Shane looked at Gina. "Ready?"
"Let's go get your girl."
The rain hittingthe barn's tin roof sounded like a barrage of bullets—unceasing fire from the sky. As Shane and Gina approached the barn, lightning flashed in white stabs that turned the world into a black-and-white photograph. He felt the storm pressing in—a pressure that scraped at his ribs and sharpened his focus to a razor's edge. The bulletproof vest under his rain jacket was a familiar second skin, heavy and reassuring. He'd never been so grateful for Gina's paranoia.
His earpiece crackled with quiet confirmations—his team acknowledging positions, ready to move on Gina's signal. Shane carried April's purse in his left hand, keeping his right free.
The big doors were wide open. They stepped inside the dimly-lit barn. It was quieter in there, but not by much.
Dimitri stood beside a card table with an electric lantern, a radio, and a laptop. One hand rested casually on the pistol at his hip. When Shane and Gina got within ten feet, he said, "Stop. That's close enough."
Against the wall behind him, two men in tactical gear flanked April and Vince.
Shane's eyes went straight to April. Her hands were bound behind her back. She looked small between the Russians, wet and exhausted, but her chin was held high. When her eyes found his, he saw fear but also determination.
Hang in there, sweetness. We're getting out of this.
Vince stood beside her, hands free but shaking. His eyes darted between the purse in Shane's hand and the door behind them. He was sweating despite the chilly air.
Over the comm, Shane heard Gina breathe, "Three hostiles visible, west wall. Stay sharp. Over."
"No hostiles on the entrance road, over," Bear responded.
"Maintenance road clear, over," said Lion.
Dimitri's radio crackled—Russian, fast and low. He listened, then smiled.
"You brought friends," Dimitri called over the drumming rain. His English was good, his accent light but unmistakable. "Six, seven people maybe? Scattered around my barn." His smile widened. "It won't matter."
Shane's blood ran cold. Dimitri wanted them here.
Gina's whisper over the comm, deadly quiet. "You have company. Proceed as planned, over."
"You told me to bring the purse," Shane called back. "I brought insurance, too."
Dimitri laughed. "Smart. I would have done the same. Actually, I have." He gestured to the radio. Shane wondered how many of his men waited in the dark.
"Then let's do this," Shane said. "You get the purse. We get April."
"Not quite so simple." Dimitri gestured to the laptop. "Set the purse on the ground. Both of you take ten steps back, hands visible at all times."
Shane started to crouch, but Gina's hand on his arm stopped him.
"No," she said, her voice carrying across the barn. "We exchange April for the purse at the same time."
Dimitri's smile didn't waver. "I'm afraid we can't do that. You can blame Vince Romano for the complications."
Vince made a small, desperate sound.
"Here's how this works," Dimitri continued. "You set the purse down. Take ten steps back. Yuri will bring April forward to identify the purse—make sure you didn't bring a decoy. Once she confirms it's hers, we will verify the contents." He tapped the laptop. "Vince will provide the password. If everything checks out, you get April and walk out of here. Simple."
"What about me?" Vince's voice cracked. "What about my share?"
"If you lie again," Dimitri said matter-of-factly, "you are already dead. If you tell the truth and give the correct password, you go free."
"And my crypto?"
Shane almost laughed. Even now, Romano was putting money above everything else.
