Chapter 5: Sinner

Declan- Present

I control my breathing and take cover behind a wall as I hone in on my target’s location. Holding my gun up near my ear, I listen intently for his footsteps to come closer. Suddenly, a figure darts into the open warehouse door. His footsteps echo in the silence of the empty, abandoned warehouse. I can hear the crackle of his shoes as he tries to stealthily make his way across the floor. Slivers of light slip through a few broken windows managing to penetrate the darkness of the empty room. I watch intently as the shadow moves closer to my hiding place and let him take a few more steps before I take him. Collins is holding a gun in his hand as he runs his gaze around the room nervously. Before he moves past me, I reach for his gun hand and elbow him in the face. He falls on his back, holding his nose as his gun skids across the floor. Moving forward, I step in front of him and point my gun with its silencer at his head.

The bastard rolls over, trying to duck my gun, but I grasp his ankles fall to my knees and kick him in the face. Blood gushes everywhere. Collins spits blood from his mouth and gives me a frightened look. “Fuck!” He says as he turns and tries to kick me in the stomach. He’s definitely not a match for my fighting skills. The Confradia taught me well. Before he can move, I raise my gun and aim it at his head. “That’s right, asshole! Now get your ass up.” He shudders as he rises from the floor. He knows the reason I am here, and he’s scared, which is probably the only smart thought he’s had so far.

I narrow my eyes and tilt my head. “Do you know who I am?” He swallows hard and gives me a grim nod. “Yeah, I know who you are…you’re...Out…Outlaw.” He stutters as he calls me by my code name. I step around him, maintaining eye contact. “Then you know why I’m here.” His eyes dim as he gulps loudly and nods in confirmation. He’s completely speechless. Moving closer, I narrow my eyes and growl through clenched teeth. “I’ve been looking for you for a while, Mr. Collins. You’ve been a bad boy. You know that the Confradia doesn’t like it when its own men betray them. It wasn’t very wise of you to side with Willem Kazik. You know that Kazik is in the Confradia's most wanted list, don’t you? Now you’re going to be a good boy and tell me where Kazik and Christoph are.”

His eyes become glazed. I can tell he wants to continue fighting, but I also know that he’s just a lowly analyst who used to work for the Confradia. They Confradia trained him on basic fighting moves, but they never trained him in the field. He doesn’t understand the kind of pain I can make him feel. But I’m planning on correcting that misconception tonight. His face pales with fear. “Let me go, Outlaw, I…I can make it worth your while.” He mutters apprehensively. Jaw tight, I lower my gun and smirk at his obvious ploy to stall the inevitable.

“Really? And what could you possibly offer me?” His expression changes from one of fear to a confident one instantly. “Anything…anything you want. Just name it, and it’s yours.” I pretend to contemplate his offer for a moment, then raise my gun and aim it at his temple. “Well, for starters, how about you tell me where Willem or Christoph is.” His smile stiffens, and his chest begins to heave. I smirk when he begins to back away. I can see that he understands his mistake in thinking that I’m easily swayed. “I…I don’t know where they are. I don’t deal directly with either of them.” Her replies in a panic.

Thinking his words through, I tilt my head with a measuring scowl. “Are you sure about that, Collins?” He nods his head, sweat beading his forehead. “I swear, I don’t know.” Sneering at his pleading tone, I shrug my shoulders and cock the gun. “Then I guess you’re of no use to me.” Collins falls to his knees in supplication. “Please, Outlaw. I swear I don’t know anything.” I shake my head. “Why don’t I believe you, Collins? Oh, I know. It’s because you were so confident a minute ago. Where’s your confidence now?” Placing my finger on the trigger, I sneer at his dejected tone. “Please, please, please, I don’t know. Willem and I didn’t directly deal together. He had…Christoph…Christoph, contact me!”

