“I brought yours too, but you don’t have to wear it.”
She hesitated, then took it from me.
I helped fit it over her head, then stood back to take her in.
“Now you’re hunting with us.”
Bram stared at her, like he couldn’t quite believe it, and some form of unspoken communication seemed to pass between them.
I turned my attention to the compound. Two of the smaller cabins were dark, but light glowed from the other two and I wondered again if they were quarters for Kaprolov’s personal security team.
“Time?” Bram asked.
“12:06,” Jagger said, consulting his watch.
We’d left our phones behind.
“The camera should be looping,” Bram said. “We have one hour.”
Halfway across the world, Aloha had hacked into Kaprolov’s security cameras, looping the footage so it looked like status quo on the compound. But he only dared to stay in the system for an hour, because he’d said, “The longer I’m in that shit the riskier that shit gets.”
“Let’s do it,” Vigo said.
“I’ll cover our flank,” Bram said.
Cassie’s eyes met him through the dark. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Cass.”
“I also love you,” Vigo said.
“Me too,” Jagger said.
“Wait,” Vigo said to Jagger, “you love me or you love Cass?”
“Cass,” Jagger said. “I mean I guess I love you too. Fuck… yeah okay, I’m secure enough in my masculinity to admit I love all you fuckers.”
“Can we please get moving?” Bram said.
I looked at Cassie. “Remember, stay behind me, follow my lead.”
She nodded and I moved across the clearing at a crouch, hoping none of the guards were looking out the windows of the freestanding cabins.
I glanced back just once and saw Cassie right on my heels, moving quickly, staying low like I’d told her.
We’d just rounded the back of the house when a guard stationed near the side door turned toward us. It was bad luck, and I clocked the recognition on his face, the realization that we didn’t belong there.
He raised his weapon in our direction and all I could think about was Cassie behind me.
I fired off a shot, muffled by the gun’s silence, and watched him fall.
I waved the rest of the group forward and eased open the side door, my gun at the ready in case someone was on the other side.
But when I looked through the open door it was into an empty mudroom, a series of men’s coats hanging on hooks, muddy boot trays empty except for one pair of rugged snow boots.
I slipped inside and everyone else filed in behind me.
50
