always wanted her at home anyway, but she whines too much."
Braden nodded. "Can do. How will I let you know if it works?"
"You will come back here and tell me," she tried.
He laughed once. "Good attempt. And option two?"
"Jason will tell Bradley. I'll be on the line with him. Good luck, Braden."
He nodded at her and then simply turned and walked across the street. All of those men had fear in their eyes. Braden was sure he wasn't any better, but now was not the time to be scared. Now was the time to finally make a difference for his girls. Sadly, he also knew exactly how this was going to end.
Of all the places to die, a fucking casino had never even crossed his mind. It'd be worth it, though. If Rhaven walked out of there in one piece, nothing else would matter - and Psyc would make a damned good developer for FPS balance and mechanics. The world would go on, and it would finally be in a good place.
Happily fucking ever after, right? Just not necessarily his.
Chapter 58
Through the scope, the world was simple. It was so close, but so very quiet. Beside him, Bradley called out the measurement for the distance. That would give Jason the bullet drop. He lifted a hand and began to dial his scope in. Then Bradley read the wind. The problem was that up here would be very different than down in the street, and different again from that room.
In front of the hotel, an American flag drifted lazily in the afternoon breeze. Nothing too bad. It was worse up here, but he didn't want to overcompensate either. He'd need to make all of these shots. There was no other option. Five guns in the room - one of him. As soon as the first guy dropped, if the rest had any clue, they'd start shooting the women.
That was what he needed Braden for. A fucking vest wasn't much, but it had saved Jason's life once. Then again, these guys were gamers. They might go for the headshot, and if they did? It wouldn't end well.
In the back of his head, his emotions began to bang on the glass wall that held them at bay, but he ignored it. This was easier when he was saving someone he loved. It just got a whole lot harder when he sent his friend in to die. That meant he had to shoot faster. He had to be more accurate than ever. He wouldn't have time to line up all his shots. He'd need to be on the fucking ball.
And then his phone vibrated with a call. Jason leaned back only enough to find the screen, and then he swiped, using the earpiece to connect. "Yeah?"
"I'm heading in," Braden told him. "You ready for this?"
"Are you?" Jason asked.
"Sure am," Braden promised. "And I'm saying, right now, that I'm cool with it. Thanks for letting me save my girl. Oh, and I have a phone."
"Gonna actually give it to them so we can try diplomacy first?" Jason asked. "Alex could talk them down, you know. She's been trained in that."
"Pretty sure it's the 'she' part that would fuck it all up," Braden pointed out. "These guys don't listen to women, remember?"
"Kinda what I was thinking," Jason agreed. "You know the play?"
"Breach and North," Braden said. "Gonna tell me the positions?"
"I've got three on that bad wall," Jason said. "I can see just enough to know they're there. Foot, hand, that sort of thing. One guy is straight in line between me and the door. The last is almost center of the room, back wall. The window being my front."
"Gotcha," Braden said. "So you want me to push up the east wall toward the North, right? Pushing them into view?"
"Think you can?" Jason asked.
"Right now, I think I can do anything. I'll come in hard, hit the first, and see if I can get the rest. We cool?"
"Yep." Jason was looking through his sight, so moved it over. "And you should know that Rhaven is standing in the very center. She and the others have made a ring around Dez. Zara's on the side closest to me, facing my left. Your right when you come in. Clockwise from her is Kate, Riley, and Rhaven. And your girl currently has her face up in Soul Reaper's. Be fucking careful, man."
"Fifth floor?" Braden asked, ignoring that last bit.
"Yep," Jason agreed.
But something was happening in the room. Soul_Reaper had