Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
One week later
The van pulled up several houses from the gated one, their target. Caleb keyed his radio up by his collar. “All positions, report in.”
Noah glanced over from the driver’s seat. “In position.”
Caleb didn’t laugh because it wasn’t funny. His brother had never been quick to laugh either, but maybe that’d changed since the last time they saw each other.
They’d both arrived in Miami three days ago after uncovering Nathan Kessler’s compound here in their backyard, in Florida.
Fastest operation Caleb had ever been a part of, but that’s what happened when they couldn’t be sure who they could trust. Most of the people here were part of Noah’s team—whoever they were.
“Team two in position.”
“Team three in position.”
Once the call ins had cleared from his earbuds, he glanced over at his brother. “You gonna tell me who these guys are?”
“Better if you don’t ask. Then I don’t have to lie and pretend it’s the truth.”
Caleb shook his head. “Are you some kind of mercenary now?”
“Bro, I work for the CIA.”
“And your girlfriend on overwatch?”
Noah winced. “You didn’t need to key your radio, they can all hear everything you’re saying.”
Caleb heard a distinctive female chuckle in his earbuds.
One of the guys said, “I’m a mailman. This is an adventure I paid for, like an extreme vacation. Hope it goes well.”
“I’m a pharmacist. No, no…a math teacher. That’s better. Or a librarian. Should I be a librarian?”
“Shut up if you can’t even decide.”
The conversation dissolved into banter that sounded a whole lot like siblings saying, “you shut up.” And, “no, you shut up.” And quickly shifted to your mom jokes.
Finally, Noah said, “Let’s breach before Kessler gets away, or you guys start trying to one up each other with knives.”
“I would win,” came through Caleb’s earbuds from the woman.
Noah shifted in his seat and Caleb saw the look on his face. “Yes, you would.”
Caleb slapped his brother’s arm and mouthed, You like her.
“All teams move into position.” Noah shoved open the door.
Caleb followed him to the wall beside the front gate. The place was basically a compound, but in this neighborhood in southern Florida it looked like a mansion probably owned by a rich musician or some CEO billionaire.
Soon as they wrapped this up he could get back to Montana. Tessa and Christmas. He couldn’t wait. He had a promise ring in his backpack that he was more than ready to give to her. Just to let her know that he was serious about this thing between them being a permanent thing.
Not that it was a foregone conclusion, but he was serious about her. He needed her to know he wasn’t taking this lightly.
“You good?”
Caleb met his brother’s gaze. “Thanks for coming.”
“It’s my case.”
“No, it’s my case.”
The woman on overwatch said, “Are you guys gonna argue the whole time?”
Someone else snorted. Okay, so they weren’t that dissimilar from the guys on the team. Caleb said, “I should’ve called the FBI, or the local police.”
“In over their heads,” someone said over comms. “That’s why you call us.” Whoever he was, he paused, “Let’s see what you can do.”
“I’m not interviewing for a job.”
“I know, I just figured the brother of No Holds Barred Noah Rourke might wanna show us his stuff.”
Caleb said, “That what we’re doing?”
Noah grinned, the expression barely visible in the dim light.
The collection of palm trees around them blocked out the stars overhead, and the whisps of clouds on the horizon between the houses.
This was a quick operation, a rapid response to what they’d learned.
He didn’t know he was here so they could prove to these guys that the Rourke twins were top notch operators.
He also didn’t mind.
Noah said, “It’ll get done faster.”
Caleb shrugged. “Let’s get to work.”
Noah ran for the brick wall and climbed his way to the top, disappearing over in seconds. Okay, so that wasn’t something Caleb had in his skillset. But with no one watching he made it over as well just fine.
“Smooth.”
Caleb ignored that comment in his comms. On any other day he’d invite these guys for a drink after the operation, even if that drink was soda for most of them.
But it was Christmas and he had no intention of this taking longer than necessary when he wanted to get back to Tessa, Pops and her father.
And yeah, even Gus. He was hoping Noah would come with him and they could spend the holiday together—and maybe overwatch would join them.
