Page 138 of Last Chance
“She won’t be climbing the wall without help. A gate’s back there as well. We can disable the locking mechanism. Access is key card.”
Brody studied his phone screen for a moment, then said, “All right. This is what we’re going to do.” After he laid out his plan, he glanced around. “Anyone see holes in the plan?” When no one voiced a concern, he said, “Iona, if you or your teammates see an imminent threat to Janie, I want to know about it. Understood?”
“Copy that.”
Brody slid his phone away. “Move out.”
They covered the distance between the rendezvous point and the compound in minutes. Brody gave the signal for his team to scatter, and Sawyer headed for the back of the compound.
He activated his earpiece as he skirted bushes and scanned for roaming guards and more security measures. “Teagan, heading your direction now,” Sawyer murmured.
“Copy.”
He’d covered two hundred feet when someone brushed up against a bush and kicked a rock, muttering curses. Sawyer slipped behind the cover of a large tree and waited. Despite his driving need to get to Janie, he couldn’t let this guy continue tromping through the woods and stumble across one of the other members of the Texas Team or Artemis. He didn’t have to wait long.
A man dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt, and tactical boots walked into view, scowling down at his phone. He shoved it into his pocket as he passed Sawyer’s position.
Sawyer slipped out behind him and wrapped his arm around the gang member’s neck, putting him in a sleeper hold. The guy was out in less than ten seconds. He made quick work of cinching his wrists and ankles with zip ties and slapping a piece of duct tape over his mouth to keep him quiet.
He activated his comm device. “One down.” Sawyer resumed his journey to the back of the compound, stopping twice more to handle roving guards.
He returned to a job to cover the remaining distance between himself and Janie when Teagan broke into the comm chatter.
“Janie’s in trouble. I don’t have a shot. Permission to create a diversion?”
“Go,” Brody said. “Sawyer, go.”
“Copy.” Weapon in hand, he ran. No need to work around the security cameras now. Vatos Locos would know Fortress was on the scene in seconds.
Rifle fire broke the silence of the woods. In the compound, shouts and curses peppered the air as much as return fire from handguns and rifles.
“Lorenzo Reyes has Janie,” Teagan reported. “They’re leaving the compound on foot.”
Sawyer pushed himself harder. “Location?”
She gave the coordinates. “No shot, Sawyer. Iona?”
“Track and maintain a visual.”
“She’s priority,” Sawyer said. “Whatever it takes, don’t let him escape with her. I’m two minutes out.”
“Copy.”
A ball of ice formed in his stomach as Sawyer raced toward the coordinates Teagan reported as she kept pace with Reyes and Janie.
Minutes later, she hissed. “Reyes hit her. Orders?”
“Stop him now,” Sawyer snapped. Seconds later, he heard Reyes curse.
“Who are you?” the thug shouted.
“Your worst nightmare,” Teagan said.
“Get out of my way or I’ll kill you.”
“I can’t let you leave, buddy.”
“What are you talking about?”