by Jade Dean
Trevor tented his hands and looked at her over the tops of his fingers. “My men insist on joining you in this mission. I don’t have much choice about it,” he said ruefully.
“We’ll gladly accept the assistance,” Ryan said with obvious relief.
Abby tried to gauge how cooperative Trevor was feeling, but she couldn’t read his expression. “I have a plan to locate Montoya, but it will require specific equipment and access to restricted programs. If I get caught using them, we could all be in trouble.”
“In trouble with whom?” Trevor asked. He didn’t sound particularly alarmed at the thought of being caught.
“The NSA, Homeland Security, the CIA and a couple of other agencies.”
There was total silence at Abby’s response, then Holt leaned forward. Now that he wasn’t wearing dark contact lenses, she saw that his eyes were a rather pretty light blue. Doran’s were hazel, verging on dark green. “What programs do they have that we don’t?” Holt asked.
“All sorts of invasive programs that, if the American public knew about, they’d be fairly upset about,” Abby said lightly. “I’m going to have to hack into them and I’ll be doing it in private.” Her tone brooked no argument, which made Trevor frown. “Just because I know about the programs doesn’t mean I’m going to hand that knowledge over to anyone else.”
“How do I know that I can trust you with one of our computers?” Watts asked.
“I’ll need more than one,” she replied dryly. “I’ll need at least four. They’ll need to be top of the line and to have the heaviest security possible. Anything less than the best will almost guarantee that I’ll be caught and they’ll retrace my steps straight back here.”
Debating about just how far he was willing to go to capture Diego Montoya, Trevor finally nodded. “I have a secure room where you can perform your search. I’ll allow this on one condition,” he added.
Abby was instantly wary. “What condition?”
“That Ryan stays with you during your search.”
Ryan was surprised by that stipulation. He was no longer an employee of the Special Ops Branch and Trevor would have nothing to gain by sending him in with Abby. Maybe he was still hopeful that Ryan would agree to resume his job. If so, he would be highly disappointed. He had no intention of returning to his old life as an agent.
“Agreed,” Abby said without needing to think about it. She knew that Ryan was both loyal and had high moral values. He wouldn’t use anything that he learned for evil.
“Come with me,” Trevor said and stood. He motioned for his three employees to remain seated.
Both of the former agents followed him to the elevator. They headed down instead of up towards Watts’ private office as Ryan had expected. Abby laced her fingers through his as the carriage sank deep into the bowels of the building. It stopped on the lowest floor in the sub-basement that could only be accessed by Trevor permission. Ryan had never been down this low and was curious.
A uniformed security guard looked surprised to see them as the door slid open. He stared at Ryan and Abby suspiciously as Trevor walked down the short hallway. There was only one door. Painted the same white color as the walls, it had no window to offer a hint of what was behind it.
Trevor used the keypad on the wall to unlock the door, blocking it from their view so they couldn’t see the numbers he pressed. No doubt the combination was changed daily anyway, but it was habit for him to use the precaution.
The door clicked open and Trevor stepped aside. “Let the guard know when you’re done and I’ll send someone to collect you,” he said then turned around and retreated to the elevator.
Taking a deep mental breath, Abby pushed the door open and stepped inside.
₪₪₪
Chapter Nineteen
Ryan wasn’t really surprised that Trevor had a room that housed state of the art computers. He was surprised that his former boss had allowed them to utilize it without supervision. After working for him for nearly a decade, Ryan had earned Trevor’s trust. He’d turned rogue, but only due to his need for personal revenge, not because he’d become disenchanted with his job.
Abby was the opposite. She’d left her employment because she could no longer stand to follow her orders. Their jobs had been similar, but hers had had one significant difference. She was a paid assassin that sometimes had to torture people for information. Ryan had killed many people in the name of keeping his country safe, but murder had been only one aspect of his job. He had some training in computers, but he’d never be a professional hacker.
The room was smaller than Abby had expected, but it was large enough to suit its purpose. Thick concrete walls surrounded them and it would take plastic explosives for anyone to break inside. The ceiling was low and the lighting was dim. Instead of carpet, the floor was covered in white tiles. Two black office chairs sat before a wide, glass topped desk. Half a dozen expensive computers were neatly lined up side by side. On the wall behind the desk, a full dozen large monitors were currently blank.
Taking the seat on the right, Abby fired up all six of the computers and went to work. Ryan sank down into the other seat and rolled it backwards so he’d be out of the way. Watching her fingers fly over the keyboards, he quickly became lost as she systematically hacked into several different programs. The monitors on the wall came to life and programs he’d never even knew existed started spitting out data.
Ryan watched in wonder that was tinged with fear as Abby manipulated several secret systems into divulging information on their target. Diego Montoya’s entire life was soon on display. She found the names of his living relatives, known friends, associates and enemies and saved it all on a portable hard drive that she’d brought along.
Knowing every piece of property that Montoya owned or was linked to was important, but it was just one part of Abby’s plan. When she was finished digging up all electronic data on him in existence, she went to work on utilizing the program that could land them all in prison.
