“As in Maverick, Nelson, and Phoenix Snow’s dad?” Patch asked.
“Yeah.” Gerard nodded. “How do you know the Snow brothers?”
“They were Delta Force. I fixed up Maverick in the field a few years back. Good men,” Patch said. “But I believe they’re all retired and live in Upstate New York now.”
“That would be correct,” Remy said. “But Lois and Dina Snow have a couple of contacts that can help us slow down when we turn those assholes over to the military, giving us time to continue our conversations with them. We’ve got three days before the military police are up our asses. So, that’s your ticking clock to figure this out.”
“I’ll go bring them down.” McGuire turned on his heel, Riven two steps behind him.
“That’s not a lot of time.” Patch ran a hand across his scruffy face. “If Gunner’s running this show, and he doesn’t hear fromthose two blowhards, he’s just going to send someone else. And they know where we are, which concerns me on a different level because of that hit on the black market.”
“We’ve got some thoughts on that,” Gerard said. “But we’ll let your team fill you in on those. It’s your call. We’ll stand by whatever you want to do. We’ve got your back.”
Just then, McGuire and Riven returned with Locke and Mendoza. Locke limped, cussing and swearing.
“You’re gonna fucking pay.” Locke pointed his finger at Savvy. “Nothing you can do to stop the fire about to come for you.”
“Fuck off,” Patch muttered. “You’re going to prison for life for treason. Nothing you can do about that.” He waved his hand dismissively. He’d heard enough crap from these two. Well, enough from Mendoza. Locke had barely said two words, except to bitch, moan, and complain about getting shot.
Mendoza, on the other hand, had answered every single question… and given up information they hadn’t even asked. Only, it wasn’t enough. Knowing that Gunner had been the one handing out orders, changing orders, redirecting missions, and essentially taking over Black Ledger during the last two years… they’d figured that out on their own. What they didn’t know was that Gunner was blackmailing servicemen and women into falling in line. That’s how he got Mendoza and Ramirez to turn on Hale and Savvy.
Ramirez was cheating on his wife and his girlfriend was pregnant. Mendoza had a gambling problem and owed money to someone you didn’t want to owe even a dollar to.
And if Gunner wasn’t blackmailing you, he’d find your weakness. Or he’d find the kind of men and women willing to turn their backs on honor and country for a fast buck. His band of men weren’t many. Mendoza could only give eight names—some Patch knew, some he didn’t—but Mendoza also suspectedthat Gunner’s group only consisted of at best a total of sixteen. Mendoza also mentioned that you were a dead man walking if you crossed Gunner.
But he’d make it so you died on a mission—died in action—and you wouldn’t see it coming.
Mendoza only knew of one person who dared to go against Gunner. That man didn’t live to see the next sunrise. But that didn’t mean there weren’t more. Mendoza had only been involved with the shadow organization for the last six months.
Inside Black Ledger, Gunner was feared and revered. That was a bad combination.
Patch watched as Locke and Mendoza were guided onto the small skiff. Both men were still tied up. Mendoza sat with his shoulders hunched and his head down, as if he were reserved to the fact that he was done. Locke, on the other hand, cussed, jerked his body, and wasn’t about to give up without a fight. That wouldn’t bode well for him in Montana with Hank Patterson and Lois Snow, nor would it go over well when they turned Locke over to the government.
“Call if you need anything and let us know where you move on to,” Remy said.
“Will do.” Patch waved.
“Be safe,” Gerard said.
“Always.” Patch pushed the boat off and watched the skiff disappear around the bend. He let out a long breath as he helped tie off Cross and Stone’s boat.
Patch took a moment to stand at the edge of the dock. He scanned the banks of the river's edge. He saw two alligators, though most wouldn’t have noticed them as they were dug into the mud, barely visible as they camouflaged themselves into the bayou. Not because they were looking for prey or waiting to attack, but because they knew they had predators nearby and they wanted to protect themselves.
Patch ran a hand over his mouth and let out a sigh. This place had given him his sense of self again. It had restored his humanity.
He resented that this peaceful spot had been turned into a minefield. One wrong step, and they were all gator food. Two enemies were coming down on them. One he knew—and knew well. He was prepared for the likes of Gunner and his band of men who’d turned their backs on what they’d been trained to do. Turned their backs on honor, pride, trust, and defending not only the country, but the men and women who flanked their six.
But he honestly couldn’t wrap his head around the mindset of a hired hitman. Foreign enemies made sense—there were rules in war, a code, however thin. But contract killers? They played by no rules. Just do the job, take the money, and leave a trail of blood in their wake.
“Hey, man.” Cross came up beside him, slapping his shoulder. “You make me nervous when you get this contemplative.”
Patch chuckled. “I’m fine. Just thinking about hitmen and Gunner and how different those two threats are.” He shifted his gaze. “We know how Gunner thinks. How he’ll operate. It will be a well-thought-out mission. It will involve recon, at least two different lose-lose plans, and an evac strategy. He’s not going to come at us without careful thought. Gunner’s meticulous and he’s not stupid.”
“No, he’s not. But neither are hitmen. Not the kind that will take this job. It’s a high-stakes, high-risk game with a massive payout. It won’t be your average Joe killer that comes at her,” Cross said. “It’s gonna be someone who knows their shit and is just cocky enough to believe they can pull off murdering someone like Savvy who’s being protected by a team of ex-military men, and not just any team, a shadow ops team.”
The floorboards under Patch’s feet rattled. He glanced over his shoulder as McGuire and Stone joined him and Cross.
“Where’d Savvy and Riven go?” Patch asked.
