Gage (Contract Killers Book 1) (5 page)

Chapter Five

Gage walked into the rundown front lobby of the Dew Oaks Motel. An elderly man sat behind the counter, his bright orange hunting hat setting off the faded and hole-riddled overalls he wore.

“I need to know if a young girl came here about two weeks ago,” Gage said right off the bat, not about to prolong this. “She would have been with at least one man, maybe more.” He took out a photo of her and slid it forward.

The elderly man slowly looked up from his tattered hunting magazine and stared at him with beady black eyes. He glanced down at the photo and then back at his magazine. “I might have seen her. It’ll cost ya, though.”

Gage lifted a brow. No way was this old fuck trying to swindle him out of money like a back-alley hoodlum. “What will it take for you to tell me what I want to know and show me the check-in book?”

The man looked back at him before tapping on the counter. “How much ya got?”

Gage could have showed the old man his Beretta, but he had no intention of hurting a man that was well into his seventies. Gage went after the evil men, the ones that hurt people for sport alone. “How about one hundred for whatever you know, and another hundred for not knowing anything if asked.”

The old man mumbled something incoherent and tapped the counter. Gage exhaled and pulled out two one hundred dollar bills, slapping them on the stained and chipped laminated counter. The old man grabbed a book from under the counter and pushed it toward Gage. He opened the book and started flipping through the pages. He looked at the date Neeka had been taken, and the week after that, in case they held her somewhere in the meantime. He scanned the pages for anything that looked out of place.

“Anyone of these assholes seem shifty when they signed in?” Gage asked and looked at the old man. He pulled the book toward him, looking over the page, and then placed his grease-stained finger on a name.

“Was this girl with him?” Gage showed the man Neeka’s photo again.

The old man glanced between the name and the photo, nodding before picking up a toothpick and going at what little teeth he had left.

“Tell me about why this one stood out.”

“Two guys checked in and asked for the farthest room. I watched them, because they seemed like people that might party or trash my establishment,” the old man said without apology. “I wouldn’t be havin’ none of that. The two went in the room, and I seen a third get out of the car carrying a pretty li’l thing in his arms. Got eyes like a hawk, yes I do.” He tapped on the picture as he smiled, showcasing a mouth full missing teeth. “That was yer girl, all right.”

“What else?” Gage asked.

“I seen one of the guys leave. He was driving a piece of shit van. But there was another car that pulled up before then. One of the guys that had checked in signed out and left the keys and a new hundred on the counter, but I was watching, you better believe it. Who gives extra money unless they want someone kept quiet?” The old man stared at Gage, as if emphasizing the little transaction that was going on now. “They took a left on sixty-one, but then took a sharp right off of Harrison.” He scratched his jaw. “Harrison only leads to one place.”

The silence stretched on, and Gage felt his nerves and the darkness rising. “Spit that shit out.”

“Kliffborne.”

Gage didn’t give a shit why the old man hadn’t gone to the authorities if he thought things were sketchy, because he had the information now, and that’s what mattered.

“I can’t be callin’ no cops over here. I like my business just that,
my
business. They’d be poking and prodding, findin’ all sorts of stuff that don’t need finding.”

Gage didn’t care one way or another, but nodded. Gage knew what and where Kliffborne was. It was several hours west, a barren desert filled with cacti, thistles, and red dirt. It was now void of activity and human life due to chemical testing that had been done out there back in the fifties, but as far as he knew the actual building was still standing.

Is that where Neeka is?

Gage thanked the man for his time and turned to leave. The air was hot and stifling, a complete one-eighty from Shyloh. Shyloh was right next to the mountains, the air more dry and fresh, but winter was coming on strong and had a chill surrounding everything. Gage swiped a hand over his brow, sweat already starting to bead on his skin as the sun blazed brightly over the horizon. Although it was starting to become dusk, the temperature was still hot as hell. He got into his SUV and started the vehicle.

