Freelancers: Falcon & Phoenix by Anthony Thackston Read Free Book Online Page B

reluctantly pulls her hand back from the deck. “Stay.”
    The Dealer reaches for the top card of the deck and pulls it to himself. His expression looks less than happy. It gives Falcon and Phoenix a measure of hope. “That’s a smart move you just made.” He starts to lay the card face up. “Ordinarily.” He lays the three down.
    Phoenix shoulders slump in defeat.
    “Don’t look so sad. You still got a shot.” The Dealer smiles as he reaches for the deck.
    “One,” Falcon mutters.
    “What?” Phoenix looks at the card. It’s a two.
    The Dealer reaches for the deck.
    “Two,” Falcon mutters again.
    The Dealer turns up the card. It’s a five.
    “Better get ready.” Falcon’s shoulders tense.
    “Ready for what?” Phoenix asks.
    “Moment of truth.” The Dealer reaches for the deck, again. He grabs the top card and starts to turn it over.
    “Three.” Falcon grabs the table and flips it up toward the Dealer. A couple of the other players fall backwards in their chairs at the surprise maneuver. The Dealer stumbles back, knocking his chair over as he tries to stand up. He draws his gun while trying to keep balance.
    In the commotion, Phoenix pulls her own gun and swings it around the room. Firearms of various types all seem to come out from everyone in the place. The Dealer gets his legs to steady under him. His long-barreled silver revolver is pointed directly at Falcon.
    “I’ll just have to add that little infraction to the list of others you’ve accumulated.”
    “We still have a deal.” Phoenix turns her gun to the Dealer. “I need him alive.”
    “So did I. But now, I think I’ll just take my winnings in one shot.” The Dealer pulls the hammer back on his revolver.
    “Honor the deal!” Falcon squares his shoulders.
    “Deal was with her. Not you.”
    “Well now it’s off. You gonna give me that car, now?” Phoenix’s tone is demanding.
    “You can have the car when he’s dead.”
    A major blast shakes the bar. Everyone, whether they’re holding a weapon or not, ducks down at the sound. The whole room appears to turn around all together. Behind the bar is a woman in a leather duster. A long scar runs from the middle of her forehead down across her eye all the way to her jaw. The iris and pupil of her scarred eye is completely white. She holds two combat shotguns in front of her but only stares at Falcon. “He’s mine.”
    The other weapons quickly disappear back into holsters and various hiding places.
    The Dealer keeps his gun out and on Falcon. “This one owes me, Rosario. A deal’s a deal. He broke that.”
    “You’re the one who walked,” Falcon fires back at the woman behind the bar.
    “I don’t care about whatever deal the two of you had. This is a personal matter.” Rosario turns one of the guns toward Phoenix. “I don’t know who you are or why you’ve got him cuffed to you but you’re going to let him loose or the only thing that will still be attached to him is going to be your severed arm.”
    “Let me guess. Crazy ex?” Phoenix mutters.
    Falcon leans in toward Phoenix. “She’s why I didn’t want to come here.”
    “Everyone just relax. He’s my contract. I honor my deals.” Phoenix tries to calm the situation.
    “I didn’t make that deal.” The Dealer swings his gun back and forth between Phoenix and Rosario.
    “Neither did I.” Rosario keeps her guns trained on Phoenix and the Dealer.
    Falcon grabs Phoenix’s gun and fires off a round at Rosario. She ducks. The Dealer takes a shot at the bar only because he’s already facing that direction. Falcon rushes toward the Dealer, jerking Phoenix along. The two cuffed Freelancers clothesline the man in the hat as they pass him. He falls to the ground and, reactively, pulls the trigger on his gun. The bullet wings the leg of another man who pulls his gun and fires a shot at the Dealer. It just misses but it’s too late and the two get into a firefight of their own.
    Rosario pops up from behind the bar