by T K Eldridge
“Yes, sir. Roger that.”
I stood there, mind racing, as I watched Z walk away. He was right in that I needed to focus on what was right in front of me, instead of worrying about what came after. Sure, there was some need to prepare, but not to the degree I had been. It just stressed me out and disrupted my focus. The last thing I needed was to be distracted and screw up something important. We had maybe three days to get everything into motion and while my team was good at working on a deadline, this one had a lot more weight than any other.
I realized that I needed to clear my head, so I stopped at the training hall and changed into sweats before going out to hit the trail. Sometimes the only thing that gave me focus was a long run. With all of the steps we’d taken, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d missed something. Kane often accused me of not trusting in my team enough to let them take some of the weight off, and he had it right. I could delegate, but I still checked after them and I think that’s what had helped send Rico over to the other side. I had never actually said I trusted them to do their job. People needed to hear it, and I needed to remember to say it.
That wasn’t it, though. I let the steps of the mission play out in my head as I ran, then the side step we’d take to reroute the mission into an escape. I could visualize each piece of the plan so clearly, but that tingling feeling in my gut that told me to be wary did not ease up at all.
I was on my third lap when it all clicked and I almost stumbled on the trail. Instead, I took a deep breath and poured it on to get back to the Facility and see if I had been correct or not. If I was right, we were going to have to shift the plans.
* * *
By 0400, we were all dressed in black wet suits and vests, waterproof bags of gear at our feet. Most of the team had their eyes closed, doing their best to catch a few minutes of sleep as the helicopter lifted out of the Facility airport and headed east to get out over the water before it would turn north. Loki, from L block, flew the bird while Gideon drove the vehicle that we were supposed to come back in. The original plan was for us to drop into the water behind the island and approach using non-bubbling scuba gear. We were then supposed to take out every breathing body in the house. Knowing what we did, that meant guards, Secret Service agents, Peyton, Sarah, a housekeeper, and a cook. Instead, we had zip ties and gags to subdue the agents and guards, wedges to lock the housekeeper and cook in their rooms if necessary, and bean bag rounds to drop anyone who tried to be a hero. The goal was to get Peyton and Sarah without interacting with anyone else and spirit them away. Goals were one thing, plans were something else. You always planned for the worst case scenario – that’s why we had Loki’s mate, Freya with us. She was a doctor and had a kit that might as well have been a portable surgery. She planned to escape with the girls and stay at the cabin. That way, if anyone got injured, we had that covered. Loki would drop us all off and fly back to the Facility. Sure, we could strip the trackers off of a van and steal it, but a helicopter? Nope. Too much risk.
Once we were out over the water, I pulled a burner phone out and sent a text to Peyton. JD: Time to move. We’re on our way.
I waited impatiently for her reply and didn’t take a deep breath until I saw the message pop up on the screen. PA: Will be in the parking area on the mainland side of the island bridge. Be safe.
Relief washed over me and I flashed the screen to Cutter before I sent a mental message to Kane. ~They’ll be in the parking area on the mainland side of the island bridge. We can skip the house altogether.~
~Sounds good.~ Kane replied. ~We’ll just swim past the island and come down from the north side. Less chance of being seen based on what you and Cutter have told me.~
~Yeah, the guard house at the bridge is on the south side and there are patrols on the bridge itself so coming in above it is best.~
~Roger that.~ Kane replied, then leaned to whisper to Kit who sat beside him. I turned and filled in Z and he told Affie, who passed it along to Paulo.
Yeah, all three of them were on this mission. Paulo had pulled himself together, dealing with their separation better now that he knew it was almost over. His physical systems were fine, but he’d not handled the damage and repairs as well, mentally, as most of the others. It happened sometimes, but Affie and Z handled him just fine so I didn’t let it stress me.
Kit leaned over to whisper to Rico and I caught a flash of something on his face but I couldn’t tell whether it was relief or frustration. I shifted my position so I could keep him in my peripheral vision. His body language seemed tense.
