Exit plan, p.2
Exit Plan, page 2
So, this leaves Maxwell. That apple didn’t fall far from Matteo’s poisoned tree and Maxwell is his father’s son. To everyone at school, he was the cool rich kid. The mask he wore fooled everyone but those of us who knew the brutal truth.
Matteo groomed his son to walk in his footsteps and, behind closed doors, he did so with enthusiasm, becoming an entirely different person. By the time I came into the op, he was already overseeing his father’s execution orders at seventeen years old.
We had just gotten enough to end both father and son and seize all of their assets when they vanished.
They liquidated as much as they could within two days of the family’s disappearance. The courts finally tied up a lot of their dealings, but not before they made off with millions. Strip clubs changed hands fast. Drug operations changed groups or shut down, and Maxwell became almost as elusive as the guy we are looking for today.
Maxwell is deep into digital espionage, fraud, and treason, and his digital team are practically ghosts. After all our digging, we only have the handles of the people at the top of his hacking team. As much as it pains me to admit this out loud, they are geniuses. They’ve hacked into corporate and government systems with an ease like we’ve never seen before.
And they are always ahead of the curve. Most hackers have the basic languages down but usually use one favorite language to hack. This group seems to jump easily between every computer language out there like they wrote them all, sometimes using systems they seem to make up as they go along. They don’t follow hacking rules—they create them, and over the last seven years, most of our clients’ system updates have been because of loopholes they’ve exploited.
Our government has spent massive amounts of money just trying to keep up with their skills and, right now, I have two objectives. First, we need to contain his digital team. Their talents are unmatched and taking them out of play would solve a lot of problems.
My second goal is personal. We need to dismantle Maxwell’s empire and eliminate him. His family took away the only person I’ve ever gotten close to. I know it won’t bring her back. But revenge is all I have left and I cling to the thought that, in the moment I destroy him, I will be close to her again.
Even if it’s fleeting.
I’ll take it.
I would give a lifetime to have one more minute with her. To have her back in my arms. To tell her what I should have told her ten years ago.
While I agree, driving out to this farmhouse in Kentucky on an anonymous tip isn’t the smartest thing we’ve done, we can’t afford to let this opportunity slip by.
“It’s the best intel we’ve gotten on this group in nine years. You know we won’t get better and our lookout says there is movement on the premises.” I raise my eyebrows at Logan, daring him to challenge me but he doesn’t.
He knows I’m right. Even if this doesn’t pan out, we can’t let it go.
Logan has been there with me through every failed attempt and close call. Maxwell and his team are thorns in our sides. They are the longest outstanding contract we’ve had and no one has been able to take them down.
I drop my gaze back to the folder on my lap. Thin piece of shit that it is, it holds all of the information we have on this group, which is barely enough to wipe my ass with. Two pathetic sheets of paper. No photos. We don’t even have a picture of the guys we’re looking for. Just two names… Jay and Zane.
Zane is our main target. He’s the one who coordinates the whole team. He’s the brains behind everything, but I’ll take his second in command and any others I can get my hands on.
While we contract our services out to various companies and work closely with our government, today’s operation isn’t on anyone’s radar. This is something our company is doing off the record and without documentation. There have been too many failed attempts in the past to waste manpower but this is also a lead our team can’t just let slide so we’re doing it on our dime.
“Two minutes out.” Grey speaks into our silent car and everyone tenses.
It’s almost go-time.
I close the file and drop it to the floor. There’s nothing in there that will help me anyway. Looking out through the front window, our target is coming into view and our camouflaged vehicle should be visible within the next minute.
“Grizz, Tex, Waldo. I want you around the back and sides of the building. Secure all possible exits. Team one, stay in the tree line out front. Secure the vehicles on site, nothing gets out. Charlie, stay in the woods, stop anything that makes a run for it on my mark. No casualties.” Shifting my attention inside the car, I speak to my team in the front seat but keep my headset active so everyone is on the same page. “Hunter, hang back. We’re going in the front door. You’re on our six. We need the contents of that house alive. We aren’t a threat until we need to be. If this is only their tech team, there may be no resistance.” I pause to listen to my team confirm my orders then look over once more at Logan. He nods his approval as he works to adjust his ear piece.
I’ve known Logan for almost ten years. I met him the morning I lost Jessa. We started out rocky with him tranquilizing me to get me back to base. Our first days were tense as I went through eval. I was a broken man for awhile after the op and my evaluation turned into mandatory psych sessions. Being paired with Logan on my first assignment after my all clear was hard to take but after we talked and got to know each other better we found common ground. I realized I had been projecting my anger on him when he was just following orders and he did do the right thing.
After that mess, it seemed we were always matched together on projects. As we worked together, Logan helped me to understand my pain and he helped me focus myself better than those shrinks ever did. It turns out we had a lot more in common than I thought we did.
As far as people go, Logan knows almost everything about me. The only thing he doesn’t know is how wonderful Jessa really was. My descriptions never seemed to do her justice. I think he would have liked her.