I halt at his words. My main target is Christoph. I’ve been trying to find the bastard for the past year. Christoph is Willem Kazik’s brother. According to the file, Christoph’s setting up to do something on Willem’s behalf. We recently found out that Christoph was a hitman for the Russian mafia. I don’t know how the Confradia missed that information. Perhaps Willem has a few allies in the Confradia. Christoph is also one of the key figures in the kidnapping and sexual slavery of young women and girls. Catching him would be a huge coup for the Confradia and its war against skin trading. I point my gun at an empty chair near the rubble on the floor and gesture for him to move. “Sit!” I retort with authority. Collins keeps his hands over his head as he slowly maneuvers his way to the rusted chair and plunks down unceremoniously on it. It’s amusing that he doesn't take his eyes off me. Reaching into my suit jacket, I toss him a set of cuffs. “Wrap them around the armrest and place them around your wrists.” As slowly as he can, he lowers his wrists into the restraints, lock them in place, and shakes his hands to show me that he's locked in place.

Placing the gun behind my back, I rub my thumb across my bottom lip and remove my suit jacket. Collins’ eyes widen in terror instantly. Face swollen and bloody, he strains against the restraints and desperately asks, “What…what are you going to do?” I don’t say a word at first. Sometimes it’s best to play with your prey before you take action. Rolling my sleeves up, I place my hands on the armrests and whisper near his ear. “Listen, and listen well, Collins, because whatever you say next will be important in determining whether you will survive the rest of the night.”

Collins nods his head enthusiastically. “Yeah…yeah, anything you want Outlaw.” Oh, he’s ready. I think to myself with a knowing smirk. “Good. You can start by telling me about Christoph. How did you meet? And why did he choose you?” Collins gulps loudly and looks down at his hands with a miserable frown.

“TALK!” I yell out with a threatening growl. Collin flinches, his back slamming into the chair with fear. His body shudders, and his lips tremble. For a moment, his mouth opens and closes, but no words come out. He looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Frustrated, I pull back my fist and punch him in the face. Blood splatters down his chin, and his eyes roll to the back of his head before he sputters out. “All right…I-I-I…I was at a nearby bar, having a few drinks and minding my own business when Christoph walks in and takes a seat next to me. I swear I didn’t know who he was. He was an alright guy until he began asking me all these questions. Truthfully, I didn’t even know why he was talking to me. I mean, I’m a nobody at the Confradia─just a lowly employee.” He mutters with a note of incredulity. Sweat glides down his face as he puffs out a breath and swallows deeply. Pulling a knife out, I hold it against his throat. “What kind of questions was he asking you?”

Collins scuttles back in his chair with a squeal and gasps. “He…he asked me about the codes we used in our system and about file transfers. Then, a few days later, he showed up at my house. He told me that I was going to be useful to his people. Then he threatened me. He told me that he’d kill my family if I didn’t comply. I didn’t know what to do. Every week…” He stops for a moment, his body deflating in defeat as sobs begin to wrack his body. Pulling the knife away, I narrow my eyes and wait for him to gain some semblance of composure. “…he began coming around every week. He always wanted something. At first, it was the things he asked for were inconsequential. Files that were of no importance. Then, he began asking us for codes for certain offices and schedules. I guess I didn’t want to think too much about it. If someone died or something bad happened, I figured it was a hazard on the job. Things came to a head when he asked me for the Confradia directors, Jaxon Maxwell and Logan Blake’s schedule. I completely freaked out when he asked me but gave in when he gave me pictures of my daughter playing on the school’s playground.

Eventually, he revealed that he worked with Willem Kazik.” He tightens his lips before he croaks out mournfully. “There was nothing I could do by then. I had betrayed the Confradia. He had me by the balls, and he knew it.”

I gaze down at the pitiful man and place the knife back into its sheath. “Where’s Christoph?” He shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know. He simply shows up whenever he needs something. I don’t know where he is. I swear…please…” He pleads again. After a moment, I remove my cell phone and make a call. The voice at the other end answers quickly. I respond. “I have a pickup warehouse ninety-eight near the south-west Hudson.” The voice confirms the pickup and hangs up the phone.

I look back at Collins. “I believe you. Unfortunately, you still have to answer to the Confradia.” Five minutes later, the warehouse doors open, and several Confradia agents walk in. Without a word, they walk up to Collins and release him from his restraints. I observe impassively as they lift a subdued Collins from the chair and drag him out of the room. Once they’re gone, I unfold my shirt cuffs and slip my suit jacket back on. Looking up into the fading light, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Man, I seriously need a drink.