Chapter 20
Harbinger stood in the kitchen and looked out the window as he listened to Ysabel’s happy voice tell him about the flight, Smith, and being able to play for the first time in what felt like forever. “The house they live in is so nice. The bedroom is almost as big as your entire apartment and way bigger than the one I’d rented.”
“Speaking of which, is there anything you want from your apartment?” He’d break in and get it for her after the mission.
There was silence for a moment. “No. The memories there are not what I want to start over. It’s late there. I should let you go.” Ysabel sighed. “I wish you were here.”
“So do I, but it won’t be long.” He hoped. “You should take a nap and then try to adjust to it being morning instead of midnight.” Which meant it was six in the morning on the East Coast.
“I will, but I wanted to talk to you before I did. I love you, Heath. Come to me when you can, and we’ll start our life. One that doesn’t include my past.”
“I’m part of your past.” Harbinger chuckled.
“No, you are my future, my present, and my love.”
“I can live with that. I love you. Get some sleep.”
Con’s voice came over the comms. “H and Jinx, I need you in here now.”
Ysabel sighed, “I will, good night.”
“Sleep well.” Harbinger ended the call as he hustled into the comm room. He met Jinx at the door.
“People, a fuckton of people, are arriving at the crypto heist location.” Harbinger leaned forward at the same time as Jinx.
Harbinger pointed to the screen. “Teams. Shit, three, no, four teams. Get Ranger on the horn.”
“I’m here,” Ranger grunted before a crash was heard. “The last one is in the can. Literally.”
“They have what looks like well-armed teams deploying around the building. I count twenty.” He looked at Jinx, who nodded in agreement.
“Sounds like a party. Con, can you pinpoint locations for us so we can deploy to our advantage?”
Jacob King’s voice came online. “I have Delta team in the city. Ranger, you’ll be lead. Delta Team Leader is still on medical restrictions.”
“Copy. Con, find us a good rendezvous point, close but out of sight and hearing distance.”
“Working it.” Con was typing furiously.
“CCS online.” Jewell’s voice came through the speaker.
“The Rose is online.” Fury sounded grumpier than usual.
“Archangel is online,” Jewell said, and his unshaved image appeared on the video screen.
“Sitrep.”
“It looks like it’s going down,” Harbinger replied. “Twenty men just pulled up in five SUVs and deployed around the area.”
“All five stations are manned. And there’s Pierre.” Con pointed to another monitor.
“Were you able to get into the systems?” Jacob asked.
“Yes. As long as no one sweeps before they start, we should be good,” Jewell answered.
“H and Jinx, get over there. I want Pierre taken into custody as soon as this event happens.”
“Custody?” Jinx’s surprised question mimicked Harbinger’s own raised eyebrows.
“At this time, yes. Now, move,” Archangel barked.
Harbinger had never heard the man lift his voice like that. He started out the door but shouted to Con. “You have Nadia. She’s secure. Just don’t let her out of her restraints for any reason. Jinx, with me.” He ran through the apartment, opened his weapons safe, and pointed to his closet. “Clothes.”
The men threw on tactical garb and armed up. “I have a vehicle outside.” Jinx grabbed his keys.
“Let’s go.” Harbinger grabbed five more boxes of ammo, and they ran out of the apartment. Jinx was a hell of a driver and knew the city almost as well as Harbinger did. Except … “No, turn here. It’ll cut five minutes.”
Jinx made the corner—barely. They screamed through the narrow streets, and Jinx pulled into a dark lot and parked the car.
Ranger was on the horn and setting up his people and the people of Delta Team. “This way.” Jinx led him through a maze of alleyways to where they could see the warehouse in the distance.
“Ranger, we’ll need a distraction to pull eyes off the back of the warehouse.”
“I’ve got that,” Giovanni answered. “Give me three minutes.”
Harbinger and Jinx remained in the darkened alleyway until they heard a vehicle approach. “Hold,” Con said. “Well, shit.”
“What?” Harbinger hissed.
“Giovanni. She’s wearing next to nothing, and yeah, nobody is going to be looking at you … go!”
Harbinger and Jinx moved. Shadow to shadow, they moved quickly and silently. Jinx stopped, pointed at the fence line to the back of the warehouse, and signed. “Watch and copy.”
Harbinger nodded. Jinx moved to the fence, and … Holy hell, the guy opened a section of fence and slipped in. The fence swung back and looked complete once again.
“Go,” Jinx whispered.
