Rustling off to my left brings me to a halt. I readjust the grip on my knife so that I can take the person out quickly. Tall grass sways, and that’s when I spot the top of a baseball hat. Whoever it is, they are dressed in all black and even ?have a mask covering half of their face.
I crouch and observe them for a few minutes to see if he’ll pull out his phone to take pictures of his target or go through his texts. I’d prefer to have it unlocked before I start the interrogation.
He does exactly what I predict, pulling out his cell and zooming in to the room that Briar likely uses as her bedroom, since it’s the only one with the lights on.
There’s not much time for him to react, other than a short gasp before my blade is pressed tightly against his throat. He’s confident and fast, drawing his handgun quickly and aiming it at my head.
I anticipated the move and wedge my finger beneath the trigger and handle so he can’t pull it. A wicked grin spreads across my lips and I push the sharp edge of my blade farther into his neck. He lets out a sharp grunt and drops his weapon.
“Who’ve I got here? I doubt it’s Sutherland. Is it Hogan? Or maybe it’s Lane.” I kick his gun five feet away from us so he doesn’t try to go after it when he realizes I’m not here to let captured rats go free.
His muscles seize up, and his breath hitches. “Sutherland…? How do you know who we are?” His voice sounds like Hogan’s.
I pause and consider his confused tone when I brought up Sutherland. Is Grahm not a part of Sub-Rosa? We were thorough. There’s no way that he’s not. I make a mental note to come back to that with the squad later. Grahm is involved somehow, but maybe he doesn’t get his hands dirty.
“Oh, I know many things about Sub-Rosa, Hogan. What I don’t know is why you’re out here tracking down this girl.” I lean in closer and tilt his head up with the knife so he’s looking at her window again. “What does she have to do with the underworld? Why are you here?”
He tries to look back to see my face. It earns him a bash across the head with my pliers. “Ow, fuck!”
“I’m already in a really shitty mood, so can we get to the part where you just tell me?” I tap the side of his jaw with the pliers while increasing the pressure on the knife.
“Okay, okay. She apparently has the code to a flash drive that our boss wants. It’s the same one he had…you know, Arnold, killed over.” He sounds like he didn’t agree with Arnold’s death, but I wouldn’t doubt that he was the one who scouted his schedule the entire time just to figure it out in the first place. That’s what these fuckers do. They’re patient, if anything.
Was Arnold involved in Sub-Rosa? What the fuck did Nolan have him doing out here, and why was it never brought to my attention that a sleeper agent was out here?
I think on that for a moment. How would Briar even come across this code? Are they assuming, or do they have intel?
“You’re sure she knows this code? Who was your source?” I dig the tip of the knife into his Adam’s apple.
He makes a choked sound and scrambles for words. “No, I’m not sure at all. We’re just doing what we’re told, and right now it’s to keep her under surveillance.”
My brow furrows. Maybe they aren’t trying to kill her, but she’s piqued someone’s interest just like she did Nolan’s. “What’s on this flash drive anyway?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. But apparently, she has the code to unlock the secured data on it. Fuck man, she might not even know that she knows it.”
Briar definitely has no clue about a code or a flash drive. She’s so innocent it makes me sick.
“Okay, and who would’ve given her this code?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, man, maybe Arnold. This girl says he’s her uncle, right? It would make sense. I don’t know anything else though, I swear.”
“Great.” I shove him forward and pretend to let him go. I lose any joy in killing when I already have them helpless and pissing their pants. It’s only fair that they have a little bit of hope before I devour it.
Hogan shifts on his feet and quickly grabs his pistol, aiming it at my head and pulling the trigger. It clicks a few times before he realizes that I flipped the safety on.
I grin. “Nice meeting you, Hogan.”
My KA-BAR is lodged in his neck before he can even shout.
9
BRIAR
There are coyotes out here,or bears…possibly raccoons. All I know is I’m sick of picking up trash off the ground every goddamn morning for the past week now.
Sweat drips off my forehead as I grab the last balled-up piece of paper and stuff it into a new, unripped garbage bag. I’m adding padlocks and chains to my shopping list today. No more nuisances.
Speaking of nuisances.I scowl as I spot Grahm’s truck pulling up to the front of the house.
