The Lethal Bones Page 9

  “Still, I should have known better, and there’s no reason you should have suspected you were getting entangled into the mess of a bunch of assassins. I should have planned better to keep you safe.”

  “I’m the one who lost my wallet and then led them right to me. I went back to Lucas’ house after. I could have stayed away from him, and maybe they would never have even known he existed. These are the choices I made. It’s my fault I’m here right now.”

  She considered this as she watched him on the bed. His posture communicated his depression, but she could also see the fire in his eyes. Bundles of kinetic energy flared below the surface. With the right motivational word, he would jump up and punch a hole in the wall.

  “What matters more now is how we get you out of this,” she said. “How we keep you and the people you care about safe.”

  “Will he go after my family?”

  Ember shook her head. “I don’t know. But the last thing we want to do right now is draw attention to them. If we send people up to Fort Collins to keep an eye on Zach, they could find out about it. We could lead them right to your little brother.”

  “Then I need a gun.”

  “Why do you need a gun, Ben?”

  “I want to kill him. Dalton. The guy with the spiky black hair who shot your friend. He’s the one who sent those people to Lucas’ house and killed him. It has to be him. He has to live near that alley, right? Give me a gun and take me back there.”

  Ember sighed. “You have no idea what these people are like. You think you’re going to walk around Five Points with a loaded Glock and wait for him to come out and face you like the wild west? This man is a ruthless contract killer with hundreds of notches on his belt. If you went looking for him in his neighborhood, a sniper’s bullet would take you out before you had any idea what was happening.”

  “Then what do I do?”

  She bit her lower lip as she studied him. Salty’s words in his office rang inside her head. Ben had to be the one to kill Dalton, and she couldn’t come anywhere near it, or it might start a war.

  But Ember knew that sending Ben after Dalton would be a death sentence for him. After all that had happened, she couldn’t do that to him. There had to be a better way.

  “I’ll kill him. You stay out of it. Let me take care of this while you lie low. It’s the safest option.”

  Ben shook his head. “That man killed my best friend. I know you don’t think I’m ready to take him on, but I have to help. I have to be a part of it.”

  An idea sprang to life. Or, the seed of one. Maybe more dangerous than the ill-planned alley initiation, but maybe a brash move was exactly what they needed now.

  “Okay. I understand where you’re coming from. I have an idea of how we get things in motion. Something to draw him out and send a message.”

  Ben stood up. “When do we start?”

  17

  Ben crouched next to Ember as he took in the structure before him. The part facing him was like an open barn, with a giant roof up on stilts, casting a shadow on the bare ground below. That roof was attached to a two-story building with corrugated metal walls. As big as a warehouse, but with no loading bay doors. It appeared to be about the size of a football field, a massive structure stranded in the middle of a dirt plane with nothing but the I-70 highway in sight in any direction.

  “What is this place?” he asked.

  “It’s their weapons depot. I think they used to manufacture something in there, a long time ago. There’s an assembly line, but it’s abandoned.”

  “You’ve been inside?”

  She nodded. “I did some recon the other day. They’ve been keeping this place secret. But, when you belong to an organization filled with spies and assassins, nothing stays secret forever.”

  “And this is Five Points?”

  “No. We’re in a suburb named Commerce City right now, which is technically outside of the Five Points faction’s territory. They think the distance means no one else knows about this place.”

  “Is the commerce why it stinks here? No offense.”

  Ember grinned. “None taken. Commerce City is famous for its stink. The dog food factory by the highway has a lot to do with that. But we’re going to focus on this building for now, okay?”

  From their spot a half-mile away from the factory, Ben swung the binoculars from end to end. “It’s huge. I don’t even know where we start.”

  Ember gave his binoculars a gentle nudge to point him toward the east side, where a set of large windows overlooked a dirt parking lot. “That’s where we start.”

  "I assume that because this place looks big enough to house an army, we're not going to go in guns blazing and take out everyone inside?"

  “No, not so much. That’s not really my style, anyway. I’m much more likely to sneak up behind someone than I am to toss a molotov cocktail. It’s cleaner and more likely to succeed.”

  “Then what do we do?”

  “You walk down there, in front of those windows. There are three guards inside, looking out across the lot. Plot a path right in front of them, making sure you draw their attention.”

  Ben lowered his binoculars and eyed her. “You want me to walk right up to the guards.”

  “No, just near the building. As long as you don’t try to go inside, they won’t do anything. This weapons depot is against the Club rules, so they’re not going to risk anything by starting a confrontation. You walk across, through the dirt lot. Act like you’re lost. Just long enough to distract them so I can get inside. They’ll probably watch you, maybe even point a gun, but they won’t do anything.”

  “You’re sure they’re not going to send somebody after me?”

  Ember hesitated. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I can handle this by myself if you’d rather wait back at the car.”

  “No, I want to do it. I need to do something. For Lucas. It’s just nerves have got me feeling like I’m going to puke my guts out.”

  “If you’re going to puke, do it now. Better to get it out before we start.”

