“Hey, Phil. I was hoping to bump into you.”
“I said drop the gun.” He’s trying to sound tough, but I detect the slightest quiver in his voice.
“Hmm, no. I’d rather not. Why don’t you drop yours?”
“Who are you guys?”
“Karma.” I lift my arm and shove his sideways, successfully knocking the gun to the ground.
Then I sweep his legs out and smile as he tumbles over. From there, it’s easy enough to press my gun to his forehead.
“Tell me everything about the Mistone operation.”
“Or what?” he spits.
“Or I’ll beat it out of you. You can make this quick and easy for yourself or you can make it hurt. Either way works for me.”
“Fuck you. I ain’t telling you shit.”
“Wraith.” Carnage comes out from the shadows. “You good?”
“Perfect timing. Phil here is reluctant to speak. Perhaps you could loosen his lips.”
“Phil, as in the leader of this operation?” A savage grin spreads across Carnage’s face. “Is it my birthday?”
“Early gift this year,bror.” I move my gun under Phil’s chin. “Trust me, man. You’d rather tell me than let Carnage get it out of you. We call him that for a reason.”
“I’d rather die,” Phil snarls.
“Oh, you’re going to.” I stand, chuckling as Phil attempts to scramble away. “You got this?”
“Sure do,” Carnage says before descending on Phil.
I walk away to the sounds of pained screams and groans, hurrying back to the warehouses. I take out two more guys on my way. By the time I get there, the vans have been pulled up to face the building and the headlights are flooding the area with light.
Ghost, Phantom, Stealth, and Specter are dragging bodies to the empty warehouse next to us, so I dip inside the warehouse with the doors open. I hear frightened cries and confused voices, so I head in that direction, finding Whisper, Boone, and Shadow in a large room with at least twenty or thirty people in it.
I jump into action, helping gather victims together, assuring them that we’re here to help and get them somewhere safe. This is more than the Angel Shelter can handle at once, so I can only assume Shadow has a plan. He always has a plan.
Spotting a kid huddled in the corner, I approach slowly. “Hey. We’re here to help.”
He looks up at me with wide, terror-filled eyes, and my heart breaks. He’s a kid. He can’t be more than thirteen or fourteen.
“What’s your name?”
He stares at me for a second before very softly saying, “Theo.”
“Hi, Theo. I’m Wraith. We’re gonna get you somewhere safe, okay?”
“What about those other men?”
“We’re handling them.”
“Are you the police?”
“No.” I offer my hand and the small teenager takes it, allowing me to help him to his feet. His blond hair is tangled and messy, and he looks like he hasn’t had a solid meal in days. His dirty jeans are barely clinging to his too-slim hips. “Where do you live?”
“Red Falls.”