Already stunned by the information that Abby had managed to dig up, Ryan was speechless when she hacked into several satellites and commandeered them for her own use. He watched the large screens as she typed in commands to use various international facial recognition programs to locate their target.
Sitting back, Abby watched the screens intently as the satellites relayed what she wanted to know. They hacked into all CCTV footage around the world to hunt for their target and pictures began to appear. Photos of Diego Montoya flashed up onto the monitors. The oldest one was from the night he’d fled from his mansion. The newest had been taken only a few hours ago. All had been taken in or near Rio, as they’d expected.
Abby had given the program specific instructions and it rapidly compiled the information into a timeline that told them exactly where and what Montoya had been up to since Abby and her team had busted Ryan free. The beauty of the program was that it could hack into CCTV that wasn’t on the internet. It could infiltrate any electronic device and take control of them if she willed it.
It took a surprisingly short amount of time for the program to compile that data and to sum up the information they needed. Ryan read the summary, examined the new mansion that Montoya had fled to and turned to Abby. “We know where he’s holed up, now we just need to go in and get him.”
Satisfied that they’d learned everything they possibly could about Diego’s whereabouts, Abby typed a series of commands into the computers. She was an accomplished hacker and had used these programs many times during her employment. Her job had taught her to be both careful and paranoid. She’d taken the precaution of adding a secret backdoor into the programs that shouldn’t be traceable. With the rate that technology changed, it was always possible that her presence could be detected. It was a chance that she’d had to take and she wasn’t sorry that she’d taken the risk. She owed Trevor, but hopefully eradicating Diego Montoya would be payment enough.
As each computer shut down, the commands that she’d typed i
n would wipe away any trace of the keystrokes that she’d used to call up the secret programs. There would be no record on any of the computers of what she’d done and no one would be able to duplicate her actions. She wasn’t concerned that Ryan had watched her in action. He was good at his job, but he’d need a photographic memory to memorize everything that she’d just done.
When all of the screens and monitors went dead, they stood and she tucked the hard drive into her purse. Ryan politely opened the door for her and the guard reached for his radio to inform Trevor that they were done.
They only had a short wait for the elevator to arrive. Dale was waiting for them rather than Trevor. His stare was intense as they stepped inside the elevator. “Did you find him?”
“Yes,” Abby said. “He’s still in Rio, but he’s moved to a small island just off the coast.”
Musing over this, Dale crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He seemed more amused than concerned. “It’ll be just like old times, right Ryan?”
Ryan cut his eyes to Abby. “Not quite. We’ve never had a Black Squad member along for the ride before.”
Jackson smiled as the elevator came to a stop. “Having Abby with us will definitely make things more interesting. Exactly who is going to be in charge of this op anyway?” Only one person could be in charge and that hadn’t been decided yet.
Ryan and Abby looked at each other. Both had years of experience at leading teams and obtaining their goals. Abby knew she was more than competent to take charge, but she was willing to step aside and to allow someone else to take the lead. “This is Ryan’s mission,” she said as they stepped inside the same meeting room that they’d used before. “He’s in charge.”
Overhearing the comment, Matt and Josh grinned. “Welcome back to the team, boss,” Matt said.
“It’ll be good to work with you again,” Doran agreed. He hadn’t minded taking orders from Abby, but he knew Ryan well and was more comfortable with him taking the lead.
“I’m not back permanently,” Ryan warned them.
Trevor entered the room and closed the door. “We can discuss your employment options after the mission has been completed,” he said as he took his seat at the head of the table. “What can you tell us about Montoya’s whereabouts?”
“He’s holed up on a small island near Rio,” Abby informed them. “He has dozens of people surrounding him and it’s going to be very dangerous to infiltrate his new hideout.” Her tone implied that she wouldn’t blame any of the men for wanting to sit this one out.
“When do we leave?” Holt asked with a hint of a smile. It was Ryan and Abby’s job to come up with a plan. Matt just hoped he’d get to blow something up again.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty
Once again, Trevor organized a private plane to transport the small team of agents to Brazil. It wouldn’t be necessary to use an airstrip this time. Not with the plan that Ryan had in mind. Dale, Matt and Joshua left the room to retrieve the equipment their former team leader asked them to bring along. Trevor listened in as Abby and Ryan came up with a strategy that would hopefully allow them to infiltrate the island and to take down their target without sustaining any casualties.
It was strange to be working on a mission with Ryan, but Abby found it surprisingly easy. They had similar approaches in mind and pooled their knowledge and experience to come up with a plan that they could both agree on. Well used to leading small teams, the safety of their people was paramount. They didn’t want to put anyone else in danger, but they knew they’d have a far greater chance of success if Jackson, Holt and Doran went with them.
Abby and Ryan had their own equipment, but would need to borrow a few things from Trevor. Abby’s personal stash of gear wasn’t quite extensive enough to cover their latest mission and their temporary team was gathering the rest.
Waiting for the pair to conclude their strategy, Trevor caught Ryan’s eye. His former subordinate still wore a guilty look from turning rogue. “If you manage to pull this off and take down Montoya, I’ll make sure your record is cleared.”
