Chasing Silver (20 page)

“It’s going to be…” Tian tried to say, but Cesar was opening and closing his mouth desperately. He fell to his knees, still gasping for air. “It’ll be okay.”

Another shot echoed off the walls and Cesar collapsed to the ground, a single red dot above his right ear.

“Don’t try that again, Tian. We have a job to do.”

Nathan tensed, his heart seizing as the sudden, deafening gunshots echoed through the small house. Overhearing the conversation outside his room was one thing. Witnessing gunfire was something else entirely.

Sweat rolled down his face and neck, each drop stinging as it mingled with the dried blood in the open cuts. He didn’t know who caught the bullets, but he was apprehensive. Those two rapid shots were going to change everything. One moment had shifted the game, and Nathan didn’t know where the players stood now. Or even, which players were left standing.

But Isaac was coming. Tian had been right about one thing, and it would be a shame if he paid for his warning with his life. Nathan had no doubt Isaac would be there within the hour, which meant he only needed to keep himself alive for another sixty minutes. Manipulating Tian had bought him some time, but probably not enough.

Nathan strained his ears, waiting for the unmistakable sound of Cesar’s approach. For long minutes, there was only silence, as though all four of them were bleeding in the hallway, shot down by an unknown assailant. He counted each second as it passed, certain each one would bring him closer to freedom—if he played his cards right. If he could keep Cesar, or Tian, or whoever had survived, at bay.

After ten quiet minutes, a door slammed hard enough to shake the walls, and two unfamiliar voices shouted for Gabriel. There was a gruff exchange, but Nathan couldn’t make out the words. He imagined they were lackeys, called to clean up the dead body. After all, Gabriel wouldn’t want to deal with the mess himself.

But who is it? There were two shots. Did Gabriel take out both Tian and Cesar? Or did Kirsten pull the trigger?

Nathan did not have to wait long for that mystery to be solved. Tian came into the room, his young face pulled into a mask of fury and pain. Nathan had never seen him look so determined, and yet, so confused. It disoriented Nathan. Did the situation call for kid gloves, or something a bit stronger?

“Hey, Tian, I thought you shuffled off this mortal coil.”

Tian moved to the dresser where Cesar had left most of his supplies. He picked up an X-Acto knife and fingered the blade thoughtfully before replacing it. Nathan didn’t dare let his gaze slip from Tian’s face. He was waiting for the moment some sort of spark would return to Tian’s eyes.

“It was Cesar, then?”

Tian focused on a gallon of bleach, his fingers working the cap. He didn’t even seem aware Nathan was in the room.

“Did Gabriel do it?” Nathan waited a beat before pressing. “You still have blood on your face.”

Tian turned his back to him, his shoulders hunched. There were several dark maroon stains on his baggy white shirt, and a single drop of blood on his neck, almost the size of a dime. Nathan wouldn’t shed any tears for Cesar, but seeing the remnants of his life splattered on Tian’s back twisted something inside his gut.

When Tian faced him again, something small and silver glinted in his hand. “It’s the key to your cuffs.” He held it up for Nathan to examine. “I lifted it from Gabriel.”

“Why?”

“In case he thinks you get to go. In case he thinks you were just a bargaining chip.”

“Didn’t that little scene teach you anything? You cross him, and he’s going to kill you. You look at him sideways, and he’s going to kill you. The only thing keeping your ass alive is that, for the moment, you’re useful to him.”

“Might as well take you down with me,” Tian said, his lips stretching over his teeth in a grotesque smile. “They won’t get their precious coin, but I’ll get the satisfaction of seeing you bleed.”

“That’s worth dying for? I’m flattered. If our roles were reversed, I wouldn’t die for you.”

“You would,” Tian countered. “You almost have, more than once.”

“No. I told you. You were just a job. Just another punk kid, waiting for the law to catch up.”

Tian moved to the side of the bed, pulling a small gun from his pocket. It didn’t look like much, but it would still get the job done. Nathan had lost track of time. He knew Isaac was coming. Knew it. But would he be there in seconds? Minutes? Hours after it was too late? Gabriel had made a tactical error. Tian had been under his thumb as long as Tian had something to gain. Now there was nothing holding him back.

“I kill you, and maybe that bitch will never get the Silver Maiden.”

“So, then, you’re going to get yourself murdered out of spite?” Nathan shook his head. “How did somebody as dumb as you elude me for so long?”

The room darkened for a moment, as though a cloud was passing over the sun. Tian’s hand was steady. Nathan heard the telephone, its harsh ring drilling through the walls.

