Phantom in the Night (B.A.D. Agency, #2)(21)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Nathan had been the one to take care of his brother when Jamie had hugged the toilet for sixteen hours, returning too much alcohol ingestion back to nature. After that, the hardest thing Jamie would dabble in was the occasional beer… only with Nathan.

Zink was as much at fault for setting up Jamie the first time as Marseaux.

They all owed Nathan for two years of his life and more.

"What’s the deal, Zink?" Hooknose yelled at him. "I’ve known Marseaux for eight years. Eight years. Most people aren’t smart enough to stay clean in this business. I do and I keep my ear to the ground, telling him anytime I got news, so what’s this bullshit?"

Zink finally turned away from where he was overseeing the packing of some gaudy-looking glass statues. Nathan couldn’t tell if the shipment was camouflaging illegal products, but why would they be here at this time of night for what looked like two crates being loaded into a truck. Going for overtime pay?

"Shouldn’t have told anyone about the shipping company." Zink pointed a finger at Hooknose for emphasis.

"I didn’t. I swear it."

"I know differently. Got proof. Whatta you got?"

Hooknose stared silently, then started shaking his head. "Not true. Drake isn’t dead. He knew things, got it from others, not me. The bastard jumped me from behind and cracked my head."

From behind? Nathan shouldn’t have been so easy on the sniveling liar.

"I-I didn’t say nothing, not really," Hooknose continued. "The guy ain’t dead. Nahwlin’s PD must have put out a false story. I bet Drake is working with them. He was asking questions about this place, as if he hadn’t been here for a couple weeks. Spooky. I didn’t say nothing he didn’t already know. What’d you expect me to do?"

"I got a skanky dog with more brains than you and bigger balls." Zink stopped to approve something on the crate packing, then turned back to Hooknose. "Eight years in this business should have taught you what happens to people who can’t keep their mouths closed."

Nathan shouldn’t feel any responsibility here since Hooknose was another layer of skin on the underbelly of New Orleans illegal activities. But neither did he want to watch someone killed in cold blood because Nathan had questioned him. He was only playing judge and jury with the ones behind pulling Jamie into this and getting him killed.

Criminals that would never have to walk into a court and be tried by twelve jurors, because they were made of Teflon.

Nathan sized up the opposition. Two men were rolling the second wooden box on a dolly to the end of the dock. One jumped down as the crate was lowered on the hydraulic platform.

That left Hooknose, Zink, and Zink’s backup, a redheaded guy with a matching beard that belonged back in the sixties. Plus Red Beard had an automatic weapon hanging from his shoulder.

"No, no, no. This ain’t right. Drake is shaking down everyone. Ask FinMan. I heard Drake busted up his bodyguards."

Zink grinned at Hooknose. "I’ve already heard FinMan’s lame story, as well. He won’t be ratting again… ever. Tie his feet."

Red Beard produced a length of wire and wrapped it around the snitch’s ankles, twisting the ends securely.

Hooknoses face squeezed with anxiety.

Nathan had no remorse for FinMan. The slimeball had boasted over how he had both the cops and Marseaux in his pocket. Had threatened Nathan with cutting him to pieces while alive and letting him bleed slowly to death.

Of course, that was when FinMan thought his muscle was only the press of a button away. When he’d slipped his hand under his desk to press a silent alarm, his face had lost color when no one came busting through his door, guns blazing, to save his worthless ass. Changed his tune then and started dealing immediately.

"No, Zink," Hooknose pleaded. "Don’t do this. I got the inside line on where they put the coke. We can get it for Marseaux."

Red Beard shoved Hooknose down on his knees. Serious begging rolled into action.

Zink stood over Hooknose. "Marseaux’s got bigger concerns than the snort from that shipment. I’ll tell you the same thing I told FinMan. Drake is dead. If you were stupid enough to believe some guy scamming you, you deserve to die. Like the old saying, dead men tell no tales."

Nathan sighed, pulled back the hood hiding his face, and stepped out from his cover. "This one does."

The three looked up. Hooknoses mouth dropped open. Red Beard squinted as if he needed glasses to see that far.

Zink muttered, "No f**king way."

Nathan shrugged and crossed his arms, for about half a second. Zink whipped his hand behind his back and he pulled a small canon into view.

