Black and Brown: Raven Assassins (Ravens #1)

Chapter Forty-nine

Grace

Grace sat statue-still with his hands steepled in front of him.

The hood of his leather trench was lowered to the tips of his lashes.

He looked down at Hamburg, Germany, from the helicopter window.

He wanted to admire the architecture of the tops of Romanesque churches and the artful nouveau mansions. But he stared unseeing at the intricate winding canals, rivers, and bridges that connected the islands like arteries. The muted golden lights of the sleeping city did nothing to calm the pounding of his heart.

He wasn’t frightened. He was ready to complete this mission that would change the world.

Their stealth transport circled the vacated building while they waited for Spectre to complete the rescan of each floor before they descended.

Regardless that it was three in the morning and unlikely any laborers remodeling the tower would still be at work, their handler always triple- and quadruple-checked their intel.

“All clear.” Spectre gave the final confirmation in their earpieces that the seventy-five-story building was empty.

“I’m pissed with this delay from Woyashi’s scanners, fellas. But I’m still here. Stay sharp and stay alert.”

Upon the door opening, he and Mirage exchanged a final glance, their gazes meeting in a brief flicker of understanding— we’ve got this— before they propelled onto the rooftop.

With their duffel bags slung across their backs, he and Mirage raced down the stairwell, kicking up dust from the debris-covered floors, until they reached the sixty-fifth level.

Grace made his way to the hollow window socket sealed with plastic.

He cut out a decent-sized hole while Mirage squatted and removed his set of quality optics night vision binoculars to scan the area.

The surrounding shopping centers closed at ten and the clubs at two. There was little to no foot traffic below, and Mirage gave him the go-ahead.

Grace found the perfect vantage point before he began to set up his weapon.

Lifting the recoil pad was the final step of assembling the Daniel Delta before Grace laid down, pressing his belly to the concrete floor.

In one hour, the commander general would be evacuated from the facility.

When the Kenjuka Clan began to mobilize, Grace was ready to eliminate his targets from fifty-three hundred yards away.

Mirage

It was approaching oh four hundred hours, and they were lying in the same position as two hours before.

Grace was at his side, his eye an inch away from his own scope.

“I’ve got movement,” Mirage whispered.

“Awaiting confirmation of target.”

“Standby,” Mirage responded.

Spectre would still be in the strategy room with his eyes narrowed on the satellite feed, but their handler being delayed fifteen minutes was a huge handicap.

Mirage could see the twelve men loading into the four unmarked vans, but Grace wouldn’t move or take aim until Mirage gave him a solid green on Woyashi and Zelmir Benton.

“Targets confirmed. Vehicle three, rear seat, driver and passenger side.”

“Roger that,” Grace gritted.

Mirage did several more calculations, stored them in his mind, then acknowledged, “Shooter, you are green.”

“Roger, confirmations on ready.”

Mirage set up Grace’s history-making shot.

“Shot is four, eight, four, four.” Mirage took a three-second pause, then added, “Winds two-half value, nine degrees descending.”

“Adjustments.”

“Negative adjustments.”

“Hold scope.” Grace’s voice reverberated with unwavering focus.

“Spotter holding and standing by.”

Grace eased his finger over the trigger. He took a slow inhale and prepared to fire a shot that would make him a hero until a blur flew past Mirage on his right side, a second before a rib-bruising kick sent him flying across the room.