“Yeah, and I hatedevery goddamn secondwe were deployed in thedesert.”
Alexei couldn’t really arguewiththat.
Madison, Trevor, and Annabelle were dressed in the same type of attire Alexei was, just in drab coloring, and with matching blazers despite the weather. Their clothes screamed bodyguards, complete with sunglasses that doubled as cameras, though none of them were holding out hope the sunglasses would work long inside the villa. All attempts to hail Sean through his comms had come up with dead air, which meant Antonovich was employing electronic jammers or Sean’s comms were completely out of commission. Neither was a pleasantoption.
They would have to get clear of the villa before they could reconnect with headquarters unless Katie finished hacking her way through Antonovich’s security in time. She’d been at it since before dawn after getting a couple hours of rack time and picking up where another agent had left off. It was 1122 right now and still no word from her on if she had achieved her goal. Before they’d left that morning, Katie had built mental shields around their minds to keep them safe from any psionic interference. Intel on Antonovich’sBrigadadidn’t indicate he employed metahumans, but they weren’t taking any chances. The shields would only last a couple of days, but Alexei knew they weren’t staying longer than a few hours,ifthat.
Antonovich had called Alexei earlier that morning, using a different number, informing them that his people would pick Alexei up from the airport. Alexei had hung up on him again, hoping he wasn’t putting Sean and the other hostages through hell by keeping to his cover. His background wasn’t patient, nor was it accepting of other people’s orders if they didn’t come from Jamie orKatie.
Sean had done an excellent job of picking out personality traits for them back in January and deepening those quirks. Everyone was just a little harder, a little darker than what they were normally like, which meant Alexei wasn’t acting out of the ordinary by being an asshole. If the situation weren’t so dangerous, he’d laughaboutit.
“Landin’ in five,” Annabelle said, her drawling voice coming over the jet’s publiccomms.
Alexei could see the back of her head where she sat in the flight deck since the sliding door was open and locked in place. Annabelle could fly just about anything she could get her hands on. As a former Night Stalkers pilot, her skill in aviation was unparalleled on the team. Alexei barely felt a thing during their vertical descent into New Miami International Airport, and it only took a few minutes more for Annabelle to taxi them totheirgate.
They would disembark in a private terminal within the airport that catered to the rich and famous. Security would be discreet and there would be less of a crowd to deal with. The perks of having money meant privacy from the rabble was a much sought-afteroption.
“We’re good to go,” Annabelle called out to them as she turned off theengines.
Alexei let Madison and Trevor handle the bags holding their gun cases. Since they’d left out of a private airport in D.C., they weren’t subjected to security searches. Even if they were, they had the correct forms ready to go that authorized their weapons. Alexei was resigned to the fact that Antonovich’s people would confiscate every last gun they’d brought with them before they even made it to the front door of thevilla.
Alexei clenched his fingers into a fist, the long familiar pressure in his skin pushing outward. His pyrokinesis manifested itself in curling tongues of fire that burned the air over his knuckles. The obvious weapons would be taken, yes, but Antonovich wouldn’t be expecting them to still be armed once in his presence. The tricky thing would be to make sure the Wolcotts never realized they weremetahumans.
Alexei extinguished the fire with a shake of his hand and put his sunglasses on. Trevor was opening up the jet’s door, the stairs unfolding themselves from the compact space they’d been stored into for the duration of the short flight. As soon as the seal broke, a wave of hot, humid air pouredinside.
Florida had lost land mass over the last few centuries, but it hadn’t lost its reputation for ridiculously hot weather. The humidity here lent the air an almost saturated feel to it as Alexei stepped off the jet and onto the tarmac once Trevor cleared the way. Madison was right behind him, bag slung over her shoulder. Nothing was in the cargo hold of the jet, so the ground crew member with his hovercart had nothingtodo.
Annabelle spoke briefly with the MDF agent acting as a pilot who had arrived to watch over the jet before hurrying to catch up. Several New Miami-based agents would render aid to Alpha Team when needed during themission.
All those little details weren’t Alexei’s problem, for which he was glad. All he had to do in his role as COO was let the other three usher him through the airport to the main exit beyond the baggage claim. Once outside, they spotted a man with Alexei’s last name floating in holographic letters between his fingers and the data ringshewore.
Another MDF agent, the man greeted them with a firm nod before leading them to the pickup zone for passengers who could afford expensive door-to-door service. A black SUV pulled up alongside the curb seconds later, hazard lights flashing as the driver got out from behind thewheel.
“Our instructions were to deliver the vehicle to you,” the driver said as he opened up the trunk for them. “Park it in the short-term lot whenever you’re finished. We’ll handle thereturn.”
“Will do,” Madison replied as she chucked her bag into thetrunk.
Alexei climbed into the middle seat while the other three got situated, with Annabelle taking the wheel. Only when they were clear of the airport and its CCTV-saturated travel zone did Madison start distributing handguns. The biolocked weapons were secured in small hard cases, with extra magazines that Alexei opted to leave behind. Antonovich’s people would take their weapons; no use wastingammunition.
Alexei looked out the SUV’s heavily shaded and polarized window at the skyscrapers looming over the horizon in the center of New Miami. Smaller residential high-rises encircled the business heart of the city while homes were carved out by the ultra-wealthy along the shores of New Miami’s beaches around resorts. During hurricane season, a system of manmade canals, flood barriers, and levees helped to control the tidal surge aroundthecity.
New Miami was a loud, colorful city that seemed to be in perpetual party mode during the long summer. Triple digit temperatures and risk of sun exposure didn’t stop its citizens from having a good time. Shade covered a good portion of the city’s pedestrian walkways and aerial bridges by way of polarized plas-glass canopies that darkened and lightened depending on the time of day, providing protection against the brutal midday sunlight. Locals and tourists alike enjoyed the beaches during the mornings and evenings, bracketing the famous anything-goes nightlife that drew thecrowds.
In the middle of the work week, on a Wednesday, many people were sequestered inside for both work and play at this hour. The streets were clogged with vehicles while aerial traffic zipped above in strictly marked lanes. The New Miami International Airport had been relocated to the northern outskirts of the city on a solid stretch of land over a century ago. Annabelle drove south along the raised coastal highway, the New Miami Bay glinting off to theirright.
Alexei drummed his fingers against his thigh when Annabelle finally pulled off the highway, taking the ramp down into the city streets and a residential neighborhood consisting of homes only the rich could afford. Beachside dwellings weren’t practical in this day and age, but that didn’t stop people from living there. Alexei didn’t see the appeal. The property taxes alone were enough to make himchoke.
“ETA five minutes,” Annabelle said, drawing Alexei out of hismusings.
“They have eyes on us?” heasked.
“There’s a backdoor in the local CCTV grid and we’re monitoring activity on it,” Katie said over comms. “The security cameras being accessed are following yourroute.”
“Have access to Antonovich’ssystem?”
“Not yet, but we’reclose.”
Alexei grimaced. Going in blind always made things more difficult. He’d done more with less, but it always gave him aheadache.
