She’s close to tears, and the fear emanates from her. She’s strong; that’s what I’ve realized in the last few weeks of getting to know Lauren. She’s strong and capable, and I love her for it.
“Okay, but you stay out of the way and do exactly as I say.”
She nods. “Okay.”
I turn to the team. “Let’s roll out.”
Sam drives a Jake’s Retreat mini-van. It’s not the military-grade vehicle I would have liked, but it’s big enough for all of us so we can plan as we drive.
We park a block away from the warehouse and crouch-run under cover until we’re in sight of the building. A dumpster givesus good cover, and we crouch behind scanning the area, but all is silent.
Ronan peels away without a word to scout the perimeter as planned. He fades silently into the shadows, and a moment later, I can’t see him. We’re on headset comms, and he’ll radio in if he sights any tangoes.
I flip down my night-vision goggles and survey the warehouse. Zane sent us schematics of the building, showing two main entrances and a side door.
“Aiden and Grant take the back entrance. I’ll go in the front with Sam.”
“I’ll take the roof,” says Jace.
I eye the roof of the warehouse and a small window that’s propped open.
“Give me the count of sixty to get through the window, and I’ll have the overview.”
There’s no easy route up to the window, only a series of pipes.
“You think you can get up there?”
Jace winks at me. “Only one way to find out.” He’s pulling off his boots, and I glimpse a bandage on his ankle.
“Are you fit to do this?”
He shrugs. “Oh yeah, Doc’s about to discharge me. And climbing’s easier in bare feet.”
I barely know the guy, but Kieren is inside and I don’t have time to argue.
“You stay here and don’t move,” I tell Lauren.
Her body is tense, but she nods her assent.
I plant a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll get our boy back.”
I turn to the men. “Let’s go.”
We peel away, and I glimpse Jace scaling a drainpipe before Sam and I sneak around the corner. I’m counting in my head, and we position ourselves on either side of the door waiting toget to sixty. We’re at fifty-five and about to burst through the door when there’s a shout from inside.
Without waiting to finish the count, I hurtle through the door. Two figures are on the ground, and one has the other in a headlock. I aim my tranquilizer gun at the figure applying the headlock but check myself when I realize it’s Kieren. Instead, I fire at the figure on the ground. The tranquilizer hits him in the arm, and he goes limp.
Kieren stands up, and he’s panting hard. Relief consumes me, and I push my goggles off my face.
“What happened?”
He eyes me and Sam in our gear, and a grin spreads across his face.
“I did what you taught me. I stayed calm. I knew Mom would track my phone so I kept it in my pocket, didn’t call attention to it. When we got in here, I realized we were alone, so I waited, like you taught me, pretending to be weak and scared, but always observing. And when I saw an opportunity, bam! I lunged at him. He wasn’t expecting it, and I got him in a headlock.”
He’s proud of himself, and I thump him on the back. “Good work, buddy.”
“I’m not sure what I was going to do next. Good thing you guys turned up.”