I leaned forward to speak to Rico just as Loki spoke into our headsets. “Drop zone in three. Doors ready.” We pulled our bags up, checked the clips and ties, and lined up to drop out. We were about a mile out to sea, lights dark as Loki dropped us down and the doors slid open. We went out both sides, the bird lifting fast once the last one of us dropped out. Masks in place, bags pulled to our chests, we sank under the surface and followed each other in a line of faint LED’s. When I finally got to where we wanted to surface, I stopped and tapped Cutter behind me. He in turn tapped Kit and so on down the line. When we came up and pulled off our masks, I realized Rico wasn’t with us. Fury surged hot and fast in my chest as I kicked myself for not checking on him. Well, fuck. Now we had to really move.
~Kane, Rico’s gone. I think he’s going to fuck this for us. We need to hustle.~
Kane lifted a fist and we all rushed to the rocky shore. Once past the bushes and on a piece of some trail, we stopped, peeled off the wet suits, and pulled on boots and gear. Wet gear went into the bags and was dumped in the brush.
Kane went down the row and told everyone Rico had rabbited and we needed to pick up the pace. At that, I started down the trail towards Peyton and Sarah, and hopefully nothing else.
Peyton ran to me and hugged me tight when we got to the outer edge of the lot. She and Sarah each had a backpack, and she’d already put her car keys under the front bumper. Freya introduced herself to the girls and the team gathered around.
“Okay, Peyton, Sarah, Freya - you guys go with Affie, Z, and Paulo. You know where you’re to meet Gideon, so get rolling. Kane, Cutter, Kit and I will take Peyton’s car and head south. Don’t forget to stop and swap.”
I gave Peyton a kiss and whispered “I’ll be with you soon, love. Stay safe for me.”
She kissed me back, whispered “Love you too,” before she turned to head into the brush with the rest of them.
Z gave me a thumbs up and took up the rear. I watched for a moment, then went to get the keys. I got the car started while everyone got in, then pulled out of the lot.
“What are we going to do about Rico?” Kane asked.
“Fuck Rico. It’s why I didn’t tell him anything about the cabin or our plans. All he knew was that we were supposed to not kill when we were ordered to kill,” I said.
I drove south along the coastal road for about ten minutes until I found a park-n-ride lot. There were only a few cars here this early, so I parked Peyton’s car, made sure all our stuff was out and locked the car, the keys tossed over the guardrail into the water. Cutter checked out a couple of the cars before he found one he felt would work. A few nervous minutes and the car was unlocked, started, and we climbed in.
“Good work, Cutter. How about we grab breakfast somewhere while we wait for Gideon to come back for us?” I said.
“Sounds good to me,” Kane said as we paused at the exit of the lot.
That’s when we heard it. Felt it. The rumble as the earth shook, and the distant sound of explosions. Cutter backed us up so we could see out over the water where the light seemed the brightest. Unfortunately, this was not a sunrise, but the flaming wreckage where the island mansion had once stood.
“So glad we had them meet us away from the house,” Cutter said, voice quiet.
“Rico didn’t know that. This is his doing,” Kane replied.
My phone rang and I answered it. “Dante.”
“Gideon here. On speak
er in the car. All are loaded up and we’re headed to the storage to swap out. A couple of us think we heard something. Are you all okay?”
“Yeah, we’re all fine, but it looks like Rico went rogue. We’ll talk about it later.”
“Roger that. I’ll call when they’re on the way and I’m headed back to you. Find somewhere off the main drag to hunker down. I’m still not breathing easy about this. Too many oddities,” Gideon said.
Oddities. That was his code word for things had gone sideways somehow, but he was still on track.
“We’re going to find breakfast and a room so we can dump our ride. Stay safe everyone. Dante out.” I hung up and looked at the others. “We’ll grab some food in a couple of places, snacks and drinks and such, then get a motel room where they don’t watch who comes and goes. Keep it to Kane and Kit doing the walk-about. They’re the least attention-grabbing of the four of us.”
“Understood,” Kit said. “As long as there’s coffee…”
“Yes, Kittycat. We know,” Cutter teased and the tension in the car eased a little.