“Must be smarter than you think, seeing as how I’m not the one chained to a bed.”

“Well,” Nathan said, “you were right about one thing. Kirsten contacting Isaac was a very bad idea.”

Tian’s features twisted into a snarl, but before he let loose the natural retort, Isaac slammed the butt of his gun into his temple. Tian crumpled, unconscious, to the ground. Behind Isaac, the sheer curtains billowed in the ocean breeze coming through the open patio doors, the same doors Nathan had seen his best friend slip through unnoticed just seconds before.

Isaac stepped over Tian’s body, his critical gaze sweeping over Nathan. “Anything broken? Or do you need me to carry you out of here like a big baby?”

Nathan managed a small smile despite his bruised lips. “He was still at the cutting and chemical stage. Nothing broken.”

“Good.” Crouching, he rolled Tian onto his back and did a quick search of his pockets, pulling out the key he’d brandished in front of Nathan. Isaac unlocked the cuffs, then crossed to the closed door and pressed his ear to the wood. “How many are out there?” he asked in a barely audible whisper.

Nathan sat up, rolling his shoulders and neck. Dull pain radiated from every muscle, but he was still mobile. “Four, at least. Cesar is dead.” He pushed to his feet, surprised by the way the room wouldn’t stop spinning. Swallowing hard, he gripped the head of the bed.

Isaac was back at his side in a shot, guiding a strong arm around him. “Are you able to walk? The car’s parked out of sight down the road. If we can avoid a shoot-out, all the better.”

“We might have a bit of time. They don’t seem concerned with me.” He straightened again, privately thankful Isaac still had his arm around his back. “They want Remy’s head, though. Where is she? She’s not safe in Los Angeles. We need to get her to…what?”

Isaac couldn’t meet his eyes as he led Nathan toward the patio doors. “We…kind of figured Remy was their focus.”

“Yes, detective, that’s very astute of you. Where is she?” Nathan demanded as they stepped onto the patio.

“By this point?” Isaac pretended to gauge the time by glancing up into the brilliant midday sun. “I’d say in the front yard.”

“It’s not nice to lie to torture victims, Isaac.” Nathan paused, giving him the chance to laugh it off, but Isaac’s face remained serious. “Fuck. Did you bring my gun? If there is a shoot-out, I don’t want to be unarmed. Also, what the fuck were you thinking?”

“I was thinking I needed to get you out of here, that’s what.” He tried to move them along, but Nathan dragged his weight, drawing a frustrated sigh from Isaac. “Look, I tried to keep her away, but in case you haven’t noticed, that girlfriend of yours doesn’t take no for an answer. And when she came up with the idea to use her as bait—”

“Bait.” Nathan noticed Isaac only carried one weapon. “Bait?” He spun on his heel, turning back to the house and moving as quickly as he could to Tian’s unconscious body. He pulled the gun from his lax fingers, and the spare clips from his pocket. “You’re using Remy as bait?”

He shoved a fresh clip into the gun, stalking past Isaac again. He didn’t know where he was drawing the extra strength. Could have been the pure, unadulterated fear at the thought of Remy in Kirsten’s clutches. It could have been the blinding rage. It could have just been the adrenaline rush, but he was ready to find her with guns blazing.

He would have, if Isaac hadn’t put a hand on his arm.

“Go off half-cocked like this, and you will get her killed. She’s armed, she’s aware of the danger, and most importantly, she’s doing this for the exact same reason I am. To save your life.”

“No. No, you don’t bring her into the viper’s nest to save my life, Isaac. As soon as you knew Gabriel was involved—”

“Gabriel?” The sudden alarm in Isaac’s voice was accompanied by a tightening of his grip. “This is Gabriel’s house?”

“You didn’t check before you rode in here with the cavalry?”

“There wasn’t time!”

Nathan lowered his voice and pulled Isaac closer. “Look, I don’t know how Kirsten knows Gabriel, or knew to go to Gabriel for help, but he’s her ally. Tian was just the muscle. Tensions were running a bit high today, and I think Gabriel was the one who took out Cesar.”

“Damn it,” Isaac muttered. He rubbed at the back of his head, his mind clearly working. “We accounted for the three, but even if Cesar is dead, Remy’s not going to know who Gabriel is.” A sudden frightening thought made his eyes widen, shooting to Nathan’s. “That means she’s going to improvise, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, and we’ll have to improvise, too. I have no idea why Gabriel is involved or what he wants out of the situation, and that makes him very much a wildcard.” That troubled Nathan most of all. He knew Gabriel was a pragmatic man, prone to kill after cool calculation rather than out of passion. Which meant, he might not take out Remy if he had nothing to gain by shooting her. “What was your plan and how can we fix it?”