  He swallowed. “No, I’m okay. I can handle this.”

  She didn’t seem convinced, but she nodded anyway. “I believe in you.”

  “What do I do after a walk near the building?”

  “Cross the parking lot and double back. See that hill over there? It’s the one we scoped on our way in. Once you’re past it, you’re out of their sightline. That’s where you turn around and come right back here. What I need to do in there shouldn’t take longer than fifteen minutes.”

  “What exactly are you going to do?”

  "I'm going to cause some havoc. You know what I said about how I'd rather sneak up on someone than toss a Molotov? Well, in this instance, a Molotov is exactly what the situation calls for."

  “What does that accomplish?”

  "First of all, if Dalton has munitions, blowing this place to pieces helps cripple whatever he's planning. Also, to bring this place into the light and force Dalton to come out of hiding so he will have to explain it. Then, when he makes his public appearance, we'll keep a bead on his movements so we can take him out."

  Ben bit his lower lip. “You make it sound so simple.”

  “It is simple. You do your job, and I’ll do mine. Stay smart, be ready to improvise, and I’ll see you back here in fifteen minutes.”

  Ben stood up. “Okay. If this is the way we do it, this is the way we do it. Do I get a gun?”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Your chances of survival are higher if you don’t have one, actually.” When his jaw flexed, she stood with him and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Ben. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. I’m the one taking a risk here, which is how it should be. You’re just a hapless wanderer, lost and not sure where to go.”

  He turned to leave, but she grabbed him by the wrist. “If something happens to me, you get out of here. Go up to Fort Collins and get your brother, then go east for a little
while. If I’m dead, I don’t think Dalton will come after you. I can’t be sure of that, but it’s reasonable to assume.”

  “But, you’re going to be alright, right?”

  Ember shrugged. “If I knew the future, I’d be playing the lottery right now. Instead, I’m here with you.”

  “Got it.”

  “Be safe, Bennett. Be smart.”

  He nodded and set off down the hill from their current vantage point. He set a course into the valley, near the building, to the hill of dirt beyond it. Imagining dots on the ground where he would set his feet. As long as he didn’t stray from those dots, he would be okay. The little anxious voice in the back of his head told him to hurry. But, he had to keep his steps even and measured. He had to make it look natural.

  At the bottom of the hill, the earth flattened out. The building loomed large over him, and the rising sun blotted out any visibility into the large windows on the east side. Just a blinding reflection of that powerful Colorado sun.

  But, as Ben drew within a few hundred feet, he could feel the eyes on him. If Ember had already mobilized, he didn’t know where she had gone. Probably better that he didn’t know for sure. Hopefully, she could keep an eye on him.

  Despite what she’d said, he didn’t know if putting his life in her hands was the smartest move. But, it’s not as if Ben had a better choice. Her repeated offers for him to pack up and go didn’t seem like much of an option. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he did nothing about Lucas’ death. If he did nothing to make sure his family stayed safe.

  Near the building, he could see into the windows. As she’d said, there were three guards inside, one standing in the center of each of those big windows. He knew better than to look at them directly, but he kept tabs on the three with his peripheral vision. To maintain the ruse, he took his phone out and held it up in front of his face, pretending to use the GPS. Just a lost person, looking for something out here in Commerce City.

  Still, he had his course set for the massive mound of dirt at the edge of the parking lot. There, he would come around it and double back to the hill to meet Ember. Unless she died inside doing her molotov cocktail thing. Or, unless he died. Either way would make their meeting again a challenge.

  Ben noted one of the interior guards raising an assault rifle at him, and he tried not to react. He kept his pace slow, his eyes elsewhere. In twenty more paces, he lost sight of the guard and kept on walking. The fact that he hadn’t been shot yet had to indicate something positive.

  Maybe Ember had been right. Maybe they wouldn’t risk a confrontation.

  Past the building, the mound of dirt grew larger and larger as he approached it. He could see around the edge, but not much. Probably fine to walk a little faster now. He still held his phone up, still keeping up the act of a guy lost, looking for something.

  He started to turn as he rounded the mound. Phone up in front of his face.

  Then, Ben heard them. He lowered his phone to find six guys exiting the cab and bed of a pickup truck. Six guys who were dressed similarly to the three guards inside the building.

  All of them with rifles.

  The guards paused, mid-conversation, and turned toward Ben.

  18

  Ember pushed forward toward the entrance at the southeast edge of the building. While there had been three guards in sight at the eastern wall, she expected four or five more inside. Possibly as many as ten, but no fewer than four.

  Maybe not all of them would be guards. They could be others from the Five Points Branch. Administrators, laborers, recruits. Could be anyone, really. But since this was a non-sanctioned base, anyone here was here illegally. All bases of operations were to be registered with the Denver Assassins Club Review Board.

  Dalton was using this for something else. A push to take over the Five Points Branch, perhaps? Or maybe he had his sights set higher. Maybe he wanted to oust the President of the whole Assassins Club with a bloody coup. As far as Ember knew, that had never happened before. She wasn’t the best with Club history. Her friend, the half-burned older woman Fagan, would know for sure.

