Ruthless Game

by Christine Feehan

  We're in, it's a go, Kane said as he and Javier started up the stairs, taking care to feel each individual step for sound before they placed their feet.

  Mack signaled Ethan, and Ethan slipped over the side of the building, making his way to the window, leaving behind the stars for Mack to use. There were no ropes, and no one would ever think they could climb up or down the two-story structure.

  Guard on the balcony, Mack, Ethan cautioned suddenly. I can smell his cigarette smoke.

  Rose stepped out of her apartment to get a better look. She could see the guard on the balcony clearly; he was smoking a cigarette and staring down at the street. It took her a long time, even with her night vision, to spot the man clinging like a spider to the side of the building. Her heart leapt.

  He's directly in line with you. All he has to do is look up once he turns.

  There was a moment of silence as each member of the team realized Rose had tapped into their communication through Kane.

  Talk to us, Mack made the decision, trusting Kane's judgment that she was on their side.

  Ethan moved with infinite slowness, inch by slow inch, turning upside down right there on the side of the building. He hung with his head down, clinging to the side with his toes and one hand while he, with that same agonizing slowness, took his knife from between his teeth, transferring it to his one free hand. There in the dark he looked like a giant spider, looming over unsuspecting prey.

  Mack had already started down the stars Ethan had lodged in the building, retrieving them as he descended. Now he hovered above Ethan, a dark shadow completely motionless, just waiting.

  Rose kept her gaze glued on the guard. He used his fingertips to crush the glowing tip and snapped it over the narrow balcony to the street below. He's turning.

  I've got him now, Ethan reassured, his voice absolutely calm.

  Rose watched, one hand protectively over her baby and the other around the hilt of her knife. They wanted silence. She couldn't use a gun, but ...

  The guard turned and took a step, a single fatal step. He never saw Ethan as he dropped down just like a spider, driving the point of his knife deep. He kept his grip on the guard, easing him to the balcony floor in silence. Mack joined him, shoving the throwing stars into the loops on his inside vest. Ethan stepped back, and Mack took the lead.

  The balcony door was open. Inside the room, the television blared loudly. Two chairs, back to back, held the woman and a little girl of ten. They were tied, hands and feet. Both had gags in their mouths. The little girl's head swung toward them as they stepped silently into the room. Her eyes went wide with shock when she realized the shadows were large men coming out of the night at her. The mother didn't move, her head hanging as if she wasn't conscious.

  Mack put a finger to his lips and shook his head. The little girl froze. There were tears swimming in her eyes. Ethan crossed to the mother, crouching down beside her. Both eyes were swollen closed. She had cuts on her mouth and chin and bruising around her neck. Her dress was torn in several places, and there was evidence of bruising beneath the garment.

  Ethan swore under his breath as he cut the ropes. Her hands were nearly purple. She was barefoot, and both feet were cut and bruised as well as swollen.

  She's in bad shape. I'm going to have to carry her.

  That was bad news. Mack was going to have the child, and with the woman needing a ride as well, that put both men in a more vulnerable position. But they were prepared.

  We'll move in ten, Kane announced calmly.

  Roger that. Mack cut the child free and lifted her into his arms, soothing her in Spanish. "Your uncle sent us to get you and your mother out of here. We have to be very quiet."

  The child frowned and put her mouth next to Mack's ear. "What about my little brother?"

  Mack stiffened. No one had said anything about a brother. "Where's your brother, sweetie?"

  "They took him away."

  We have a complication. There's another child. A boy. "How old is he?"

  She muffled her cough against his shirt. "Five."

  Kane, the moment we hit the ground running, drop back with Javier and find that boy.

  Javier lay at the top of the stairs, his body stretched out on the floor. A low light illuminated the end of the hall and cast shadows down the corridor. A guard sat in front of the door to the third apartment. He had his chair tipped back and his legs sprawled out in front of him. His weapon was in his lap, and he appeared to be sleeping, but neither Javier nor Kane was deceived. Every few seconds he stroked his finger over the trigger as though caressing his gun.

  Will do. Hold. The guard's alert.

  You want us to draw him inside?

  Javier glanced at Kane and nodded just once. He eased his body down the threadbare carpet. Anyone could come out of their apartment and conceivably step on him on their way to the stairs. Both doubted anyone would be showing their face with so many armed men in the building.

  Get his attention, Kane said.

  Mack whispered to the little girl, and she nodded her head once. He moved her closer to the door. "Be brave, sweetheart."

  She swallowed hard, closed her eyes, and pressed herself tight into Mack. "Mommy. Mommy, wake up. Hurry."

  Her voice was scared, hushed, perfect for their needs. Mack positioned himself on one side of the door, and Ethan went to the other. Mack pushed the little girl behind his solid body.

  The guard's head came up alertly. As he stood, he looked right at Kane, who was pressed against the wall, deep in the shadow. The chair came down with a thud inches from Javier's outstretched fingers. Javier never so much as winced. The guard's boots were old and worn, thin in places, and Javier just barely missed getting stepped on as the man swung around to face the door, his finger still on the trigger as the other hand twisted the doorknob.

  Javier rolled out of the way as Kane moved into position behind the man. The guard kicked the door open and took a step. Kane slammed the knife home with one hand and jerked the weapon with the other, preventing him from firing. Mack whirled around and covered the little girl's eyes.

  "Keep your head down. Stay tight against me. We're taking you home," he whispered. "You have to stay very quiet." He dragged the protective vest from his pack and quickly dressed her in it before lifting her. He waited for Ethan to put the unconscious woman in a vest as well and shift her into a fireman's carry. They were both vulnerable, packing the hostages out into enemy territory.

  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 th
eir 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 door 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.