Double crossed and pissed off,
Max Thune is out for blood!
He was willing to make the exchange without incident,
But as it is always known...
There Is No Honor Among Thieves!
MPT
THERE IS NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES
(Great Falls, Virginia)
(3)
I needed to make a seconds quick inspection of the cave. The assassins would be on me in just a few minutes. There it is, the window I needed to counter their south flank approach. And this uninviting dark entrance into the dirty unknown was perfect for what I needed it for at this moment... anything to not allow access for the rest of them to rush me. I would have to squeeze myself down deeper into the grit and mud... down into that south corner recess... and be prepared to shoot to kill the first head that peeks inside this new found fort. It was not secure at all, but it was the best I had for right then. I did not see a way out of that mess.
Marlowe failed me by not showing up to have my back when I made the exchange of the money for the girl. Something incredible must have happened for him to not be there for the confrontation. As it turned out, I had no clue that they were actually after me. This entire kidnapping for ransom scenario was a set-up to get me out into the open so that Bram's men could take me out of the picture. When I realized what was happening, I miraculously survived the hail of bullets as I escaped their trap by blindly jumping over the railing of the bridge... without rescuing the mayor's daughter and without recovering the money.
Good thing I landed in the raging river below. Good thing I am a powerful swimmer. Bad thing that the water was so goddamn cold on this December night.
Damn, what a freaking screw up!
And now, stuffed inside this slippery mud hole like the meat in a dirt sausage, I wait for the end of this brewing chapter in this idiot war between Bram and me to conclude. I can hear them now, in the short distance, scrambling around the sides of the bridge to come find me. I bet none of them have the guts to jump off it like I did.
I am so tuned into their energy that I can almost feel them touching the ground as they are scurrying around like rats looking for me.
OK, my handgun is ready. I am pointing at the entrance that is about five feet up and out of this muddy hole in the ground at the edge of this river in this dense forest. I am... wait... gunshots in the distance. I know the sound of that gun... Marlowe!
I can now go on the offence! Man, this cave could have been my tome but instead it has become my savior. And, I will always remember where it is... I will use this as a hiding place in the future. And I know Marlowe... no one is a better shot than he is. Few humans stand a chance against a motivated 47 year old Navy Seal retiree.
OK... let us end this little scene without either of us being shot dead. I am positive that Marlowe has his night vision goggles on so he can see me. I can't see him but I know where the sound of his gun is coming from. And when we survive this issue, both he and I have a little assault on one of the back gate entrances of a Great Falls mansion to take care of... for the girl and for the money.
But first things first...
(end of part three)
MPT
