Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
“God, Brynn. What if they’re hurt… Or…” Haven’s voice cracked.
Brynn grabbed her friend and hugged her hard. “Navarro’s men put in a lot of effort to grab them off the street. Knowing our guys, they won’t have made it easy. He wanted them alive, otherwise they would’ve been shot on the street.”
Haven bit her lip. “That’s not exactly reassuring me.”
“I’m bringing them home.” Brynn’s words rang with the truth of it. “Okay?”
“Okay.” Haven tucked her hair behind her ear. “I should be going with you.”
Brynn arched a brow. “Can you shoot a gun? Know any hand-to-hand combat?”
Her friend’s nose wrinkled. “No. I’ve always been proud to be a museum curator, but now, it kind of seems lame.”
“It’s not lame.” Brynn gripped her arm. “What I need you to do is run comms for us.”
“Comms?”
“You’ll stay here and we’ll wear earpieces. If we need something, you need to look it up for us.”
“I can do that.” Haven wrung her hands together.
Crouching, Brynn pulled Vander’s extra bag out of the closet. It was heavy as she carried it over to the bed. She opened the bag, then shook her head.
Vander had enough gear and weapons to man a very small army.
“Oh my God.” Haven stepped forward, her mouth dropping open. “How did he get that through customs?”
“He didn’t.” Some of the things—the vests and innocuous tech like earpieces—would have been in his suitcase, but the weapons he’d likely had delivered here in Italy.
Her man did not like being unarmed.
She pulled out a lightweight ballistic vest. It was top-of-the-line, and probably still experimental. She saw there were two of them. One sized for a man. She smiled and shook her head. The other was her size. She pulled it on and tightened the Velcro on the sides.
Next, she pulled out several handguns, knives, and a few other goodies.
“Oh.” She opened a small case and studied the tiny drone with cameras attached. “Haven, this is very helpful.” She held the drone up. “It’s going to give you eyes on Navarro’s villa.”
“A drone?”
“It has high-res cameras, as well as thermal imaging. It’ll help us gather intel.”
“Wait, I have to fly it?”
“A little, but it has autopilot features too. It isn’t hard. Come on.” She handed Haven the drone, then grabbed the other things she needed.
They headed out into the living room. Justin was prowling around like a big predator.
“Justin, this is Haven Norcross, Rhys’ wife.”
“Hi, Haven.” He dipped his head. “Sorry to be meeting you under these circumstances.”
Haven managed a smile, but it was shaky. “Thanks for helping.”
Justin lifted his chin. “Vander’s saved my life too many times to count, there’s no way I wouldn’t return the favor.” He smiled. “That said, I’m half expecting him and Rhys to free themselves and saunter in here at any minute.”
Brynn prayed they got out, but she wasn’t going to count on it. “For you.” She handed over the vest.
He took it, his mouth dropping open. “This is a Safariland AegisX. It’s still in development for the military.”
“My husband has connections.” Brynn propped her boot up on a chair and strapped a knife to her thigh. “He also has a small surveillance drone. Haven will run comms for us from here.” She handed him an earpiece, then slid hers into her ear.
There was a laptop set up on the dining room table, and spread beside it were printouts of the villa’s schematics.
“Haven this is your office.” Brynn waved a hand.
The other woman nodded and lifted her chin. “I’ve got this.”
Pressing her hands to the table, Brynn leaned forward looking over the layout of Navarro’s villa and grounds.
Justin tapped a spot along the external boundary wall. “This is the best place to climb in over the exterior wall.” He smiled. “I may or may not have tested it out a time or two.”
“It looks like there’s enough tree coverage to get to the house unseen.”
Justin nodded. “He has guards. Lots of them. There are several at the gate, the rest patrol around the house. No idea how many he has inside. He always has two bodyguards with him.”
“Dogs?”
“He has a couple, but they’re caged up.”
“And the cells where he keeps his ‘guests?’”
Justin stroked his beard. “In the basement level, but we have no schematics for that. No idea where the entrances are, or the layout. Rumor is that whoever built the dungeon for him, didn’t stay alive long enough to share anything about it.”
That was unfortunate, but it wasn’t going to stop her.
“We’ll need to get in and find a way down,” Justin continued. “And avoid detection while we do that.”
“Luckily, I’m pretty good at being sneaky.”
“The best case, we get in, free them, and sneak out.”
She’d love that, but she knew the odds were slim since the place would be crawling with Navarro’s men.
Justin shrugged a broad shoulder. “Worst case, we fight our way out.”
Haven made an unhappy sound.
“That’s a strong possibility.” Brynn stared at the villa schematics. “Let’s hope we don’t have to fight our way in, as well.” Her stomach clenched. If that happened, Navarro’s guards might have orders to kill their prisoners. “The sooner we get them out, the better. Ready?”
Justin nodded. “Ready.”
“I’ll meet you at the SUV.”
Justin gave them both a salute and sauntered out.
Brynn turned and hugged Haven.
“Be careful, Brynn.”
“I will.”
Tears glinted in Haven’s eyes. “Bring them home.”
“I definitely will.” She tapped a finger on the table. “Get settled. I’ll let you know when the drone is in the air. Get used to the controls, then fly over the villa and gather whatever intel you can.”
Haven nodded.
“And one more thing.” Brynn had thought of a backup plan.
In case everything went to hell. Her stomach did a sickening turn.
She prayed they wouldn’t need it. She grabbed a piece of paper, and scrawled a name and number.
“Here.” She handed it to Haven. “If you think we need backup, or if things go bad—”
Haven’s chest hitched.
“Use this as a last resort and get us some help.”
Taking the paper, Haven glanced at it and nodded. “I’ll see you when you get back with them.”
