“I see you’ve already met him,” Jimmy said.

Ignoring the reply, the man ordered, “Tell me about him.”

“What little I know,” Jimmy said. “He’s a former Marine, Marine Special Operations Command. Did some spooky stuff with them in the Middle East and Afghanistan, just like everyone else in our line of work. Got out, may or may not have worked at Langley with the paramilitary types over there, and then left to break out on his own.”

“When?” was the only response.

“Within the last few years, I guess. I’ve only been with them for the past two, and only for certain jobs,” Jimmy said. “But more importantly, he’s a dangerous man. He doesn’t care about the hostages, and he definitely doesn’t care about the girl. There’s something broken inside him, something just not right. He’s unpredictable and violent. Like I said, he’s dangerous.”

The man absorbed the information, leaned in again, and said, “What does that make me, then? I’ve already killed six of your friends. What’s one more unlucky Irish guy to add to the list?”

No emotion, no anger, just truth. Whoever this is, he’s as dangerous as they are. We picked the wrong neighborhood.

The man was about to speak when Jimmy’s push-to-talk radio erupted on his vest. “Hunter Two, what’s your status? I heard faint shots from your direction. Did you get him?”

Jimmy looked at the man, who turned to the girl and said, “We need to move. Do you have any duct tape?”

“We do,” she replied, and dashed down the stairs to the kitchen.

Jimmy seized the opportunity and spoke quickly. “Listen, I never wanted to do this job. You don’t have to believe me, but it’s true. I was a soldier once. This whole thing is wrong. I don’t know why or how, but it is. But this job, it’s a million-dollar payday to each man, free and clear.”

The man studied Jimmy’s face before replying. There was a commotion from the kitchen, the sound of a drawer being yanked open, its contents scattered as she searched for the tape.

The radio called to Jimmy once again. “Hunter Two, I say again, what’s your status?”

“I don’t care what you think,” Zack replied. “You may have sworn an oath once upon a time, but you betrayed that once you started working with these men. Like it or not—all of this blood, the old man you guys killed—you’re just as responsible for it as they are. If I hadn’t shown up, you would’ve captured her, and God knows what that crazy bastard would’ve done to her.” The man’s voice grew stronger with each word, and Jimmy heard the girl’s footfalls moving up the stairs.