He hustled after Jinx, found the panel, and slipped into the compound. He closed the fence soundlessly and turned, frozen to the spot. If there ever was an ass-puckering moment, that was it. Three Dobermans, teeth bared, stood growling at him. Jinx snapped his fingers, and all three dogs turned and hustled to him. He leaned down and loved on each of them for a moment before motioning for Harbinger to come forward.
The dogs barely gave him a sideways glance. Jinx motioned, and Harbinger followed the man and his canine escorts.
“Giovanni, you’ve got three vehicles incoming.” That was Jewell’s voice.
“Merci beaucoup,” she said sweetly, and Harbinger could hear what sounded like a hood closing. Giovanni cooed in French, “It worked! You’re an angel.” A few seconds later, she said in English. “I’m clear, heading back to my position.”
“Roger. Those vehicles are pulling up at the front of the building,” Jewell said.
Jinx moved, and Harbinger followed. That was the distraction they’d needed. Jinx went first, and Harbinger followed, the dogs’ asses planted where Jinx told them to stay.
As they slipped into the building, he heard Con’s voice in his ear. “I’m looping each camera as you move. Stop when I tell you. Where do you want to be set up?”
“As close as we can get without being compromised.”
“Down the hall, you’re clear.”
The men hustled down the tiled passage.
“Holy shit!” Jewell’s exclamation froze both Harbinger and Jinx. “That’s Abrasha.”
Harbinger’s comm device fell silent. He knew Archangel and the executive team were hashing things out.
Harbinger growled, “Con, get us closer.”
“Hold on, if you move, you and the newcomers are going to collide.”
Ranger came online. “Con, both teams in position and holding.”
“Copy. Okay, H, go forward, and at the end of the hall, turn left. Enter the fourth door on the right. That’s the men’s bathroom and the closest I can get you to the epicenter. It’s literally ten feet away.”
Harbinger and Jinx moved rapidly and into the bathroom. Jinx cleared the stalls, and Harbinger opened the door a fraction. “The double doors?”
“Yep,” Con replied.
“H and Jinx, the goal now is to take Abrasha and Pierre, but only after the crypto is moved.” Archangel gave them their orders.
“Abrasha is wanted. We can take him now,” Fury hissed.
“I’m aware, but if we want a solid conviction, we wait. The Rostova incident isn’t ironclad because most of the participants are dead and those who’re willing to testify are dying at an alarming pace. We’re recording him, with Pierre, stealing billions. Iron clad. And with Nadia and Pierre in custody, we can leverage more charges against him.” Archangel’s explanation made sense.
“Con, they’ve already unlocked most of the passwords on all of these accounts.” Jewell sounded worried.
“They must’ve had the chain when we saw them this morning. They’re really close to opening all of them.”
“Can we listen to what’s happening in that room?” Archangel asked.
“Maybe. Hold on,” Con said.
“No mics on the computers,” Jewell interjected.
“Phones?” Con then laughed. “Archambeau has the cloned phone on him. I don’t know how clear it will be, but I can activate the mic on his phone.”
“Do it,” Archangel commanded.
“Nothing,” Jewell said.
“They aren’t talking, or we aren’t receiving?” Fury wanted clarification.
“We’re receiving,” Con answered.
“Con,” Jewell commanded.
“I see it. We’re going to get real busy in five …”
“Four, three, two, and the transfer has started. Where are you going?” Jewell asked no one in particular.
“Got it. I’m working on getting in.” Con sounded stressed.
Harbinger kept an eye on the double doors. They’d move soon. He wanted both of those bastards in his sights. He looked back at Jinx. “Get ready.” They both put silencers on their weapons. “The guards first. If we can keep it quiet, we might be able to avoid a war outside.”
“What fun is that?” Ranger joked. “But we’re outnumbered; although we have higher ground … for the most part.”
“We’re in.”
“Hold until it all goes.” Archangel’s voice was steady and certain.
“Four more transfers.”
The seconds ticked through frozen molasses, each one seeming to take a minute. Harbinger’s adrenaline was spiked. “I’ll take everything to the right in the room. You take everything to the left.”
“Abrasha’s description?” Jinx asked.
“Tall, brown hair, the only one wearing a suit.” That was Fury’s voice. “Pierre and Abrasha are watching the transfer on a large video screen at the back of the room. Seven guards and five computer techs between you and them. Abrasha has two personal bodyguards flanking him.”
“Entrances and exits?” Harbinger wanted to know where help or trouble would come from.
“Double doors at both ends of the room.”
“Don’t exit the building on a chase. We’re taking out anything that comes out of a door,” Ranger replied.
“Noted,” Harbinger confirmed.
“Hold … And that’s it.”
A huge cheer could be heard from the operators. “Go!” Fury commanded, and Harbinger and Jinx moved as one.