A couple of years after we met, we retired from active duty to start our own security and ops company. The goal was simple, we contracted out work, chose the jobs and companies we wanted to work with and set our own terms. Our company has grown from one small building into many around the country including a few operational bases for tactical training and special assignments.
We provide security and other services to a large number of Fortune 500 companies as well as our own government, for far better pay. Putting Maxwell and his team out of business would end a number of outstanding contracts we have going with multiple companies and the bonuses alone would set us all up for life, financially. Professionally, we would be able to secure more business with the news that it was our company who finally put an end to the Sparr group.
“Jekyll, you’re with me on this. Front door. We go in cool.” Logan nods his head once more at the sound of his codename.
As the SUV rounds the last corner, leaving the cover of the trees behind, the farmhouse comes into view. A large, two-story ranch sits in the center of a cleared lot. Surrounded by tree-lines on all four sides. As I look across the yard, our three team members would have had a tough time crossing the large, wide open space to get to the house unnoticed.
Intel tells us this property has been owned by an untraceable shell corporation for a long time, so chances are good it was set up as a safe house and left vacant until needed. Which is, hopefully, now.
It’s late-morning and the sun is shining brightly against a blue sky, not a cloud in sight. I would have preferred to approach under the cover of darkness, but there’s a good chance they won’t be here much longer and, judging by the supplies loaded into the vehicle our team found out front, I’m right. They were preparing to run.
My heart skips a beat over the fact that we are most likely and finally, ahead of them this time.
Grey pulls the SUV into the drive and blocks the last road leading off the property but keeps the car running. Logan and I open our doors to the backseat at the same time and step out as Hunter exits the passenger side. Checking the safety on my gun one last time, I secure it in its strap and move toward the front of the vehicle, meeting Logan and taking in the situation on the property.
Our team is in place and everything is still. Nothing is moving except for the leaves on the trees rustling in the breeze. This would be the picture perfect country morning if we weren’t here on business.
Joining Logan at the front of the vehicle, we walk together toward the stairs with Hunter trailing ten feet behind us.
As we step up to the house, I hear a shuffle around the side and Link’s voice comes through my earpiece. “Man down. West side. No visual on the attacker.”
Looking up to the drone hovering 150 feet away, I let out an exasperated sigh. “Charlie, you there? Who’s on the west exit?” I ask to our shooter still positioned in the woods.
“Waldo.” His voice comes through in an instant.
I roll my eyes. Of course it’s Waldo. “Grizz, Tex spread out. Find Waldo and make sure he’s okay, then cover the back and sides. And if he’s down, you know the rules. Grab a photo. I need something for the staff newsletter this month.”
“Copy that.” I hear a huff in Grizz’s voice. As long as Waldo is okay, there’s no reason we can’t have a little fun while we’re out here.
Looking at Logan and Hunter, I nod my head to continue, hesitantly, to the front door.
Someone definitely knows we’re here.
Standing as close to the door as possible so whoever answers doesn’t get a good look at our men out front, Logan rings the doorbell and we wait in silence for half a minute before he rings it again and prepares to yell loud enough for those inside to hear.
“We know you’re in there. The place is surrounded and you aren’t leaving the property. Why don’t you ladies open the front door and we’ll have a little chat. Tell you how this is going to go.” He looks back to me and nods, cocky smile on his face. Logan loves taunting his targets so the guys inside don’t get any funny ideas.
The delayed response from inside suddenly makes me apprehensive about the situation as I look around the yard for any signs of the manpower behind those front doors. There’s only one vehicle parked on the lot so my assumption is, there are no more than four people here.
I take the break to step behind Logan, hiding myself from the person who is going to answer the door. It’s a tactical maneuver to give our opponent a false sense of security. Once in place I shift to examine the house in front of me.
If you weren’t in our business, the front door wouldn’t draw too much attention, but I can tell this house is locked down like Fort Knox. The glass on the front is reinforced, probably bulletproof and there is an intercom to the side of the door. Odd set up for a quaint farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.
Just as I am about to call in a head check, I hear the lock on the front door click and the inside door swings open, revealing a woman in her late twenties. Crouching further, I peak over Logan’s shoulder, hiding my face behind the hair at the scruff of Logan’s neck.
She looks way more confident than we do at this moment which sets me off even more.
“Good morning, Miss. This your place?” Logan drops his voice to a polite tone and waits for her answer.
She takes a half step back and I see a little more of her. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a ponytail and her frame is small next to the burliness of my team members. A familiarity hits me and I shift further behind Logan as I try to remember if I know her from somewhere, but nothing registers.
My adult life has been a long string of jobs, one after another, most of them undercover. With the amount of people I’ve crossed paths with, remembering her is going to be next to impossible and I hope that, until we have our hands on everyone inside, she can’t place me either.
“No, I’m just staying here for a few days. It belongs to a friend.” Her answer is careful and her eyes remain locked on Logan.
She’s lying.
She’s not looking around.
She’s not one bit curious about who is here with him.
