“Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of Sin’s. I was a Navy SEAL. I’ve sterilized these cans as much as possible. We’re going to do this the same way we do it on a battlefield.”
“I can’t authorize—”
“Let him.”
Everyone turned to see Sin clutching her ribs and leaning on the doorframe.
“He’s right. I’ve seen it done. It’s the only way.”
Deb shook her head. “I can’t believe what I’m about to say, but,” she looked at Danny, “what can we do to help?”
“Get Daddy ready. I’ll set up the equipment.”
Deb rushed to ready Russo for the transfusion while Danny set up the equipment. During that time, Aimee chanted over Pia while waving a bag made out of cheesecloth, filled with herbs.
“What are you doing?” Deb asked.
“Just let her be, Doc,” Danny answered. “I’ve seen all kinds of medicine in the dungheaps I’ve been in; things I’d swear aren’t possible. I’ve seen them work when modern medicine did shit.” He glanced at Aimee who smiled in return. “It doesn’t matter if we understand it. It only matters that she does.”
As everyone worked in unison to set up the transfusion, Troy went to help Sin.
“I want to see,” Sin mumbled.
“You need to lie down.”
She arched her brow. “In a time like this, all you can think about is getting me in bed. You dog.”
Troy huffed a breath and helped her to the chair Deb had vacated. He noticed fresh blood seeping from her wound. “Damn.” He grabbed the end of the belt still wrapped around her thigh and pulled, tightening it another notch.
Sin grimaced. “You could have warned me.”
“What? And take all the fun out of it.”
“Go in the main hangar and get the manual engine lift and bring it in here,” Sin instructed.
Troy looked sideways at Sin. “You want a birds-eye view.”
“No, jackass. If Dominic is placed above Pia, his blood will transfuse at a quicker rate.”
Deb, having overheard the conversation, snapped her head in their direction. “She’s right. Get it.”
Two hours later, three units of Pia’s tainted blood had been deposited in the oil can and three units of blood had been drained from Dominic into Pia. During this time, Deb had given Sin a shot of lidocaine and extracted the bullet from her thigh.
“I just put forty-two of the prettiest stitches you’ve ever seen in your leg. Don’t screw them up,” she said as she finished wrapping Sin’s leg in an ace bandage.
“Thanks, Deb,” Sin said. “I owe you.”
“What else is new.”
Looking around, Sin asked, “Where’s my backpack?”
“I think it’s still on the plane,” Troy said.
“Get it for me. Please.”
“Since you asked so nicely.”
Troy returned with her pack which was buzzing like a beehive. “If I didn’t know better, I would think it was going to explode.”
Danny, who had been talking to Aimee about the art of Obeah, turned and said, “I think we’ve had enough explosions for one day.”
“Explosions? What explosions?” Deb said.
“Later, doc,” Sin said, pulling two phones from her pack. The first was the one she took from the Jamaican at the cabin. There were numerous texts and calls from the same number. Onyx, she thought.
She sent the video of the explosion to the number and typed in a text message. “Your move, asshole.”
Picking up her personal phone, she saw call after call from Lancaster and Frank. “Shit,” she said, hitting redial.
“Sin, what the hell is going on? President Lancaster is fit to be tied and has fired you . . . and me more times than I can count.”
“Frank, I’m sorry. Things didn’t quite go as planned.”
Frank must have heard the weakness in her voice because his tone changed. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“No time to explain everything right now. The short of it is that we rescued Pia and I’ll be okay. Just need a little healing time.”
“Jesus, Sin,” Frank breathed. “What can I do for you? Want me to call Lancaster?”
“No. I’ll call him.” She reached into her pocket and felt for the tissue she had taken from Aria back in the hospital. “But I could use your help.”
“Whatever you need.”
“I’ll overnight you the materials along with the instructions.”
“Materials? Instructions? Can you be a bit clearer?”
“DNA testing. Goodbye, Frank.”
She hung up and dialed Lancaster.
“Agent O’Malley, I have no idea what the fuck you’re trying to pull, but I swear as God is my witness, I’ll have your shield and make sure you never work for the government again.”
“I’ll hold you to that promise, Mr. President.” She took a breath, her busted ribs causing her to grunt.
“What was that noise? Are you hurt, Agent? Is my daughter okay?”
“Becca is fine.” Each word she spoke was abbreviated and stunted. She needed to breathe between each. “I apologize for not contacting you, but I was waylaid.”
Sin handed the phone to Troy when the president began speaking again. “Tell him I’ll call him in the morning. That he’ll be reunited with Becca tomorrow.”
41
“That bitch!” Onyx said. Spit flew from his mouth as he watched the video and read the text. After watching it a number of times, he decided on his next move. A risky move.
Onyx dialed a number he was told to never call unless it was an emergency.
“Yes,” the voice said.
“They found her.”
“Will she live?”
“No. Doubtful.”
“Which one?”
“With what I did to her, it’s virtually impossible for her to survive.”
“Good, but our business isn’t finished yet. I need you to organize a ransom drop.”
“For who, if she’s dead?”
“Russo doesn’t know that. Stop asking questions and do as I tell you. As soon as you hear from Russo about the payment, let me know. Double-cross me and you’ll wish you were dead.”
The phone went dead before Onyx could answer. He sat at the domino table in the kava joint, drummed his rings off the hardwood, and stared at the pearl-white tiles with the black-onyx dots. The angel thinks she’s won. This game has just begun.
The bar, full of the Black 6 gang, sat silent. Finally,
