“Fuck me…” he said, stunned.
Black moved over to him and followed his gaze. At their feet, in front of a crate of ammunition, were three blocks of C4 taped to a gasoline can. There was a timer counting down, and it had less than four minutes to go.
“Oh, shit!” exclaimed Black. “Can you defuse it?”
He shook his head. “Santiago was the explosives expert,” he conceded. “I probably could stop it, but not in three and a half minutes.”
Black took a breath to calm himself. “Okay, we’ve got plenty of time. Grab your personal effects if you have any. I’ll load the trunk with weapons. We’re moving out, right now.”
LaSharde appeared as they turned. “What’s happening?”
“We’ve got less than three minutes now before this whole place goes up. Grab some weapons and start the car,” said Black.
The three of them moved swiftly and efficiently, and just over ninety seconds later, they were clear of the barrier and heading down the dirt track toward the coast. Baker was driving, and after a minute or so, he slammed the brakes on, turning to look behind him as they stopped. The others did the same, and after a few tense moments, a deafening explosion rang out, shaking the vehicle and the ground beneath them. Smoke and flames billowed to the sky, and the smell of fire and gas and gunpowder stung their nostrils, despite the distance.
“Holy shit!” said Baker, breathing a heavy sigh of relief.
“Chris, what the fuck is going on?” asked LaSharde, turning around in the back seat to face him.
He swallowed hard, taking a few quick, deep breaths as he subdued a surge of adrenaline. “Okay, here are the facts,” he began. “I spoke to Jones and, because of Prague, on the president’s order, our unit has been shut down, effective immediately. We’re to separate, drop off the grid, and await instructions.”
“Can they do that?” asked LaSharde.
Black shrugged. “It’s the president — he can do what he likes. But I know how they operate. There’s no way they’ll contact us again. Chances are, we’re going to be hunted down and killed. We’re a fucking liability now.”
“So what’s the plan?” enquired Baker. “You ask me, we’re better off together.”
Black nodded. “I agree. The way I see it, we’re on our own now. The CIA will want us silenced, but that’s not going to happen. There’s only one reason we’re in this position, and that’s Jericho fucking Stone. As far as I’m concerned, nothing matters now except putting that bastard in the ground. We’ve got weapons, we’ve got money… We bury him, maybe the CIA lets us back in. Or at the very least, lets us walk away without having to look over our shoulders for the rest of our lives. Are you with me?”
Baker looked at LaSharde for a brief moment, and then put his hand on Black’s shoulder. “I’ve got your back,” he said. “Payback’s the only option.”
Black nodded. “Good man.” He turned to LaSharde. “And what about you?”
She pursed her lips together and took a breath, staring into his brown, angry eyes. She couldn’t deny her true feelings for him, even if she had no intentions of letting him know she wanted it to be more than just physical between them. Consequently, she knew in her heart she’d follow him anywhere. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that going after Jericho was the wrong move.
She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking. “I’m with you, Chris. All the way.”
Black smiled and faced forward in his seat. Baker did the same and set off, speeding away from the flaming remains of their base. He glanced in his rearview at the blackening sky, and then turned to Black.
“So what now?” he asked.
Black rested one foot up on the dash, and his arm against the window of his door. “Now… we disappear.”
Dear Reader,
Thank you for downloading my book, and I hope you enjoyed it!
If you did, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare thirty seconds of your time to leave a review on whichever website you downloaded it from. For independent authors like me, one review makes the world of difference!
Alternatively, you can contact me directly via my website (the link is below). I love hearing from my readers — the best part of being a writer is getting to know my audience, and finding out what they think of my work!
Thank you in advance,
James P. Sumner
(http://www.jamespsumner.com/)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
An avid reader from a young age, James has always had a passion for writing. In July 2013, he began work on his first novel and eventually published his debut thriller, True Conviction, himself on Amazon, where it has been downloaded over 100,000 times. In August 2015, he sold the international rights for True Conviction, and it will be published, mass market, in German in 2016.
His follow-up novel, Hunter's Games, was a #1 bestseller in the Amazon UK Pulp Thriller charts, and every entry of his Adrian Hell series is a permanent fixture in the Top 20.
When he's not writing, he's either reading (usually thrillers or comic books), cheering on his beloved Manchester City, or enjoying one of the many TV shows he follows religiously — notably Strike Back and Banshee, which you may spot the influences of in his work.