please, no. I was approached by Ethan. He needed someone on the inside watching.”
