Jayson moved to the edge of a nearby window and carefully peered out. Flurries swirled, but he didn’t see any signs of the assailant—or assailants—targeting his home. “C’mon!” He shoved the window open and climbed out. His boots hit thefrozen ground with a dull thump, and Lex dropped down beside him.
“What’s the plan, Stan?” Lex hoisted his weapon, on high alert and ready for action.
“Let’s head to the stable before we freeze. See if we can get a count on how many tangoes we’re up against and send a 911 text to the guys.”
“Roger that.”
They moved away from the house, fast and low, and had almost reached the stable when gunshots popped, ripping up the snowy ground around them. Both men turned, walking backward as they returned fire.
When they reached the barn, Jayson yanked the door open. “Get in!” he yelled. Lex fired off another round then ducked inside. They each took up position on either side of the door. “How many do you count?” Jayson’s gaze scanned the back of his house, looking for any sign of movement.
“I clock one asshole on the far left.”
“One on the right, too.”
His attention shifted to the shattered sliding glass door where two more men emerged. They wore head-to-toe tactical gear, balaclavas and carried machine guns.
“Do these guys seem at all familiar to you?” Jayson murmured.
“Yeah. Very.”
Jayson’s eyes narrowed. “I think they’re the same mercs we ran up against in the woods right after we found that bag of gems. The same assholes who kidnapped Lottie.”
“And took her straight to Donato Ferrante.” Lex swore under his breath. “We need backup. Now.”
“Yeah.” Jayson pulled his phone out and fired off a quick text to the Motley Crew:911. Ferrante’s mercs here. In the barn with Lex.
“They’re coming,” Lex warned.
A soft whinny echoed through the air. “I’ve got an idea.” Shoving his gun into its holster and strapping the machine gun across his back, he headed for the horse stalls. “C’mon.” Once he reached Magnus’s stall, he opened the door and guided him out.
“I don’t think now’s the time for a leisurely ride,” Lex said.
“You know how to ride, right?”
“Do I look like a cowboy? The only riding I do is when a woman is beneath me.” Lex looked at the huge horse with a wary expression.
“Time to broaden your horizons, Battle.” Jayson opened the second stall door and led Daisy out. After quickly bridling both horses, he shoved a step stool over. “Take Daisy. She’ll be good to you.”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“There’s no way we can outgun those guys. We just need to outrun them until the team arrives. Now, get on!”
“There’s no saddle!”
“No time,” Jayson declared. If they weren’t dealing with highly-skilled mercenaries intent on killing them, he would’ve laughed at the terror on his friend’s face over riding a horse. “Get your ass up, flyboy!”
Leaping up onto Magnus’s broad back with practiced ease, Jayson swung his rifle around. Lex managed to clamber up using the step stool, although not nearly as graceful or steady.
“Fuck my life,” Lex growled, clutching the reins with a white-knuckled grip.
“Head to the trails. And for fuckssake, hold on. ‘Ya!” Jayson slapped Daisy’s wide rear end, and she took off, heading for the barn’s back exit. Lex swore again, bouncing up and down as Daisy gained speed. Squeezing his legs, Jayson urged Magnus to follow.
They burst out of the rear stable door and the horses galloped toward the maze of trails ahead. It would be a good place tolie in wait until the rest of the Motley Crew arrived. He knew these woods like the back of his hand, and he planned to hunker down and get some shots off. If those jokers thought they could just bust into his home without consequences, they were sorely mistaken.
Once the trees provided adequate cover, Jayson slid off Magnus and grabbed Daisy’s reins. “Stay put and watch the horses,” he told Lex. “I’m going to try to take a couple of them down.”
Crouching low, he stalked forward, picking his way through shrubbery, and stopped behind a large tree. Using it for cover, he watched and waited. He counted on their attackers hearing the horses and giving pursuit. It would take them a bit to catch up, but he had no doubt they would try.
