“Thermals show two heat signatures in the top floor bedroom with one guard outside the door. It’d make sense those are Lisette and Mateen,” Austin says. “Can’t get a read on the first and second floors from here. You’ll need to do that when you go over the wall.”
Austin has a clear view of the hallway outside where wethinkLisette and Mateen are, but no one’s gone in or out of that room since he got into position. And the GPS only tracks lateral movement. They could be on any one of the three floors.
I slide my hand over the night-vision goggles clipped to my belt, itching to move. Our entire plan hinged on us getting to Raziq’s housebeforehis men arrived with Lisette. Once that was blown, Austin insisted we had to regroup. I don’t care that he was right. The waiting is killing me.
Raziq’s had Lisette for more than nine hours. He’s hurt her by now. He made it very clear he was going to punish her for whatever “crimes” he thinks she’s committed. But she’s smart. Determined as fuck. She’ll find a way to survive until we get her out of there. She has to.
“Three minutes,” Griff says over comms. “Thank fuck.”
I kick my legs out straight, and the rear cushions collapse into the back seat. Thirty seconds later, I crouch on the floor and ease the door open.
“Pritchard? Status report on the guards.”
“Asshole Number One is leaning against the tree at the south-east corner of the property. Asshole Number Two is walking the perimeter. He’ll pass Asshole One in approximately ninety seconds.”
I’m coming, Lisette.
Creeping around the front of the car, I settle the NVGs over my eyes. They bathe the world in a bright green glow. Details I could never see without them come to life. The slender, needle-like leaves of the cedar trees. A piece of trash crumpled next to the gate. A rat scurrying across the street.
What I wouldn’t give to have Leo with us. But someone had to stay with Amelie and Philippe, and we sure as shit weren’t going to leave them with Aazar. He’s given us more than I expected, but he’s not a fighter. Not trained. Not ready to die to protect someone he’s never met.
“Go,” Austin says.
I take off at a sprint, covering a hundred feet in less than ten seconds. Griff rounds the corner and braces himself against the stone wall.
Cupping his hand together, he nods, and my boot lands dead center of his palms. The boost is all I need to reach the top. Razor wire catches on my sleeve, but with a hard tug, it rips and I’m free.
The first guard lights a cigarette as the second turns toward me. I pull a silenced Beretta from the holster at my thigh and fire. Head, heart. Head, heart. The two men collapse without a sound.
One of them has a radio and a beat-to-shit Markov pistol, but the other guy’s pockets are empty save for a bag of nuts. Arrogant fuckers.
“That was too easy,” I mutter and creep around the rear of the house to find the hardline. Got it. Right where we expected it to be. “Zephyr, talk me through this.”
“Strip the shielding, then take the cables from my little magic box and connect the alligator clips to the wires. I’ll do the rest.”
“Seriously?”
“Let the master work, Nomar. Go open the gate for Griff.”
“Not with the security system online,” I mutter. “If they hear us coming—”
“I just disabled it. Get a move on.”
Holy fuck. She’s definitely getting a new computer when this is all over. Or three.
“Told you,” Griff says when I meet him at the gate. “You owe me fifty bucks.”
“I’m good for it. Switching to thermals.” With one tap, my view changes. Griff and I circle the house, scanning up and down. Red, vaguely human-shaped blobs move here and there. Four gather in a downstairs room with a diffuse glow coming from one wall. Kitchen. Another two are stationary in what Zephyr thinks is a bedroom.
The second floor is almost as crowded with five separate heat signatures. Fuck. With the assholes we took down at the market, we thought we’d find only seven left at the house. Not more than a dozen.
“Got six on the first floor. Five on the second. With the three up top…” I shake my head. “Even if two of them are Lisette and Mateen, we’re fucked.”
“Coming to you now,” Austin says.
“Hurry. Before someone asks one of the dead guys to check in.” I flatten myself against the house, Griff at my side.
Less than two minutes later, Austin sprints through the gate and joins us. “Plan M?” he asks.
