Artifice - Man x Man - Book Six

Chapter 28

I hear the gunshots, and an unwelcome chill settles over my body. My breath leaves me as I watch the droves of people running out of the building, shoving the doors open. It happens almost in slow motion as I watch them run, and for a moment, I'm back on the battle field.

It's a harsh flash, ripping through me like warning bells that send me on high alert. 

My first experience with a memory happening around me in such vivid detail. I'm standing before Ziduri, soldiers in full swing all around me, and I watch the retreat of our men as we're fired upon. The trees explode around us; I remember seeing the stony face of a dead man propped up as if he were just resting behind a fallen log. 

"Is that supposed to be happening?" Tyler asks.

I blink it away, inhaling sharply as reality fades through the terror around us. "What?"

"These people, I thought we were supposed to be discreet?"

The memory blurs away, and I'm back on the street, surrounded by screams as I hear more gunshots. In the distance, a wail of a siren rings in continuous succession. 

"No. No, something's wrong." 

I motion to Tyler and Rhea to follow behind me as we jog up to the doors and push our way into the depths of the entrance, the people pack in tight all around us as if to block us out. 

"Damn trigger finger." I see Marisol, her gun pointed at Verando. 

My voice catches in my throat, I reach as the gun goes off.

 Bang. Bang. Bang. 

The rapid fire makes me rush a few steps only to see him stumble out of her immediate fire and hide behind the desk. He grins, dimpling his cheek in that boyish way that I find so charming only today it cuts me to the quick. 

He flashes her my favorite look, annoyed by her audacity but amused by her poor humor. 

"I'll take that as a deal then, watch your damn mouth or I'll shoot you in the ass for real next time."

 How is it fair? How does he get to smile like that while I'm suffering? 

He cheated on me, he slept with someone else, and it seems to have done him very little damage as he almost lost his life to Marisol's joke—my life. 

"Are we done playing? Mind telling me what the hell is going on?" I demand, stiff. "Discreet. I thought you two could easily manage this, was this not your job when you were but children?"

 My expression turns to one of disgust as Tyler and Rhea come to stand alongside me. I notice the two women exchange sneers and I roll my eyes in disbelief. At this moment, they could both have him. If he was hoping to get back in my good graces, flirting with his wife was not the way to do it. 

"Where is Marcello?'

"On the roof," Marisol tells me quickly.

I nod at the reveal. Of course, he's doing all the work while these two have a laugh. 

"I expected more. Much more." My eyes fall on Verando. "This is our only shot to utilize this building, and you are wasting precious time. Get it together or get out of the way, that goes for both of you." 

Glancing around us, I note that the lights are off and I pinch the bridge of my nose. Fifty flights of stairs were not on my agenda, it wasn't what I wanted to do with what little time we had to get this job done. 

"The power is out, isn't it?" 

They nod in response. 

"Perfect. It's the stairs then. Come on. Lead the way. One in front, one in back."