“Hell, yes.” Brynn headed out to the vehicle and found Justin leaning against the Ferrari.
“You sure you’re up for this?” he asked.
She shoved the bag of gear, along with a small backpack, in the backseat. “Yes. I’ll do anything for my husband.”
“He’s a lucky man.”
“He is.” She opened the driver’s side door.
Justin slid into the passenger seat. “My first time going on a mission in a supercar. I’m having a bit of a James Bond moment.”
She snorted and started the engine.
Brynn drove them through Taormina and onto the road that led to Navarro’s villa. She stuck to the speed limit, not attracting any attention.
“Park here,” Justin said. “We’ll walk up the rest of the way. We don’t want anyone seeing us.” He smiled at the car. “And a Ferrari, even if it is an SUV, is kinda noticeable.”
“We’re on vacation. We didn’t think we’d need a car for a high-risk mission.” She pulled over close to some trees and cut the engine. Once she’d climbed out, she pulled on the backpack and checked her weapons.
“This way,” Justin said.
As they neared the villa, she turned the drone on. It fired up quietly, its rotors whirring. Brynn touched her ear. “Haven, I’m ready to launch the drone.”
“Okay, Brynn,” Haven’s voice said clearly through the earpiece.
Haven was nervous and scared, but holding it together.
Brynn touched a button on the small device, and it arrowed straight up into the night sky.
“Airborne.”
“Got it,” Haven responded. “Let me just… Okay, the controls aren’t too complicated. I’m flying to the villa now.”
“And we’re heading in on foot.” She nodded at Justin.
It came as no surprise when he moved swiftly and silently ahead of her.
I’m coming, Vander. Hold on.
The two of them melted into the darkness.
He strained against the chains. He gritted his teeth and pulled.
One link was slowly bending, weakening.
He needed to get free before Brynn came. Fear cut through Vander. He knew his detective. He knew she’d already have discovered where he was and she’d probably already raided his weapons bag. She’d already have a plan.
Fuck. His wife, his pregnant wife, would be planning to infiltrate this villa.
She’d put herself at risk. For him.
He pulled hard on the chain. Come on, dammit.
“Vander, someone’s coming,” Rhys murmured.
He glanced at Rhys who was still hanging from his chains and trying to pull himself free like Vander was.
They both stilled, just as the door opened.
Two guards in cargo pants and tight T-shirts walked in. The big one, who had a shaved head and lots of ink, looked up and smiled. He cracked his knuckles. He had a striking-cobra tattoo snaked around his left arm.
Rhys made a scoffing sound. “Where does Navarro find these guys? Thugs-R-US? Evil Bad Guys Inc? He’s just missing the cackling, evil laugh.”
The big guy bristled. “Shut up, stronzo.” He took a menacing step forward.
“No killing,” the shorter one said in Italian. “The boss will be pissed.” He had an ugly face with a large nose.
The big guy grunted.
“Look, Rhys, tough guys,” Vander said. “Who like to beat people up…if they’re chained up and can’t hurt them.” He met the big guy’s gaze. “Vigliacco.”
The guy growled. Yeah, he didn’t like being reminded that he was a coward.
“Unchain me, then we’ll fight,” Vander murmured.
He saw the flicker of fear in the man’s eyes.
Vander smiled.
Now anger ignited in the thug’s gaze. He strode forward, pulled his arm back, then slammed a punch into Vander’s gut.
He controlled his response and absorbed the blow. “All you got?”
The man landed several more blows.
The short guy growled. “Rocco, be care—”
Vander moved. He whipped his legs up and wrapped them around the thug’s neck. The man tried to grab Vander, fighting to pull him loose.
They should’ve chained his legs.
He rammed his knee in Rocco’s face and broke his nose with a crunch of cartilage and bone.
He let out a strangled roar. Blood flowed over his mouth and chin.
Then Vander jerked his legs, and the guy lost his footing.
He fell to his knees and Vander tightened his grip, putting pressure on his throat.
Rocco was hanging, his air restricted. He groaned and gasped for air.
The other man cursed.
A second later, Vander felt something hit his side, a second before the stun ran through his body.
Fuck. He rode through the pain, body shaking. His legs dropped, and Navarro’s thug tumbled to the floor. The stun stopped.
“Get up,” the shorter man barked, kicking Rocco none too gently in the side.
The big guy shakily pushed to his feet, swiping blood from his face. He glared at Vander. Then he aimed a sloppy punch at Vander’s face. Vander jerked his head to the side and Rocco grazed his jaw.
It wasn’t a direct blow, but it was still powerful enough to hurt.
“Enough, Rocco. The boss is going to be pissed. We’re not supposed to be down here. Now, get out.” He gave Rocco a shove.
Vander assessed the pain throbbing up the side of his head. He moved his jaw, thankfully it wasn’t broken, then turned his head to the side and spat out blood.
The two thugs shuffled out, slamming the door behind them.
“You okay?” Rhys asked.
“Fine.”
“Did you have to enrage the guy?”
“He got what he deserved.”
Rhys made a sound. “He could’ve knocked your teeth out.”
Vander tested his jaw again, moving it from side to side. “Nothing’s broken. And yes, I did have to attack him.” He tugged on the chain and the weak link loosened even more. “His added weight bent the chain link.”
Rhys grinned. “Right. I knew your hard jaw would be good for something.”
Vander started tugging again. “You’ve punched it yourself enough.”
“It’s been a while.”
“We’re not free yet, but soon.” He strained against the metal.
Come on. He knew Brynn was getting closer. He needed to get free before she arrived. He didn’t want her setting a single foot in this place.
Stay safe, baby. Please. And keep our baby safe.