He was close to finding Neeka. He could feel it in his veins, in the way his blood pumped fiercely through his body. That familiar darkness rose up, and he didn’t deny himself, didn’t try to stop it. Gage had no doubt there would be a lot of bloodshed, but then again, it came with the job, and he was looking forward it to.

****

Neeka slowly woke to the sound of voices near her. She groaned, rolling onto her side and immediately wincing at the tender spot on her arm as it pressed against the hard, unforgiving table.

“Ah, the princess awakens.”

She blinked several times as the room slowly came into focus. She realized she was back in her “holding cell”. Rye sat a few feet away from her, along with two armed guards on either side of him. As she slowly rose and sat on the edge of the bed, she noticed how the guards tightened their hold on their rifles. Neeka couldn’t help it. She laughed out loud at the sight. The guards moved closer. Rye lifted his hand, stopping them from moving closer.

Maybe she was losing her mind? Maybe he’d finally broken her?

“I have to admit, Neeka, you surprised me. Although, I must tell you, poor Jaxon will be bruised for some time.”

She assumed Jaxon was the young man she’d knocked out.

“Good,” she said in a calm voice, one calmer than she thought she was even capable of given the situation. “I’ll keep trying to get out of this shithole.”

He shrugged and smiled. “I’m sure you will. You were a very stubborn child, and now a woman.”

He smiled at her, and she hated the chill that went through her.

“Although the police have given up, I’ve been informed he’s contracted a less than upstanding citizen to help in finding you.”

My father hasn’t given up on me.

“But, your father is on his deathbed, Neeka, and sooner rather than later he’ll be gone. He’s all you have in this world, and when he’s no longer on this world I’ll be the only one you have.”

Dread settled into her. She didn’t want to think of her father passing, but Rye spoke the truth. Edward McCarthy
was
on his deathbed. She held his gaze, refusing to look away before he finally rose and gestured for the men to follow him.

“You will be kept in these quarters until you have learned to cooperate. You need to learn how to behave. Once you do, I will be more than happy to switch you to more lush accommodations, once more.” Rye stared at her, his look brooding.

She watched the three men leave, and when they were gone she took a deep breath and folded her hands in her lap. Sorrow and hatred made a slow, nauseous boil in the pit of her stomach. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought of never seeing her father again.

Just more reason to get out of here, and kill Rye if you get the chance.

Chapter Six

Gage scoped out the facility. The place looked deserted, but the slight movement he saw by the entrance told him this place wasn’t as void of life as everyone might think. Thistle was sporadically scattered around, thorns from the offending bush scraping against his fatigues as if they were alive and sought to draw blood. He’d parked his SUV a mile away from the compound, navigating the vehicle into a trench and off the road. His night vision goggles were in place, and he turned on the infrared, seeing the heat patterns of at least two bodies.

The clouds shrouded the moon, shadows creeping across the ground like tentacles of darkness. A dilapidated chain link fence at least twenty feet high surrounded the massive structure, the barbed wire secured along the top of it as if to warn spectators that hidden dangers lurked on the inside. There were weathered and aged areas of the fence, which would make getting in a hell of a lot easier. But even if everything had been intact he would have still found a way to get in. Nothing would stop him from getting Neeka back.

Lifting his hand and adjusting the scope range on the goggles, Gage zoomed in, taking note that although no lights were on around the perimeter, the faint trickle of light could be seen through one of the boarded up windows. He scanned the outer perimeter of the compound again, not seeing any movement now, but not being fooled into thinking it wasn’t still being watched. He switched his goggles back to night vision only and checked his weapons.

Standing, he kept to the shadows, weaving his way between the thick shrubs until he was almost right next to an opening in the fence. He kept close to the Joshua tree as he scanned his surroundings. He swiftly moved toward the fence and crouched behind a creosote bush. The opening of the fence wasn’t big enough to allow him in, so he grabbed a pair of wire cutters and deftly cut an area through the chain link for him to fit through.

Movement at the corner of the building caught his eyes, and he stopped working, giving his attention to the guard that was making his way around the building. He held a rifle cradled in his arms, his eyes scanning the area but clearly oblivious to Gage’s presence. Gage reached behind him and pulled out a handgun with a silencer attached. Death would be certain for these assholes, because no way would Gage just wound them.