The two men loading the truck dove into the cab from opposite sides. The engine fired into action and tires squealed as they fled from the lot. Not sticking around for the fun, eh?

"Who the f**k are you?" Zink cocked the gun. Red Beard had swung the automatic from his shoulder.

Nathan dove behind his barricade of crates. He hoped there was more in these boxes than glass doodads.

Shots pinged off the top of the wood, ricocheting against the wall. Splintered pine hit Nathan on the head and shoulders.

"Don’t hit the f**king boxes, moron." Was Zink going for manager of the year?

Nathan peered between two crates.

Zink and Red Beard had split apart, moving toward him and cutting off his exit passage in two directions. Nathan stayed hunched and shuffled quietly around stacks of crates, drifting deeper into the warehouse.

He reached around and slipped out his weapon, then started moving quietly. He found a spot where he could stand at the end of an aisle out of view and see anyone approaching from the loading dock area.

Red Beard stepped cautiously around the far end and eased down the walkway, passing row after row of shelves on his left. Thick silence tightened the air. Each time he paused, he’d glance to the right first, check the separation in the rows, then to his left and move on. Sweat trickled along the side of his face and droplets clung to his beard.

When he reached Nathan’s row, Red Beard glanced right.

Nathan moved forward, cupped his mouth, and snapped his neck in one move. He lowered him to the floor, dragged the body a few feet out of view, and removed his rifle.

An M-16 with a scope_nice. Loaded_even better. Nathan shoved the .357 inside the front of his jeans to keep handy.

Moving carefully around to a new spot, Nathan paused at the sound of struggling. He bent his head low and found an opening to peek through.

Hooknose was wiggling spasmodically toward the door. He wouldn’t get far with his legs tethered.

Zink popped into the space between Nathan and Hooknose, raising his handgun to aim at Hooknose.

Nathan stepped out. "Miss me?"

Zink yanked around, weapon arm following as smoothly as a dancer’s move. But Red Beard had shared his toys. Nathan swung the M-16 like a bat, ramming Zink’s head.

Just when things looked promising, the rear door slammed open. He sighed. That meant at least one more to deal with. The guys hauling the shipment must have called in reinforcement.

Nathan angled for cover. Zink was still out cold, but in plain view. That wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t fallen on his weapon. No way to get it from him without drawing attention. Nathan lifted his hood back in place and blended into the shadows.

Until he knew who had entered, he wasn’t showing his face any more than he had to.

He expected to see bullets fly any minute, but all he heard were footsteps and a high-pitched curse. Female.

"Might as well come out, Drake," a male voice called out from between him and the door. "I’m tired of you shaking down my people. I paid you too well to turn on me this way. Good thing I was already headed here when I got a call from my men or I might have missed you… and this little gem."

Nathan had heard that voice once before. Back during …

Anton Marseaux stepped into view.

With Terri.

The bottom fell out of Nathan’s stomach. Marseaux had her with his arm around her throat and a hand cupping her mouth. His other hand pointed a Walther PPK at her head. The color had washed out of Terri’s face and it wasn’t because of the massive overhead lights.

"Drop the purse." Marseaux had paused next to a crate. Terri undipped the strap of her shoulder bag and tossed it on the wooden box.

Marseaux moved three steps away until his back was to a wall. "Come out, Drake. Or I’ll kill her."

Nathan stood. "She’s not involved in this."

"Really? Could have fooled me by the way she’d reached this building. Don’t blow smoke up my ass and tell me the woods are on fire. She wouldn’t have made it past two of my cameras undetected without being trained. I’m figuring she’s the DEA bitch you’ve been spilling your guts to."

"What do you want?"

"Your weapons, for starters."

Nathan walked past Zink’s prone body and laid the M-16 upon a crate on his left, then placed his handgun beside it.

"Move forward."

Nathan took several steps.

Marseaux said, "That’s enough."

More than enough to see Terri’s eyes, which should have been rounded in fear, but God love her, the woman was spittin’ mad.

Of course, after hearing that comment about working for Marseaux, she might be just as mad at both of them. "Let her go."

"Why should I?"

"You want me. Let’s trade."

Terri’s eyes widened, then changed from anger to fear. For him? Nathan didn’t deserve her concern. He’d gotten her deeper into this than she should have been.