*   *   *

Remy waited until Isaac disappeared around the building before dialing the number he had given her. It was a simple plan. Divide and conquer. It couldn’t fail.

Except if she fucked up. Which she wasn’t going to do. Nathan’s life hung in the balance.

Her palm was sweaty where it gripped Isaac’s cell phone, her eyes steady on the blank windows of the front of the house. The line only rang once before a man answered. God, she hoped it was enough for Isaac to get the signal.

“Kirsten Henryk, please.”

He paused. “Can I tell her who’s calling?”

Creeping closer to the house, Remy peeked into the broad window near the front door and spied Kirsten’s willowy form sitting on a white leather couch. A dark-skinned man stood a few feet away, gazing at Kirsten with a frown, but it wasn’t Tian or Cesar. She didn’t know who it was.

“Tell her it’s an old friend.”

The man put his hand over the receiver and spoke to Kirsten. The pair exchanged heated words before Remy watched him pass the phone over.

“Hello, Remy.”

She wasn’t surprised Kirsten had identified her. The bitch was the best for a reason and really, Remy hadn’t been subtle. “Long time, no see. Miss me?”

Kirsten rose to her feet, forcing Remy to shrink away from the edge of the window in order not to be seen. “How did you get this number?”

This is where the lies start rolling.
“Stole it from Nate’s cop buddy before stealing his car. Apparently, technology isn’t quite as backward as we thought it was. He had a trace on you in seconds.”

As Kirsten appeared in the window, Remy shrank against the wall and hid in the bushes. “So where’s his rescue brigade?” Kirsten asked. She stared out at the empty front yard, disdain dripping from her voice. “If he knows where I am, then why isn’t he here this second arresting me for kidnapping?”

“Oh, he’s coming. Let’s just say, I was a little more motivated to get here first.”

“What do you want?”

“You know what I want, just like I know what it is you’re after. Let’s leave the boys out of this, yeah? This is between you, me, and your old man’s stupid coin.”

She heard a male’s voice muffled in the background, and wondered what he was saying. Several seconds passed before Kirsten spoke again.

“Do you have it?”

“The coin?” It was the one part of the plan Isaac hadn’t been thrilled with, but she knew it was the only true bargaining chip they had. “Yeah, I’ve got it. I’m willing to make the trade if you make sure Nate walks out of this alive.”

Sounds from the garage behind her made her whirl, edging away from the house to see what caused them. It had to be Cesar or Tian. Kirsten was already accounted for. But the strange man…Isaac hadn’t known about him. Were there others they didn’t know about?

That question was answered by a branch snapping behind her. Through the phone, she heard Kirsten talking, but Remy was more concerned with the approaching threat, ducking out of the way just in time to avoid a meaty fist. She twisted to reach for one of the knives strapped to her calf, but a heavy boot connected with her wrist.

Remy rolled out of the way. From the corner of her eye, she saw the hulking man who had attacked her, blood staining the front of his snug T-shirt. No messing around with this one. She dropped Isaac’s cell phone in favor of going for blades with both hands, but the second her fingers curled around the grips, a shadow fell across her face.

“Go ahead,” the second goon snarled, his gun aimed right at her eyes. “Give me an excuse to blow your pretty face off.”

Slowly, Remy let her hands fall lax to the grass, her gaze not wavering from the men surrounding her. The first man grabbed the wrist he’d kicked and jerked her to her feet, yanking the gun she had tucked into the back of her pants.

“Won’t be needing this,” he said.

The gun did as she and Isaac had hoped. Thinking she was now unarmed, the goon didn’t check for other weapons. Thank god he hadn’t checked it, though. The only gun Isaac would give her was an empty one.

Kirsten and the other man stepped out of the house. Kirsten wore a self-satisfied smirk that made Remy long to punch it off, but the man didn’t seem very satisfied or dangerous. In fact, he was smiling.

“You must be Remy,” he greeted. “Welcome to my home. It was brave of you to come alone. You are alone, right?”

“Ask Kirsten how much I love cops.” The hulk holding Remy clipped her across the temple, prompting her to ignore the fresh ringing in her ears to turn and glare at him. “Lay off! That was a fucking answer!”