El Diablo

Chapter One

El Diablo

Sitting off in the distance next to a densely wooded area, the house looked like something out of a horror movie. Sure, the grounds were immaculate and the structure itself a beautiful, Gothic architecture, but with the trees bare of leaves and the full moon hovering above it with a halo of fog around it, not to mention the tall, imposing fencing with razor wire surrounding it… Yeah. The place could have been an asylum in a slasher film.

From what I’d found out from Drago and Pretty Boy, the girl I had been searching for was being held in this house. Had been in this house her entire life. Not just living there. By all accounts, she’d never once left it.

No change, Liam, El Segador -- the Reaper -- said to me on our personal line. He was one of a very few people who knew my real name. Mainly because we’d grown up together, and he’d willingly followed me for close to thirty years. She’s still on the upper floor. West wing. Giovanni swears he got it right, and that there’s a tracker on her person.

Very well. Is there any way to get in and contain her before we breach the house from below?

Negative. Security equipment’s too sensitive. You can go up the side of the house and breach from the roof, but Giovanni says the only viable entrance opens up two rooms away from her. You’ll still have to navigate the hallway, which is probably full of Malcolm’s men.

That’s my entry. You come up from below and eliminate as many as you can… quietly. If I need a distraction, you call in the boys, and you’re it.

Copy that.

I switched to the team channel. It’s a go. El Segador and I will enter first. Other than that, follow the plan.

Not comfortable with that, boss, Archangel keyed in. Everyone agreed I should take point. Besides, Samson will kill my ass if you come back with so much as a scratch. I know, ‘cause he told me so.

I’ll endeavor to appease Samson’s delicate sensibilities, I replied dryly. While I trusted my club with my life, I wasn’t willing to take the chance the girl was out and about in the house. Or that she could sneak out of her room. Drago had spoken highly of her intelligence and skill. While he’d been able to speak, that is. The fewer of us in the house until she was in my custody, the less likely it was there would be accidents.

Going on the record I’m objecting strenuously to this. Something happens and El Diablo gets hurt, you motherfuckers better back me up, Archangel replied crossly.

On any other occasion I’d have taken pity on him and let him lead the mission. Or El Segador. But this was too important. I let my club do many things in the guise of safeguarding me. Only because it pleased them, and I was willing to give a little and look weak if it made them happy. Every single one of them was more than capable, so, as long as the risk was acceptable, I indulged them. They always did what I asked of them to the best of their abilities. It was the least I could do when none of them asked for anything. Typically, I had to force on them their heart’s desires. This, however, was different. Malcolm was a fierce opponent, one I knew almost as well as I knew El Segador. I didn’t want to risk my brothers on someone so unpredictable without knowing exactly where the bastard was and how much he was expecting from me.

I got your six, Hardcase spoke up. I could detect the faintest amount of humor in his voice. For all the good it will do you. There were chuckles over the radio as throat mics were activated with the sound.

If you are all finished, El Segador and I would appreciate it if you kept an eye out. Let us know if any surprises are coming our way. Particularly if it’s in the form of a small woman. Aye?

Eyes open, mouths closed, Archangel said. Immediately the chatter stopped and the operation began.

Suppressors or bows only, El Segador reminded. Do not shoot unless you have a clear shot at what you’re firing at and won’t miss. No mistakes or you’ll answer to me. No one replied. No one needed to.

We used a spray acid to make a hole in the chain link fence on the defensive weak side. There were fewer guards and more obstacles. We’d been expecting more, but it was possible they suspected we were going to make a try for the girl and had pulled some men back to the house for extra guards there. I was sure I’d gotten the truth out of Drago before I allowed him to die, but I was also convinced they’d told him exactly what they knew I’d want to know. Pretty Boy had confirmed nearly everything Drago had said, but I wasn’t sure how much that man had really known to begin with. No matter what he’d wanted to believe, Pretty Boy wasn’t a big player. He was a means to an end. He killed people. But he was messy. Anyone could do that job.

El Segador and I separated as planned, each going to a different corner on opposite sides of the house. While I was gaining the room and entering that way, El Segador found an opening in a basement window. Security was good, but Ripper, from Salvation’s Bane, and Shotgun had hacked the security system and had a real-time feed of everything going on, plus a loop feed they were prepared to use if there was a danger of their men being spotted.

