Page 93 of Acting on Instinct
“Does everyone have Ketamine in their pockets?” T-Rex asked.
Everyone checked and affirmed.
“Guns for visual control only. Foreign land, foreign prisons. Use the syringes to knock out everyone who is not Fatima. Make sure you’re not wrestling around, and you don't get jabbed by mistake. Short window. Let’s roll out.”
Ty loaded Rory into one of the SUVs and parked at a distance that wouldn’t give anyone in the rental house an audio or visual heads-up.
He was depending on his years of trusting White’s intelligence and the skill and capability of Iniquus to trust that Fatima was even there.
Rory was limping, and Ty considered leaving him in the vehicle, but for many reasons, that was a poor choice. So Ty lifted Rory onto his shoulders in a practiced move and hiked them toward the trees. “Echo Two in position. Over.”
He waited for the go-ahead from T-Rex, then moved up to the back door. He set Rory down in the shadow of an overhang and knelt by the door to pick the rusty lock.
“Echo Two door breached. Holding.” He spoke through the bone mic, so no sound was audible in the area.
“Echo Actual, Two, do you have a visual of the precious cargo from your position?”
“Negative.”
“Echo Actual, On me. Three. Two. One. Actuate. Actuate. Actuate.”
Ty burst through the door to find what looked like a servant’s quarters. Ty recognized Fatima instantly from Kira’s pictures.
Dressed in a floor-length white cotton nightgown, Fatima startled from where she’d sprawled across the bed. Her ankle was shackled, the heavy chain long enough to give her access to the bathroom.
He gave the room a quick search and asked Rory to look for explosives. Rory’s nose went into the air, then he started his practiced circuit.
Ty pressed his comms button and moved his mouth so his voice was only heard over their channel, “Echo Two. I have secured the precious cargo.”
The terror on Fatima’s face was painful to see. “Fatima. Lula sent me.”
Fatima looked like she didn’t believe Ty, like she was ensnared in a trap.
Ty pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed the video of White. “Fatima, I know you’re scared. I need you to know that Kira is with me.” The image flicked to Kira, still looking doped and woozy on the hospital bed. “She is safe. I’m watching her. The men who saved Kira are there to save you. I want you to trust them, get on their plane, and fly to me. Do everything they say as they say it. And soon, you will be safe, too.”
Shouts were coming from the main house along with the sound of shattering glass.
Ty slid the burner phone back into his pocket. “Okay?” he raised his brows.
Fatima nodded and kicked her leg. And Ty got to work picking that lock.
Jeopardy drove in to pick up the team. They crowded into the SUV and drove to the other vehicles, then on to the plane insilence. Ty would find out what happened in the house once they got to their debrief.
Fatima had closed her eyes and had seemingly fallen asleep.
After a burst of adrenaline, that was a normal reaction.
She roused when they reached the plane.
Havoc, Nitro, and Jeopardy returned the vehicles while T-Rex and Ty pulled up a video call with White. They had to be careful to refer to White as 'Lula' when speaking in front of Fatima.
The pilots went into the terminal to get food for the team and wait for the signal that they were allowed back on the jet.
“Lula, my love,” Fatima said. “You are a blessing.”
“I’m so glad you’re safe. Kira is here with me, just in the other room. I don’t want to speak to you in front of her. As it is now, she knows nothing of what’s going on.”
“As I wish it,” Fatima said.