Within thirty minutes, the four of us were in a motel room in a town that didn’t even have a traffic light. Cutter went out to lose the car, and we changed into casual clothes before sitting down to eat. I kept a clock ticking away the minutes in my head. They should be almost to the storage unit by this time. They should have everything loaded and swapped by this time. The first group with Peyton and Sarah should be on the road by this time, and so on. I finished my food before Cutter returned and while he ate, I paced, phone in one hand, bottle of juice in the other. When my phone rang, I startled and squeezed my juice bottle, nearly spraying orange juice all over myself. Kane laughed at me as I set the bottle down and wiped my hand before I answered the phone.
“They’re on the road and all is good. I’m on my way back. Where are you?” I gave him the address and he said “I should be there in about an hour and a half. So, what the fuck was that earlier?”
“The mansion blew up. Rico did it, we think. He swam off away from us. He didn’t know any of the plans other than we weren’t going to kill the ones we were told to kill. Seems he had different orders.”
“I told Z not to turn on the news, just in case. I’m glad I did.”
“Why, Gideon?” I asked.
“Sarah was chattering away and said that her father was at home tonight. He had to go to some meeting earlier yesterday and wasn’t supposed to leave for Geneva until later this morning.”
“Oh, fuck,” I breathed. Everyone in the room sat up and looked my way. I shook my head to them and held up a finger to let them know I’d tell them in a bit. “Who else was there? Anyone you know of?”
“Senator Hansen stayed over as they were going to fly out together. Sarah was saying how happy she was they weren’t going to be there around Handsy. I hope Z listens and doesn’t turn on that radio or they’re going to have a hysterical teenager on their hands.”
“Yeah, Peyton can tell her once she’s at the compound and safe. Thanks, Gideon. Hurry if you can, I’ve got a feeling Rico isn’t done.”
“Understood,” Gideon said and disconnected the call.
I turned to the room and sighed. “Vice President Wilson and Senator Hansen were at the mansion when it blew up. They were supposed to fly out to Geneva later this morning. Someone turn on the news on the television so we can see what’s being said?”
Kit rubbed a hand over her face. “Poor Sarah. This is going to fuck with her.”
“Yeah, it will, but she’s got Peyton and us,” Cutter replied.
Kane reached for the remote and turned on the TV to CNN. A line of fire trucks were on the bridge to the island, police cars interspersed, while helicopters flew overhead to get footage. Yellow tarps lay over five body-sized lumps on the front lawn while the scroll across the bottom of the screen read “Terrorist attack has killed Vice President Wilson, Senator Hansen and several members of Wilson’s household. Any further recovery efforts will have to wait until the fire has cooled. It is believed Wilson’s daughter, Sarah, and her governess, Peyton Adams, were also in the house.”
“Huh,” Cutter said. “That may play in our favor. A lot of times, fires burn too hot to get remains. If they’re presumed dead, no one will be looking for them.”
“Yeah, that could be a good thing. Unless Sarah wants to go to her father’s funeral,” I said.
“Well, that’s not going to be possible, is it? Not if she wants to stay alive. We’ll just have to convince her, because the Facility wanted her dead and they may not have been the only ones,” Kane said.
“We’ve got about an hour before Gideon gets here. I’m going to lie down and close my eyes. I suspect that things back at the Facility are going to be in an uproar, and we need to be on the top of our game,” I said and moved to lie on one side of the queen bed that Kane had claimed.
Everyone was quiet for a bit as they processed the events of the day, the TV left on and low in the background.
I must’ve fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I was aware of was Kane as he nudged my shoulder. “Gideon’s here. Let’s go, eh?”
I felt foggy as Kit handed me a cold juice and put my gear bag on the bed next to me. “Packed up the stuff. Gideon is in the bathroom. Let’s go see what kind of crap we’ve got to deal with, huh?”
I gave her a wry smile, downed the juice and got to my feet. Cutter took the bottle out of my hand, stuffed it in the trash bag before he tied it up and carried it out. We always took everything with us. Forensic countermeasures were a thing.
