Kane lowered the body of the dead guard to the floor well inside the room and went back to the doorway, peering up and down the hall before signaling Javier. The two of them moved like wraiths, Javier disappearing down the stairs while Kane guarded the hall.
You’re clear to here, Javier stated.
What’s happening on the street, Rose? Kane demanded.
Staying quiet, she announced. Get moving. We have to find that child before they’re on to us, or they’ll kill him.
There was no “we” involved in finding the boy, but Kane didn’t have time to argue with Rose. It was imperative to find the boy before the rescue could be discovered. He signaled Mack to start down the stairs with Ethan close on his heels. Kane dropped in behind them, moving silently, his gun in his fist this time. He was using a silencer, but still, they wanted to slip out without alerting the enemy force.
Something is happening at the end of the street. Teens are running in all directions. They look scared, Rose reported. Get out of there.
There was no urgency in her voice, but Kane sensed it, as did the others. Javier went through the door first, and after visually clearing the street, waved Mack and Ethan through. They ran flat out, dark shadows moving through the open street for the desert.
Bring in the bird. We’ll rendezvous in four minutes, Mack said. Gideon, you’ve got eight minutes from my mark.
Roger that. Gideon was calm. He kept his eyes on the street, sweeping rooftops and windows. Mack and Ethan were past the buildings now and running hard through the desert toward their destination. His job was to back Kane.
Rose, get moving, Kane ordered, even as he began quartering the buildings. They wouldn’t have taken the child too far from his mother and sister. They wanted leverage, and a five-year-old was perfect to manipulate a woman. Get on that helicopter.
Rose slipped back into her apartment and shrugged into her pack. She traveled light. She hadn’t invested in much for the baby, just the bare necessities, and she knew better than to add anything that might slow her down. She wasn’t getting on the helicopter without Kane. Kane could give all the orders in the world, but she didn’t trust anyone else. She owed him, and she knew he would protect her and the baby, but the others ...
She’d started this mess by calling in a team. She hadn’t done enough research and found out about the boy. That omission was on her. Now Kane and the other man, Javier, were going to be left behind if they didn’t find the boy in eight minutes.
Got him. At the end of the block. Corner apartment; he’s in the back room.
That’s impossible, even for you, Javier protested. He’d been standing with the teens just outside the apartment. He hadn’t gotten that churning in his gut that meant that trouble was close.
Remember something spooked those kids from their little party? One of them was dragged inside, and he’s being used as a target. They’re forcing the child to stab him repeatedly. Looks like everyone inside is having a good time but the two kids. Kane’s voice was grim.
He moved fast, heading down the street toward the corner apartment, staying well into the shadows along the sidewalk. He stumbled once, weakness overtaking him, but he kept going. The sight of the two boys, one five, the other a teenager, caught in the hellish situation turned his stomach. He cared little that using his psychic talent drained his energy. He ran on sheer adrenaline, sprinting down the street, Javier on his heels.
They halted abruptly outside the apartment, one on either side of the door.
If we go in guns blazing, we might hit the kid, Javier pointed out.
Kane swore under his breath. Five men. One holding the kid. The teen is tied standing to a post of some kind. They’re all drinking.
It was unnecessary to add the last, because the stench of alcohol was permeating the air outside the apartment. They had to get inside without triggering a firefight. Kane felt a prickle of unease down his spine and spun around at the same moment as Javier.
Rose swept past them and knocked on the door before either could stop her. She looked completely different. Her hair was dark and thick and seemed to trail down her back. She looked very young, like a teenager. There was no evidence of her pregnancy; if anything, she looked too slim.
The door was yanked open from inside, and a large man, disheveled and armed to the teeth, lost his angry expression and began to grin like a macabre puppet. He had scars on his face and a gold tooth.
In Spanish, Rose asked for her brother. “His friends said he came in here, and he needs to come home.”
