Chapter 11 #2
He performed a quick body sweep, hating the way her eyes seemed to take a few seconds to focus on him, what he suspected might be a slight concussion, then motioned her forward.
He covered their six as that spotlight panned back, caught a glimpse of him in the outer beam as he stepped in front of Neve and Scout, kept their identities hidden.
An alarm sounded behind them, more men bearing down on them from three sides.
Coulter started a mental timer in his head, T-minus five minutes until the RCMP arrived as Scout altered their direction, weaving in and out of the rows as if she had a map no one else knew about.
She bypassed a few areas, climbed a section of pallets and crates, before crouching on top.
Waiting as two more men charged past, a third trailing behind as if they’d suspected someone might double back.
Shadows shifted off to the left, moving with that eerie enhanced speed that created an almost ghostly version in their wake as the spotlight rolled back their way.
Scout climbed down once the men had faded into the dark and made a beeline for one of the ditches.
She chose a few non-trails, had them vaulting over rusted frames and discarded machinery, before stopping at the edge of the stacks, nothing but twenty meters of open space between them and that culvert.
Coulter glanced at Neve. She hadn’t spoken a word since he’d grabbed her, her eyes still looking slightly unfocused. He leaned in close, held up two fingers. “How many?”
She frowned, batting his hand away. “I’m fine.”
“Can’t tell, huh?”
“If I say four, and it’s really two, that’ll only make you more protective.”
“You saved me first. I was just returning the favor. And yeah, it was only two, so stay behind me until your head’s on straight again.”
She pursed her lips but nodded. He surveyed the area, listening for any indication Fraser had men moving this way, when Fraser and two other guys stepped out, standing in the open as if they were invincible.
Fraser scanned the rows. “I know you’re here. Might as well come on out…”
Coulter handed Neve the unit. “Hold this.”
Neve snagged his arm. “We’ll go around.”
“It’s going to be fine. Trust me.” He tapped his vest. “Got a little surprise for them.”
He removed a flash bang, gripped it in his left hand, before he took a breath, stepped out.
Fraser watched him emerge from the shadows, a hint of uncertainty furrowing his brow. “Well, I’ll be damned. Captain Barrett. Rumor has it, you’re on a special task force.”
“And I heard you were dead, Fraser.”
Fraser shrugged. “Not yet. Where’s Neve? I know it was her behind the scope.”
Anger colored Coulter’s vision for a moment before he pushed it aside. “She died at Bralorne.”
Fraser laughed. “I thought so, too, but it turns out she and her friends aren’t quite as dead as we’d hoped. Guess they found another way out of that cave.”
“That’s news to me.”
“Nice try, but if she was going to confide in anyone, it’s you. It’s always been you.” He shrugged. “Fine, we’ll do it the hard way…”
“Pineapple.”
Neve’s voice cut through the night a second before she and Scout opened fire, dropping Fraser’s men and sending the asshole diving for cover as rounds scythed off the metal stacks behind him, leaving a trail of sparks in their wake.
Coulter tossed the flash bang across the yard, covering his head as it erupted into a violent wall of light and sound as smoke poured out of the canister, quickly covering the scrubby lawn in thick white vapor.
Neve appeared at his side, stumbling with him over to the ditch, Scout tripping along behind them.
Coulter waved them in first, guarding their six as Shepherd pulled in across the road, Zadie and Wynn jumping out.
Sparks lit up the smoke on the other side of the fence, a low grating screech drowning out the ringing in Coulter’s ears as Zadie dragged a set of metal bars off to one side, allowed Scout and Neve to pop up a moment later.
Neve looked down the hole at him, blood still dripping down her cheek. “Coulter, move, now.”
He crawled into the pipe, the sides scraping his shoulders, several inches of muddy water soaking through his clothes. The stench of sulphur and cordite burned a line down his throat as Neve extended her hand, pulled him out the narrow opening.
He pushed to his feet and raced for the vehicle, sliding in the back beside Neve and Scout as the others jumped in the front before Shepherd peeled off, tires chirping, the backend fishtailing on the wet pavement.
Fraser ran into the center of the street, stared at their truck as they swerved around the corner, then turned right onto the main road.
A siren shrieked nearby, red and blue lights flashing in the dark as police raced along the road parallel to them.
Shepherd slowed as they passed a warehouse, using the building to block any visual of the vehicle until the cops disappeared.
He hit the gas, picking up speed before turning onto the main road heading east.
Coulter turned to Neve, held up more fingers. “How many now?”
She glanced at Wynn, then back to him. “Three.”
“Better than four but still not right.” He sighed as he brushed his fingers along her neck. “You okay?”
“Nothing some sleep won’t fix.”
“You mean after Wynn checks you out.”
“I’m fine. Nothing I haven’t experienced before.”
Wynn twisted in the seat. “I’ll be the judge of that, especially after how much bruising you had from fighting that asshole inside the mine.”
The words bounced around in Coulter’s head, and he leaned into Neve. “Is that what happened the last time you fought one of those bastards? He tried to choke you?”
Neve’s eyes widened a bit before she blew out a loud breath. “Maybe I did hit my head too hard because I know better than to blab. But since it’s already out there, yeah, it seems to be a go-to move of theirs. Though, thanks to you, I didn’t get tossed across the yard, this time.”
A low rumble clawed at his throat, and he had to clench his jaw to keep the sound locked in. “Good thing the fucker’s dead, or we’d be turning around.”
Neve squeezed his hand. “Thank you. Though, leaving Fraser breathing still doesn’t feel right.”
Wynn and Zadie inhaled, both looking back at them across their shoulders.
Wynn arched a brow. “Fraser was there?”
Neve sighed. “I’ll tell you all about it once we’re back at the bunker.”
Zadie tapped on her laptop, staring at the screen as she hacked her way into the GPS drive. “Actually, I’m not sure that’s our best course of action.”
Coulter shuffled closer. “You found something already?”
“Maybe…” She launched a map. “Most of the saved data is encrypted. I should be able to access it, but it’ll take time and more power than I have in the truck. But the device doesn’t archive the data for the past week, and I’ve got multiple hits to a location about twenty minutes from here.”
“What kind of location.”
“That’s the interesting part. It’s a clinic — the Cascadia Institute. Looks like it might be a private sports rehab center but… Why would Ramsey’s men have gone there multiple times in the last week?”
Coulter grinned. “Because it’s a front for where he takes his guys when they need medical support. Sure, his soldiers fight through hits, but once the op’s over, they’ll still need bullets removed or lacerations stitched up. And I doubt they can pop into the ER, so…”
Wynn grunted. “They’ve got a few doctors and nurses on the payroll. But wouldn’t Finch already have a team of doctors?”
“I’m sure he does, but if Ramsey’s squad used them, there’d be a paper trail connecting Hyperion to Blackridge, and based on how hard it’s been finding any kind of link, I doubt Finch would be that naive.”
Neve nodded. “Agreed. Though, it might be best to let the heat die down a bit. Do a recon mission tomorrow just before it closes.”
Zadie cursed. “I’m not sure we can afford to wait. I just decrypted another message Ramsey sent out right before we picked you up. He wants this crew, Fraser I guess, to meet him at one more location to help with the last of his sanitation jobs. The coordinates are for the same clinic.”
Coulter glanced at Neve. “He’s going to burn all the records. Maybe call in the doctors, eliminate them, too.”
Neve scrubbed a hand down her face. “Shepherd? We’re making an audible. Head for the clinic. And this time, we go in prepared for war.”