Oh, the sweet summer child.
“That’s exactly right,” Koios said. He patted Ben’s knee and went back to searching for something a bit more realistic. Like a trail. Something small, maybe as big as an ATV but not any wider. Hmm. Was that a small break in the tree canopy?
“Castor, zoom in on the northwest corner of the property. Tell me what you see on the big screen.”
“Could be a trail,” Castor said, “but I’m not convinced. If you’d get us a drone with lidar capabilities, we could search for Ben’s tunnels.”
Koios sighed. “No, you couldn’t. That’s not what lidar does and you know it. You just want to be able to search the woods for abandoned houses for your weekend jaunts.”
Silence greeted his statement.
“Weekend jaunts?” Gideon asked.
“My brothers find enjoyment in exploring abandoned properties. They record their adventures for the internet, which makes it even more delightful. It’s also known as trespassing, in case you were wondering. If they get caught, I’m not bailing them out of jail.”
“Yes, you will,” Ben said. “They’re your brothers. It’s what we do.”
“Yeah. You tell him, Ben.” Castor’s clacking fingers on his keyboard belied the cheerfulness of his tone. “Ground penetrating radar is another option, Koios. Just think?—”
“No.”
“We’re exiting the interstate,” Logan said. “Eyes on the prize, please.”
“On it.”
The twins would be monitoring traffic and using a variety of techniques to scan their path to the valravyn’s home. Koios searched the photos once more, but nothing stood out. He continued scanning the area around the property. Wait, was that a drainage ditch? Koios followed it back to what absolutely was not a potential tunnel. He tagged the location and sent it to the twins without saying a word. He did, however, use a dollar sign to mark the spot. If they wanted their bank accounts back, they’d not speak of his discovery.
“We’re in sight of the outer walls,” Logan said.
Koios’s nerves almost got the best of him, but Ben’s big, warm hand covered his. Ben put the tablet aside before squeezing one of Koios’s hands between his.
“We’re clear on the plan, right?”
Ben’s warm breath against his ear eased Koios’s nerves a little.
“You and I are waiting in the SUV until Logan tells us otherwise. If there’s any sign of trouble, we’re leaving. We have the vial, though. That’s our ace in the hole.”
Gideon turned in the seat again. “That’s only if we get close enough to show him. If it was me running security, I’d turn us away at the gate no matter what sob story I showed up with.”
“Well, that’s not helpful,” Koios said.
Gideon shrugged. “It’s true. Why open the gate to your fortress for a bunch of strangers? You don’t, not if you’re as security obsessed as this guy.”
“Or you open the gate, knowing you have the strangers outnumbered, and you take them out one by one.” Ben dropped the idea casually while cuddling Koios close.
Koios turned to look up at Ben, his eyes wide. “Well that was terrifying, but alsonot helpful.”
“What? There are four of us in an unfamiliar, secluded area. I wouldn’t send us away and risk us coming back later when it’s dark. I’d invite us in, and then take us out.” Ben seemed oddly at ease with his cut-throat approach to defending his territory.
“I’ve suddenly realized why I prefer to be on the other end of our missions.”
“Yeah, imagine how we feel when you give us all the possible ways we’re going to die. It’s super fun.”
Did Gideon need to lay the sarcasm on so thick?
Koios thought not. “I’ll keep that in mind going forward.”
“Uh, guys? We should stop and get the drone in the air. Like, now.” Castor sounded panicked which had Logan slamming on the brakes.
