Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Brynn dropped off the wall and landed in a crouch. Silently, Justin leaped down beside her.
She touched her ear. “Haven, we’re over the fence and in the grounds.”
“Okay, Brynn. I mean, acknowledged.” There was a pause. “I’m flying the drone in closer for a look.”
“Focus on the number and location of the guards.”
“Will do.”
Brynn scanned around. She noted lots of fruit trees and olive trees. In the center, the house was lit up brightly. It was an imposing, sprawling building, painted a cream color, with touches of natural and black iron.
“I think climbing up to the second-floor balcony would be our best entry point,” Justin said.
“Agreed,” she murmured. The ornate front door was too heavily guarded. “Let’s try to avoid killing anyone unless our lives are in danger.”
He smiled, his teeth white in the darkness. “There’s the cop in you.”
“I’d prefer to avoid an international incident, or jail.”
“No cop in the country would arrest you for taking down Navarro or any of his men.”
“I just want Vander and Rhys back. That’s it.”
“Brynn?” Haven was back. “Ooh, I found the thermal camera. It’s so cool, but there are lots of colored blobs, which means lots of guards. I see four patrolling the grounds, and more close to the house. There are two at the front door.”
“Any on the balcony?”
“No.”
Okay, avoid the guards on the ground, get to the balcony. Then once inside, sneak down to the basement.
Piece of cake. She blew out a breath. “Ready?”
“Oh yeah,” Justin murmured.
“Haven, we’re moving in.”
Brynn pulled a small grappling hook out of her backpack and clicked it open. Vander always had the best toys. The hook was attached to military-grade paracord rope. “The south end of the balcony looks best.” The trees were thicker there and would give them more cover.
Justin nodded.
Staying low, they darted through the trees. Soon, they were crouched under the balcony.
She gripped the grappling hook, getting ready to throw it. That’s when she heard footsteps.
“Down,” Justin mouthed.
They both sank into the bushes. Her heart picked up speed and she breathed deeply trying to stay calm.
A guard in a dark suit came into view, smoking a cigarette. He paused, looking bored.
Go away. She willed the man to disappear, her heart thudding. Nothing to see here.
He took a few more drags of his cigarette before he wandered away.
“Haven, there’s a guard near us,” Brynn whispered.
“I see him. He circled back around the house.”
Good. Brynn stepped out of cover and lifted the grappling hook. She pulled back her arm and tossed it. It sailed upward toward the balcony, caught on the railing, and pulled the rope taut.
She tested it. “See you at the top.” She gripped the rope and then pulled herself up.
It wasn’t easy, but she worked out hard to stay in shape for her job. Finally, she reached the railing, then quickly climbed over.
She peered over and waved at Justin.
A moment later, the former Ghost Ops soldier slid over the railing. They both stayed crouched in the shadows. He grabbed the hook and pulled the rope up, expertly coiling it. He handed the device back to her and she shoved it in her backpack. She nodded her head toward the open French doors.
They crept closer and peered inside.
“Clear,” Justin murmured.
Brynn entered the empty bedroom. It was done in an ornate, old-fashioned style not to her taste. The huge bed had thick, gold drapes around it, tied back for the moment. Gold-framed paintings hung on the wall.
“Haven, we’re inside.”
There was no response.
Brynn tapped her earpiece. “Haven? Are you receiving?”
Nothing.
“Dammit, I can’t get through to Haven.”
“Navarro must have some sort of jamming device on the villa.”
Crap, which meant they’d have no contact or intel from Haven while they were inside. Brynn knew the other woman would worry.
But she couldn’t think about that right now. They had to move.
They crossed the room, and she cracked open the door. The wide, carpeted hallway outside was empty, as well.
She sure hoped their luck held up.
You’d better be alive, Vander Norcross.
Worry tried to shove into her chest, but she ruthlessly controlled it. She had to find him. That was the most important thing.
She crept down the hall, Justin one step behind her. They were almost to the stairs when she heard voices.
Shit. “Incoming.”
Justin opened a nearby door. “This way.”
She followed him in. The room was pitch black, but as her eyes adjusted, she made out the outline of another four-poster bed.
This one had a large lump under the covers. Crap. She tapped Justin’s shoulder and pointed.
He nodded and held a finger to his lips.
Female voices sounded in the hallway. Peering through the crack in the door, she saw two maids pushing a wooden cart loaded with plates of food. Hell, they were even wearing black-and-white maid outfits. Navarro really was old school. The pair disappeared from view.
She nodded and jerked her head toward the door. Time to move.
Thankfully, the occupant of the bed didn’t even move. Silently, they moved down the hall. They reached the top of a grand, wooden staircase with ornate, carved railings. She peered down, then jerked back.
“Three guards.” They were milling at the base of the stairs. “They’re blocking our way down.”
Justin frowned.
It wouldn’t be long until the maids returned. That’s when something occurred to her. “The maids were pushing a cart. They didn’t come up the stairs.”
His eyes flickered. “Elevator.”
Brynn darted down the corridor that led onto a mezzanine level overlooking the ground floor. She stuck to the wall so the guards below wouldn’t see her. That’s when she spotted the shiny, silver elevator. “There.”