The man nodded several times and reached for her nape, curling his fingers around her neck and jerking her to him. His eyes went wide. Shocked. He gurgled, and blood bubbled from his mouth to dribble down his chin. He hunched a little, another sound escaping, this time a gasp.
Kane and Javier fell in behind Rose, using the large man as a shield as they entered the apartment. Kane went left, Javier right. Kane took out the man forcing the five-year-old to stab the teen. The knife sliced through his neck, the tip protruding out the other side. On his knees, the dead man slumped over, falling away from the child. Rose shoved the big man to the ground and, stepping between his legs, threw her knife, still dripping with blood, into the heart of a man sitting in a chair clutching a bottle of tequila. Javier stepped right into the fourth man, hand-to-hand, nearly dwarfed by the size of the guard. His eyes were flat and cold, his smile never changing as he shoved his weapon deep and twisted to ensure the kill.
Kane whirled around to rush the last man. The guard had his finger on the trigger and was bringing his weapon around to center on Kane. Three throwing stars slammed deep into the guard’s stomach and chest, climbing toward his throat, but his turn toward Kane caused the aim to be slightly off center. He squeezed the trigger as Kane hit him low, taking his legs out from under him. The bullets spit across the ceiling so that chunks of debris rained down.
The boy screamed loudly over and over, the bloody knife still clutched in his hand. Javier batted the weapon away, snatched up the child, and sprinted out the door, running at top speed toward the safety of the desert. It was up to Gideon to protect them now.
Javier has the package and is coming your way, Gideon reported calmly.
Men poured into the streets, some half dressed but all armed. The sound of the automatic was loud in the silence of the night. For one moment chaos reigned, and that was the only moment they were going to get.
Rose! Go! Get out of here, Kane snapped even as he came together with the falling guard, jerking the automatic from his hands and tossing it aside.
The guard gripped Kane’s neck, trying to strangle him, adrenaline giving him extra strength. Rose stepped in close, shoved a knife in the back of the guard’s neck as Kane pressed his gun against the man’s heart and pulled the trigger. Kane caught Rose by the wrist and jerked her behind him. He didn’t bother going out the front door; they’d never make it. He walked fast through the small apartment, clearing the doorways visually and trusting Rose to watch their backs as they moved briskly to the rear of the apartment. There was no way for them to save the teenage boy; they could only hope someone in the apartments rescued him before the cartel members decided to question him—if he was even alive.
Kane peered out the bedroom window. There was no door leading outside, but the window faced out into a narrow corridor. The only scenery was a wall. Using his elbow he smashed through the glass and then cleared it from the frame. There was no point in wasting time reprimanding Rose for not listening and going with Javier. They had to find an exit and get out of the hot zone. The helicopter wouldn’t be waiting for them. Gideon had to follow Javier to protect the packages. He and Rose were on their own.
He lifted her and she slipped through, crouching down just to the left of the window, giving him room, her gun in her hand. He was a big man, and he had no choice but to break the wooden frame to get through. He muffled the sound as best he could and hit the ground running, Rose behind him. They made it to the do
or leading outside. It hung on one hinge, paint peeled, splintered, obviously kicked in on more than one occasion. They could hear pounding footsteps coming toward the door. It sounded like an entire army.
Rose swung around, intending to go in the other direction, but Kane stopped her with a touch to her shoulder, stepping back and throwing the stars at an angle up the wall. He leapt and caught his fingers in a crack, drawing himself up, using the first star, a good six feet above the ground to stand on. He climbed to the next one and reached down for her.
Without hesitation, Rose jumped, her arm outstretched. Kane caught her wrist and drew her up. They climbed fast. Each time she took a step up, she reached behind her and withdrew the star until they were at the top. Kane went over the edge first, rolling onto the rooftop. Rose used a one-hand push. As pregnant as she was, rolling was out of the question unless she had no other choice. Landing, she crouched low beside Kane. He could hear her panting.
You all right?
