15
The overwhelming scent of pine, dirt, and night air assaulted Ace’s senses as he loped through the woods. Those hours running on the Shields’ track were paying off now. Aven had set the chopper down out of sight and hearing from the coordinates JRad had fed her.
Dodging tree trunks and leaping fallen branches, Liam raced beside him. Legend and Tavish, in proper tactical gear instead of his usual kilt, mirrored them a bit farther south while Aarav took a different path along the river that cut a chasm in the cliff top they were rushing along.
Ace’s heart pounded but not from exertion. More from anxiety.
Would he be able to do his part for the team? And if they made it out alive, could he convince Liam that Ruby was their future?
Ace shook his head and fixated on putting one boot in front of the other, making as little sound as possible as he dashed through the forest. This wasn’t the time to worry about that shit.
Aarav came over their comms. “I’m in place. I have the crack JRad told us about from the satellite image lined up in my sights. I would say you’re wrong and that there’s no way that’s the entrance to some computer freak’s hideout, but I just spotted two guards on patrol. Let me know when you’re about to start your rappel and I will get rid of them for you.”
It would have to be some top-secret lair, wouldn’t it? What was with bad guys and these ridiculous outposts? They watched too damn many movies.
The team was going to be an easy target as they descended to what was essentially the back door of the place, since they had no hope of crashing through the reinforced steel doors at the main entrance. Oh well, it was a nice evening for an excursion at least. His night vision goggles made the twinkling stars overhead brighter than the lights on Main Street back in Middletown.
Under different circumstances, Ace would love to be camped out under them with Liam and Ruby.
“We’re close,” Liam told Aarav.
“Us too,” Legend said. “I can see the edge.”
The four of them made quick work of setting and checking their gear before hovering on the cusp of the precipice. Ace looked up and caught Liam’s golden stare fixed on him. “Ready. Are you?”
Ace hesitated the briefest of moments before he nodded. “Let’s get this done.”
And what would come after?
No time to discuss now.
Aarav’s voice was flat and emotionless, though his affair with Sola and Cash had made it apparent that only applied when he was doing his job. Like now. “Two fewer problems to worry about. You’re clear.”
Liam tossed a hand signal to Ace, Legend, and Tavish. The four of them went over at once, harder for someone to stop them that way rather than picking them off one by one if they went single file. Cool air rushed against Ace’s face and gravity tugged at him in his harness as he kicked off the stone, lowering himself several feet at a time.
It didn’t take long before they’d landed on a dusty ledge, dropped their equipment, and crept to the back door.
“I’m in on their surveillance.” Ruby’s voice was a welcome friend over the comms. “Inside the door, two guys are shooting the shit. You should be able to catch them off guard. Beyond that, things get a little hazy—that’s a lot of rock for a signal to penetrate—but it looks like you need to head north east down the passage.”
JRad added, “Heat signature data makes me think there are at least three people in the room with the drive and four more manning the gates. Hopefully they’ll be smart enough to bail when they realize what’s going on down below.”
Jordan jumped in. “Legend, Tavish, you two take the pair by the door. Once that’s dealt with, push forward to the front to keep those four from coming up behind Liam and Ace. You two are on the drive.”
He didn’t say it, but it was apparent he also meant they were likely going to have to deal with the masked man who’d threatened Ruby. Ace was more than happy to handle that task.
Ruby again. “I’ve almost got the door open. Ready?”
Liam confirmed, “Yes.”
“Okay…Go.” A metal click accompanied her order.
Ace and Liam covered Tavish and Legend as they stormed the entrance. As Ruby had promised, the two men there were caught flat footed, expecting their buddies who’d gone to check the perimeter instead of four highly trained assassins.
Legend and Tavish each dropped one, then stood to the side, allowing Liam and Ace to rush past in the stone corridor. They took the fork toward the direction Ruby had indicated and slowed down as Tavish and Legend departed in the opposite direction.
On their own, Liam took the lead.
Ace checked behind them as they made their way deeper into the hacker’s den toward the blue glow that painted the stone walls. Good thing he wasn’t claustrophobic because thinking of the weight of the entire mountain pressing in on them wasn’t very comfortable.