"Way I see it, I get you both," Marseaux quipped.

"Let her go and I’ll tell you who ratted out your shipment."

That got Marseaux’s full attention. "Tell me now unless you want to watch her brains sprayed across the floor."

Nathan shook his head. "Let her go first." He held his hands up, showing he had no weapon.

A gun cocked behind Nathan. Ah, hell, Zink was back up on his feet and had the .357.

"I got your back, boss," Zink called.

"Okay, I’ll trade." Marseaux flashed a smile of victory and released his hold on Terri.

Nathan moved forward, within twenty feet of Marseaux, who pushed Terri to move.

She stumbled.

Nathan had to clench his fists to keep from reaching for her or they’d both wind up full of holes. She took another step and started to speak, but rapid shots blew out the overhead lights.

Nathan dove forward to grab her and came up empty. Praying she’d found cover, he rolled to his right as more bullets snapped all around them.

A third shooter had entered the fray, but that didn’t mean he was a friendly. Could be NOPD or an enemy of Marseaux’s.

The place was stark black, except for where the outside lights shined in past the open loading dock.

What Nathan wouldn’t give for his night-vision monocular right now. He silently worked his way back to where he’d left the M-16.

More scuffling noises reached his ears from two spots, but not a third. Marseaux and Zink most likely. Neither had shown any covert ability.

Where was Hooknose? Ambient light dusted over a blob near the rear exit door that had stopped moving. Nathan doubted Hooknose had been hit. More likely he was waiting to see the winner of this.

Nathan inched his hand up to where he could hook the rifle with a finger and start slowly moving it to the edge above his head.

Something clicked and six security lights beamed on.

He yanked the weapon down into his arms.

Someone shot the two overhead lights closest to the entrance door. The new shooter.

Two more explosive shots rang out close, which sounded like the SIG Nathan had seen in Terri’s purse. He had her position.

Zink jumped up and pumped a round down the aisle toward the door. The unknown shooter nailed Zink with one shot between his eyes. Nathan estimated the unidentified shooter’s position at a new spot seventy feet away from his last location.

Trained marksman.

Three quick steps pounded toward the rear exit door next to the loading dock. Nathan turned in time to see the back of Marseaux as he leaped over Hooknoses body and fled out the door that slammed shut with deafening finality.

His pulse thumped hard. One shooter left.

Terri was between the two of them, but she was trained and armed.

He was stuck in a bad spot that would be hard to defend. Not enough boxes to hide behind and he couldn’t risk moving to another position. The long pathway on each side of where he huddled ran straight toward the shooters last position.

He hoped for law enforcement. Wouldn’t be good for him, but at least Terri would walk out of here safe.

It was going to come down to who had more firepower and Nathan was sure he’d lose that match.

"Don’t shoot," called out from down the aisle, closer this time.

Huh? Nathan cocked his head, confused. Like he would hold his fire because the enemy said so? "Give me one reason not to," he yelled back.

The shooter pitched something small that skated along the slick concrete floor down the aisle.

Nathan prepared to dive toward Terri to shield her if the object had been a hand grenade, but the piece of metal was too small to be that. When it stopped sliding, he stared down at an Army Ranger challenge coin… with a dent.

Nathan looked up to see Stoner walking between two rows of shelves toward him.

"What the hell?" Nathan stepped from his cover.

Stoner cleared the end of the shelves. He flipped up his monocular and grinned, extending a hand to shake with Nathan.

"Freeze or I’ll shoot."

Nathan swung his head to find Terri in a three-point stance, her 9 mm pointed at Stoner, who hadn’t moved a muscle upon her command.

"He’s not the enemy, Terri," Nathan told her calmly.

"I don’t know that."

"I do." Nathan checked Stoner, whose gaze was still locked on her weapon, then he glanced back at Terri. "Listen_"

"Sorry, but there’s only so far I’ll take this alliance we’ve developed. I don’t even know who you are, but Marseaux does. You didn’t deny working for him."

Nathan couldn’t fault her. "I’ll explain, just don’t shoot. Put your gun down and let’s talk."

Her eyes rounded, then narrowed. "I don’t trust you not to trick me."

"Smart woman," Stoner murmured.