Page 108 of Kneeling to Candy

Can’t help being proud of my woman and her willingness to help others, even with my reservations of having her on this case. Looking at her sitting next to me, attentively listening to everything the team is discussing, I smile. Does she know what she’s brought to the table, the value of her help she’s provided us?

Candy is used to disappointing others, whether by her actions or by means outside her control. She took this position as a way of proving her worth. Though I disagree she needs to be this involved, I understand why she feels obligated to verify to herself what we all already know—that she’s a valued and irreplaceable component of this family.

With my woman sitting beside me fixated on the meeting, I turn my focus back to the team as Atlas asks for our scout team to report their findings of the terrain and property.

“There’s one main access point leading onto the property. Those we’ll have barricaded prior to the start of the auction with the help of Piero’s other team. Anyone who gets beyond the barricade will have their tires blown out with spike strips we’ll roll out after the auction begins. No one is getting out through the main road unless they’re in an armored vehicle with puncture-proof tires,” Stage says, pointing to the areas in question on a map of the property on the main monitor in the conference room.

Atlas nods his approval before asking, “Are there any other access points?”

“A few,” Triple informs. “There’s an old overgrown logging road they could use as an escape option in a pinch. We suggest cutting off the road with one of our armored SUVs. There’s a helipad as well. Eagle has agreed to disarm any helicopters on-site the day of.”

Frowning, Atlas swings his attention toward Eagle. “How many choppers does this helipad hold?”

“Only one, Prez. It’ll be child’s play,” Eagle, our mechanic, assures him.

“Stage, make sure you’re covering Eagle’s six. I want everyone partnered for this mission.”

“No problem, Prez,” Stage says.

With one thing settled, Stage continues his report. “There are two guard posts. One is at the front gates leading onto the property. The second is at the back of the property. The peaks cover the sides, and an electric fence surrounds the estate where the mountain doesn’t barricade it.”

Gauge waves a dismissive hand. “Nothing we can’t handle between our men and Piero’s crew.”

As I study the topographical map of the surrounding land, I spot a symbol toward the back of the property line I’m unfamiliar with. I clear my throat, pointing at the monitor. “What does the sideways Y symbol mean?”

“That’s an old mining tunnel,” Stage answers me. “Remnants of silver mining pepper the mountainside. There are plenty of shafts and tunnels in the area, if you know where to look. We didn’t enter any of them, but we did our homework. The majority are boarded off and marked unsafe by the state. No one who wants to escape alive is going to risk running through any of those shafts.”

An exit is an exit. Desperate people will do anything to escape capture. “Where do they lead?”

“Most don’t lead anywhere, going deeper into the mountain,” Stage says. “Many have caved in over the years due to the deterioration of the tunnel supports. The one closest to the estate comes out on the other side of the mountain.”

Ziggy raises an eyebrow. “Is it an escape route?”

“No. The tunnel is the most hazardous in the area, being the oldest one still standing from the late eighteen hundreds at the height of the silver mining industry. This isn’t an area we should focus our concern on when we have other sensible ways to leave the property.”

“I get that, Stage,” I say, holding up a placating hand. “But humor me. What’s on the other side of the mountain?”

“A small plateau before dropping off on a sheer cliff. It’s not an exit to freedom.”

“I would agree,” Atlas chimes in. “Unless they’re carrying rock climbing gear, going through a condemned mining tunnel isn’t an option.”

We nod collectively in agreement, focusing on the more feasible escape options instead of the mission impossible scenarios.

“Any luck getting inside the estate?” Piero asks from his spot across the table.

“What Candy told us about the surveillance was true,” Eagle informs him. “The entire exterior is covered in surveillance equipment, motion-sensored and night vision-equipped. The cameras provide panoramic surveillance, making sneaking up to the building without being noticed near impossible.”

“Unless you’re super sneaky, like Triple,” Punk points out, smiling at our brother.

Triple grimaces. “Given the delicate nature of this investigation, I thought it best not to risk entering the building. Chase also agreed it was best not to hack into the surveillance system when we’re short on time.”

“I don’t like rushing a hack job,” Chase grumbles, folding his arms across his chest. “We don’t know who’s monitoring those cameras, or how often. If I had an extra day or two, I’d be all for it.”

“What about blueprints?” Atlas asks Chase.

“Got those. Or at least the originals. Duffy could’ve had work done on the property without registering those changes with the city.” A few strokes on Chase’s laptop, and the blueprints are on the monitors.

“Candy was correct about the property. This place wasn’t built to be a home. The basement has several cell-like rooms, most likely where they hold the captives until the sale. There appears to be a locker room shower area—a staging center to get the women cleaned and ready for auction. The only exits out of the basement are through the main staircase and the two elevators leading up to the center stage,” Chase explains.

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