The car ride was deadly silent. The Lieutenant and I drove in a separate vehicle, the others piled into the van which had become a mobile command centre. I could hear them joking around through the earpiece, laughter breaking up as Albert tried to regain everybody's focus.
I sat in the passenger seat, my eyes subconsciously drifting to the steering wheel.
There was a sense of anxiety brewing in my blood. The Rose's Well was known within the criminal underworld; all sorts of people came there. I had been there a handful of times in the last few years as well. Sometimes to find somebody who had useful information, sometimes to accompany Michael. He had his own bodyguards, but a woman didn't attract that much attention in these places. At least not the suspicious kind.
Would Michael have men planted there? Would he intervene and snatch the target away before we could make a move? No, he wouldn't raise suspicion like that – and there was no way he knew we were headed there to begin with. I hadn't given him the intel and I wouldn't until this was over.
I lifted my gaze to the Lieutenant's face. His jaw was set, eyes hyper focussed on the road ahead. He had a different air around him with his face uncovered, dressed in civilian clothes. Not exactly an approachable one, but I decided I preferred this.
Running my hands over my jeans, I nestled them between my thighs and turned away again. I didn't need him to catch me staring. There was something about him, I thought, something that pulled me to him every time he was close. I didn't know what it was: a threat or something more?
'Do we need to go over the briefing before we arrive?'
I shook my head, 'Everything's clear. We get in, find the target, lure him out.' I could see him glance over from the corner of my eyes. 'Eyes on the road.'
'You better not fuck this up,' he grumbled back before looking ahead again.
The corner of my lips tugged up for a split second. Silence grew again.
Part of me understood why he was so harsh. The life he had lived sharpened a person, it stripped them of many things and I doubted he had time for women in his life. Regardless of what anybody says, it had an impact.
I glanced down at my tucked away hands as that feeling of anxiety grew. I didn't usually get nervous, too many guns had been fired my way to still feel the jitters. But somehow, I couldn't shake it tonight. And I knew it was rubbing off on the Lieutenant, as he kept glancing over at me every so often.
'We're here,' he eventually announced as he pulled the car into a tight spot, off the main road.
I went to unbuckle my seatbelt, but a strong hand stopped me. My eyes snapped up to his, confused.
'I don't care what you think of me or how your sentiments are towards me,' he spoke lowly, 'Once we step out of this car, your life is in my hands – And mine is in yours.'
The message was clear. He had my back as long as I had his. This could turn ugly and it was the goal to both make it out if that was the case. I nodded but his hand didn't let me go. It squeezed around my wrist, as if to drive the message home.
'Yes, sir.'
He looked pleased and let me go before stepping out of the car. I took a deep breath and shook my head. What had I gotten myself into?
I padded my ribs to make sure my gun was still there as I stretched, my eyes scanning the quite street around us. The Lieutenant came to stand next to me, doing much of the same as I was until I felt his hand snake around my waist.
With slightly wide eyes, I turned to him. Somehow he had gotten close, his chest almost bumping into my as I moved. I could feel the warmth he radiated bounce off me. It didn't burn, it welcomed.
'Moving in,' said low enough for only me and his earpiece to hear. We started crossing the street, the pub coming into view and the warm hands glued around me.
I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say; did I want him to take it off or didn't I mind? As we stepped onto the pavement again, I glanced up at him. His face blank, eyes already peering through the yellow windows of the pub.
Right.
The door was pushed open for me and I shot him a quick 'Thanks.' as we walked in.
Smoke hung low as cigars and cigarettes were being smoked inside. Faint music played from a jukebox stuffed in the corner in front of the bar. As expected, only some chairs were filled. A few hanging onto the bar, some others had occupied a small round table deeper inside the pub.
The bartender was already looking up when we stepped inside, silently waiting for an order.
'Two Guinness,' The Lieutenant said as he held up two fingers with his free hand and used the other to guide me towards the back. As we walked passed the occupied tables, I couldn't stop myself from sneaking a look.
Nobody familiar, I thought. Good. At least that was something I wouldn't have to worry about then.
We took a seat at an identical round table, our chairs next to each other with our backs to the wall.