She was silent a moment, fighting to catch her breath. A little out of shape.
Kane studied her face. She avoided his eyes, concentrating on her breathing, but she didn’t look like she would freak out on him.
We’re away. Mack’s voice was grim. Can you make the alternative site?
That’s negative. Kane’s voice was as rock steady and calm as ever. I’m activating the tracker.
Mack swore. You make it out of there, Kane.
Roger that.
Kane took a long look around the roof. It appeared clear, but he wasn’t so certain. The smell of alcohol drifted on the slight breeze coming in from the desert. He signaled to Rose to stay where she was and inched his way, using toes and elbows to propel himself across the rooftop. He skirted the large rusty metal housing the cooling system and spotted a guard scooting across the roof toward the edge. He knelt up and peered down into the street. A broken bottle lay beside an open bag. The man must have dropped it when he heard the shots.
Don’t you fucking move, Rose. Kane allowed his anger at her to show. She would have been safe if she’d just gotten on that helicopter. She didn’t respond one way or the other, and he didn’t look at her, concentrating on the enemy.
If he could kill the guard before anyone realized they were on the roof, they had a chance to escape. It was a slim chance, but they were GhostWalkers—they didn’t need a clean walk through the park to make it.
His order was met with silence. Her breathing was back under control, and when he glanced at her, she looked small and alone. Probably frightened. Maybe he shouldn’t have sworn at her, but damn it all, why didn’t women ever listen? He’d been scared—terrified—for her. He couldn’t bear to look at her with blood spatter all over her clothes and in her hair. She’d been cool though. He had to hand her that. Insane, but cool.
He didn’t hurry. Hurrying could get one killed. The urgency of their situation didn’t matter, only crossing the distance between him and the one man who could tell the rest of the world where they were. He inched his way, taking care to move in complete silence. The guard breathed hard, the sound loud in the night. Below them, the sound of shouts and footsteps echoed through the darkness. Lights flashed as men frantically searched the yards and apartments.
Kane patiently inched closer, breathing softly, never taking his eyes from his prey. His heart slammed hard in his chest. He couldn’t make a mistake, not with Rose and his child on the roof with him. She couldn’t fall into enemy hands. The guard shifted, and Kane froze. The man leaned farther over the wall to search the street below, watching the frantic activity. Kane inched closer. He could touch the guard now, but the automatic weapon was over the short wall. If the gun was dropped, the searching cartel members would know their quarry was on the roof. The longer the time went by, the less likely they could get away.
Kane could hear screams as innocent people were pulled from their apartments to allow their homes to be searched. The door-by-door search was loud and ugly, the men furious at having lost their hostages. By now they would have found the bodies of their slain friends. Gideon was gone like the ghost he was, climbing down from the rooftop to the desert edge, where he raced to meet the helicopter. Kane and Rose were on their own with a street full of very angry enemies.
The guard muttered something and sank back on his heels, fishing for his cigarettes. The automatic rifle lay loosely in his lap as he lit a match. Kane was on him instantly, rising up, locking his arm around the sentry’s neck, one hand on the back of his head. He applied pressure, snapping the neck with his enormous strength in one motion. Almost gently, he lowered the guard to the rooftop, crushing out the lit cigarette. He’d had plenty of time while inching his way across the roof to ensure the sentry was alone.
Rose. Kane called her to his side. Let’s get out of here.
She remained silent, coming to him without hesitation. He caught her wrist. We’re going to have to climb down. Once we’re on the ground, stay in the shadows and head for that truck at the end of the street. It isn’t the best plan, but it’s all we’ve got. You take lead. She was less noticeable than he was. They wouldn’t be looking for a woman.
There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to be captured—or killed. But he could get Rose to safety if she just did what he said.
Rose stepped past him to peer down into the street. Crowds of people were milling around, some crying, others silent, most clutching one another in fear.
You aren’t sacrificing yourself for me.