Gage waited for the guard to make his way closer. The guard stopped not more than twenty feet from where Gage was stationed, head moving back and forth across the terrain. Training his gun right between the asshole’s eyes, Gage pulled the trigger. Even from the distance, Gage could hear the distinct sound of the bullet slamming into the fucker’s skull. He fell to the ground, and Gage slipped the gun at the small of his back and slipped through the opening in the fence. Making his way toward the guard, Gage pulled the lifeless body out from the main path and into a small alcove.

Gage pressed himself against the wall, listening for any sounds of more guards approaching. Silence greeted him, and he made his way around the building, stopping at the edge. The small mirrors built into the goggles allowed him to see different angles at numerous times. Three guards stood close together, their rifles trained at the ready, but obviously none of them aware that he’d infiltrated the perimeter. He drew his gun again, and aimed. The darkness crept up, and filled every part of him.

As one of the guards moved forward, obviously still unaware, Gage aimed right for the back of the prick’s head. He waited until the man was around the corner before he fired off the shot, the military grade silencer making this a clean and quiet kill. He grabbed the man as he fell to the ground, and moved him to the side and out of the way. The other two guards were saying something softly, maybe having heard the activity, but it didn’t matter because they were dead, as well. Gage rounded the corner, and in a matter of seconds had a bullet in each of their skulls.

He moved to the other edge of the building and adjusted his goggles again so he could get a clear shot of the other side. Satisfied that everything was all clear on that end, he stayed close to the wall, his body pressed tightly to the decaying building as he moved swiftly. The wind picked up, blowing dirt around and partially obstructing his view. When he stopped at another corner, he saw five armed guards pacing. They all looked pretty fucking relaxed.

Without thinking and just using that darkness, that need to take out the assholes that thought kidnapping a defenseless woman was acceptable, Gage moved out from the side of the wall and started shooting. It took a few seconds of precise and trained aiming, but all five men were now dead on the ground, their blood looking black because of the goggles he wore. He scanned above him, seeing if there were any cameras, but from this vantage he couldn’t make any out. That didn’t mean he wasn’t already made, and that there was a whole fucking army waiting for him.

But good, because that’s what he was born for, and situations like this were what got his blood pumping.

He moved toward the bodies, scanning the area to see if there were any openings or entrances. Gage immediately took note of a small window about seven feet above him on the opposite wall. It was boarded up, but looked as though it had been like that for some time.  He took a step forward and craned his neck back, seeing a thick outcropping at the top of the building. Pulling out his nylon rope, he tied a knot, and using his rope caster he was able to attach the looped part of the nylon around the protrusion. He gave it a few good tugs, confident that it could hold his weight, and started balancing his weight on the decaying outcroppings and started to climb up. One of the brick outposts started to crumble from his weight, and he swung to the opposite side just as it fell to the ground.

Using his upper body strength to pull himself up until he was facing the window, he already had his leather gloves on and began prying the rusted and half protruding nails out form the wood. Gage made quick work because he didn’t know if he’d been seen yet.

Keeping hold of the board he’d pried off, he pulled himself through the window. Once inside he untied the rope from his waist and looked around the room. He still had his night-vision goggles on and could easily see the room, crammed with boxes, tables, and chairs, along with smell the scent of dust, decay, and mold.

A door stood across from him, no fancy locks or security devices attached, which seemed odd for as much security as they had walking the perimeter.

He went to the door and listened, not hearing anything and taking a few steps back. Gage removed his goggles and grabbed his gun. Still listening for any movement on the other side of the door, he knew this shit needed to be done and done now. The door was unlocked, and he opened it slightly and stepped into the hall. It looked like this part of the building hadn’t been used since it was originally closed down. He held his gun at his shoulder, keeping his breathing even and letting the adrenaline pump through him at the fight that was about to happen.

And there would be a fight, a bloody one.