Hunting for Honey - THE SPECTER SERIES [book one]

Chapter FORTY NINE:The Showdown

I take off and keep my head down as I make my way around to the other side of the chopper.. I get behind the floodlights, using them to my advantage.. With their illuminating brightness I can see the last guy still standing, squinting into and beyond the lights... Looking for me..

- - BANG - - BANG - -

My shots ring out. Two in the head. He goes down.. I release my clip and shove another in its place, my head now turning in the direction of the road where the last two guards had gotten into their cars, which are still parked and just sitting there..

There is no movement inside either car.. Something is wrong.. Then I hear it.. The click of a loaded glock, right behind me..

"Drop it.. And get on your fucking knees, West.." I don't have to turn around to know who it is.. Flynn Bexley.

"You're making a big mistake, Bexley. If you turn yourself over now, I might take it easy on you.." I grind out the words between gritted teeth, kicking myself for letting this little asshole get the drop on me..

He presses the barrel of the gun into the back of my head as a warning.."You don't want to fuck with me, Mr West.." He hisses furiously.. I lift both hands, letting the pistol dangle loose from two fingers.

Dropping to the cold, wet grass with a thud I feel the dampness seeping through my jeans to my knees.. I hear the ground crackle as he takes a step closer behind me to snatch the pistol from my hand...

Just like I want him to..

I can hear his ragged breathing.. He's enraged, and I figure that is my best bet as a strategy.. Make him angry, until he makes a mistake..

Sure, it's risky, but it's the only plan I have right now since I had so stupidly decided to go lone wolf on this op.

"Give me the key, and I'll give you the courtesy of a quick death.." I could have done without the death threats, but I gotta give the guy points for bad guy flare..

"No." I reply simply.. Not giving this little prick any insight into my head. No feeling, no fear.

"You think I'm playing here West? I have a reputation to uphold as the infamous and elusive 'B'.. While you and you're Specter cronies were chasing Asher all over the place, I was busy building an empire.." Uh-oh, talking. While it's terribly clichéd for the villain to reveal their secrets in a ridiculous monologue, it's a real thing.. it's also a very bad sign.. It pretty much means they are almost certainly about to kill you..

"Look how well joining your 'empire' worked out for Asher.." I shift my position slowly, turning my head and shoulders slightly, so I can see him in my peripherals. Bexley, dressed in a black skivvy and brown chinos.. I can see the black revolver he holds with both hands, pointed directly at my head..

"Asher was a dog. A rabid dog who got off his leash.. So I let you put him down.." His shaggy black hair hangs limply as his rants like a madman..

I laugh, trying to make it convincing even though I'm sure he's about to put a bullet in me. "You let me? I think it's more like this.." I shift again, twisting around to look up at him.. I need him to move, just a little closer, and a little to the left.. "I think your plans went to shit back in the warehouse.. Maybe even before that..like back when old man Carrington tricked you with a honey trap you should have seen from a mile away, who stole all your tech.." I remember what Honey had said about Bexley seething at the fact Alex had outsmarted him.. Rubbing it in now might be the gasoline to the flame I need..

"You son of a bitch!" He brings the butt of the revolver down, bashing it into the side of my skull with a heavy crack.. The blow is intense and disorienting. I drop a palm to the ground to stabilise myself.. I can already feel the blood oozing down from my hairline..

"You got that right.." I groan, straightening back up and looking up at him definitely.. I got him closer, I'm almost ready to make my move.. So long as his other two lackeys don't show up, I might actually have a chance of survival here..

"I'm not going to waste my time on this bullshit.. I'll just go get the girl, she can tell me. Maybe when I'm done with her I'll let Drackov have her.. He was very interested in.. Sampling her goods, back at the warehouse.." I want to puke.. That's why Honey had been so cagey about Drackov.. And this fucker just let it happen.. I see red..

Taking a swing I knock the gun sideways and launch my full weight at him, taking him to the ground. Pinning him down I bring my fist up, smashing it back down into his jaw..

"GAAH!" He groans and struggles beneath me, legs kicking into mine, his fists pummling at whatever they can reach.. Just as I rear up to take another swing, a shot goes off..

- - BANG - -

Searing, red-hot pain rips right through my shoulder, looking down I pull my coat aside to see the blood beginning to saturate the fabric of my black sweater..

The agony rocks me.. It's not the first time I've been shot, but its not something you ever get used to..

Bexley manages to get his legs up underneath me and kicks hard with both feet, pushing me off to the side, he scrambles to him feet, a small back up pistol in his hands now..

"It's time for you to fucking die West, you piece of shit!" He cocks the pistol and points it at me..

l'm sure I'm dead.. I must be, because the next thing I hear is Honey's voice.. "If you shoot him, I shoot you Flynn."

Honey appears from the other side of the chopper, my military issued M18 in her surprisingly steady hands..

This is bad... Bad bad bad..

What is she doing here!?

Everything inside me screams to jump on her, cover her with my body and suffer the bullets.. But that won't nessicarily keep her alive.. "Honey, don't come any closer." I try to make it sound like an order instead if the plea that it is..

"Shut up, West!" She barks at me but doesn't take her eyes off Bexley..

Bexley can obviously see her from the corner of his eye, but his focus remains on me.. Honey steps forward.. "Don't do this Flynn.. Please.."