Bare Facts (20 page)

“Fine. Just make sure it’s done properly.”

“It will be.”

She leaned out around the storage container and no shots came back at her. “I don’t like this.”

“I don’t, either.”

“What don’t you like?” Corbin said. He cut a rough strip with Charity’s knife.

“The fact that they stopped firing.”

“Um…that’s a good thing; we don’t want to be shot at.”

“Why did they stop?” Charity asked.

Daniel helped Corbin tie the bandage on his thigh. “The shooter is waiting for something,” Daniel said.

“That’s some ink you’ve got there, Daniel.”

“It’s nothing,” he said to Corbin. He didn’t want to discuss the tattoo or any of its implications. Even Corbin had to know that kind of artwork wasn’t found on just anyone.

“Or someone,” Charity said. “Is Sekijima on his way back?”

“That’d be my guess. He wants to kill me himself. But first he needs some information from me.” With his shirt off he felt himself sinking back into who he really was. The past wrapped around him and he felt his mind shift into Yakuza mode. Ruthless mode. He was a man who knew what the future held, and it was a killing calm that overtook him.

“What kind?”

The kind that would alienate her from him forever. Not that he had a chance in hell of seeing her again after this, but he kind of liked the idea of a future, or, at the very least, a few more nights in her arms.

“The kind that men die for,” he said.

The large warehouse door opened and a car pulled into the open space. Charity gasped and brought her gun up into position.

“What is it?”

“That’s Justine’s car.”

Justine was pushed from the car, blood welling from cuts on her arms and wounds on her face. She was hog-tied, her hands and feet bound together. Sekijima stepped out of the car and kicked her body out of the way.

Daniel felt the waves of rage rolling off of Charity and knew she was going to Sekijima without a second thought. But he couldn’t let her do that just yet.

D
aniel knew there was only one thing he could do and still live with himself and that was to ensure that Charity made it out of this warehouse alive. For the first time in his entire life he had something he wanted more than his own survival. The impact of saving Charity would echo deep inside him in that empty space that she’d somehow made him realize he had.

Sekijima drew his gun and held it pointed at Justine’s head. He heard no gasp from Charity, but then she was a professional. Instead he heard her moving around and he knew she was finding a better position from which to fire.

“I’m waiting, Daniel,” Sekijima said.

Daniel glanced at Charity and she nodded to say she would be okay. Corbin looked terrified but there was little he could do to help the other man. Daniel wanted to kiss Charity before he left; if things didn’t go the way he hoped they would, he wanted to die with her taste on his lips. But there was no time.

“Daniel.”

He walked out of the shadows, the semiautomatic pistol held loosely in his left hand. He was bare-chested and ached like hell and was probably in one of the worst situations he’d ever been in, but he was filled with determination.

Sekijima had won the last battle between the two of them. But from this moment on, Daniel was going to be victorious. And this time when he killed the bastard, he was going to make damn sure that Sekijima stayed in Hell.

“Sekijima,” he said.

“That’s Oyabun to you.”

Fuck that. He had hoped to talk things out with Sekijima, find a way to lull him into a sense of false calm.

“Not to me. I’m not your lapdog any more.”

“You will be.”

Daniel didn’t argue. He glanced down at Justine but she didn’t meet his gaze. He could feel her rage and he had the feeling that when she got free, she was going to kick some serious ass.

“I’m not getting into bed with you again. I’ve made a new life for myself.” But had he? Until he’d met Charity, he hadn’t realized how empty his life was or that his new life was as much a place to hide as his life in the Yakuza had been. He still wasn’t really living. How could he, until he put the past to bed?

Justine was working her hands against the rope that bound her. Daniel didn’t look at her but he could tell she was making progress.

“A new life,” Sekijima said with a sneer. “It’s a house of cards—you should realize by now how easily I tore it down. In one day, Daniel. One day.”

Sekijima drew his foot back and kicked Justine hard in the ribs. She gasped as all the air rushed from her lungs. Daniel knew that hurt—he had been kicked that way before. “Stop moving, bitch, or I’ll kill you now.”

“Why are you keeping her alive?” Daniel asked, because it wasn’t something Sekijima would have done in the past. And he wanted Justine to realize the man was ruthless. He didn’t think she’d need the reminder, but it might help to clarify what she was up against.

“Leverage.”

“Leverage? I could give a crap about her,” Daniel said.

“Not for you, Daniel. For your bodyguard.”

Charity again. Why did Sekijima know that she was the key to making him really suffer? Was it that long-ago bond of brotherhood that gave the other man some insight into him?

“Don’t be fooled by the way she looks—she’s not the sentimental kind.”

