We look out for each other. We protect each other. He’ll always have my back.
I just hope that we don’t die together because we have someone waiting for us to come back to her.
Once I get an earpiece in my ear and a gun in my hand, I head out of the bunker, following closely behind Gavriil.
We all crouch low in a line, making our way through the darkness toward the broken-down fence that surrounds the estate. It isn’t long until I spot movement up ahead, shadows slipping out of the nearby trees.
Gavriil pauses, motioning for everyone to stop as Maximo Luciani emerges with two men on either side of him.
“Ah, the Morozovs,” Maximo says in a quiet voice, an eager grin crossing his face. “Ready to take back your estate?”
“We’re ready,” Gavriil replies. “Understand the plan?”
“Surround and ambush. Simple but effective,” Maximo says as he pulls a handgun out of a holster on his waist. “Ready when you are.”
“Here,” I reply as I hand an earpiece to Maximo. “So that we can stay in contact. We’re about to put a drone in the air to get a better idea of where our enemies are located.”
“Smart,” Maximo comments before tucking the earpiece in place.
“Let’s start fanning out. We’ll hit the front of the house and the left side if you want to take the back and the right side,” I tell Maximo.
Maximo nods and motions for his men to follow him out of the cover of the trees. They slip through a break in the fence to creep toward the house.
“Lead the way,” I tell Gavriil.
Gavriil breathes in deeply before heading the other way, moving along the fence that faces the left side of the house. He eventually breaks away from the fence and edges closer to the house, keeping low and going slow.
We both pause when we hear a light whirring noise. Our eyes lift just as the small, black drone glides overhead toward the house. There’s our eyes in the sky.
“Can you hear me okay?” Alina’s voice sounds in my right ear.
“Yes,” Gavriil whispers.
“We’re going to wait for your report before moving forward,” I tell her.
“The drone is circling the house,” Alina says. “There are no men on the left side of the house. There are five men out front, including two smoking on the porch. Two men are close to the downed gate. Three men are roaming around the back. The fire has died down so Renat is trying to find an opening to enter the house.”
“We’re going to take out the ones on the outside and then breach the house as quickly as possible,” I tell her before pointing to a handful of our men, including Viktor and Petrov. “We’re going to hit the front. Five men are waiting for us, so get ready,” I say before nodding to Gavriil. “Let’s go. Everyone, start moving.”
“On it,” Maximo says in my ear.
Gavriil leads the way to the front of the house, and I move near him like a shadow, blending in with the darkness. He motions for us to slow down as we reach the left corner of the house, muffled voices sounding nearby.
I ready my gun at my side, my muscles tensing.
Gavriil moves first, stepping around the corner and lifting the gun. He fires once, the bullet clipping the shoulder of one of the three hanging around the front yard.
“What the fu?—”
Before the other can finish his sentence, I rush out of cover and shoot, his head snapping back as my shot finds its target.
The other three enemies finally realize what’s happening and scramble for their weapons, burning cigarettes dropping to their feet.
“On the second floor!” Simeon says into my ear.
“Fire is still burning up here!” Viktor adds.
Gunfire starts popping off everywhere. Outside of the house, inside it, too close to tell the difference.