They needn’t have worried. El Segador had been doing this a long time before any of these men had ever been brought together. This was our life’s work. A skill we could perform like no other. We killed in the shadows. No camera had ever caught us. No one had ever found a trace of us, no matter how high-level the kill. Tonight would be no different. Not only were we here to rescue an innocent who’d been a captive her entire life, we were here to make a point. To send a message.

The Brotherhood prided itself on being a permanent institution. Once you joined -- or were drafted -- you never left. While El Segador had never been an official member of the Brotherhood, I had. In fact, as far as I’d been able to tell, no one had ever made El Segador while I’d still been active within their ranks. He was still a ghost. He was a patched member of Black Reign, but, other than the name and ethnic similarities, no one could link him to me. Even though we were closer than brothers.

The Brotherhood thought they’d had a hold on me all these years, that I hadn’t really left. That no one could ever really leave. The fact was, I was biding my time. I knew Malcolm was trying to buy an alliance with his largest rival, I just wasn’t sure who that rival was, or where he was keeping his currency, his only child. At least, I hadn’t until recently.

I have eyes on you. Samson’s voice was calm over the radio. He was watching the whole thing taking place from the safety of the Black Reign compound. Whatever the tech is Giovanni gave you, it’s fuckin’ brilliant so far. Not only can I spot both of you through any obstacles, but I can see everything around you, including people and animals.

Good, I replied softly. Reaper. You good on your end?

I’m ready.

Girl is still hanging out in the West wing. You’re almost directly above her, El Diablo. Are you sure there’s no immediate entrance?

Everything’s boarded or electrified. The real tech is much more subtle, but still noticeable if you know what to look for. Giovanni’s assessment of the place seems to be spot on so far.

Go slowly, Samson warned. I want time to be able to get you out if things go to shit.

No way that was happening. El Segador and I worked a certain way. We knew how the other worked. This was a scenario that had played out a thousand times. We knew what we were about. My club knew what they were doing as well, but they tended to be overprotective. Samson would be fine. So would Reaper and I.

Just let me know at the first sign of anything not going right.

Boss…

"Enough. El Segador, rasgue-o."

"Sim, senhor." Ripper’s voice was like a carnivorous caress, the start to this extraction and execution we both needed. I could almost see his evil smile. It likely mirrored my own.

Let’s get these fuckers, I purred.

The entry we’d scouted for me opened into a narrow stairway, just right for a kill box. If I failed to disengage any alarms, there was literally no way for me to escape as the stairway was straight. It didn’t diverge into sections, but ran the length of the building until it reached the ground. Thankfully, the prep work done for this extraction was spot on -- as always.

When I reached the bottom, I waited until Samson murmured, All clear up top. Two bogies around the corner to the left, three suites down from the target suite.

I walked calmly down the hallway and turned the corner. Not missing a beat, I took the first guy out with a quick twist of his neck. The other one took a knife to his throat before I yanked out the blade and broke his neck as well.

Two down, I informed.

Three on my end, Reaper shot back. I couldn’t help but grin.

You always have to make it a competition, don’t you? I tried to sound annoyed, but I knew my long-time friend would see straight through me.

Just keeping you on your toes. Otherwise, you might be tempted to leave someone alive, you’re so soft-hearted and shit.

Just clear the way for us to go outside. I made one kill with a knife in the hall. I’d appreciate it if you’d cover it with the other body in case the girl is squeamish.

You can always drug her, Samson added. You have the means. Might be less traumatic.

Only if she wishes, I said. I’ll not have her equate us with the bastards holding her now. There was always the possibility she was too scared to leave. Especially if she’d never been outside before as Drago had suggested.

Give me fifteen minutes, Reaper said. I’ll be there to escort the two of you down.

I continued on. The place wasn’t heavily guarded, but I did take out five more guards before I reached the suite I was looking for.

Anyone in there with her?

Only one occupant, Samson said. Likely female by the body mass index. Jesus, this equipment Giovanni gave us is fuckin’ detailed! He paused a moment. She’s moving around one section of the room. Seems to be around a table or something. Unsure.

Any sound? I can’t hear a thing out here.

Nothing, and this equipment would pick it up. My thought is the room is soundproof, because I can hear sounds from most other areas of the house. This one and the suite at the opposite end are the only ones silent.

Understood, I said, looking at the door. I quickly disabled the sensors I found, and there were three. I pulled out the phone Giovanni had given me and brought up the app that went with the equipment he’d sent. "Shotgun, you and Samson look at