Cerdic smiled wickedly as he
shoved the bound and gagged Jakie into the janitor's closet on the second floor
of an office building in midtown. "Don't worry," he said before
closing the door. "You'll be found soon enough. I just needed you out of
the picture for the time being."
Strolling casually down the
deserted hallway moments later, Cerdic ran his plan through his mind one more
time before taking out his cell to place a call.
* * * * *
Manny frowned as he looked
at the caller ID. "I hate blocked calls," he muttered. When he
answered, still grumbling, a text message appeared. He read it, and then reread
it, an angry frown darkening his face. There was a brief pause before a second
message appeared. Hurrying to the desk, he wrote down the information, texted a
message back, and slammed the phone shut.
The three others had been
watching, wondering what was happening.
Manny told them succinctly,
"That was Cerdic. He has Jakie. Unhurt, he says."
"Damn and double
damn," Hamlin exclaimed.
"I guess he's figured
out how to draw us out," Keegan stated. "Where are we going?"
Manny handed him the slip of
paper with the instructions. "I know the place. It's been vacant for
years. He chose well, we’ll be uninterrupted.”
“Then let’s get going.”
Hamlin looked at the others. “Well?”
“Keegan and I are going; the
two of you are staying right here. And I do not want to hear one word of
argument. Understood?”
Hamlin shot an angry look at
his lover, growling, “Jakie’s my friend too, you know.”
“I know, but if the two of
you come with us you’ll only be distractions. Trust me, Cerdic’s going to use
every trick in the book to take us down, and he’s got a few. I’ve battled him
so I know.” Manny squeezed Hamlin’s shoulder. “Please don’t make this any
harder than it already is.”
“I—alright. I guess Thom and
I can bake cookies while you’re gone.”
Thom snorted. “I don’t do
baking.”
“That’s for sure,” Keegan
muttered, and the immediate tension was broken as the men laughed.
Unfortunately he ramped it up seconds later, saying, “Let’s get ready, Manny.”
Fifteen minutes later the
two Caomhnóir were on their way out of the loft, dressed for battle, their
goodbyes to their respective lovers said.
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