at home.
“I was already down here, visiting relatives when Charlie showed up. I had this weird feeling I might be needed, so I stayed, despite his objections.”
“Well, I’m so glad you did.” I yawned and blinked. “How long was I asleep?”
“Only about forty-five minutes,” Hope said, nibbling at her lower lip.
“The compound wasn’t that far away,” I said worriedly. “They should be there by now.”
“They didn’t leave until they were sure you were okay,” Hope said. “So they’ve been gone maybe half an hour.”
Were any of them coming back? Fresh nausea rolled in my stomach.
Hope stood. “Wait right there. I’ll go see what’s up in the office-slash-communication room.”
“Thanks.” I’d have gone with her, but I didn’t know if I had the strength to stand, and I didn’t want to undo her hard work.
She returned a few minutes later, a guarded smile on her face. “They’re almost there. If you think you want to listen in, you can come with me.”
I realised as I swung my legs out that I was still wearing nothing but Evan’s shirt.
Hope chuckled, then opened a drawer and handed me a pair of cotton pyjama pants. They were way too long, but I just rolled them up. Then, I let her help me stand, grateful that everything seemed to be in working order. I only had to lean on her a little as we made our way down the hall, with a brief stop at the bathroom. The rental beach house had maybe five bedrooms, which made me wonder how many had gone on the mission.
“Charlie’s team has five men, other than himself,” she told me. “Usually they leave one behind for communications—that’s Ernie, you’ll meet him in a minute. So five of them plus your three cousins.” We walked into the office, at the far end of the hall from the room I’d been in and she introduced me to a lanky young man with freckles, sandy hair and a strong southern accent.
“Pleased to see you on your feet, ma’am.” He handed each of us headsets. “I’ve turned off the mics on those so you can hear, but we won’t distract them with our conversation.”
Hope sat in the other chair while I found an empty corner on one of the beds.
“We’ve parked now,” I heard Charlie say over the headset. “We’re circling the compound on foot, looking for ways in.”
“Guards at the rear gate are out,” another man said a few minutes later.
Ernie typed rapidly on the computer in front of him. “Alarms and security cameras are down.”
“There’s a group of them gathered around a central courtyard.” That was Vaughn. “I’m going in closer.”
There was a rustle from his microphone, and I knew he was changing into his cat form. We wouldn’t hear any more from him directly, but he could sneak up on almost anyone in that shape.
“Okay, front gate is clear.” Hannah’s voice was soft and deadly. “I’m going in first. I think there’s another guard in the gatehouse up ahead.”
“Right behind you, babe,” Evan said.
“We’ve got a hole in the south fence. Two more going in.”
Then came the sound of gunfire—four sharp retorts. “Two bad guys down, good guys fine,” Charlie whispered.
“They’ve got Will tied to a post in the courtyard,” Hannah whispered. “He doesn’t look conscious, but they’re still whipping him. I’m going in—Vaughn already did.”
“Men, do not, I repeat, do not shoot the panther or the grizzly bear,” Charlie ordered. Screams, curses, and the sounds of machine guns crackled over the headset.
“Falco is down,” came a frantic voice. “Looks like a leg wound.”
“I’ve got three of the cartel bigshots holed up in a corner,” said another man. “Bridger’s getting them cuffed.”
“I’m cutting Will down from the pole. Evan and Jake are providing covering fire.” Hannah was short on breath. “He doesn’t look good at all, but he’s still breathing. We need to get him out of here ASAP.”
My heart almost stopped beating in my chest. Hope
“I was already down here, visiting relatives when Charlie showed up. I had this weird feeling I might be needed, so I stayed, despite his objections.”
“Well, I’m so glad you did.” I yawned and blinked. “How long was I asleep?”
“Only about forty-five minutes,” Hope said, nibbling at her lower lip.
“The compound wasn’t that far away,” I said worriedly. “They should be there by now.”
“They didn’t leave until they were sure you were okay,” Hope said. “So they’ve been gone maybe half an hour.”
Were any of them coming back? Fresh nausea rolled in my stomach.
Hope stood. “Wait right there. I’ll go see what’s up in the office-slash-communication room.”
“Thanks.” I’d have gone with her, but I didn’t know if I had the strength to stand, and I didn’t want to undo her hard work.
She returned a few minutes later, a guarded smile on her face. “They’re almost there. If you think you want to listen in, you can come with me.”
I realised as I swung my legs out that I was still wearing nothing but Evan’s shirt.
Hope chuckled, then opened a drawer and handed me a pair of cotton pyjama pants. They were way too long, but I just rolled them up. Then, I let her help me stand, grateful that everything seemed to be in working order. I only had to lean on her a little as we made our way down the hall, with a brief stop at the bathroom. The rental beach house had maybe five bedrooms, which made me wonder how many had gone on the mission.
“Charlie’s team has five men, other than himself,” she told me. “Usually they leave one behind for communications—that’s Ernie, you’ll meet him in a minute. So five of them plus your three cousins.” We walked into the office, at the far end of the hall from the room I’d been in and she introduced me to a lanky young man with freckles, sandy hair and a strong southern accent.
“Pleased to see you on your feet, ma’am.” He handed each of us headsets. “I’ve turned off the mics on those so you can hear, but we won’t distract them with our conversation.”
Hope sat in the other chair while I found an empty corner on one of the beds.
“We’ve parked now,” I heard Charlie say over the headset. “We’re circling the compound on foot, looking for ways in.”
“Guards at the rear gate are out,” another man said a few minutes later.
Ernie typed rapidly on the computer in front of him. “Alarms and security cameras are down.”
“There’s a group of them gathered around a central courtyard.” That was Vaughn. “I’m going in closer.”
There was a rustle from his microphone, and I knew he was changing into his cat form. We wouldn’t hear any more from him directly, but he could sneak up on almost anyone in that shape.
“Okay, front gate is clear.” Hannah’s voice was soft and deadly. “I’m going in first. I think there’s another guard in the gatehouse up ahead.”
“Right behind you, babe,” Evan said.
“We’ve got a hole in the south fence. Two more going in.”
Then came the sound of gunfire—four sharp retorts. “Two bad guys down, good guys fine,” Charlie whispered.
“They’ve got Will tied to a post in the courtyard,” Hannah whispered. “He doesn’t look conscious, but they’re still whipping him. I’m going in—Vaughn already did.”
“Men, do not, I repeat, do not shoot the panther or the grizzly bear,” Charlie ordered. Screams, curses, and the sounds of machine guns crackled over the headset.
“Falco is down,” came a frantic voice. “Looks like a leg wound.”
“I’ve got three of the cartel bigshots holed up in a corner,” said another man. “Bridger’s getting them cuffed.”
“I’m cutting Will down from the pole. Evan and Jake are providing covering fire.” Hannah was short on breath. “He doesn’t look good at all, but he’s still breathing. We need to get him out of here ASAP.”
My heart almost stopped beating in my chest. Hope
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