He tugs me into what appears to be the bottom of an ancient well, then disappears up the hole. After I do the same for the man behind me, I grab the dangling rope in front of my nose and, Batman-like, climb up the narrow cylinder.
At the top, I throw a leg over the ledge, step over a horizontal millwheel, and join the others in the single-room stone structure. With the whole team now above ground, we gather around the taciturn Patten lead. He removes his tablet from inside his jacket to illustrate our location: the intersection of Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus.
“Our drones have spotted Guinevere, here.” He points to a spot twenty-five miles to the east.
Four hours, sweetheart, and I’ll be there.
Seeing me grimace, Lucky pats me on the shoulder. “She’s a brilliant sheila, mate. Nah worries.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”If only she had more street smarts.Weapon ready, I trot out the door and into a cornfield.
From there, we empty onto a dirt road leading to a thick forest. About ten miles in, we pass a camouflaged airfield.
Trever gestures to the jet hiding under a green hangar. “That’s Ledbetter’s Lear.”
Thank fuck. Taking the lead, I up our pace and gasp for breath at the prison-like wall surrounding our destination.
Under a pine tree, hand cupped over his ear, our resident geek squats as he speaks to a drone pilot stationed in Warsaw. After a minute, he trots to where we rest, places his tablet on the ground, and pops open a thermal overhead view of the complex.
“Poland's intel bureau believes the scientists are here, in the cement bunker.” His finger hovers over twelve red blotches, then slides across the screen to a larger building.
“This ancient castle has a kitchen on the bottom floor. According to them, the researchers come and go freely. Our best bet will be to grab her on the lawn.”
“Will we continue to have Polish air support?” The ex-SEAL, Hands, scratches his beard.
As he glances up at the cloudy sky, my analyst shakes his head. “No can do. Ledbetter has a half-dozen reconnaissance UAV’s circling the compound at any given time. If one of his spots ours, the element of surprise is lost.”
Fuck.We’ll have to wait until dark and go in blind. I should never have agreed to her zany scheme. What if the fucking terrorist or one of his slave-traffickers took advantage of her? I’d rather face the death penalty than see her harmed.
I bite down on my cheek until the pain there replaces the one in my chest.Please God, let us be in time.
Emotions locked down, I focus on the mission. The first one to breach the front gate might not survive. That’s why I volunteer to lead the charge. No one dares argue.
Chapter 22
“Into the wolf’s mouth.”
“May the wolf die.” ~ Italian for good-luck and the response.
Gwen
Ignoring my new office’s filthy, stained couch, I place my forearms over the keyboard and rest my head until the alarm goes off. Rubbing my eyes, I stare at the blurry computer screen and blink at the out-of-focus letters.
When that doesn’t work, I stand, do ten jumping jacks, and then step into the blue, fluorescent-lit hallway. With no pictures, rugs, or windows, the building gives off end-of-the-world vibes.
“Hello-lo-lo?” The creepy echo adds to my unease.
In need of a shit ton of caffeine, I walk down the corridor and stop at the first door. Pushing on the locked handle, I knock. After no one answers, I bang on four more before giving up.
Then, I recall the built-in translator and shout at the ceiling. “Hey, Mr. Chatbot, where’s the coffee-ee-ee?”
The same emotionless male voice from when I arrived sounds from overhead. “Beverages can be found in the central building.”
Hope surges, not only for a hot mug of joe but because I now suspect the AI can be manipulated to help me escape.
“Direct me.” Using only two words, I test the bot’s robustness and am surprised by how quickly it responds.
“Continue straight. Exit at the end of the hall and follow the brick path to the blue wooden door. The kitchen is open twenty-four-seven. All members will eat in front of their computers to maximize efficiency.”