“It’s too risky to take the elevator to the basement,” Justin said. “We have no idea of the layout, or the number of men Navarro has down there.”
“We’ll take the elevator to the ground level.” That left them more room to move if they ran into any guards. “Then we find the stairs to the basement.”
As they stepped into the small elevator, the lingering scent of the food the maids were delivering hung in the air. Brynn pushed the button.
The elevator slowly descended. They both pressed to the side walls, ready for anything.
Please don’t let there be anyone waiting at the bottom.
Her hands flexed. The doors opened.
There was no one in view, and she released a breath. There was a small foyer with marble floors, and an accent table topped with a huge vase of fresh flowers.
Nearby, she heard sounds coming from the kitchen. People talking and the clang of pots and cutlery.
Justin jerked his head, and they moved down the hall.
“The entrance to the basement has to be close,” he murmured.
They turned the corner.
And ran into a guard.
Shit.
The man’s eyes widened, and he barked something in Italian at them. The guy was huge. Even taller than Justin, who had to be six foot three.
Justin leaped forward and hit the guy. They scuffled, and the two big men strained against each other.
Crap. They couldn’t let him alert any others. Brynn touched the gun on her hip. Shooting him would make too much noise.
The men whirled, and Justin took a hard elbow to the face. She winced.
They spun again, and this time Justin put a knee into his attacker’s midsection. The man grunted.
Come on. Take him down.
They spun again, knocking into the wall. The next second, they went down, wrestling on the floor.
Then Brynn saw Justin’s head clip the wall, and his body went limp.
Oh, no. The thug rose, turning to face her, a smirk on his brutish face.
Brynn pulled in a deep breath. I’m not an easy target, asshole. She thought of the growing life inside her. Stay safe, baby.
The man advanced on her.
She moved fast. The element of surprise was not one she wanted to waste.
She dropped to one knee, and hammered a blow into the side of his knee. He cursed and lost his balance.
She leaped up and jumped onto his back. She managed to get an arm around his head and put pressure on his neck. She yanked back with all of her weight, and heard him make a gurgling sound. He tried desperately to grab her arm and haul her off him.
Not happening. She pulled back harder, her forearm digging into his neck with all of her strength.
The life of her baby depended on her holding on. So did the life of her husband.
The thug struggled, but after a minute, he dropped to his knees. Brynn clung to him, not letting go. She strained, every muscle burning.
Finally, his body sagged. It felt like it had taken forever. He tipped forward and tumbled like a sack full of sand.
Panting, she rose. She yanked zip ties from her pocket, and bound his hand and ankles.
She heard a noise and glanced backward. Justin was sitting up, clutching his head.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” he grunted. “I’ll survive.”
She held up a hand. “How many fingers?”
“Twenty-seven. I’m fine.”
Brynn rolled her eyes. She had a lot of experience with injured badasses insisting they were fine.
He rose, and kicked the unconscious attacker in the side. “We need to hide him.”
Justin seemed steady on his feet, so she had to assume he was okay. “Check those doors.”
He cautiously opened the closest door. “Storage closet. Perfect. Grab his feet.”
Together, they dragged the man inside. The guy weighed a ton.
She shut the door behind him and straightened. “Now, we need to find the stairs to the basement.”
Voices echoed from nearby. They were heading their way and getting closer.
“Shit.” Brynn glanced around. The windows nearby were covered with heavy, velvet drapes. “There.”
She hurried over and slid behind them. She watched Justin slide behind the curtains on the next window. She hoped it hid them. She flattened herself against the glass as much as she could.
The talking in Italian got closer. Bring married to an Italian-American meant she’d learned a little Italian. She knew enough words to decipher what they were saying.
“I want you to get my nephew on the phone. Now!”
The voice was older, and held the unmistakable tone of a man who sounded like he was used to being in charge.
Brynn shifted the smallest inch, and studied the man through a tiny gap in the curtains.
Gray hair, expensive suit, and a surly look that warned he was pissed off. She’d looked up his photo before they’d come here. Luciano Navarro.
“One of the prisoners attacked Rocco and broke his nose,” another man said. “We had to call in Doc Giuseppe.”
Brynn smiled.
Navarro made an annoyed sound. “They were chained up, and one still injured him? Find out who is in my basement. Tommaso made it sound like it was some small-time PI.”
Oh boy. They didn’t even know who they’d abducted.
Her husband was going to make them regret their bad decision.
The younger man nodded. “Of course, Don Navarro.”
“I want a whiskey in my study, and find my mistress. I want her in my study in ten minutes.” The older man stalked off.
The younger man blew out a breath, just as another guard appeared.
“Check on the prisoners,” the younger man ordered. “Make sure they are not causing trouble. Don’t talk to them or open the door. Understand?”
The guard nodded, then turned and disappeared down another hall. The younger man stalked off in a different direction.
Bingo.
The guard had just given them the direction to the basement.
After waiting several minutes, she slowly slid out from behind the curtain and met Justin’s gaze.
“Let’s do this.” Brynn started down the hall.
Norcross, I’m almost there. Hold on.