Inclining his head in thanks, some of Ryan’s tension eased away. “Thank you.” Abby frowned and looked down at her hands. He wondered if she still saw the blood of her team mates on them. He didn’t blame her for killing them. She’d done what she had to just to survive. Somehow, he doubted her old boss would be quite as understanding as Trevor. Abby’s record would forever be stained.
Doran knocked on the door then stuck his head inside, thankfully breaking the uncomfortable silence. “We’re ready to go when you are,” he said.
Standing, Watts offered his hand to Ryan. “I wish you both luck.”
Ryan shook Trevor’s hand, still hardly able to believe he wasn’t under arrest. Abby shook his hand next. “I’ll make sure Montoya pays for what he did to Elizabeth,” she said quietly.
Trevor pressed his lips together before they could tremble and betray his feelings. He desperately wanted to accompany the team to Brazil, but he’d just be a liability. After what he’d seen Abigail do to Aaron Swift, he knew she was fully capable of causing Montoya great suffering. “Thank you,” he said with heartfelt gratitude.
Ryan heard Trevor’s phone ring and glanced back just before he closed the door. The look on Watts’ face was alarmed and a shudder worked its way down Ryan’s spine. His old boss rarely allowed his emotions to show. If he was worried, then it meant something bad had happened or was about to. “Let’s get out of here,” he said and hurried Abby towards the elevator.
Abby didn’t question Ryan’s urgency and trotted to keep up with his longer stride. Doran also picked up on the tension and sent a curious look at them both. Ryan didn’t explain his feelings of trepidation that had him checking his weapons more than once on the ride down to the parking level.
Expecting an ambush, Abby pulled her gun as the elevator came to a stop. Jackson blinked at her in surprise, then led the way to the black van that would be their ride to the airport. “What’s going on?” he asked as Abby and Ryan both searched the parking lot for enemies.
“Nothing,” Ryan said unconvincingly. “But I think it would be a good idea if we leave immediately.”
Knowing his team leader well, Dale didn’t question Ryan’s intuition. It had saved them all before and he had a feeling it would save them again.
The same driver that had chauffeured them to the airport the last time was behind the wheel again. He waited patiently for Abby and Ryan to transfer their gear from her jeep to the van. All five agents had their weapons drawn as they drove out onto the street.
They didn’t see anyone in pursuit during the drive to their private jet, but Ryan couldn’t help but feel as if they’d narrowly avoided danger. He was the first to put his gun away and the others followed suit.
“What sort of danger did we just avoid?” Abby asked.
It was eerie how easily she read him. He shrugged reluctantly. “Trevor received a call just as we were leaving and he looked very worried.”
“It might not have been related to our mission,” Doran pointed out.
Ryan nodded at the muscular agent. He liked Joshua for his calmness and pragmatism. Matt Holt was more temperamental, not to mention prone to blowing things up. Dale was loyal, steady and extremely dependable. All were good men to have at his back and he didn’t want harm to come to any of them. By becoming embroiled in his and Abby’s mission, they were in great peril. “I hope not,” was all he said, yet his intuition told him differently.
Abby had a healthy dose of intuition as well. It was shrieking at her that they were about to step into danger that might get them all killed. Montoya would be expecting them to come for him and he’d be prepared. He’d done his best to hide from them, but his best wasn’t quite good enough. Not with the technology that she’d just borrowed. It could find someone and pinpoint their location with stunning ease. If she hadn’t taken the precaution of wiping her records from every known database, Logan Matthews would h
ave tracked her down and eradicated her long ago.
Checking her watch, she saw that it was only ten o’clock. It would take around ten hours to reach their destination. It would be early in the evening by the time they reached Brazil, but they’d need the extra time to reach the island if they stuck to the plan.
Despite Ryan’s hunch that they were in danger, they boarded the plane without incident. Having a private plane and government clearance sped up the process considerably. This craft was different from the last one that they’d borrowed. It was an older model that had a large cargo hold rather than plush and comfortable seats. The men stored their gear in mesh nets that were secured to the ground. Abby kept her backpack with her. The equipment inside was too important to let out of her sight.
Donning headphones so they could speak, they sat on the plain metal seats that lined both sides of the cargo hold and buckled up. Once the plane was in the air, Abby unbuckled herself and reached for the backpack that she’d stashed beneath her seat. The men gathered around when she took a seat on the cold, hard floor.
“This is the island where Montoya is hiding,” she said after plugging in her portable hard drive and calling up a map of a small island near Rio.
She’d given back the laptop she’d borrowed from Trevor and was using her own this time. It had the same capabilities as Aaron Swift’s computer and more. Zooming in on the map, she allowed the men to examine it.
“I count eighty-six targets,” Jackson said after rapidly counting the blurry red outlines that had been captured by a thermal camera.
Holt leaned forward to point at the largest structure. “Most of them are guarding this building. I assume Montoya is somewhere inside.”
“You don’t have to assume,” Abby said and clicked on another file.
Her team shared disturbed glances at the array of photos that popped up on the screen. They saw Diego Montoya both entering and leaving the building as well as photos that had been taken around the grounds.
