Deep Sleep (Devin Gray #1)(76)

Graves started typing and clicking, replacing the image on the left with the Barbers, while Gupta zoomed in so close that Devin could barely watch. The action had the figures facing the back of the property, both of their faces fully exposed to the drone’s camera. If either of them had looked about fifteen degrees above the top of the tree line that separated their yard from the fairway, they might have spotted the drone—but they were clearly too caught up in the moment to notice.

“Looks like the Barbers to me,” said Berg. “Definitely William Barber. A little difficult to positively ID Stacy.”

“I say we hit them right now,” said Rich. “It doesn’t matter if that’s Mrs. Barber. Actually, I’d prefer if it wasn’t. We could use that as leverage.”

“Get Alex, Mike, and Rico back here immediately,” said Rich. “We’ll gear up and head over. Devin and Marnie, you’ll drive us to the drop-off point on Crooked Branch Lane, right off One Hundred Sixth Street, and peel off. We’ll let you know when we’re five minutes out from extraction. You’ll pull into the circular driveway right in front of their house for the pickup.”

“Whoa. Whoa. Wait a minute,” said Devin. “I’m going into that house with you.”

“So am I,” said Marnie.

“Not a chance. This is a last-second decision to pile into an unknown situation,” said Rich. “I need a single team thinking and acting as one. Not a split crew that I have to coach along. If this were tomorrow or later tonight, after we talked through the plan a number of times, I wouldn’t hesitate to bring you in with us.”

“We’re grabbing two middle-age, clearly out-of-shape adults who have been going at it in a hot tub,” said Marnie. “We’re not abducting a CrossFit couple.”

“Either we’re in or this is a no go,” said Devin.

“What exactly does that mean?” said Rich.

Berg held a hand up. “He’s right.”

“This time,” said Rich. “The two of you better keep up. Emily and Jared. You’re driving.”

Emily popped up from the foot of the bed and glared at Marnie. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I’ll drive. Anish can hold down the fort here,” said Graves.

“The drone is flying itself,” said Gupta. “See? No more gross middle-age couple in the hot tub scene. It’s already climbing and turning toward its next waypoint. All I’m doing is keeping an eye on the house and neighborhood for you.”

“And the police scanner traffic, and you’re shutting down the home security system,” said Rich.

“He’s got it,” said Graves, clapping Gupta on the shoulder.

Rich shook his head but quickly relented. “Fine. Keep the door open so you can watch the antenna array. We don’t need someone tripping over it and taking our drone off-line.”

“There’s like six cars in the whole parking lot, and three of them are ours,” said Jared, who had stuck his head in the door. “I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

“Just saying,” said Rich.

“We deserve to be a part of this.”

“Okay,” said Rich.

“To make it easier for decision-making purposes moving forward, you can consider the two of us to be one now,” said Devin.

Berg grinned and nodded at Marnie. “See. I told you he was solid.”





CHAPTER 38


Marnie Young jog-walked next to Karl Berg, the two of them falling well behind the rest of the team, which had already started to vanish into the trees directly behind the Barbers’ property. She kept an eye peeled and an ear open for any commotion or movement from the backyards to their immediate right. The tree line separating the homes from the golf course was no more than a few trees and manicured shrubs deep. Designed for basic privacy from golfers, not as concealment. To a more observant and vigilant neighbor, their presence on the golf course would appear to be more than just a few teenagers strolling around after hours.

“Thanks for keeping an old guy company,” whispered Berg.

“My pleasure,” said Marnie before taking a moment to scan the western sky for the drone.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to spot it,” said Berg. “It’ll be coming in from the west. That’ll be its least-detectable profile.”

He was right. She couldn’t pick it out of the navy-blue sky, which would soon go black, when the thin strip of light blue still stretched across the horizon entirely vanished. Berg stopped and cocked his head, which put her on alert. She focused her senses on the sights and sounds around them, detecting nothing unusual.

“They want us to hold up while they move in,” said Berg. “The Barbers are lounging on the patio furniture, enjoying a bottle of wine.”

“With their clothes on. Hopefully.”

“Robes,” said Berg, guiding them to the edge of the trees on the border of the Barbers’ property, where the team had disappeared a minute ago.

They both crouched low and waited. A single shriek pierced the night, followed by a quick verbal challenge that ended in a muffled voice. It was hard to tell, but she thought she heard a Taser discharge and telltale crackle of electricity. Marnie peered into the neighbor’s yard, searching for any sign that the brief scuffle had drawn any attention. Nothing moved on the patio or inside the house. So far. So good. She couldn’t say the same about the neighbor on the other side but had to assume someone was keeping an eye on the situation.