“Go on one. Three, two, one, go, go, go,” Tony says.
“Copy that,” we all answer.
We slowly open the doors and slide out of the vehicles, then shut them as quietly as possible. Staying behind Tony, we cross the street to the house, keeping low and hopefully out of sight of the windows.
Approaching the house from the side, we navigate the overgrown yard to make it to the back. They decided earlier that it was the easier entrance and possibly unlocked. Tony’s primary concern was whether Harrison had a dog. We’d have no way of knowing until we got here, so it was one of thosehope for the best but expect the worstscenarios. So far, it looks like our luck is holding.
CHAPTER 15
TONY
Mike and I circle around to the back of the house with the women. Pat and Evan take the front, and Adam climbs the tree across the street to cover our six. I’m hoping we don’t need him inside, but if we do, he should be able to get to us quickly enough.
“Any sign of the tango?” I ask as we crouch down behind the garbage cans.
“All clear, Knight 1. I can see into the house, and it looks deserted,” Pat responds.
“I confirm,” Evan adds.
“Okay, circle around to the back. One breach point as discussed. Copy?” I can hear the girls' breathing pick up as they listen to our conversation. I know they’re nervous, and that makes it even more dangerous for them. I was dying to tell them to stay with the vehicles, but it had to be their choice, even if dinner is burning in my gut like a vat of acid.
I hear Pat and Evan approach and wait until we’re together.
“Knight 5, all clear?” I ask Adam. We’re hoping from his perch in the tree he can see further into the house.
“Clear to breach, Knight 1,” he responds.
“Copy that. Prepare to breach.” It’s dark, but not pitch-black. We are lucky it’s a three-quarter moon, since most of our gear is back at the office. Night vision would have been nice. But we’ve been in worse situations. If our luck holds, there will only be one tango inside, and we should be able to subdue him easily.
Mike takes point as planned and slowly makes his way up the steps to the back door. He’ll pick the lock if he needs to, but people out here rarely lock their doors. Then again, they’re not usually pedophiles either.
Taking part in missions isn’t something I thought I’d be doing at this stage in my life, especially after riding a desk for so many years, but the adrenaline rush is like nothing else. I think we collectively hold our breath as Mike reaches for the doorknob after peeking inside the window. I can’t believe it when he turns the knob, and the door opens with a low squeal. Mike drops low, and we stay hidden for a count of ten, waiting to see if anyone comes to check out the noise. When there’s no movement, Mike disappears into the kitchen.
“Knight 3, Knight 4, go.” I whisper and watch them climb the stairs. “Knight 6, Knight 7, on me. When I move you move.” As Pat and Evan disappear through the darkened doorway, I lead the women up the stairs, and we slip inside the house. Again, we wait for a count of ten, just as we rehearsed.
“Knight 5 sit rep.” I look around the kitchen, not sure what I’m searching for, but just cataloging as much as possible as Adam answers.
“Knight 1, still clear.”
“Copy that. Clearing the first floor.” Then I nod to Mike, Evan, and Pat to search the first floor. We are as positive as possible that we’ll find the girls downstairs and probably Harrison too. But he could be in bed already since it’s almost midnight.
“First floor clear,” Mike reports.
“Located basement door, copy?” Evan says.
“Copy that. Clear the second floor.”
“Knight 2. Copy. Heading up now.”
I feel Providence lean against my back and turn to look at her. Then whisper, “You both okay?”
“Yeah, but we want to go get the girls.”
“I know but we need to make sure there’s no one upstairs first that can ambush us, right? No surprises, remember.”
She nods, but I know she’s impatient to get to the girls. I won’t risk their safety to get downstairs five or ten minutes sooner. I just pray we’re correct and we’ll find the girls in the basement and that they’ll be safe and sound.
It seems like we’re waiting forever. I can feel the impatience from both women. They’d be awful on stakeouts, although I’m sure I could keep Providence occupied. Finally, I hear a click in the comms.