We aren’t going to argue about this, Rose. That’s our child you’re carrying. Do you have any idea what will happen to you if they capture you? Start down and get to the damn truck. I know you can hotwire a car.
She stepped in front of him, forcing him to look down at her, to meet her glittering gaze. I can change our images. It won’t last long, but it will be enough to get both of us through the street to the truck.
Too risky. He dismissed her offer immediately. Get moving.
She didn’t blink. She continued staring up at him with her wide, dark eyes, her expression the same.
Damn it, Rose. This is no time to start acting like a woman. Get your ass down to the street and do what I say. Obviously, yelling didn’t come across as well using telepathy. Intimidation and absolute command just didn’t have the same ring, he could tell by her total lack of reasoning.
Sadly for you, you have no authority over me. Get your own ass down to the street. I’m not trading your life for mine when I know we both can make it out of here. Just because you have to turn control over to me for a few minutes, you can’t take the chance, and that’s just stupid.
Kane scowled at her—his blackest, most fierce scowl. Every man he knew backed up when he gave them that look, but she just stood there, barely coming up to his sternum, looking like a little doll. He swore under his breath. We don’t have time for this.
No, we don’t. I suggest you get moving.
She was going to be the biggest pain in his ass. They really didn’t have time to argue, and it was evident by the stubborn look on her face that she would stand there until hell froze over. One of them had to be reasonable.
Cursing, Kane went over the side of the building, keeping to the darkest areas, slamming the stars deep so she could have an easier climb. With every crack he found for his fingers and toes, he swore—and there were a lot of cracks in the old building. There was a reason men didn’t go into combat with women. Rose was a prime example. Stubborn as hell. Illogical. Completely illogical. This was the last time she was going to refuse to listen to him. And it sure as hell was the last time she was going into a combat situation.
He made it to the ground and turned back to catch her around the waist. At once he realized how pregnant she was. For some reason, she just didn’t seem that big until he touched her. Then he had the feeling she had a beach ball under her shirt. He set her down gently and swept her beneath his shoulder, holding her close just for a moment. He didn’t know if she needed the comfort or if he
did, but she didn’t move, her arm slipping around his waist, her head resting on his chest.
We’ll make it, Rose, he reassured. Do your thing, and let’s get out of here.
Rose straightened with a brief nod of her head. I’ll need you to stoop a little. Slump down so you’re a little shorter and stay very close to me. Just follow my lead. I’ll get us through the crowd.
Kane swallowed his protest. He’d asked her to put her faith in him more than once. Why was it so damned hard to turn over control to a woman? Hell. He’d gotten her pregnant in a place where she had no choice, knowing Whitney would take her baby from her and use it for his experiments in his quest to make the perfect supersoldier. She’d given him her trust when he didn’t deserve it. He owed her. Taking a breath, he nodded and slouched, moving very close to her, one arm around her waist.
They stepped out onto the street, into the mass of people. Rose walked hesitantly, as if each step was difficult. He tried not to notice the stains on her clothes, but even in the dark he could spot the blood spatter. Lighting was poor, but if anyone examined her, they couldn’t fail to see the spots. Families clung to one another, fear on their faces as men with guns searched their homes. He and Rose moved with infinite slowness through the throng. His heart pounded, and he avoided eyes.
Halfway to the truck, Rose stopped abruptly, hunched over with both hands on her obviously swollen belly, panting. If he hadn’t known she was acting, he would have panicked. An older woman murmured to her in Spanish, asking questions. Rose replied in a gasping voice that she was too early, and the labor was intense.
The older woman marched up to one of the cartel sentries and whispered to him. It was evident she knew him. The man looked annoyed and shook his head twice, but the older woman persisted.
You deliberately stopped in front of her, Kane guessed.
That’s her son. She’s been providing information to him about the movements of the police and soldiers. I made certain I was extra nice to her, bringing her groceries and helping her out just in case I needed an ally.
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