  None of that mattered right now. All Ember had to do was plant her devices and then get herself and Ben far away to detonate. If she could cripple Dalton’s abilities and bring this illegal facility to light at the same time, that would be the best possible outcome. Would members of Five Points die in the blast? Likely, yes. But, anyone here would know the risks of being caught in a place like this.

  She tightened the straps on her backpack as she came to the door. Her entrance would be a little to the left, a vent higher up. Using the exposed hinges of the door as climbing holds, Ember boosted herself up and made quick work of the screws holding it in place. Balancing on the door hinges wasn’t the most stable option, but if the door opened, she could at least drop down and hide behind it.

  Once she’d unscrewed the gate, she climbed back down and set the vent on the ground. Carefully, so it wouldn’t cause too much noise. Now, she had a clean way into the building.

  Then, back up, and in. It would have been better to replace the vent after entry, but it wasn’t possible. She didn’t even have the space to turn around in this claustrophobic vent.

  She crawled along the shiny metal shaft, listening for voices below. There didn’t seem to be any. With each movement of her hands and knees, she was careful to set her weight down and not make the vent bow.

  Fifty feet in, she came to a grate pointing down. There, she could see into the main room of the factory. The assembly lines had been recently removed, and now a few rows of trucks lined the interior of the space.

  Trucks?

  This didn’t seem like something as simple as trying to climb the ladder within the Five Points Branch. Dalton could do that with political alliances. No, this was something bigger. Dalton wanted a revolution, and he needed an army’s worth of weapons to execute his plan.

  Ember pressed her ear against the grate, and no sound came back. In a place like this, footfalls would echo. As far as she could tell, the room was empty. There were side offices on the second floor, and that’s where she expected to find Branch members. If she was looking for them, which she wasn’t. The optimal goal here required Ember entering and leaving unseen.

  She opened the grate and let her feet hang down, then dropped to the floor. Her boots thudded on the concrete, sending a jolt of an echo around the room. No one came. She really was alone in here. Those three guards by the eastern windows had gone somewhere else. Maybe outside, to follow Ben across the parking lot.

  Ember opened the backpack and took out the first bomb as she approached the nearest truck. A Ford F150, with a tarp over the contents of the bed. She lifted the tarp and found exactly what she’d expected to find. Guns, ammunition, explosives.

  Yeah, it’s a war Dalton wants.

  “Naughty Dalton,” she said. “I’ll bet the Club government doesn’t know about this, do they?”

  She slipped the bomb in with the weapons and then moved on to the next truck. She had nine bombs, not enough to attach one to every single truck, but it would do. Hopefully, she could trigger those explosives to take care of the rest.

  When she was out of bombs, she took a lap around the room to check for anything interesting. She was ready to bolt back toward the southeast entrance when something caught her eye. A door on the north side, sitting ajar. It didn’t seem familiar, because when she had broken into this place to scout it before, she hadn’t noticed it. The door was made to look like part of the wall, and the seams blended in to be almost invisible.

  Hidden door. Interesting.

  Ember took her pistols from her waistband and approached the open door. She peeked in to see a set of stairs going down.

  There was a basement level to the factory. So, Dalton has a secret lair underneath his illegal base of operations. What is he planning down there?

  Part of her wanted to sneak down those stairs and take out whoever she found. Maybe even Dalton, if he was h
ere.

  Ember looked at her guns. No, if she did that, that would put Ben at greater risk, wandering around outside unarmed. It wasn’t worth the risk.

  Ember looked at the door, sighing.

  19

  Dalton sipped his drink and then set it back on the table. He considered crossing the room to pick up his jacket, but he didn’t want his men to see how cold he was. Hot outside today, but ten feet underground at the Commerce City factory the air felt much cooler.

  At least he could concentrate on not shivering.

  Rennie and two others were at the table. Rennie was Dalton’s closest advisor, and the others were mostly window dressing. Kevin and Alex, two men good with guns, but not so clever in the thinking department. Rennie was the one with the deepest knowledge of Denver Assassins Club history. He knew the bylaws inside and out.

  “I’m just saying,” Rennie said, “going in front of the Review Board is not a guarantee Ember will be convicted. There’s no actual proof that she killed Kenny.”

  Dalton studied him for a moment. He suspected Rennie knew Dalton had actually killed him but was too loyal to say anything about it.

  “I know what I saw,” Dalton said.

  “Maybe so, sir, but it’s hard to prove. Do you remember five years ago, with Fredrick from the Highlands Branch and Christoph from the Westminster Branch?”

  Dalton shook his head. “I remember Christoph, but I never knew what happened to him.”

  “Fredrick and Christoph both took on the same contract, against Club rules. Christoph had the right documentation, but when they took it to the Board, Fredrick won. Even though Christoph had his own official contract and higher standing inside his own Branch, Fredrick’s contract was dated earlier. It didn’t matter that they were both official. The Board sided with Fredrick.”