She stepped outside to make the call.
Wade pulled the satellite image closer. "We should hit them at dawn. Before they realize you're not leaving town. That way, they won't have time to move your brother or reinforce security."
Gabe felt his counter-intelligence training engage fully. "Agreed. First light gives us enough visibility to move but enough darkness for cover. What's sunrise?"
"Six-oh-seven," Tom said without looking up. "Nautical twilight starts five-thirty."
"Then we move at oh-five hundred. Get in position during full dark. Breach at first light when their guard rotation changes."
Wade nodded his approval. "Tom, can you map their camera coverage? Show us the blind spots?"
Tom's fingers flew. "Already on it." A new image appeared showing the station layout with colored overlays marking camera sight lines. "These gaps here and here. The north side of the main building has a twenty-foot section with no coverage. Probably where the old equipment storage was. Never bothered installing cameras because the terrain's too rocky for normal approach."
Wade sketched approach routes, marking positions and calculating angles with the ease of long practice. "Not too rocky for us."
Reagan came back inside. "Equipment's coming in two hours. My contact will drop it at the overlook north of town. No names, no questions."
Wade looked up from his sketching. "What are we getting?"
Reagan ticked off the items on her fingers. "Four sets of night vision goggles. Comms for six, along with full body armor. Two additional sidearms with extra ammunition clips. Breaching tools. He's including medical supplies too—field dressings, tourniquets, pain management."
Gabe nodded, trying not to think about the need for medical supplies. "That'll work."
Tom pulled up the guard rotation schedule he'd built from watching the security tapes. "They change shifts every fourhours. Next change is oh-six hundred. That's when they'll be most distracted."
Wade continued marking his sketch. "We'll already be in position by then. Use the distraction to move closer. Breach when the new guards are still getting oriented."
The plan was taking shape—dangerous but possible, risky but necessary.
Gabe straightened. "Let's talk roles. I'm first in on the entry team. David needs to see my face first."
Wade tapped his sketch. "I'll take point, lead you in. I know the layout. I can navigate us through the building."
"I'll monitor from here," Tom said. "Control the cameras, watch for complications, maintain communications."
Cara caught Gabe's eye. "I'm coming with."
Gabe started to object. "No, you're not. You're?—"
She cut him off. "You and Wade need someone watching your rears. Tom's got mad skills, but communications can die. Another set of eyes could make the difference."
She was right. He hated that she was right.
"Okay," he said. "But you stay behind Wade and me. Cover our retreat. Don't engage unless necessary."
Cara nodded.
Reagan looked at Piper, then at the group. "We'll stay here with Tom and help him coordinate communications."
Piper added, "And I'll monitor social media. If anyone posts about activity at Cape Mercy, or the cops start mobilizing, I'll know before the scanners do." She held up her phone, waggling it. "Gen Z skills, finally useful for something other than memes."
Wade almost smiled. "That's actually smart."
Piper gave him a mock bow. "Why thank you." She pointed at her notebook. "On a serious note, I've been documenting everything. Timeline, locations, all the evidence. With timestamps."
She shot Tom a look. "Plus I'll handle coffee, snacks, and making sure Dad doesn't hack into something that gets us all arrested before you even leave."
"Valid concern," Tom said without looking up from his laptop.