That anxious feeling only grew. So I welcomed the Guinness pint as it was set down in front of me.
'We're in position.' The lieutenant murmured, receiving copy from Dan.
The last time I had been here was only seven months ago. I remembered how Michael had convinced me to come with him. He had said that it would just be drinks and I could take my mind off things.
I should've known he wasn't being truthful.
Michael had taken me to one of the back rooms, where some Cuban men had been waiting for him. They had been talking for weeks by that point and were there to strike a deal. Michael would grant them the papers they needed to ship their cocaine to Italy, and he would get a cut.
At first I hadn't understood why I had been brought along. But as their eyes had glanced in my direction one too many times, I realised I had been brought as a last resort to change their minds. Michael's hands had been all over me during the talks to show them what I was. While the lines between work and pleasure had been blurred between us before, I had never felt so used.
'This isn't the time to daydream.'
I blinked at the warm words in my ear. The lieutenant was looking at me, his arm resting on the back of my chair and his body turned to face me. An angry look didn't make him back away. He was so close I could smell the cologne on his neck.
'He's not even here yet,' I said and took a drink from my pint. 'And it's not like you're a good conversational partner.' The jab was unnecessary, but I could tell the hurt look on his face was just dramatics.
I wrapped my hands around the cold glass and frowned. He was right though, now was not the time to get lost in old memories.
Michael and I never spoke about what happened here last time. I'm not sure if he realised what he had done or if he just didn't care. Either way, I wasn't too upset about being here now. At least it put some space between us. Space to think.
'If you're going to be daydreamin' bout some boy you left home, you can do that on your own time.' The cut of his words didn't go unnoticed.
Slowly I tore my eyes back up to him, a storm brewing behind them. My head moved closer, to any outsider it seemed like I was leaning in towards him. But my voice was as poisonous as a snake.
'I am not some little girl that only thinks about boys.'
I hated the amusement in his eyes. For once I wished he just kept his face blank, or better yet, that he was wearing that damn balaclava.
The lieutenant shrugged, his lips toying with the idea of breaking out into a smug grin. He knew he had struck a chord. And I knew this was going to be so much worse because everybody was listening along.
I watched as he took a drink from his pint, running his tongue along his lips as he put the glass back down.
'So does he know you're here?'
An exasperated sigh slipped past my lips and I swore I heard a low snicker through the ear piece. My eyes were glued to the pint, fingers slowly sliding up the condensed glass.
'No,' I lied. He was never going to let this go if I didn't answer. I just hoped the target would arrive any moment now so I had a valid excuse to cut the conversation short. 'But it doesn't matter because there's nothing going on anymore. It was never serious.'
The lieutenant hummed next to me, his own hand still around his pint. I tried to keep a steady rhythm while breathing. The fact that I was talking about Michael out loud, to somebody who would put a bullet through his head rather than arrest him, was comical. If my own life didn't depend on this not coming to light.
'Well if you ever wanna be loved by a real man, you know where to find me, Gayle.'
Warren's voice broke through the silence, a heavy static almost making it inaudible. As if he had been wrestled away from the microphone by the others with him. Judging from the laughter that followed, that was exactly what had happened.
I looked at the Lieutenant, whose face had turned back to stone. But he wasn't looking at me. Rather, he was looking over my shoulder. The hairs on the back of my neck rose in alert as he spoke. 'Target in sight.'
The laughter over the radio cleared up almost instantly. The snipers couldn't get a clear shot on him.
'Up to us,' I murmured and took another drink, not missing the Lieutenant's faint nod.
His arm on my chair stayed put as I shuffled to face the other side. My eyes found the man we were looking for almost instantly. He had taken a seat at the bar, hunched low as he got a pint without having to even order one.
I gnawed on my lips as I felt the Lieutenant lean closer to me again, his mouth hovering just next to my ear. 'You know what to do.' He whispered.
Careful not to bump into him, I forced my body to relax and lean back. The way he sat, arms open and welcoming my presence. I hadn't forgotten our conversation, but that would continue another time.
I tilted my head backwards, 'You better make this convincing enough.'
He looked down and grinned. The arm resting on the back of my chair moved without warning as he reached up to cup my jaw, his lower fingers pressing against my neck. 'Oh I'll leave you begging for more.'
