Chapter 10
His pilot, Marcus, was former Army aviation with twenty years of experience in hostile insertions. Reed trusted him completely, which was why he’d been cleared for this operation despite not knowing all the details.
“Flight time to Vancouver, two hours and fifteen minutes,” Marcus announced through their headsets as they lifted off. “Weather’s clear, but I’ll be staying low to avoid detection.”
Reed settled back in his seat, watching the Seattle skyline fall away beneath them.
Beside him, Elena was reviewing architectural plans on her laptop.
There were worry lines around her eyes that hadn’t been there five years ago.
Across from them, his brothers were checking weapons and communications equipment with the methodical precision of men preparing for war.
He pushed the memory away and focused on the present. This time was different. This time, he was fighting for something that mattered on a personal level, not just following orders from people who’d never seen combat themselves.
“Landing in ten minutes,” Marcus announced.
Their destination was a private airfield forty minutes outside of Vancouver, where Reed had arranged for ground transportation and temporary lodging through contacts who specialized in discretion.
The safe house was a nondescript cabin on twenty acres of forested land, isolated enough for privacy but close enough to the city for rapid movement when the time came.
Elena was quiet during the drive to the cabin, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery.
Reed could see her mind working through scenarios, contingencies, all the ways their mission could go sideways.
He wanted to reach for her hand, to offer some gesture of comfort, but his brothers were watching, and this wasn’t the time for personal moments.
The cabin was exactly what Reed had requested—functional, secure, and equipped with everything they’d need for their final preparations. By mid-afternoon, they’d established communications protocols, verified their equipment, and reviewed the mission timeline one more time.
“Reconnaissance run,” Walker announced, checking his watch. “We should get eyes on the target while there’s still daylight.”
The Blackwood Estate was everything Elena’s intelligence had suggested and more.
Positioned on a bluff overlooking the water, the main house was a sprawling mansion that screamed old money and unlimited resources.
Even from their observation point half a mile away, Reed counted multiple security checkpoints, roving patrols, and enough surveillance equipment to monitor a small city.
“Webb’s not taking any chances,” James observed, studying the compound through his binoculars.
“Neither can we,” Elena replied, making notes on her tablet. “The catering trucks arrive at four PM tomorrow. Security sweep happens at five. Guests start arriving at seven.”
“Window of opportunity?” Reed asked.
“Between eight and nine PM,” Elena said. “After the auction presentations begin but before they start the actual bidding. That’s when everyone will be focused on the main event.”
Terrel lowered his binoculars. “And if we’re compromised?”
Elena was quiet for a moment. “Then we improvise.”
They spent another hour observing guard rotations and mapping entry points before returning to the cabin as darkness fell. Reed noticed Elena’s mood growing more somber as the reality of tomorrow’s mission settled over all of them.
Dinner was a quiet affair—takeout from a local restaurant that none of them really tasted. They ate mechanically, each lost in their own thoughts about what the next twenty-four hours might bring.
It was Walker who finally broke the silence.
“My network’s been pretty diligent in trying to find Elena,” he said, setting down his fork. “The contract’s got a lot of people interested.”
Reed’s jaw tightened. “How interested?”
“Interested enough that I’m hearing chatter from guys I served with. Ex-military types who keep their ears open about this kind of thing.” Walker’s expression was grim. “The word is spreading fast through certain circles.”
James looked up from his untouched meal. “What kind of circles?”
“The kind where people know contractors,” Walker said carefully. “Guys who take jobs that don’t officially exist.”
Elena went very still. “Contractors?”
“Private operators,” Terrel said quietly. “Off-the-books specialists who handle problems for people with enough money.”
Her face went pale. “How many are we talking about?”
“Maybe one or two have already been activated,” Walker continued. “But if Webb’s willing to pay half a million, there could be a dozen more mobilizing by tomorrow.”
Terrel set down his water glass with deliberate precision. “I have a buddy who doesn’t admit to it, but our whole SEAL team knows what he does now. Contracts like this one—they attract the worst kind of attention.”
“What do you mean?” Elena asked, though Reed could tell she already knew.
“The kind of guys who don’t just kill targets,” Terrel said. “They eliminate anyone who gets in their way. Family, friends, witnesses. They make problems disappear completely.”
A heavy silence settled over the table. Reed found himself thinking about his employees at STAR Enterprises, his neighbors, the innocent people who could become collateral damage if these contractors decided Reed’s association with Elena made him a liability.
“Terrifying guys,” Walker added with characteristic understatement. “The kind who make other operators nervous.”
Elena pushed her plate away, her appetite clearly gone. “This is exactly what I was afraid of. It’s not just about me anymore. It’s about everyone around me.”
“Elena—” Reed started.
“No,” she said firmly. “Walker’s right. These people don’t care about collateral damage. They’ll go after anyone they see as connected to their target.”
Reed could see the guilt eating at her, the same self-blame that had driven her to fake her death five years ago. “We knew the risks when we agreed to help.”
“Did you?” Elena challenged. “Did you really understand that contractors might target your employees? Your friends? That just knowing me could get innocent people killed?”
The question hung in the air like a physical presence.
Reed looked around the table at his brothers, seeing the same grim recognition in their eyes.
They were all veterans, all familiar with the brutal mathematics of war.
That sometimes good people died simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Yes,” Reed said quietly. “We understood.”
But even as he said it, a chill of foreboding settled over him.
The stakes had been high before, but now they were facing an enemy with unlimited resources and no moral constraints.
Webb wasn’t just trying to protect his auction—he was trying to eliminate Elena permanently, and he didn’t care who else died in the process.
James broke the silence with characteristic directness. “So what do we do?”
“We finish this tomorrow,” Elena said, her voice hard with determination. “Before Webb can bring in more contractors. Before innocent people die because of me.”
Reed nodded. The weight of what they were facing settled on his shoulders like a lead blanket. Tomorrow, they would walk into a fortress filled with enemies, with no backup except each other, knowing that failure meant more than just their own deaths.
It meant Elena would spend the rest of her life running from killers who would never stop hunting her.
“Early night,” Reed announced, standing. “We move at 1500 hours tomorrow.”
As his brothers headed to their rooms, Reed caught Elena’s arm.
“We’re going to get through this,” he said quietly.
She looked up at him, and he could see the fear she was trying so hard to hide. “Reed, if something happens to you or your brothers because of me…”
“It won’t. And if it does, it’ll be because we chose to be here. Because some things are worth fighting for.”
Elena nodded, but she didn’t look convinced. As Reed watched her head to her room, he couldn’t shake the feeling that tomorrow would test all of them in ways they weren’t prepared for.
The foreboding that had settled over dinner followed him into his room, where he lay awake staring at the ceiling and thinking about contractors who eliminated problems completely.
Outside, the Canadian wilderness was peaceful and quiet.
Inside Reed’s mind, warning bells were ringing loud enough to wake the dead.