“You got it?”
“Yup.”
“He’ll make sure the door double clicks when the last one is through.”
Rock explained. “Double locking engages the alarm, if even a snake, and I’m not talking about the two-legged ones, slithers next to it, the alarms will beep in the war room.”
“Fucking snakes.” Castello muttered under his breath as he followed Rock up the narrow staircase cut into the rock. There was no way this was a natural feature. It had to have been purposely built. “This is some safe house.” he spoke to Rock’s back as the man entered another code.
“Same code, for now.” Rock paused with his hand on the door handle,
“Whatever you see in here is classified. You never ever speak of what or who you see here.”
“Roger that.” Castello responded immediately. He was grateful for Rock opening his safe house to them.
“I mean it, Moran, this one is totally off grid. Not even the brass knows about it.” Rock studied Castello before turning his gaze to Axel and Team Ambra. “Classified in this instance means if you speak about it, it’s not the US Government’s shit list you will be on, but mine.”
“Aye.” Zack nodded.
“Copy that.” Sage shifted the laptop case he carried from one hand to another.
“Roger.” Rafe nodded to the dog, “He has free rein?” He jerked his chin at Rock’s answering nod. Good, if the dog was allowed to wander, there weren’t any traps or trip wires they needed to be aware of. Rock was obviously confident enough in this bolt hole for his own guys that they were safe here.
Woof. Balas barked as if he understood the conversation, his tail waving, thumping softly against Rafe’s legs.
“Yes, Sir, got it.” Sawyer shifted from foot to foot. Castello wondered if his older brother Hawk had ever mentioned this dreamland. Not that he was going to ask Sawyer. What was said between him and his brother was none of his business.
“You got it, Sir.” Connor lifted his baseball cap off his head and replaced it. Having come from the FBI, Castello knew that his experience of
working in tunnels and caves was probably less than every other man here, with the exception of Axel. But it didn’t matter.
“Okay.” Axel shrugged, “I don’t care who owns what or where we are, I’m just here to find my family.” He changed hands on the box he held with Castello.
It wasn’t lost on Castello that as soon as Rock had Ambra and Axel’s word of honor that they wouldn’t reveal the location of his safe house, he had turned and opened the door. This small fact told him that Panthers had been here before. Or at least they were aware of this black site.
“Fuck me.” Castello followed Rock in a room full of cages, similar to those the military provided them for their weapons and personal gear when on a base.
“There is a barracks room through that door.” Rock pointed to the left corner, shower and all that attached to it.” He nodded to the door next to it,
“Moran, you can have that one, unless you would prefer to share with the guys.”
“Thanks.” Castello opened the door, and stuck his head in, spotting a bunk and a decent size double bed, he waved Axel over, “You’re with me.”
“Okay.”
“Guys, stash your gear.” Castello ignored the knowing smirk he received from Zack. If he opened his damn mouth, he would boot his balls so hard, Zack’d be tasting his own dick for a month.
“It’s like a freaking motel.” Axel dropped his duffle on the bunk and opened the door at the end of the room, showing them an attached bathroom with a shower. Axel went in and shut the door, the sound of water hitting water told Castello, he was taking a piss.
“You pulled out all the stops.” Castello told Rock.
“I’m getting too old to be crawling around on the jungle floor, looking for somewhere to sleep, man.” Rock chewed on the corner of his thumbnail.
“Is having the Givens brothers here gonna be a problem for your man?”
“I can speak for myself,” Axel came out of the bathroom, zipping up his pants, “I haven’t decided yet.”
“You are here, because my G says you are a solid dude.” Rock leaned against the door frame, “Don’t fuck it up and make me shoot you.”