The people inside already know.
I hear Logan exhale an annoyed breath in front of me. “What’s your name, Sweetie?” he asks condescendingly, taking his figurative gloves off.
I can see her back go up from here as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Well, I can tell you it isn’t Sweetie.” She bites out her last word.
I can’t help but roll my eyes.
I know her attitude is amusing Logan as he leans in to taunt her further. Punctuating each word and speaking as though English isn’t her first language he narrows his eyes on her. “Then why don’t you tell me what it is, so we don’t have any more—awkward first impressions—Sweet Tits.” He impatiently counters and her expression drops momentarily before she gathers her composure.
“It’s Dee,” she answers through gritted teeth and I roll my eyes again.
We’re already off to a great start.
“Okay, Dee. Is anyone else here?” he asks casually as he reaches out to try the handle on the glass door. Finding it locked, he pulls his hand back as her smile returns.
Now they’re both just dancing their little dance and they know it. Logan’s trying to assess the situation, she is obviously stalling for time.
“Nope. Just little ole me.” She tilts her head to the side, feigning innocence and I can tell by the way Logan stretches his neck muscles, he’s nearing the end of his patience.
She must sense the tension as she takes two steps back from the door. Clearly, she’s confident that the front door will keep us out.
And there it is again.
There’s something about her that triggers a memory. It’s the memory of a girl, but it isn’t the same one standing in front of us. I do know her from somewhere and as I’m diving into my history to place her, a flash of someone else crosses my mind.
Jessa.
But why her?
What connection could this woman have with Jessa? There’s no way she could still be alive.
Could she?
In my haze, I step out from behind Logan to get a better look. As her eyes shift to me her whole face drops and she gasps in recognition.
Shit, I definitely know her. Or at the very least, she knows me.
“You’re not an accountant.” She speaks directly at me and it’s all she manages to say before she stiffens in place.
“Accountant?” Logan repeats incredulously and we glance at each other in confusion for half a second before turning back to look at her.
“What…?” He begins but stops to listen to another female voice coming down the steps behind Dee.
Everyone pauses as our next target comes into view.
“There was one around the side of the house. I think I knocked him…” Her sentence cuts off as she rounds the corner and sees our group and my world goes dark.
Standing, just out of my reach, is Jessa.
2
Jessa
Shit.
My skin instantly prickles at the sound of my property alarms going off on my phone. Someone is within our perimeter.
How were we found so quickly?
This was supposed to be our vacation. I worked for months to set up a solid trail that would lead anyone trying to find us far away from here on a wild goose chase so we could have a few weeks of down time. Not the two days we are at now.
Judging by the distance of the dirt kicking up from behind the forest edge, I’d say we only have a couple of minutes to get out of here and Dana is upstairs. Too far away for me to yell for her without being heard.
Looking out the window, I see movement out front, just beyond our car. If we could only get to it, our backup supplies would hold us over for a few days while we disappear again.
This has been our life for as long as I can remember; jumping around, covering our tracks, and working under everyone’s radar.
Dana and I have only had each other for years. Outside of Zane, all of our other relationships have been short and impersonal. We jump around the country constantly. Our only home is wherever we lay our heads down that night. Being transient has kept us both alive and off the radars that matter.
I run the operations under Zane. Managing details is what I do. I hire out management companies who deal with other management companies on our behalf. Everything is online now which means that is also where all of the coin and corruption is. So that is where we are. We do the jobs we are hired to do and stay five steps ahead of everyone else.
I can’t remember when we last took time off. I’ve been working job after job lately.
I just wanted to give Dana a break. Time to hang out away from our constant work with Zane. A chance to watch movies and eat all the junk food I stocked the place with. A chance to live the lives we barely remember anymore.
I even bought us a little motor boat to take out on the lake behind the property.
The boat. That’s it.
Maybe we can make it to the boat. It’s through the trees out back. Maybe they aren’t aware of it.
“What’s going on?” Dana’s voice snaps me out of planning our escape as she appears from upstairs.
“Ssshh,” I hush and she instantly freezes. “No time to explain. Perimeter is breached. We only have minutes before they’re here. I’ve alerted Zane.” I move to the side window then check the cameras on my phone and count three men crossing the field toward the back and sides of the house. “Dammit. I’m going to try to take one out. That might open up an escape.”
“Who are they?” Dana asks as she moves away from the windows, panic appearing to set in.
I watch as a couple of camouflaged vehicles emerge through the cover of the trees and pull up the driveway to our property. “Don’t know. But there’s no reason for anyone to be here. So it’s not good. Answer the door but don’t unlock the outside one. See what they want. Maybe it’s local law enforcement, then you can ask them to leave the property and that will buy us some time. If it isn’t, you’ll need to get out of here and I’ll take care of the computer. If you can get away, head straight out back and run through the trees. I have a boat on the lake on the other side. Just get in and go. Keys are in a holder beside the wheel.” I grab a metal statue of an elephant off the bookshelf and weigh it in my hands. This’ll do.
