“If you’re not there within twenty minutes, I’ll know you didn’t get out.”
Steel nodded. “We’ll be there.”
Without another word, his friend stood and left the bar.
5
AUGUST 20, 2024
Steel
The alarmon his watch pinged, letting him know that the two hours he’d allotted himself to think was over. Oh-six-hundred hours. He’d been rooted in this chair ever since his uncle left, sitting in the dark. Thinking. Remembering.
His uncle had given him forty-eight hours to make a decision. He didn’t have long before his family would make their move.
He pushed up from the chair and went to the grimy window, looking out into the ghetto below. Was his uncle down there, watching for him to leave? He couldn’t tell, but he didn’t have the skittery feeling of being watched. The street was packed with cars, most of which appeared as if they hadn’t left the spots they sat in for days, maybe even weeks. Junkers, many of them, were left there briefly, only for the owners to come back and find them stripped of anything usable. Even if some were drivable, they probably didn’thave enough gas to get anywhere, or they were on the verge of breaking down, so why move them? It wasn’t as if this area cared about curb appeal.
Pounding a fist against the window frame, he allowed himself a moment of anger before donning the cold mask of nothingness he wore almost constantly. It wouldn’t pay to allow his emotions to boil and spill over the surface again. That way was deadly. He needed to be smart. Think ahead.
But what was there, really, to think about?
If left to his own devices, both he and his uncle knew what his answer would be. They also knew that Steel didn’t want to say yes.
What he had to think about was how to handle it. He could go solo. Seven years ago, that would have been his way. Now, though, even he admitted to himself that it would be stupid to do so. He had a team who would do anything for him, and a secondary team who would back him up because Ka-Bar was one of theirs.
Trading himself for Ka-Bar? A small sacrifice after what the man had done for him years ago. If it were only him, he might still be tempted to go solo and try to bring the man home. But it wasn’t just him and Ka-Bar. There were others who would suffer if he fucked this up, and he absolutely could not allow that. No. They’d suffered enough—too much, if he had anything to say about it.
He checked his watch. By this time, some of the men would likely be coming up for air from the welcome celebrations with their women. He hated to drag them away from their significant others and families so soon, but that was the life of a deadman. Besides, he didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t do this on his own. Too much hung in the balance.
He should have known his secret would come back to haunt him.With a huge exhale, Steel pulled his phone from his pocket and made the call he didn’t want to make. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be interrupting anything. It was a distinct possibility. Waters had a reputation for stamina.
The phone rang five times before it picked up, and Waters answered the call.
“What’s wrong?”
“Lo lamento–”
“Don’t.”
He should have known better than to apologize. Waters hated apologies, especially when the other person had no reason to do it. “I had a visitor.” He paused. “From back home.”
“Fuck.” Steel heard sheets crinkling in the background and Kubrick mumbling in concern. “How bad?”
“Bad. But I can’t tell you more right now.”
He willed Waters to understand.
“You gotta be shitting me.”
Yep, he understood.
“I don’t have much time. I know we just got back, but?—”
“I’ll contact everyone. Can you get to the office safely?”
“Yes. There’s no danger. At least, not for forty-two hours, anyway.”
“Okay. Get your ass there immediately. We’ll be right there.”