They raced across the yard, entered through a side door and swept down the hall. Bare tile glinted in the light from side rooms. Sitting areas, library, and a fancy dining room he’d be scared to eat in. He’d spill Ketchup probably.
“Proceeding to study.” Noah’s voice sounded steady, like he did this every day.
“We need evidence, not just a kill.”
“Don’t need to remind me,” his brother said, slowing as they approached a door.
A guy like this should have security guards, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else here. Noah looked into the next room and flinched.
“Come in, my friends.” Kessler. That had to be him. No one else in the world sounded that smarmy. Like he’d already won.
Noah didn’t move. Caleb moved to stand beside him and saw the inside of the room.
At least six children stood between the desk and Nathan Kessler.
Kids who resembled him, and some of different nationalities.
He’d collected a group of human shields, probably for just this eventuality. What a scumbag.
“You know why we’re here.” Noah stepped into the room, not aiming at any of the children. “You need to come with us.”
“So I can confess my crimes to the police?” Kessler laughed. He had bright white hair and a trimmed white beard.
“Send the kids away,” Caleb said. “Come with us.”
They needed to go through all the files on his computer and find any hidden caches of information here. A safe, like the one in the preacher’s office.
Kessler worked his mouth back and forth.
The kids stood there, staring at Noah and Caleb. Saying nothing, not moving. Most didn’t look terrified at all. Maybe this was a normal Tuesday in Kessler’s house. What a terrifying thought.
Outside the house, gunfire erupted.
Over comms Caleb heard, “The guards are on rotation. We have it handled.”
Caleb focused on Kessler again. “This is not about collateral damage. It’s about you, and how this is over for you. So quit hiding behind children and admit you’re finished.”
Noah pulled his gun, pointed it at Kessler and said, “You know who we are.”
“Both of you look like your father.”
Noah flinched.
Caleb pulled the trigger on his gun. Kessler cried out, falling back. Caleb ran to the desk and waved the kids out from behind it. “Go, everyone go. Run outside.”
The children scattered, older ones grabbing the hands of littles and all of them racing to the door. He turned to see what happened.
Kessler had a gun.
“Put it down, man. It’s Christmas for crying out loud.” Caleb wasn’t in the mood. He kicked Kessler in the head and the gun clattered across the floor. Blood coated the side of the guy’s head, thanks to Caleb’s well-placed shot.
Caleb’s brother flipped Kessler to his face and zip tied his hands behind his back.
“I’ll look around.” Caleb scanned the room. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he drew it out.
The screen said,
Safe in the floor, under the rug.
After the message was a series of numbers.
Caleb flipped the rug over. “Whoa.”
Noah pulled Kessler to his feet. Both of them reacted. Noah said, “How’d you find that?”
Kessler’s expression seemed to indicate he wanted to ask the same question. Probably because he’d assumed Caleb wouldn’t discover his secret safe, inset into the floor under a panel that left the rug here flush with the rest of the floor.
“You’ll never break in.” Kessler sneered.
Caleb slid back the panel and punched the numbers into the keypad. The light turned green.
Kessler roared obscenities and Noah escorted him out. The gunfire outside had slowed. Caleb opened the safe and looked at the stack of hard drives and papers inside, as well as multiple passports and a bundle of Euros secured with a rubber band.
He said, “We have what we came for.”
Overwatch said, “Maybe the Rourke twins should team up permanently.”
Caleb tuned out the back and forth chatter and looked at his phone again. He replied to the message,
Thanks.
He didn’t know for sure who it was that had sent the message but given the way his parents had seemed to know what he was involved in—and Noah’s case with that bank account in Zurich, which had the Senator from Virginia being arrested just yesterday and his brother’s company shut down.
Caleb figured he knew who was behind the information.
We miss you both.
His breath hitched in his throat. It was his parents who had helped them out. His father sending information to his best friend, so the preacher could pass it to Caleb. They’d all figured that much out after he talked with Tessa’s father. Not just about him dating her.
Caleb replied,
Merry Christmas.
Then he gathered everything from the safe and went to find his twin, and the rest of the team.
Their job here was done.
It was time to turn it all over to the Department of Justice and go home.