Page 64 of Acting on Instinct
Ty jumped Rory into the front seat of the van that they’d positioned in an alleyway.
White had the forethought to get an electric vehicle, so he drove silently through the streets.
There was still some traffic, but this was the part of town with workers who rose early to start the day before the office workers’ alarms went off. The lights were already blinking off.
The plan for Phossy Jaw was to open the door and send Rory forward to stall any thoughts of fighting back. Ty would leave the lights on for this one, but the jammer would definitely be on, so no cell signals could dial 1-1-2, the emergency number in Europe.
One of White’s people was in a car, saving the parking spot in front of the building. As Ty moved down the road, he flashed his lights, and they pulled out.
The van was marked for carpet cleaning, though Ty thought it wasn’t a great cover. The apartments in this area didn’t look like anyone had a carpet worth saving. It would probably be cheaper to throw it out and buy something else from a community shopping app. But, Ty could see one of the workers driving home in the van. There were other commercial vehicles dotted around.
Ty flipped the jamming switch, which the team deemed safe enough to use for the brief time that Ty would be operating in the apartment building.
He tapped the shots that he’d stored on either thigh to assure himself they were in place. Right was the Ketamine, left the cocktail.
Jumping Rory down from the cab, Ty used his fob to set the locks, using the opportunity to scan the street and the windows above. Ty put the fob in his backpack, knowing that the back door would unlock simply by standing at the rear, which was a bonus when you had a man wrapped in a blanket and thrown over your shoulder.
Ty climbed the six flights of stairs, thinking that he was glad Phossy Jaw was the smallest of the targets. If Phossy were a linebacker, fireman-carrying the man down the stairs would betough. And Ty knew he had to make it fast. Sedated and tossed over his shoulder wasn’t healthy for a target who had significant intelligence in his head.
Like White continually reminded them, dead men tell no tales.
Rory’s arthritis was obviously in play as he navigated the narrow staircase. It was good that Rory was about to move to a cushy house with Trip Wire and Dani, where he’d have a life of well-earned relaxation and indulgence.
The idea of not having Rory by his side all day, every day after their years together was heavy. There was still hope that Iniquus would sign his contracts, and at least Ty would see Rory at Cerberus. Though each day that passed made Ty think he hadn’t made the mark.
That had never happened to Ty before.
If he wanted something, he went after it with patience and dedication. He hadn’t assumed he’d get the position with Team Delta, but there was a symmetry to it that appealed to Ty. And he had wanted it as badly as he’d wanted to join Delta Force.
“Last flight of stairs,” Ty said as they turned at the landing. Ty moved to combat breathing and stopped any thoughts that weren’t focused on accomplishing his mission.
As he approached the back apartment, Ty spit on his fingers and unscrewed the hall lights. It was dark as pitch.
Pressing his ear to the ancient door, bubbly with too many layers of paint, Ty heard the shower. He smiled down at Rory and popped his brows. This was better than he’d hoped for.
With a pen light clamped between his teeth, Ty worked to pick the three locks.
“Ready?” he whispered to Rory. “You’re in first.” He gave the hand signal to Rory.
Ty pressed his sternal comms to open a line to his team. “Echo two in position. The target is in the shower. We are entering the apartment. Over.”
“TOC. Copy Echo-two. Standing by.”
Ty anticipated the screech of hinges. They’d met up with that sound in all five of the previous apartments. He hoped the sound of Phossy’s shower water would mask the noise, and he could get in there, positioning himself for when the man exited the bathroom.
What Ty didn’t anticipate was the shrill of a burglar alarm.
He was prepared, but damn!
As Ty located the alarm, he dragged a can of refrigerant from the side pocket of his backpack and held it upside down at the speaker opening, shooting a stream of high-pressure liquid into the alarm and freezing the components. A bang with the base of the can snapped the thin ceramic disc inside the alarm housing, and the clamor stopped.
Four seconds tops.
Hopefully, the neighbors would think that Phossy was burning his dinner.
And while that might cover the thoughts of those living nearby, Phossy most certainly knew that someone had breached his door.
The shower water stopped.