Gideon came out of the bathroom as I headed to the door. “You good to drive, Gid, or do you want someone else to take over?”
“Naw, I’m good,” Gideon said. “How about a coffee stop before we hit the main road?”
We all agreed that caffeine would be welcome, so once we all got into the van, he pulled up to a drive-thru and we got cold or hot caffeine as needed.
Once we were on the highway, Cutter spoke up. “Okay, so either Rico was working with others or someone set up the explosives ahead of time. He didn’t have them in his bag on the flight over, and he didn’t have enough time to place them all around the house to cause that kind of damage.”
“Unless it was a missile,” Kit said, voice soft. “All he’d need to do is call in the coordinates or drop a tracker and have the missile aim for it. If I were doing it, I’d have put a bullseye locator on each wall of the house and got out of range before I called it in. Four missiles could have caused that kind of damage and that quickly.”
“That makes sense,” I said and looked over at her. “What made you think of that?”
“We were talking about stuff one time, about a month or so ago. He asked how I’d take out a building if it was supposed to be a total demo. I told him that scenario.”
“Well, if that was what he did, he had assistance, and Loki wasn’t flying anything with missiles, so it wasn’t him. Besides, Loki wouldn’t risk Freya,” Kane said.
“Do you think Rico is alive?” Kit asked.
“Honestly? No. I think he got taken out after he called in the attack. They wouldn’t have wanted him found with the bodies, though, so it’d be once they picked him up,” I said.
“What about us, though? We were all supposed to be in that house when it blew,” Cutter said.
“Well, not Gideon, but yeah, you’re right. So, we come back and say that we lost Rico and went to look for him when it blew up?” Kit asked.
“And we lost Freya, Z, Affie, and Paulo in the explosions,” Kane said.
“If they even ask,” I said after a bit. “I have a bad, deep in my gut feeling, about what we’re going to find when we get back. Head on a swivel, guys. Got it?”
“Yes, sir. Got it,” came from the four others around me and I turned to look out the window. Already one of the missing pieces had snapped into place and I fully expected the rest to drop when we pulled into the Facility. I had a feeling they were not going to l
et Wilson survive, but I thought they’d drop his plane into the Atlantic or have him shot in Geneva. Guess they wanted to take out everyone, including us.
Just before we got back to the Facility, my phone rang and I didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”
“It’s me,” Peyton said. “Satellite phone that Z found in the armory. We’re here, we’re safe, and this place is amazing. Are you all okay?”
“We’re about to pull into the Facility. Um, Peyton…the mansion is gone. Wilson and Hansen are dead as are a few others. They don’t know the final count yet.”
I heard her breath catch, then a faint moan. “Oh, gods. I can’t tell Sarah. Not yet.”
“I wouldn’t. The news is saying you and Sarah were in the house and are presumed dead. This could be a good thing, so they won’t look for you two. Gives you some time to come up with new identities and stuff.”
“I can see that, yeah. Oh, this is rough. I wish you were here to hold me.”
“I wish I was too. Okay, love. Stay put, don’t go outside the walls for any reason. Promise me? And keep Sarah safe. I don’t think this is even close to over yet.”
“I’ll keep her safe. We’ve got stuff to deal with here to make it feel like home for her, and we can focus on that. Love you. See you soon, I hope.”
“Me too. Bye.”
Chapter Nine
I shut off my burner and tucked it into the pocket of my jeans. As we pulled into the parking area, Gideon slowed. Usually there was a checkpoint, but the gate was open and no one was there. Two vehicles were stopped in the middle of the lot area, doors open and no one in them.
“Everyone, vests and arms,” I said. We all pulled bulletproof vests out of our bags and slid them on, then fastened our gear belts in place. I chambered a round in my .45 and holstered it. Knives were slid into sheaths and light jackets were tugged on over the vests and gear to look a little less obvious. Gideon had pulled over near the gate and shut it down, keys going into his pocket. “If we need it, we can get out of Dodge faster if I’ve got the keys.”
