Mercenary Read Online Free

smallest knife free and rose, crossing to him. I knew
nothing about comforting kids and wasn’t interested in coddling
anyone, even my own son.
    “Take this,” I said.
    He looked up at me then down at the
knife.
    “It’s up to you and me to protect these
people, including your mommy,” I said gruffly. “Your job is to
stand guard over there. This knife is magic. It protects you and
anyone you’re close to, so stay close to your mom. Understand?”
    Tommy nodded and studied the knife. “It can
kill people.”
    “Yeah. So be careful. Don’t drop it.”
    Tommy obediently went to stand close to his
mother.
    I checked the pilot next. He, too, was
alive, with no sign of major injury and out cold. How had any of
these people survived?
    “How did they get in here?” I asked Tommy,
puzzled by the way the four were lined up. None of them awoke when
I jostled them to check for serious injuries, which led me to
believe they’d been unresponsive for some time.
    “It’s complicated.”
    “You’re six. What do you
know about complicated ?” I looked up, amused.
    Tommy was gazing at his mother, worried.
    “She’s okay, Tommy,” I said.
    He was quiet for a moment, watching me, and
then spoke hesitantly. “Are you my daddy?”
    Kneeling beside the teen girl, I felt for
her pulse. My kid seemed smarter than I thought a six year old
should be. Then again, his mother was brilliant, and I knew nothing
about kids.
    “Yeah,” I answered.
    “Thanatos said you would come.”
    “Thanatos?” I bristled. “That your mommy’s
boyfriend or something?”
    Tommy giggled but didn’t answer.
    Agitated by the whole situation, I checked
the remaining unconscious man and then stood back. I had two
options: searching the dark halls for a way out and risking someone
finding Tommy before I could return for him, or staying here until
daylight, when finding a route to escape would be easier. I didn’t
care about anyone else here, except for Tommy’s mom, who I didn’t
want to leave behind but would if the choice was between saving
Tommy’s life and putting him in danger.
    One of the four unconscious survivors
groaned, and Tommy darted to the side of the teen girl. “Phoibe!”
he exclaimed. He scrambled on hands and knees towards a wall and
then grabbed the handles of a gym bag. Dragging it back, he reached
the blonde girl just as she sat up. “Look, Phoibe!” Tommy pulled
something from the bag.
    I stared at the golden crown laden with
jewels.
    “I saved it!” Tommy said.
    The girl didn’t respond. Her eyes were
glazed, and she appeared disoriented.
    Tommy placed the crown beside her and then
wrapped his arms around her. Phoibe grunted but instinctively
tugged him into her lap.
    My eyes remained on the treasure worth
enough to support me for ten lifetimes.
    The creak of leather boots yanked my focus
outside the room.
    “Tommy! Turn off your flashlight!” I ordered
him quietly. I snatched the phone left beside Theodocia and tapped
the light app alerting others to our presence.
    Tommy obeyed, and I crept into the dark
hallway, senses trained on the noise coming from the main chamber.
I stopped where the corridor met the large room.
    Five men, possibly six. Drawing my weapons,
I went still, listening. Whoever it was, they were well trained,
their movements nothing louder than whispers almost too soft for me
to locate who was where.
    The sound of Tommy’s sneakers slapping
cement as he ran after me was jarring compared to the relative
quiet of those sneaking up on us. Whirling, I grabbed him and
hurried back to the room where his mother was, depositing him on
the ground.
    “Stay here!” I snapped.
    “But –”
    “Shut up, kid. Don’t move from this
spot!”
    Before he could argue, I returned to the
hallway.
    My attackers were waiting, tipped off by
Tommy. Before I reached the end of the corridor, I was ducking a
punch. I launched into action. Close quarter fighting was my forte.
Before I had been forced to sell my services