Hangman says, “Shut the fuck up, you bastards. We got shit to do. Gotta make a plan.”
“The plan,” Selkie spits, “is to ride up to their front door and kick it in.”
Hangman turns cold eyes on her. “Shut the fuck up, woman. We’re not your lackeys. We’ll get your kid back, but you don’t decide how we’re fucking gonna do it.”
He’s kind of right, but even so… “Hangman, go easy. She’s scared.”
“I’m not fuckng scared,” Selkie snaps at me, contradicting her earlier words. “But why the hell are we wasting time?”
Hangman looks past her to me. “Thirty more minutes won’t matter. They’re either dead by now or they aren’t. If they’re dead, don’t matter; if they aren’t, then Renfrew’s not gonna kill ‘em right away.”
“Jesus fuck, Hangman,” Joker admonishes. “Maybe tone it down a little.” He turns to Selkie. “Renfrew’s not gonna kill them. He knows that if he does, Hell’s Jury will remove him and his boys from the planet.”
Coyote joins the circle. “We go in quietly. Take out the guards, block all exits. I’ll use sound and heat-seeking equipment to establish numbers and locations. Then when we’re ready, we go in hard and fast.”
Hangman looks like he’s gonna argue, but it’s a good plan, and he knows it. “How long’s it gonna take you to get your shit.”
“I’ve already got it,” Coyote says as he jerks his head towards the saddlebags on his bike. “I don’t go anywhere without it.”
“You’re a freak of fuckin’ nature.” That’s Hangman’s way of saying ‘good job’.
“Let’s get going then,” Selkie says impatiently.
“Fuckin’ keep your panties on,” Joker says to her, his patience ebbing. “We gotta talk positions before we go in.”
“I’m going in the front door,” Hangman says.
“So am I,” Selkie says.
“You’re not fuckin’ coming,” he says, giving her his death glare.
She clenches her fists and I sense she’s seconds away from taking a swing at him. I yank her against me and step backwards out of the prez’s range. “He’s right, Selkie. You’re too wound up.”
She turns, takes a swing at me. I catch her fist before it can connect. “Right, because you’ve got a heart of stone!”
“In situations like this, I have to,” I reply tersely. “I’ve done enough of this to know how to keep my head.”
“Fuck off,” she snarls. It’s become her mantra and it’s starting to piss me off. When this is over, we’re gonna be talking about respect.
“Someone hogtie her and put her in the truck,” Hangman growls.
“Anyone touch me, I’ll bite your goddamn hand off.” Then to Hangman, she says, “I’m going whether you like it or not. I know my way around a gun and can give with the best of them.”
He glares at her. He doesn’t like losing an argument. “You’re not fucking?—”
“Stop Hangman,” I intercede. “Henri and Oscar are gonna need someone when the shit goes down. We gotta get them out fast.”
Hangman bares his teeth at me. “She gets in the way, you can plan the funeral.”
“Glad that’s over, you misogynist prick,” she says in a hard voice. “Can we go get my kids now?”
I feel elated that she said ‘my kids’. But there’s no time to think about it now. Something to unpack later.
Joker turns to everyone. “Coyote, head out with Jawbone. Do your shit. We’ll be right behind you.”
“On it,” Jawbone says as he straddles his bike.
Coyote follows him. “I’ll text when we’re set up.”
