"We've got eyes on the perimeter,"Zach said.
"Fifteen guards confirmed, plus internal security rotations every thirty minutes. I've looped the outside camera feeds, so the rest of the team will be undetected when they approach their positions around the property."
"Good," I muttered. "What about communications between the guards on the outside perimeters?"
"Scrambled. Their radios will sound like white noise if they try to coordinate once we start, but you'll still have fifteen heavily armed men inside guarding Hector, so don't go thinking you're untouchable."
Jacob leaned toward the phone. "We only need a clear path in and out. Once we're inside, masked up, invites ready, we may be able to bid on the girls and take them without blowing off one single shot."
"That would be the best way to go, but it all depends on whether they want to unmask the both of you, and if they will release the girl's right away."
Zach cleared his throat.
"You'll have CIA support on standby. Twenty operators spread across the hills and treeline. We couldn't get thirty operatives for this assignment. If all hell breaks loose, they'll rush in from their positions, but don't count on them until you've secured the girls. Their orders are to take down Hector's entire operation, not to babysit two girls."
"I don't need babysitters," I growled.
"No shit,"Zach said dryly."Just don't let your hard-on for revenge get Kitlyn, or all of you killed."
I clenched my jaw, staring at my reflection again. Kitlyn's face flashed through my mind. I pictured green eyes wide with fear, bruised and marked by that bastard's hands. This wasn't just revenge; it was justice as well.
Jacob broke in on the conversation.
"It's time. Party starts in an hour."
We gathered our gear: pistols with suppressors, knives strapped inside our jackets and earpieces wired discreetly in our ears. Jacob tossed me the invitation cards we'dstolen yesterday. The names of the two corpses we'd left behind would be used as shields tonight.
We left the hotel through the back, slipping into the SUV parked in the alley behind the establishment. Our CIA contact, Agent Turner, was waiting by the vehicle. He has been flown in right on time. His suit was black, easily blending him into the background without being seen.
"Now that we're on their side and we want to shut down Hector's operation, you've got clearance from the Mexican government," Turner said, handing Jacob a folded document. "Airspace, land movement, the whole deal. We'll hold the perimeter until you've got the girls. Once they're secure, we'll storm Hector's compound with help from the Mexican police."
I nodded. "Fine by me, but Hector is mine to do with as I please. We had a deal."
Turner studied me for a long moment. "Atlas, I don't give a shit what happens to Hector. He's all yours. Just make sure you don't walk in there blind with rage. Keep your head, or you'll lose everything."
I stepped in close, my voice razor sharp. "I don't lose."
Jacob and I climbed into the SUV, giving Turner a curt nod. Jacob's voice boomed through the truck.
"We'll signal when it's time. Keep your earbuds in."
As we drove through the streets of Mexico City, the masks rested on the seat between us. Mine was black and gold, with sharp angles cut into the shape of a demon'sface. Fitting for the event. We drove for about forty-five minutes before the compound's distant lights glowed on the horizon.
Jacob glanced at me. "Are you ready?"
I pulled the mask over my face; the world narrowing through the dark slits of the eyes. My pulse slowed; my breathing remained steady. The storm inside me quieted into focus. "Ready," I said, my voice tinged with finality.
As the SUV rolled toward Hector's gates with every man in place, every weapon loaded, I knew tonight would most likely end in bloodshed. We would try to bid on the girls, but if that idea went south, or we had an opportunity to take Hector, we would spray the place with an arsenal of bullets and bring down the cartel's empire.
No matter what happens tonight, I was leaving with my Kitten and her friend. There would be no other ending.
Suddenly, it felt like I couldn't get any air through the opening in the mask's mouth. I pulled it from my face and set it in my lap. I was amped up; my nerves glowed with fire. My queen was so close I could almost smell her.
That woman owned every part of my being, and I was fucking eager to get her out of this shithole. I took a few breaths to calm down. I had to stay focused, or it could mean the end of all of us. Our vehicle continued on the road toward the compound, its headlights beaming through the dark Mexican countryside. The closer we got, the tighter the air felt.
It was as if the whole night was holding its breath.
Jacob tapped the steering wheel, calm as ever while the evil mask sat in my lap, heavy and waiting. I glanced at hiswolf mask sitting on the seat between us. It looked as if it were sneering at me.