“She’s a woman, no matter how hard she might want to deny it,” Sekijima said. “And the wounds on this one will only get worse until I have both of her partners.”

Daniel knew Charity wouldn’t give herself up. And Sekijima would know that. He had no way to warn her.

“What do you want from me?” Daniel asked at last. He wanted to hear it from Sekijima’s own lips.

“I want you to honor the ink on your body. Those tattoos came with a promise, and you broke it. You dishonored everything that you once were. You know the penalty for that.”

“That’s old news, Sekijima. I thought we’d moved beyond that. What do you want now?”

“Money. And this enterprise put back in the Dragon Lords.”

Daniel would give up the money—it meant little to him. Rich or poor, his life had always been about survival. “That’s it?”

“I also want your life. I’m going to enjoy torturing you. Then I’m going to leave you for dead, Daniel. But unlike you, I’m going to sit and patiently wait for the blood to drain from your beaten body.”

Daniel knew that Sekijima was capable of doing just that. “I’m not easy to kill.”

“Nothing is ever easy in this life,” Sekijima said, and those were words Daniel had heard more than once in his life. He knew what they meant and how living a hard life changed a man. It had been at the heart of the bond between him and Sekijima.

And for a moment, Sekijima wasn’t his enemy—he was the brother that Daniel remembered from long ago. The man who’d had so much in common with him.

“So if the girl is for the bodyguard, what are you going to use to get my cooperation?”

“The bodyguard,” Sekijima said.

“She means nothing to me.”

“Yet you have taken her.”

“She was convenient.”

“Convenient? Possibly, but you’re more particular than that.”

Daniel knew he should have kept his hands to himself. Knew that with all that was going on, Charity had come into his life at the worst possible time. “She was a woman, Sekijima. You know they mean nothing to me.”

“Perhaps. We’ll see when I have her.”

Daniel fought not to react to Sekijima. He wanted to raise his gun and empty the magazine into the other man, then rip his throat from his body. The rage was so overwhelming that he wasn’t sure he was masking his reaction.

Sekijima brought the butt of his gun down on Justine’s head and the woman was knocked unconscious. “That’s better. She was getting on my nerves, trying to free herself.”

“Survival is an instinct, Sekijima. You know that.”

“So is love.”

“I don’t love anyone.”

“That used to be true but we’ll see if it still is.”

Charity disappeared into the shadows while Daniel and Sekijima confronted each other. It was way harder than she wanted to admit to see Justine bound the way she was. They’d been in tough spots before as a team but this was by far the toughest.

“How the hell did he get Justine?” Charity asked Anna via the wireless earpiece.

“I’m not sure. She went silent to go after the guy in the corner. There’s two men outside and I’ve got my sniper rifle trained on Sekijima. Should I take him out?”

“Hold. Let me get the two outside. If he tries to shoot Daniel or Justine, take him.”

“Sounds good. I need another set of eyes. The last position I had on them was to the north of you.”

“And the other one?”

“Circling from the other side.”

“I’ve got a civilian here,” Charity said.

“Can he shoot? Because we could use another gun.”

“Give me a minute.”

Charity turned to Corbin, who was pale, sweating, and clearly at his wit’s end. “How you doing?”

“Fine.”

She had good instincts with people and her gut said that Corbin would do what he needed to. “Dammit, Anna. I don’t have another weapon.”

“What happened to your spare?”

“Daniel.”

“Got it. We have a bunch of stuff in Justine’s car. I can’t believe that bloody wanker got her ride.”

“Me, either,” Charity said. “Corbin, stay here. No matter what you see. Staying hidden is the only thing that can keep you alive at this point.”

He nodded. “I can help.”

“I know.”

“Do you think Justine’s really out?” Anna asked in her ear.

“I’m not sure. I’m hoping she’s faking until we need her…but wait a minute.”

Charity turned back to Corbin. “Do you think you can stay low and get to Justine?”

“Ah, what?”

“If you stick to the shadows and crawl under the car,” Charity said.

Corbin looked scared. “She’s got her earpiece in, so all you’d have to do is pass the knife to her when she moves her fingers,” Charity continued.

“She can’t say anything,” Anna reminded her.

“It’s the only chance we have. We need her.”

“Okay. I’ll cover him from here. But…”

“I know,” Charity said. Anna didn’t have to say it: Corbin was expendable. They weren’t going to give him up without a fight, but if it came down to him or Justine or him or Daniel, Anna would have to sacrifice him.

“Corbin, this is a risky thing to do. There’s a chance you could be caught.”

“What else are they going to do to me? I’m beat to hell and sitting here while a woman tries to save the day…”

“I’m not just a woman, I’m trained for this. And I’m not going to
try
to save the day, Corbin. I’m going to.”