My face pulled together for a split second before I moved away from him. I stood up and turned to face him, his eyes glued to my every move. Briskly running my hands through my hair, I pressed my lips together in a tight line and headed over to the bar.
I could feel the Lieutenant's burning eyes on my back as I made my way across the room. Forcing a sickeningly sweet smile onto my face, I leaned against the bar just a couple of chairs away from our man.
The bartender looked up at my arrival, signalling that he would be with me in just a moment. Twirling a strand of hair around my finger, I hesitantly looked at the target. Catching my stare, he looked up from his half drunken pint.
'Hi,' an airy giggle followed, catching him by surprise.
The guy frowned, at first not realising I was talking to him at first. I smiled at him again. 'Hello.' He said quickly. I didn't miss the way his eyes darted past me before quickly returning.
'I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother,' I raised my eyes brows together, as if I genuinely felt bad to disturb him. But he interrupted me.
'Have I seen you before?'
The question made me swallow my leftover words. For a second, I could feel the color drain from my face. Did he know me? Had I seen him before and just not recognized him?
An airy chuckle slipped past my lips as I regained composure. 'I don't think so?'
'No,' the man trailed off. His face contorted into a deep frown, 'No, I saw you before. You were here with the bloke Michael.'
I felt the world stop. Michael. I must've looked like a deer in headlights. Why did this man know Michael? And why did he recognize me? It must be coincidence; I would've recognized his picture otherwise.
From the corner of my eye I could see the Lieutenant getting out of his chair. My heart was beating in overdrive.
'Yeah,' the man continued, 'I remember now. You were here last month with him.'
I felt a heavy presence behind my back but I couldn't find my voice. How much had he heard? Was it even worth trying to make the guy believe he was wrong?
'Do we have a problem here?' The lieutenant's voice was like thunder on a still night.
'No,' I breathed out and shook my head but it seemed automatic. My gaze remained on the guy in front of me. I'm not sure what he saw, but I prayed it was clear that I wanted him to shut up about the whole thing.
The guy had other ideas though. He too spotted my companion and smirked. Any trace of his earlier anxiety had disappeared at the chance of making somebody else's life miserable. Because whatever it was he thought was going on, was wrong. But dangerous.
'I was just talking to your girl,' the guy said, 'about how she was here with some other hotshot not too long ago.' The suggestive undertone didn't go unnoticed.
I stayed frozen in my spot, even when the lieutenant came to stand next to me. His body was unreadable. I could only wonder who he would kill first: this guy or me.
It happened fast. The Lieutenant's hand balled into a fist and he pulled it back, ready to strike its target.
The guy saw it coming as well and stumbled back, knocking over the barstool to put enough distance between us.
I caught the flying fist, eyes wide at the sudden burst of violence. It pulled me out of my catatonic state instantly. Without thinking much, I started pushing him back.
'Let it go.'
He didn't budge. I pushed again, this time getting him to give a step. I ignored his harsh breathing, how his eyes had turned black with rage. I only kept pushing him backwards. I needed distance. The target was long forgotten. The other guys would intercept him, I was sure of it.
'Hey,' I tried to get his attention but still keep my voice low enough so the others wouldn't hear.
Step by step he gave way. Arms now dangling, his eyes shooting daggers at the other man who was backing out of the pub.
I grounded my teeth and kept pushing him backwards. With each step it got easier until I kicked open the back door and with one final push landed us both in the back alley.
'Target out of sight, ready for pickup.' I spoke into the earpiece, oblivious to my harsh breathing as I waited for confirmation that they got him.
I kept my eyes on the Lieutenant, willing the buzz of energy to still within me. He was exactly the opposite. Calm but tense, his shoulders rigid and hands balled into strong fists. His eyes were still on the back door, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking other than rage.
What the hell was that?
I ran my hands through my hair and leaned back against the cold brick wall. There was no explanation of what had happened. At least none that I could logically think of.
'Target acquired.'
A slow exhale exited through my nose. They got him. It hadn't all gone to waste.
As the adrenaline wore off, realization of what had actually happened set it. I kept my eyes down but I could feel the burning glare on me.