CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“Have you found her yet, Hawke?” asked Kane .
He was hoping that the telepathy would work at this distance. This would be their first big test. It would also prove that even though Hawke was inside the mind of the goose, or duck, or whatever the fuck it was, he could still communicate with Kane.
The team, having crossed the border into Mexico the day before, stood on the beach, letting the warm water wash over their sand-covered toes. Any other day, any other time, this might be an ideal vacation spot, somewhere he could bring Aislinn. Hell, he’d like to bring the entire team for a week of relaxation and normal, whatever that was.
He waited patiently for Hawke’s reply.
“I have her,” he said in Kane’s head . “Spook was right. She’s in a villa about an hour and a half from your location. A man just left in a jeep, but I don’t see any other vehicles there. It looks like she’s the only one. That seems strange, doesn’t it?”
“This is fucking amazing,” said Adam. “I can’t believe we’re speaking to him via telepathy while he is in the mind of the goose that’s flying a thousand miles from his location. I really want to do a brain scan on him.”
“Hold up on that, Dr. Frankenstein,” said Hawke, “that’s kind of what we’re trying to avoid here.”
Adam laughed and nodded in his mind toward Hawke.
“Alright, everyone, let’s go,” said Kane. “We’ll get as close as we dare and then make a plan. No one does anything dangerous unless I give the okay. Understood?”
The heads nodded, but he also heard their affirmative responses in his head, combined with a slight laugh.
Hawke continued to keep the group informed of Karena’s whereabouts. She stepped out a few times on the long beach-side balcony, seemingly pacing back and forth, and then would step back inside. Twice she attempted to make phone calls, and twice she was unable to make the connection, thanks to Spook, who jammed the signal.
By late afternoon, they reached the area of the villa. It was an enormous complex with new villas constructed on both sides of the road. There was plenty of space between the homes, and most were unoccupied and unfinished, allowing them to have greater freedom.
Kane pulled the SUV into the unfinished driveway of a house under construction, only a few hundred yards from the gated villa of Karena Viskoff. Stepping from the vehicle, they each grabbed weapons, although a piece of them was wondering why. In reality, they were each a weapon without physical weapons.
“We go in pairs,” he said. “Flip and Nat, Garrett and Isobel, Griffin and Nash, me and Spook. Adam? You and Kelly stay back in case we need medical. Kelly? I’m not letting you go in unless it’s absolutely necessary, honey. If I feel like there’s something in that house, something we have to have, and we can’t get in, I’ll call. Otherwise, you stay here with Adam. Understand?”
She nodded at the big man and secretly felt some relief.
“Take no chances. You see her, kill her. Spook? All cameras and sensors are off, right?”
Spook gave him the are you fucking kidding me right now… you’ve just insulted me look, and Kane smiled at him. They all nodded and moved in the direction that Kane moved, his steps sure and solid.
Nearing the villa, they noted the gate open and grinned at one another, knowing that Flip had easily moved the gate to its open position. The cameras were dead, their lights off, the feeds disrupted, thanks to Spook, as promised.
“Garrett? Nash? I need a storm. I need a big one right now. Make her nervous until we can get into position. But try to keep us dry, brothers.”
Garrett and Nash smiled and did what they did best.
Nash focused on the warm Pacific waters, the energy flowing through his body, the waves rising, falling, rising, and falling once again, rushing to shore. Each one swirled with greater intensity and strength. The white foam thicker, more violent as it hit the shore. The strange phenomena only happened in the small stretch of beach and shoreline near Karena’s villa. If satellite imaging noticed any of it, they would be doomed.
Behind Nash, Garrett closed his eyes and focused on the sky. He could hear the wind, the power building with ferocity, and his body tingled with excitement as it always did. The wind gently kissed his face as if recognizing the wielder of power. He turned his attention to the house, the gusts increasing with greater fierceness, shingles torn from the roof, windows rattled in their frames, panes cracking with the pressure and force of the wind.
The wrought iron deck furniture rolled down the beach as if it were made of plastic. The boards along the decking of the back porch creaked, straining beneath the pressure of the winds.
Isobel narrowed her gaze to the iron handle of the front door, her eyes focusing on the metal. Lifting her glasses, she sent the invisible, pulse-like lasers toward the ornate handle, melting it in place with no hope of anyone opening it. She did the same with the hinges and then worked her way around to each of the window latches.
Kane and Spook took the left side of the house, Flip and Nat the right. As they neared the long balcony, they heard Karena’s curses as she attempted to move toward the glass doors. The wind was pushing her around the balcony like a bad penny, her hair flying across her face, her t-shirt soaked to her skin. In Kane’s head, he heard the voice of Spook.
