HelenKay Dimon - Traceless

“Which means?” Cam asked.

Connor’s shoulders stiffened as he stood up straight again. “We still have a problem.”

In her mind, that qualified as a huge understatement.

Chapter Four

Luc Pearson gathered his group under a towering rock pile near the charity offices. The storm had passed over, taking the kicking winds with it. Now the sky brightened as they edged closer to daybreak. That meant time was running out.

Even though the area had emptied out during the night, Luc wanted this part of the game wrapped up before people woke and started buzzing around. The last thing he needed was more witnesses. There had been enough death.

Which brought his mind back to the group. He looked around the semicircle of his remaining men. The Corcoran team had knocked out six trained shooters without breaking a sweat. He’d been warned about the team’s skills but this amount of loss wasn’t part of the deal.

Rich Stapleton shifted his weight from foot to foot. “You said there would be one, maybe two of them. We’re looking at a full team with a lot of firepower and impressive training.”

“We still have the advantage.” Bruce Harding’s flat tone rang out in the still night. “This isn’t their turf.”

Rich scoffed. “You think we’re winning this thing? I have a bunch of dead bodies that suggest otherwise. Bodies of good men who were told this would be a quick stint.”

Luc decided not to point out the obvious, about how those so-called experts died without putting up much of a fight. Truth was, the lopsided battle surprised him. He’d studied the files of all the hires for this job. All but Bruce. He was the boss’s pick and he acted as if he was untouchable. Probably because he was.

But Rich and his crew operated on another level. They didn’t have the boss’s protection or his trust. If he wanted them gone, they’d be terminated and that meant quieted so they couldn’t talk. Bruce had made it clear that was one of his duties. If the word came down, he’d handle it.

Luc had found Rich through contacts. Locating the right guy, one who walked away from the army edgy and frustrated, blaming the government for his failings, proved easy enough. With all the options out there, Luc had insisted on former military and disillusioned.

Turned out Rich knew plenty of the well-trained-but-done-with-rules and the so-called bright-lines-between-right-and-wrong types. Men whose loyalties could be bought. Rich had served with some of them and knew others by reputation.

Luc culled through potential additions to the group with Rich, framing just the right collection of men who had few ties to each other and a deep need for cash. Rich picked the squad but Luc had final approval. And now many of them were gone.

“Apparently Connor Bowen travels with reinforcements.” Bruce tapped the blade of his knife against his open palm but never lifted his head.

“Would have been nice to know that instead of being told he’d rush out here and make himself an easy target.”

One of the men offered the insight. Luc didn’t remember the guy’s name and didn’t intend to learn it. He preferred think about the men in terms of where they lived. That made this one Reno.

“How did they get the woman without any bloodshed on their side?” Rich asked.

That one was easy. Luc had explained the failure to his boss earlier and repeated it now. “Your buddies failed.”

Reno took a threatening step forward. “Watch it.”

Rich signaled Reno and another man to stay back. “Tread carefully.”

Luc watched a pickup truck ride the dirt road a few hundred yards away. When it turned and headed toward the town, or what qualified as one out here, he let out the breath he was holding. “Why? It’s not as if these guys can hit a target.”

“Why don’t I show you how skilled I am?” Reno asked.

“You think this is funny, Luc? That standing there relaying the boss’s orders means you’re safe from us?” Rich managed to squint and telegraph menace at the same time.

Luc’s hand slid to the gun slipped into his belt. He’d paid for their time but these guys weren’t exactly known for deep and abiding loyalty. “I think I paid for competence and I’m not getting it.”

“But we don’t work for you, now do we?” Rich’s men grunted in agreement with Rich’s comment. “Funny how you forgot to mention you were only the middleman—powerless—when you hired us.”

They didn’t have time for insubordination and Luc’s tolerance had hit its end. “You get paid from me, so I am your boss.”

“Nah, I don’t think so.” Rich shook his head. “Who else is working this?”

Luc’s hand inched closer to the gun.

Bruce beat him to it. “That’s enough.”

He morphed from bored and disinterested to battle mode in two seconds. He didn’t lift a weapon or even move a step. The grave delivery and sharp whack of his voice did it.

Luc had served with men like Bruce. They demanded attention and when they didn’t get it, they unleashed a wrath that destroyed everything. Luc suspected Bruce hovered about an inch away from snapping now.

No matter how clear the message, Rich appeared to ignore it. He hitched his chin in Bruce’s general direction. “Why should I listen to you?”

Reno nodded. “Good question.”

And there it was. Luc stepped out of the way just in time. The words had barely left Rich’s mouth when Bruce stepped right into Rich’s face with a hand wrapped around the back of his neck. With his other hand he pressed a knife against Rich’s throat. “Want to ask again?”

Rich thrashed until the knife pricked skin, then he went still. “What are you—”

“Do not move unless you want a deeper cut.” Bruce grabbed Rich’s bulletproof vest in his fist and dragged it right up to his throat, nearly chocking him. “Tell your friends to step back before I slice you.”

Rich didn’t hesitate. Didn’t move, either. “Listen to him.”

“Good.” Bruce leaned in even closer to his prey. “Now I have one word for you.”

“What?”

Luc had to give Rich credit. His voice stayed steady and he didn’t beg. He used his free hand to wave his men back and Luc guessed that one gesture saved a bloodbath.

“Deniability.” Bruce emphasized all six syllables. “We don’t want details. Details put you in danger. Makes you usable to guys like Connor and a liability to us. The kind of liability a sharpshooter might eliminate with a shot to the forehead.”

When Bruce shoved him away, Rich stumbled back. He came to a halt and tugged on the bottom of his vest. “You made your point.”

“Good.”

For one more beat, Rich held Bruce’s stare then turned to Luc. “So what now? We have them trapped in a shack. I say we blow it up.”

Tempting, but not the plan. If he had his choice, Luc would take that tactic and cut his losses. But his boss was a very angry man with a definite plan. A powerful man bent on revenge. “We need them to escape. To believe they got away and turn sloppy.”

Rich snorted. “Why?”

“The plan hasn’t changed.” Bruce jumped in before Luc could answer. “We want Connor and his wife on the run. The others are expendable and it’s time for them to go.”

The other men mumbled but Rich put the feelings into words. “You think this Connor is a guy you can mess with? Track down like an animal? No way.”

But Luc understood this part. He had a wife once. Lost her in an instant at the hands of a drunk driver. He knew what he would do to bring her back. What lengths he would have employed to protect her if he could only go back in time, including taking the killing blow for her. Worse, he was intimately familiar with how a man pushed to the edge was capable of anything.