Page 45 of Dark Flame

“You should be careful of those heels,” he said, grinning, “they’re not really made for a woman your age.”

With that, he turned and walked from the villa feeling freer than he had in his entire life.

Sitting in the jeep, he reached for the small pocketknife in his console. He gripped the sleeve of his shirt and pulled hard at the shoulder, revealing the small white scar that identified the location of his own tracker.

Sliding the knife across his skin, he squeezed, and the tracker easily popped out. Tossing it out the window on the gravel drive below, he smiled and backed out of the villa, taking the long road home.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“Have you found her yet, Hawke?”asked Kane.

He was hoping that the telepathy would work at this distance. This would be their first big test. It would also prove that even though Hawke was inside the mind of the goose, or duck, or whatever the fuck it was, he could still communicate with Kane.

The team, having crossed the border into Mexico the day before, stood on the beach, letting the warm water wash over their sand-covered toes. Any other day, any other time, this might be an ideal vacation spot, somewhere he could bring Aislinn. Hell, he’d like to bring the entire team for a week of relaxation and normal, whatever that was.

He waited patiently for Hawke’s reply.

“I have her,”he said in Kane’s head. “Spook was right. She’s in a villa about an hour and a half from your location. A man just left in a jeep, but I don’t see any other vehicles there. It looks like she’s the only one. That seems strange, doesn’t it?”

“This is fucking amazing,” said Adam. “I can’t believe we’re speaking to him via telepathy while he is in the mind of the goose that’s flying a thousand miles from his location. I really want to do a brain scan on him.”

“Hold up on that, Dr. Frankenstein,”said Hawke,“that’s kind of what we’re trying to avoid here.”

Adam laughed and nodded in his mind toward Hawke.

“Alright, everyone, let’s go,” said Kane. “We’ll get as close as we dare and then make a plan. No one does anything dangerous unless I give the okay. Understood?”

The heads nodded, but he also heard their affirmative responses in his head, combined with a slight laugh.

Hawke continued to keep the group informed of Karena’s whereabouts. She stepped out a few times on the long beach-side balcony, seemingly pacing back and forth, and then would step back inside. Twice she attempted to make phone calls, and twice she was unable to make the connection, thanks to Spook, who jammed the signal.

By late afternoon, they reached the area of the villa. It was an enormous complex with new villas constructed on both sides of the road. There was plenty of space between the homes, and most were unoccupied and unfinished, allowing them to have greater freedom.

Kane pulled the SUV into the unfinished driveway of a house under construction, only a few hundred yards from the gated villa of Karena Viskoff. Stepping from the vehicle, they each grabbed weapons, although a piece of them was wondering why. In reality, they were each a weapon without physical weapons.

“We go in pairs,” he said. “Flip and Nat, Garrett and Isobel, Griffin and Nash, me and Spook. Adam? You and Kelly stay back in case we need medical. Kelly? I’m not letting you go in unless it’s absolutely necessary, honey. If I feel like there’s something in that house, something we have to have, and we can’t get in, I’ll call. Otherwise, you stay here with Adam. Understand?”

She nodded at the big man and secretly felt some relief.

“Take no chances. You see her, kill her. Spook? All cameras and sensors are off, right?”

Spook gave him theare you fucking kidding me right now… you’ve just insulted melook, and Kane smiled at him. They all nodded and moved in the direction that Kane moved, his steps sure and solid.

Nearing the villa, they noted the gate open and grinned at one another, knowing that Flip had easily moved the gate to its open position. The cameras were dead, their lights off, the feeds disrupted, thanks to Spook, as promised.

“Garrett? Nash? I need a storm. I need a big one right now. Make her nervous until we can get into position. But try to keep us dry, brothers.”

Garrett and Nash smiled and did what they did best.

Nash focused on the warm Pacific waters, the energy flowing through his body, the waves rising, falling, rising, and falling once again, rushing to shore. Each one swirled with greater intensity and strength. The white foam thicker, more violent as it hit the shore. The strange phenomena only happened in the small stretch of beach and shoreline near Karena’s villa. If satellite imaging noticed any of it, they would be doomed.

Behind Nash, Garrett closed his eyes and focused on the sky. He could hear the wind, the power building with ferocity, and his body tingled with excitement as it always did. The wind gently kissed his face as if recognizing the wielder of power. He turned his attention to the house, the gusts increasing with greater fierceness, shingles torn from the roof, windows rattled in their frames, panes cracking with the pressure and force of the wind.

The wrought iron deck furniture rolled down the beach as if it were made of plastic. The boards along the decking of the back porch creaked, straining beneath the pressure of the winds.

Isobel narrowed her gaze to the iron handle of the front door, her eyes focusing on the metal. Lifting her glasses, she sent the invisible, pulse-like lasers toward the ornate handle, melting it in place with no hope of anyone opening it. She did the same with the hinges and then worked her way around to each of the window latches.

Kane and Spook took the left side of the house, Flip and Nat the right. As they neared the long balcony, they heard Karena’s curses as she attempted to move toward the glass doors. The wind was pushing her around the balcony like a bad penny, her hair flying across her face, her t-shirt soaked to her skin. In Kane’s head, he heard the voice of Spook.

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