“Here comes one.” Bones stepped into the roadway and raised his hands. The delivery van slowed to a halt and the driver rolled down the window. Willis approached the vehicle, holding a clipboard.
“Is there a problem?” The driver sounded annoyed. “I’m already behind schedule.”
“Modron security,” he said in a lame British accent. “We need to inspect your vehicle.”
“But Modron’s another kilometer down the road. Why are you stopping us out here?”
“Only following orders.” Willis shrugged as if to say, What are you going to do? “We’ll need to inspect the cab as well as the cargo bay. If you’ll step out, we won’t waste any more of your time than necessary.”
The driver frowned, and Bones wondered if the man had picked up on Willis’ fake accent. He looked Willis up and down, taking in his plain, black clothing and the radio clipped to his belt. Finally satisfied, he nodded, and he and his passenger climbed out of the cab.
Before the men knew what was happening, Bones and Willis had them stunned, bound, and hidden near the side of the road. Later, they’d make sure the authorities got an anonymous tip on the men’s whereabouts, and they’d be sure to implicate Morgan’s security staff. Matt and Corey, who had been hiding nearby, joined them.
Matt took the wheel, and Willis joined him in the cab, while Bones and Corey climbed inside the cargo area, which was packed almost to the ceiling with tents and folding chairs for the upcoming event, and rolled the door down behind them. As the truck lurched into motion, Corey fired up his laptop and prepared for his part of the job.
“This had better work,” Bones muttered.
“Think positive.” Corey’s words rang hollow. He hated these types of situations, and much preferred to remain somewhere safe and make his contributions from a distance. Bones had to hand it to his crew mate. Corey had really stepped up the past couple of days. Perhaps his confidence would grow. “They don’t have any reason to turn us away, or even inspect the truck closely. Matt and Willis have the driver’s paperwork. That should be enough.”
“But if they do turn us back, we’re going to have to find a way past motion detectors, over an electrified fence, and past whatever other security measures they’ve put in place.” Bones gripped his pistol and imagined how he might put it into use. Ever since Angel’s abduction, he’d tried very hard to remain optimistic. Things always seemed to work out for him and Maddock, and he figured it would be the same for her. He’d even managed to block the worries from his mind, until now. He was angry and a little afraid- not for himself, but for his sister.
“Getting past those things is Maddock’s job. Besides, when did you turn into a rain cloud?” Corey asked. “Usually he’s the one talking about everything that could go wrong.”
The truck made a sharp right, then came to a stop. They waited in tense silence, straining to hear the conversation outside, but all Bones could make out was the muffled sound of voices. His fingers itched, and he felt the sudden urge to jump out of the truck and start fighting. He stilled his rising ire and waited.
Finally, he heard the doors of the truck close and they began to move again. He and Corey exchanged relieved smiles that were quickly wiped off their faces when Willis’ voice sounded in their earpieces.
“Bad news, boys. They bought the ruse, but they want their people to do the unloading. Left us standing outside the gate. Looks like you two are on your own for now. The guy at the gate is watching us close. If you need us to take him out, just call.”
“Great.” Bones turned to Corey. “Get as far back into the truck as you can. Make yourself a space behind the boxes. That’ll buy you some time.”
Even in the dim light that filtered in, he could see Corey swallow hard, color draining from his face, before clambering out of sight. Bones squeezed into a gap to one side, where he wouldn’t be readily visible when the back doors opened. He waited, Glock in one hand and Recon knife in the other, but the doors did not open. A minute passed. Then another. Nothing.
“How are you coming on that hack, Corey?”
“The signal’s weak, probably because we’re inside a metal box, but it looks like the same system that was in place at the museum, at least the security part of it. I’ll see what I can do with it.” A minute later, Bones heard Corey’s triumphant whisper. “I’m in. Are you ready?”
“Always.” Bones sheathed his knife, but kept his Glock handy. Tension and exhilaration surged through him in equal measure as he raised the back door a few inches, peered outside to make certain the coast was clear, and climbed out. Now, to find Angel.
“This is a stupid idea, Maddock.” Tam grimaced as she looked him up and down. “Have you ever even used one of these things?”
“Sure. Bones talked me into it.” It was the truth. He’d used a wingsuit exactly one time, though he’d found the experience exhilarating.
“From a helicopter?” Avery looked at him nervously. It was odd to once again have a family member worry about him, but it wasn’t bad.
“No, but I can handle it. Trust me.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to use a regular parachute?” Avery asked.
“No. The wingsuit is the better choice because I can be cloaked all the way in. By the time I have to deploy my chute, I’ll be well beyond their perimeter and into the forest.”
“Be careful.” Tam’s expression was grave. “Remember, I can’t come in after you. Once you jump, you’re on your own until you find the girl and get off the property.”
“I understand. Thanks for everything.” They clasped hands briefly. “See you when I get back.”
“Maddock?” Avery said, her voice tremulous.
“Yeah?”
The next thing Maddock knew, she was crushing him in a tight embrace. He hugged her back, a little awkwardly. When she let go, tears glistened in her eyes.
“Don’t get yourself killed. We haven’t finished Dad’s quest yet.”
Not trusting himself to answer, Maddock gave her a wink before fixing his goggles in place, taking out the dagger, and depressing the butt.
“That’s seriously messed up,” Tam said as he vanished.
Maddock chuckled, turned, and dove out into open air.
The speed at which he descended was breathtaking. He soared over the desolate moor, his eyes locked on the thick forest that covered several acres behind Modron and, not for the first time in his life, he envied the eagles and other great birds of prey. The sea was his first love, but flying was pretty sweet.
As he approached Modron, he could clearly see the high brick wall, topped with an electrified fence, that ringed the property. Outside the wall, a dry moat afforded another layer of security, and he knew from Tam’s intelligence that the entire property was guarded by security cameras and motion detectors. He flew on, passing high above the perimeter wall and looked for his chosen landing place.
There it was! In the very center of the forest lay a small clearing and a pond, its waters glimmering in the sunlight. He angled toward it, waiting until the very last moment to release his parachute. This was the most dangerous part. The dagger would not cloak an area much larger than his body, so if someone looked his way at the wrong time, they might spot the parachute. Oh well, what was life without a little risk? He released it, and felt a hard jolt as it arrested his momentum. He held his breath, waiting for bullets to fly, until he floated down below the level of the treetops.
When he hit the ground, he hastily stripped off his wingsuit, stowed it in the trees, and then took a moment to get his bearings. The forest was unnervingly quiet, yet he sensed a presence there. Someone, or something, was watching him. Well, not for long. He moved into the shadow of an ancient oak tree, and activated the dagger.
Time to storm the castle.