Ruthless Game (GhostWalkers, #9)(10)

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 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.