Chapter 45

Hands on his hips,Mason stared at the empty space recently taken up by the SUV Goshiro and Avery drove off in.

And Paul.

He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached. Of all the times for Paul to go all action hero. The video footage from Tai’s drone ran over and over in his head. A continuous loop of disaster. Paul put the car in Park, exited as ordered leaving the driver’s side door open. But then, after he rushed to the passenger side to open that door, he slipped into the back seat. “I can’t believe he snuck back into the vehicle.”

Paige bumped her hip gently into his. “He meant well.”

Sure. And now Paul had handed Goshiro another hostage. Brilliant.

He wanted to call his brother on the comlink, but Paul was a civilian. He’d react to a sudden voice in his ear. If he was with Goshiro, any attempt at contact would put him in even more danger.

“It’s what you would have done,” Kate pointed out.

“Not helpful.”

“But true,” Graham added.

“Seriously. I wish I would have thought of that,” Fenn added.

“Yeah, but you’re a trained operative,” Mason muttered. Still, a surge of pride, tiny and not nearly as strong as the terror tightening his throat, shone through. His little brother was smart, but he was also in way over his head.

A sound came over the comlink. Something scratchy and indistinct. Wind?

He glanced at Paige, but she shrugged.

Then Paul’s voice came through loud and clear. “Yo,” he said, his tone casual, as if he was just checking in from a day at the beach. “I’ve got eyes on Avery. As well on the place Goshiro took her. He doesn’t know I’m here. I’m in the bushes about fifty yards away from the shack. Goshiro met another dude, young. Looks like a gangbanger. The younger dude just drove off in the SUV. Alone.”

Mason’s heart skipped a beat. “Paul, stay put. We’re on our way.”

But Paul wasn’t finished. “My phone’s in the SUV,” he said, his voice excited. “You can track Goshiro’s accomplice with that. And the shack’s not hard to spot. There’s nothing else around it and it’s falling into the water. Not like right this second falling, but you know, like soon.”

Mason couldn’t help but grin at his brother’s roundabout dialogue. “Good work, Paul,” he said, his voice warm with pride. “We’ll be there soon.”

Paige’s fingers were already flying over her keyboard again. “I’m on it,” she said, her voice focused. “I’ll have his recent route in half a sec.”

Mason stood, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he adjusted his tech gear and checked his weapons. The XREP bullets came out of his M18, replaced by lethal rounds.

No second chances for Goshiro or his accomplices. No chance of an XREP malfunctioning and failing to deliver a charge. The rest of the team followed suit, their faces grim with determination.

But just as they were about to move out, a sound came over the comlink that made Mason’s blood run cold.

It was the sound of a struggle, of flesh hitting flesh and bones cracking. And then, suddenly, Goshiro’s voice filled the air, cold and mocking.

“Deal’s off, Mason,” he said, his voice dripping with malice. “You violated the rules. The tide’s coming in quickly. Paul and Avery’ll be under water before you make it. Over and out.”

The comlink went dead.