Just as we get to the stairs, I see Nick and Sasha.
“We’re gonna make it,” Harper says.
And there’s a split second where I really think we might. I almost let myself hope. I almost give in to the happy ending.
But that’s when Mistake Number One from my time in Honduras steps out from behind Nick, a gun to his side. Sasha is being held as well. They’ve got a hand over her mouth, making it hard for her to breathe.
“Tet,” the deformed Nicaraguan leader laughs. “My pet, Tet! The little girl promised my men you would be here. I admit, I had my doubts. It’s been a long quest, my faithful enemy, but finally, a fruitful one.”
He’s got a red scarf wrapped around his head so you can’t see the part of his face I blew off twelve years ago. He looks every bit his age. His dark skin is wrinkled and worn. The tattoos on his face, a mark that separates them from some of the other gangs, are fading, they are so old. But he lives. He still lives.
He laughs. And his evil movie-star laugh is enough to give me the chills.
I have not seen him since I was rescued by One. I have not laid eyes on him since that final day in captivity. Even when I was down in San Pedro Sula, I never had the urge to seek him out.
Because I’ll be honest here. That motherfucker scares the shit out of me.
“My men gave the little girl my word.” He nods to Sasha’s captors and they release her with a shove that makes her fall forward on the ground. “And my word is good, even when dealing with the Company.” Now he looks at Nick and Nick is pushed forward too, but he does not stumble. “And her.” He points to Harper and I have a moment of panic.
“Hey.” I divert his attention from Harper. “I just killed One for you. The Admiral as well. She,” I say, nodding to Harper, “killed my mother. The leadership is dead.”
And that’s when another shadow emerges from the darkness. “Not quite,” Vincent says.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Harper
Vincent steps forward, looking a mess from his two-day Ativan coma. His gaze is on me and for some reason, I can’t stop looking at him. It’s such a mind-fuck for him and James to be identical.
“Harper,” he says.
“Take one fucking step towards her,” James growls, “and I will snap your fucking neck.”
The disfigured gang leader laughs as his men come towards James and I expect a huge fight to break out right then, but he doesn’t fight back when they grab him by the arms. He shoots me a look as they tug him from my side, and then he looks over at the leader. “Just let them go. I’ll come with you, but just let the girls go. And let Nick Tate get them to safety.”
“James,” I say. But my desperate whisper isn’t even loud enough for him to hear.
Sasha is pushed forward and she runs to me, clinging to my waist.
We’re gonna let this end like this? We’re four killers. Trained assassins. Surely we can at least put up a fight?
The men walk James to the leader’s feet and then push him down on his knees. He looks up at the ugly man and smiles. “Let them go, Matias. Let them go and I won’t finish what I started twelve years ago.”
Matias kicks James in the stomach, making him double over. “Fuck you, perro mascota. My new pet dog.” He squats down so he can look James in the eye and then he presses the barrel of his gun to James’ temple. “You’re not in any position to negotiate. And if you say one more word, I kill those girls right now.” He smiles to reveal only half a mouth of teeth. “And make you watch.”
Then he straightens up and takes his attention to Nick. “Let’s walk down to the beach so I can have time to consider my options.” He waves a hand and his entourage starts shoving us towards the steps. James is pushed forward and he begins the descent first, but he’s surrounded by Matias’ security, so I can’t even see him. Sasha and I hold hands on the way down. She’s trembling. For all our bravado, we’re not seasoned in these kinds of confrontations. Not like Nick and James are.
I’m terrified. I feel like one of us is about to be murdered, and that is most likely James.
When we finally make it to the sand, Sasha and I are pushed off to one side while Nick and James are lined up in front of the ocean. The tide is high, there’s very little beach left at the moment. And I have a brief moment of anxiety as I worry about the water crashing us against the rocky cliff that is only a few yards away.
“Shoot them both,” Vincent says. “Just shoot them. I gave them to you, now let me take the Tate girl and leave.”
“Shut up, cabrón. No one is leaving yet.”
Sasha hugs me tight, and then she leans into my ear and whispers. “James has the file, Harper. If they take James, they take the files.”
“Where the fuck is that guy James said was waiting with a boat?” But as soon as the words are out of my mouth, I see the boat lights in the small harbor. It’s motoring towards us as a very slow rate. Everyone turns to look, but then the engine cuts and it drifts over to the dock and bumps up against it.
“Your ride?” the gang leader asks me.
I nod. The Hispanic man walks towards us and stops right in front of Sasha. To her credit, she meets his gaze. “We made a deal,” he says. “You gave me what you promised, so I will give you what I promised. Go.”
“Nick too,” Sasha demands. “I asked for Nick and I’m not leaving without him.”
“Take him,” Matias says with a laugh. “I have the only man I came for.” And then he looks over at James. “Since One is already dead, my new dog, you will pay for his sins instead.”
Sasha grabs my wrist, but I can’t move. I cannot leave here without James. There’s no fucking way I’m walking off this beach and leaving him here.
I pull away from Sasha and—
“Harper,” James says, from down the beach. “Harper, stop. Listen to me.”
I shake my head and back away from the ugly man and Sasha. “I’m not part of this deal.”
“You’re damn right you’re not part of this deal. She’s coming with me, Matias.” Vincent walks forward like he’s gonna take me away, but Matias aims at the ground in front of his feet and shoots. The sand flies up in his face, making a cloud of dust.