“Then I want to help,” he said.

She smiled at him and handed over her switchblade. “If you have to use this, get close and stab deep. The best place would be the groin or gut.”

“Okay. How will I know if she’s ready for the knife?”

“She’ll move her fingers. Slide it to her blade-first, then roll out of the way. They are going to come after you, so run like hell for cover and stay put until I come for you. Or the cops do—don’t trust anyone else.”

“Okay. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t,” Charity said, knowing a confident man would be better than someone who wasn’t sure she was counting on him.

“Tell Justine when you see Corbin get into position,” Charity said to Anna.

“I will.”

“Come on, Corbin. I’ll be with you until we reach the door.”

Corbin was quiet for someone with no training. He was also nervous, and she felt him shaking as she touched his back. When they got to the door, she realized there was about five feet of open space where Corbin would be visible. The driver was still behind the wheel of the car.

From the tense way he sat, she knew he was watching and waiting for her. “Do you think they know how many of us there are?”

“I have no idea. I’m trying to listen in to the conversation down there—it seems he’s just baiting Daniel. He wants to torture you, Charity. So be careful.”

“I will be. I’m not planning to let myself be used.”

“Oh, God.”

“What?”

“He’s going to use Justine to get you.”

“He doesn’t know about Corbin…he’s our ace in the hole.”

“I am?”

“He is?”

“Yes. I’m going to let the driver see me, Anna—let him come after me. When he does, Corbin, you get under the car, quick and quiet.”

He nodded.

“I don’t like it. There’s already two men outside and we don’t know where they are exactly,” Anna said.

“I can handle them. They are just men,” Charity said, using Justine’s favorite expression.

“Not you, too,” Anna said, but Charity knew her friend appreciated the reminder that the three of them had gotten the better of many men. “We’re women, not Amazons.”

“I’m going to tell Justine you said that.”

Charity moved quickly, keeping to the shadows. A part of her, a really big part of her, hated letting Anna watch Daniel’s back, but Charity was the only one who could make certain they only had Sekijima to deal with.

Charity didn’t think about what she was doing. She only acted on instinct. She knew she had a pretty good chance of not getting shot by the driver. She was quick and had run this scenario before. Sam always set them up in situations like this at their yearly retreat. They had to take the hit or the shot to escape.

“Ready, Anna?”

“Whenever you are.”

She got herself where she needed to be mentally, thinking of herself as nothing more than a tool, a weapon that would be used to save the lives of two people. She couldn’t think of how much she cared for them because that would shake her focus.

She put on a burst of speed running out of the shadows. A split second later she heard the car door open and the sound of pursuit. She also heard a rapid gunshot. Sekijima’s gun. Dammit, she hoped that Corbin wasn’t hit, but she couldn’t pause to make sure he was okay.

She had to do her job—take out the three other men circling the building.

She felt the whiz of a bullet going past her on the left and dropped into a crouch, rolling behind the Dumpster at the side of the building. Her breathing wasn’t accelerated but she’d practiced for years to regulate it, even when she exercised.

The area outside the warehouse was illuminated by high-pressure, sodium-vapor security lighting every fifteen feet, leaving very little room for her to hide. The smell of rotting trash nearly overpowered her, but she tucked that away.

Her body ached from the punches she’d taken earlier when fighting with Amanda. She really wanted to keep this clean and quick. The driver was behind her somewhere, and if Sekijima was half the leader she knew he was, one of his other guys would be waiting for her to take her shot at the driver.

And then they’d get her. She had to be smart about this. It would be easier to do this from a higher position. She looked at the wall—solid concrete would be impossible to climb.

Dammit, she was wasting time. Justine could be dead, or even Daniel. She had to get moving.

She wished she had her second gun, but with only one, and guessing that she’d have two adversaries set up to fire on her, she’d have to take the first shot and then roll over and take the second one. Which was risky, really. Her other option was…she looked around the area, trying to see if there was anything else she could use as a weapon.

She could use the wall for support for a running wall kick and knock out the first guy. She took a deep breath, gauging the wall and where she’d need to hit it, and then she intentionally stepped back into the trash can, making a slight scraping noise.

The driver moved toward her position and she ran past him, gaining momentum, then ran her right foot up the wall. She kicked through the turn to keep her momentum as the driver stepped forward and brought his gun up toward her.

She swung around toward him, kicking at his carotid artery with her right foot, using the heel of her boot to drop him. He fell to the ground, his gun dropping a few feet from his body. She landed on both feet and dropped into a shooting crouch just as a bullet hit her in the right shoulder. She bit back a cry of pain, and raised her own weapon, squeezing off two quick shots. She heard the solid thud of a body hitting the ground.