No one else in the house, Kane. She’s alone.
“Don’t fucking move,” said Kane, standing to her right.
She looked absolutely shocked and panicked. Looking to her left, she noted the big Samoan and the beautiful blonde-haired woman standing next to him. Her face filled with anger, frustration, and disbelief, then a smug look of satisfaction. They’d come for her. She knew they would come.
“Interesting,” she said to herself, tilting her head slightly to the side. “How did you find me?”
“Does that matter?” asked Kane with a twisted grin. “You’re going to die, here, today. You will never again spread your vile evil to the rest of the world, Karena Viskoff. I have never killed a woman intentionally. But today, I will do so gladly.”
“You won’t kill me,” she sneered. The wind whipped around her body, and she fought to push back her hair. She noticed that the others seemed only to have a light breeze, their bodies dry. She was soaked from the spray of the waves. Where are they? Where the fuck are the others?
“They might not,” said the blonde-haired woman, but I will.
Nat raised her hands, the flames licking from her palms. She pushed forward as if opening a door, and the fire flickered against the damp skirt. Karena slapped at the flames, but it did no good, the fire seemingly having a mind of its own.
“No! No, you won’t do this to me!” she yelled.
She stumbled toward the stairs, her heels clicking as she went. Reaching the beach, she kicked off the ridiculous shoes and struggled against the wind to get to the water.
Nat watched the woman’s skirt continue to burn and raised her hands once more. With a push, the flames licked at her hair and blouse. She stumbled in the sand screaming, crawling her way to the water.
Pain seared through her mind, her body. This could not be happening. She had everything so well planned out. She knew she would win this war. She reached the edge of the water and smiled. She could have the burns repaired. She would be whole again and hunt them down herself. She would obtain a new security force with men who were loyal.
She thrust herself forward, dousing her body in the salty water, the waves enveloping her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the relief, but it did not come. Opening her eyes once more, the flames continued to lick her body, even beneath the waves. This was not possible! How? Their powers, their powers were greater than anyone believed.
She stood in the water, her entire body now engulfed. The sickening smell of burning flesh and hair filled her nostrils, the pain scorching her brain.
“You can’t do this!” she screamed. “You can’t…”
Nash stopped the waves from reaching her body, and Garrett let the winds take control of the inferno, wrapping it around her. She continued to scream, staring at the team of men and women now standing on her deck as if observing a movie.
No one moved. No one said a word. Their faces showed no emotion, no anger, no pity, and no regret. They resigned themselves to the fact that Karena would die, and they knew that one of them would be the one to do it. It didn’t matter who, as long as she was no longer a threat to their team.
The charred body of Karena Viskoff finally fell face-first into the sand. Adam stepped forward and walked slowly to the remains. Bending, he placed his fingers on her neck first, then her wrist. Then laying his hand on the warm cavity that was once her chest, he scanned for any sign of life. There was none. He stood and nodded at the team, silently walking back toward the house.
Flip turned and closed his eyes, focusing on the earth beneath his feet. The water parted, the sand splitting into a massive chasm, the earth below spewing its fire and lava toward the surface. He let his hands guide the crevice toward Karena’s charred body and watched as it swallowed her whole, sucking her beneath the earth. As easily as he opened it, he closed the earth, the ground beneath them stable once more.
The group looked at Flip and raised their eyebrows, impressed at his newfound skills. They walked toward the house, opened the once-sealed back doors, and entered.
“Search for anything that might be evidence of who we are or our skills. Wipe it out, all of it,” said Kane.
The team searched room-by-room, burning or destroying any papers that might have evidence as to who they were or where they were. When they were finished, they exited the same way, walking toward the main road and back toward the car.
Nat turned as they reached the road and raised her hands once more. Fireballs danced from her palms, and she pushed them toward the villa. The dry timbers kissed the warmth of the fire, happy to have its embers. They watched for a moment as the fire consumed the house and then turned, no longer caring. Nash carried a dark duffel bag, and Kane looked down, raising his eyebrows.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“A little something Ms. Viskoff left in the house. She won’t need it any longer,” he said calmly. Kane could only smile. They would add that to their community funds.
Dusk settled over the Baja peninsula, the sky an array of orange, yellow, and red. Silently, they walked on. When they reached the SUV, the weapons were stored, and Kane stood for a moment, looking toward the sky.
“ It’s done. She’s dead. Everyone, breathe. We’ll be home soon.”
It was as if he could hear the collective sighs of everyone in Wyoming and everyone standing with him.
“Let’s go home.”