“Where is everyone?” I whisper.
“We’re in luck,” Archie says, talking normally. “Only one guy on and Bill’s already dealt with him. Over here.”
He leads me to a tiny glass office, and I see Bill sitting behind a computer.
“What’s he doing?”
“Come see.”
I enter the office and find a middle-aged man unconscious on the floor. “Who…?”
“Ray Teller,” Bill says, not looking up from the screen. “Don’t worry, he’s an asshole. And he’s just unconscious.”
I realize I’m touching my gun and move my palm away from my thigh holster. Adriano always says the worst thing a guy can do on an assignment is get twitchy.
“The underground way to the cells looks pretty clear,” Bill says, looking up. “Parker’s got the whole security team with him in the northern block.”
I swallow.Blockmakes it sound like we’re in a prison, which I guess we are.
“Can you see inside the cells?” I ask. “Are the boys okay?”
“You can’t get camera access from this network.”
My heart sinks. If I could see Bobby, Doc, Eli, and Adriano, I’d feel like I could fly to the cells and let them out. The idea that I’m so close but I still don’t know what’s happening hurts.
Bill stays at the computer for what seems like a very long time. Archie explains he’s frying as many cameras and security systems as he can but standing around makes me crazy nervous. I feel very small and female and totally useless, and I focus on steadying my breath and avoiding my gun.
We’re so close, I tell myself.We can’t mess this up now. Everyone’s alive and we’re going to save them.
Eventually, Bill gets up, hoisting his AK-47 over his shoulder. “I’ve done all I can do. Time to move, Kitten. As quickly and as quietly as you can.”
“Of course.”
I follow Bill past a gleaming Rolls Royce and cherry red Cadillac. Archie is behind me, and I feel safer in between their huge identical bodies. We reach a grey door and Bill punches in a code. I hold my breath and it swings open. We head up a long hallway, up short flights of stairs, and through empty rooms full of computers.
“Not far,” Bill mutters and my heart leaps into my mouth. Could it be this easy? Just driving up to the garage and getting through the front gate? Could we really just break the boys out and leave without anyone noticing?
“Will there be guards in the cells?” I whisper.
“Depends,” Bill says. “Hold tight.”
We reach a door and unlike all the others it’s painted bright red with a ghoulish dragon on it, its mouth wide open to show tar-black teeth and a lolling tongue. Its clawed feet are standing on mounds of dead bodies, and I don’t need Bill to tell me this leads to the cells. Mr. Parker is many things, but he’s not subtle.
“Time to test our luck,” Bill says and presses his thumb to a panel by the door.
The light beside it goes green and I almost lift off the floor. “You got it! We’re in—”
The screen flashes blue.PASSCODE REQUIRED.
“Fuck!” Bill and Archie and I say in unison.
Time grinds to a halt as the twins try different combinations. I look around knowing at any moment Mr. Parker’s guards could rain bullets on us. I press a hand to the red door, willing my men to feel my presence.
“No one, but Parker can unlock this,” Archie moans after what feels like fifty failed attempts. “The code changes every fifty seconds.”
Bill tries another code andPASSCODE REQUIREDflashes up again. “A geothermic pass would work.”
Archie sinks his fists into his blond hair. “How the fuck are we gonna get one, William? Cut off Parker’s hands? Pull out his eyes?”
