“Our surveillance showed us two vulnerable points,” Patel, Logan’s task force leader, interjects. He points his laser at the map. “The tree line here is closest to the fence. It gives us good cover to cut through the barbwire fence. The old ramp to the river is the other one. We’ll approach from upstream, in the water.”
Restlessness itches under my skin with every minute we spend here, instead of going after Eliza, but I know we’ll put her in danger if we don’t prepare. “What about their security?” I ask.
“My CIs say they have heavily armed guards and attack dogs,” Sheriff Walker tells us.
“The Tank picked up signals from over twenty security cameras around the place. We won’t see them under the leaves, so Spike”—Patel points his chin to one of his men tinkering with his tactical command kit—“will freeze them for ten minutes.”
Walker’s brows knit together and he crosses his arms over his chest. “Is this enough time?”
“It has to be. More time and they’ll figure out somebody messed with them.”
“What’s the next step after your men enter the premises?” I ask impatiently, ready to bolt.
Patel narrows his eyes, assessing me, but has the good sense not to comment on my involvement. “We’ll deactivate the guards in the towers—”
“That better mean immobilize,” Sheriff Walker cuts him off. “This is already an unsanctioned mission. The higher-ups will have my head if it ends in a bloodbath.”
“Then maybe you and your men can step aside and leave it to the big boys. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty,” Patel grits.
“This is my backyard; I won’t let a bunch of war dogs blow shit—”
“Enough!” The bang of my fist against the metal table rattles around the walls of the small room. “We don’t have time for this nonsense. Let’s move fast. They won’t hold her in the same place for long.” The thought of Eliza alone with them makes me sick. She’s probably terrified. If they’ve laid a hand on her, I’ll raze the place to the ground.
Patel and Sheriff Walker continue to throw daggers at each other but don’t say anything else, while the officers exchange weary looks.
Derrick clears his throat, getting everybody’s attention. “They must have more than cameras to alert them. We should expect traps and movement sensors. I’ll have my boys clear the area before you reach the compound’s border.”
Patel nods, looking at his team. “The second we deactivate their eyes above ground, you come in and extract the target. The sheriff can waltz in after we secure the armory. Wait for our signal and fire up the sirens. The noise will draw them to the entrance.”
I bristle at the term for Eliza. “I’ll come with you,” I tell my security chief.
Derrick looks at me with unease. “No offense, boss. But this mission is extremely dangerous.”
“I wasn’t asking for your opinion. I’m telling you. Eliza needs me.”
One of the younger officers raises a timid hand like she’s at school. “’Scuse me, sir. What happens if they spot us and raise the alarm?”
Patel, Sheriff Walker, and Derrick seem to reach an unspoken consensus. “Prepare for the worst. Our contingency plan involves explosives,” Patel answers, a little too pleased with this option.
“That’s right. I’m not leaving before she’s out of their hands, even if it’s the last thing I do,” I tell my security chief. “Now, gear me up.”
The tension and weight of the stakes follow us outside, the overcast weather hanging heavy over our group. The forty-minute drive into the forest stretches into eternity while Derrick briefs his team one more time.
Shoulder to shoulder with Derrick in the muddy pit, we’re all crouched along the linked fence that Patel’s men went through two minutes ago. They’d better move fast because time is running out.
Seconds go by in complete silence, interrupted only by the occasional bark and the voices of the guards roaming the compound.
I’m not sure I’m even breathing when Patel’s voice cracks in our headsets. “The heat scanner shows her with two individuals in the long barn at four o’clock.”
Peering over the thick roots above us, I spot the building. She’s so close.
“Don’t even think about it,” Derrick hisses in my ear. “Stick to the plan!” He shakes his head, regret written all over his face. “Oh my God, Jackie’s going to kill me.”
I ignore him and check the timer, my stomach in knots. The ten minutes of video jam are almost up, and I feel like we’re sitting ducks if they spot us.
“The armory is secured.” One of Patel’s men barks. “I repeat. The armory is secured.” The static slices through my brain. “Sheriff, light the sirens at the next signal.”
Sixty seconds to go, and every strain of my muscles wants to push me out of this hole, headfirst into the barn holding my heart.