“Someone shut this asshole up.”
“We’re gonna make it,” Harper says.
And there’s a split second where I really think we might. I almost let myself hope. I almost give in to the happy ending.
But that’s when Mistake Number One from my time in Honduras steps out from behind Nick, a gun to his side. Sasha is being held as well. They’ve got a hand over her mouth, making it hard for her to breathe.
“Tet,” the deformed Nicaraguan leader laughs. “My pet, Tet! The little girl promised my men you would be here. I admit, I had my doubts. It’s been a long quest, my faithful enemy, but finally, a fruitful one.”
He’s got a red scarf wrapped around his head so you can’t see the part of his face I blew off twelve years ago. He looks every bit his age. His dark skin is wrinkled and worn. The tattoos on his face, a mark that separates them from some of the other gangs, are fading, they are so old. But he lives. He still lives.
He laughs. And his evil movie-star laugh is enough to give me the chills.
I have not seen him since I was rescued by One. I have not laid eyes on him since that final day in captivity. Even when I was down in San Pedro Sula, I never had the urge to seek him out.
Because I’ll be honest here. That motherfucker scares the shit out of me.
“My men gave the little girl my word.” He nods to Sasha’s captors and they release her with a shove that makes her fall forward on the ground. “And my word is good, even when dealing with the Company.” Now he looks at Nick and Nick is pushed forward too, but he does not stumble. “And her.” He points to Harper and I have a moment of panic.
“Hey.” I divert his attention from Harper. “I just killed One for you. The Admiral as well. She,” I say, nodding to Harper, “killed my mother. The leadership is dead.”
And that’s when another shadow emerges from the darkness. “Not quite,” Vincent says.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Harper
Vincent steps forward, looking a mess from his two-day Ativan coma. His gaze is on me and for some reason, I can’t stop looking at him. It’s such a mind-fuck for him and James to be identical.
“Harper,” he says.
“Take one fucking step towards her,” James growls, “and I will snap your fucking neck.”
The disfigured gang leader laughs as his men come towards James and I expect a huge fight to break out right then, but he doesn’t fight back when they grab him by the arms. He shoots me a look as they tug him from my side, and then he looks over at the leader. “Just let them go. I’ll come with you, but just let the girls go. And let Nick Tate get them to safety.”
“James,” I say. But my desperate whisper isn’t even loud enough for him to hear.
Sasha is pushed forward and she runs to me, clinging to my waist.
We’re gonna let this end like this? We’re four killers. Trained assassins. Surely we can at least put up a fight?
The men walk James to the leader’s feet and then push him down on his knees. He looks up at the ugly man and smiles. “Let them go, Matias. Let them go and I won’t finish what I started twelve years ago.”
Matias kicks James in the stomach, making him double over. “Fuck you, perro mascota. My new pet dog.” He squats down so he can look James in the eye and then he presses the barrel of his gun to James’ temple. “You’re not in any position to negotiate. And if you say one more word, I kill those girls right now.” He smiles to reveal only half a mouth of teeth. “And make you watch.”
Then he straightens up and takes his attention to Nick. “Let’s walk down to the beach so I can have time to consider my options.” He waves a hand and his entourage starts shoving us towards the steps. James is pushed forward and he begins the descent first, but he’s surrounded by Matias’ security, so I can’t even see him. Sasha and I hold hands on the way down. She’s trembling. For all our bravado, we’re not seasoned in these kinds of confrontations. Not like Nick and James are.
I’m terrified. I feel like one of us is about to be murdered, and that is most likely James.
When we finally make it to the sand, Sasha and I are pushed off to one side while Nick and James are lined up in front of the ocean. The tide is high, there’s very little beach left at the moment. And I have a brief moment of anxiety as I worry about the water crashing us against the rocky cliff that is only a few yards away.
“Shoot them both,” Vincent says. “Just shoot them. I gave them to you, now let me take the Tate girl and leave.”
“Shut up, cabrón. No one is leaving yet.”
Sasha hugs me tight, and then she leans into my ear and whispers. “James has the file, Harper. If they take James, they take the files.”
“Where the fuck is that guy James said was waiting with a boat?” But as soon as the words are out of my mouth, I see the boat lights in the small harbor. It’s motoring towards us as a very slow rate. Everyone turns to look, but then the engine cuts and it drifts over to the dock and bumps up against it.
“Your ride?” the gang leader asks me.
I nod. The Hispanic man walks towards us and stops right in front of Sasha. To her credit, she meets his gaze. “We made a deal,” he says. “You gave me what you promised, so I will give you what I promised. Go.”
“Nick too,” Sasha demands. “I asked for Nick and I’m not leaving without him.”
“Take him,” Matias says with a laugh. “I have the only man I came for.” And then he looks over at James. “Since One is already dead, my new dog, you will pay for his sins instead.”
Sasha grabs my wrist, but I can’t move. I cannot leave here without James. There’s no fucking way I’m walking off this beach and leaving him here.
I pull away from Sasha and—
“Harper,” James says, from down the beach. “Harper, stop. Listen to me.”
I shake my head and back away from the ugly man and Sasha. “I’m not part of this deal.”
“You’re damn right you’re not part of this deal. She’s coming with me, Matias.” Vincent walks forward like he’s gonna take me away, but Matias aims at the ground in front of his feet and shoots. The sand flies up in his face, making a cloud of dust.
“Someone shut this asshole up.”
