pointed. At the same time, Nick saw two men approaching the back door. He took aim with the rifle and fired two shots. Two bodies dropped.
Cristóbal was asleep, alone in the bed. They approached the bed quietly and took up positions on either side of the bed. When Cristóbal didn’t move, Monika poked him with the barrel of her gun.
Cristóbal began to stir. "Good morning," Monika said and eased the gun to his head.
Cristóbal opened his eyes and saw the two of them. He recognized Black. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to kill you," Black said and shot Cristóbal in the eye. "Rest in peace, Kevon." Then Black put two shots in his chest.
Black looked at Monika. "This was too easy," she said as she left the room.
"We’re not out yet," Black said and followed her down the steps.
"Everything all clear out front, Bobby?" Monika asked as Nick and Travis joined them at the door.
"All clear, general" Bobby said and saluted.
Monika gave him the finger. "Let’s move."
While Monika led her team out single file towards the gate, they were unaware that a militiaman on foot patrol had discovered the bodies Nick dropped, and sounded the alarm.
When the alarm was sounded, lights came on in the compound. Militiamen that were stationed at the main gate began firing at them.
"So much for easy," Black said and fired. Bobby set himself and opened fire on the men at the gate, while Black and Travis took cover.
"Blow it," Monika yelled as she ran for cover with the rest of her team behind some cars that were parked in front of the house, and returned fire.
Nick detonated the charges he set at the barracks, but not before several men made it out of the building. They headed for the main gate.
When he heard the alarm followed by the explosions, Monika’s operative started up his Chevy Avalanche and sped toward the gate.
Travis saw the men coming from the barracks as they made their way across the compound. He fired on them as they passed the motor pool.
Black and Bobby continued shooting as Travis set off the C-4 charges they had set at the motor pool. The explosion took most of them out. The ones who survived the blast took cover.
Monika’s operative crashed through the gate. As the truck barreled toward them, Nick rose up and laid down enough cover fire for them to get in the truck, before he jumped in the flatbed and continued firing until they made it out of the compound.
As Bobby drove back to Luke’s house, he looked over at Black. "What you thinkin’ ’bout?" he asked.
"Venezuela," Black said and looked out the window. "Venezuela and the natural order of things."
"What about it?"
"Is that all there is?"
"All what is?"
"The natural order of things; is that all there is? People try to kill us, we kill them. I mean, is that all there is to life?"
"As long as we’re livin’ this life, yeah Mike, that’s all there is. Like I said, it’s the natural order of things."
CHAPTER TEN
Rain banged on the steering wheel and leaned on the horn. She had been stuck on the Cross Bronx Expressway for almost an hour and she had barely moved a half a mile. She had made up her mind a half hour ago that she was going to get off at the next exit. At this point she could see it, but getting to it was still a ways off. When she finally was able to get off the expressway, Rain made her way to her destination on the surface streets.
She parked her car down the street from the building and walked down the street. As she got closer, Rain saw four men come running out of the building. They got in a late model, dark colored Chevy Blazer that was double-parked, and sped away. At the time Rain didn’t think much about it; to her they were just in a hurry. She was right about that, but it was the reason why they were in such a hurry that would matter to her.
When Rain got to the apartment the door was cracked opened. Knowing that the door should be closed at all times, Rain took out her