Page 102 of Zorro

“You’re the first,” Joker said simply. “We’ll wait for the rest of them.” He nodded to the two BOPE guys.

Another ding down the hall.

D-Day emerged, eyes sharp, immediately searching for Helen. He looked around the room, spotted Zorro, gave a curt nod. “Lobby’s crawling. I took the service stairs up.”

Blitz stepped inside, hand tight around Bree’s hand. Seconds later, Buck stepped in, panting, eyes wild. His voice cracked. “Maritza?”

Joker shook his head. “Not yet.”

Then came Professor, quiet, deadly, unreadable, and Gator right behind him, eyes like stone.

Zorro stood back for half a second. Just watched them. His team.

His brothers.

Forming around him like a wall of muscle and purpose and loyalty.

Still…Everly.

The thought kept beating behind his eyes.

He clenched the pistol tighter. “She didn’t get the text message,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone.

Helen came inside, and D-Day went to her, wrapping his arms around her. “Babe…he said softly. “I would have torn this place apart.”

“I’m all right, but there are so many people wounded. Hurt. We can’t?—”

“We’ll address everything in a moment,” Joker said. After five minutes, when no one else came inside, Joker sighed. “Let’s break this down. Pippa is off-site, and she and Izzy are safe.”

Gator chuckled and looked at his watch. “The moment she got the Avalanche warning, my wife started for the hotel.”

“The hotel exits are crawling with tangos,” Blitz said.

Both Bree and Gator laughed softly. Bree looked at Gator. “Izzy doesn’t need a door, my love,” she said

With Gator finishing for her. “My wife makes her own door.”

Five minutes later, she stepped inside, breathless, her hair a windblown mess. Gator swept her into a tight hug. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing yet, but we’re damn glad to see you.”

She smiled at Joker. “I might be doing security for a fashion show, but I figured you could use my Shadowguard expertise. Pippa is safe, but worried,” she said, letting go of Gator. Joker’s expression evened out. “It’s carnage out there.” She looked at the BOPE guys. “They took out the entire BOPE security detail.” She took a hard breath. “Even the surveillance van. They had to have insider knowledge to know where to target.”

Migs bowed his head and leaned against the wall. Sanchez folded down on the bed. “Most of them are wounded,” she said, her eyes blazing with sympathy and anger. Sirens sounded in the distance. “Emergency services have been called in.”

“Where’s Bear?” D-Day asked.

“They’re hitting the summit,” Zorro bit out. “Bailee–”

Joker pulled his cell, then listened. He tucked the phone inside his back pocket, his face carved in stone. “You’re dead on, Z. Bailee’s on the run upstairs,” he said, voice low but lethal. “She got a text message out to Bear before they jammed the signal.”

The room went still.

“Carlos Braga, Brazilian intelligence, flipped. He executed the guards in the command center and on the floor. Bailee barely escaped but she’s trapped. Bear and Flint are going after her.”

The silence shattered.

Everyone spoke at once, cursing, pacing, throwing out half-formed plans and snarled fury.

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