Page 73 of Midnight Sanctuary

Ping.

I glance between Nikolai and Dimiv, but it’s the latter who pulls his phone out. “There it is. Oleg Agapov is holed up in a three-storey house in Calabasas.”

“Then that’s where we’re going.”

I’m halfway to the door, Dimiv and Nikolai flanking me, when I hear her voice from the top of the staircase. “Uri.” Alyssa is standing at the mezzanine, looking down at me with wide eyes filled with worry.

I glance towards Nikolai and Dimiv. “Wait for me outside. I’ll only be a minute.” I take the steps two at a time until I reach her. “Is Lev okay?”

“Fine. He picked one of the loft bedrooms,” she says without emotion. “Are you…?”

I nod in confirmation. “Call Stepan or Mikhail if you need anything. The moment we leave the cabin, change the security code. No one will be able to get in unless you give them the combination.”

“Y-you’re leaving?” She’s pale and shaky.

I cup her face. “I’m going to get Polly. It’s time we bring her home.”

She nods but she’s biting on her bottom lip at the same time. “It’s going to be dangerous, isn’t it?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

Alyssa places her hand over the hand I’ve got cupping her cheek. “Bring Polly back,” she begs softly. “And bring yourself back, too. In one piece.”

I press my lips to hers. When I pull away, I look her in the eye. “I can do that.”

Then I head back downstairs to the SUV where Dimiv and Nikolai are waiting for me. I climb into the passenger’s seat and punch the ceiling. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

32

URI

When we get to Agapov’s estate, my men already have it surrounded, but they’re still far enough away from the security cameras to remain unseen. I get out of the SUV and huddle up with the leaders of each team.

“Stepan?”

“The front gates are high. South-facing walls are lower, more scalable. I think that’s the way we go.”

I nod. “South it is. Guards?”

“Four manning the front entrance, two at the back. As far as I can tell, one of the two is asleep. Has been for the past half-hour.”

“What about cameras?”

“Lots of them, pointed in every goddamn direction under the sun. Outside the property, at the gardens, at the house itself. I scoped the security station earlier and I suspect there are booby traps that trigger silent alarms in the main house if there’s a breach at the entrance gates.”

I glance towards Dimiv and Nikolai. “If we go in guns blazing, we’re giving Agapov and his men time to either run with Polly or hurt her. The longer we can go without triggering any alarms, the better.”

Nikolai’s forehead is creased with lines. “How do you propose to do that?”

I’m gonna take a page from Alyssa’s trespassing guidebook…

… minus the underwear.

“I’m going to go over to the south entrance, scale the wall, and disable the security cameras so that you all can get inside.”

Nikolai balks. “I think someone else should—”

“It wasn’t a question,brat.I was simply informing you of my plans.” I stand and crack the knuckles on each hand. “Stay here; wait for my signal. If the gates open, move fast and quiet. If you hear a gunshot or any sign of commotion, you attack. Take no prisoners. That clear?”