Page 16 of A Ballad of Blackbirds and Betrayal

“Hold position.”Nate’s voice remained steady.“I’ve got eyes on him.Routine check.Don’t move.”

Sabrina pressed deeper into the trellis shadows as her heart pounded.The guard approached steadily, his flashlight sweeping across garden beds yards from her position.

“Security converging on your position,” Cal warned.“All teams extract immediately.”

The guard’s light swept closer, illuminating roses just feet away.She held her breath, muscles locked.

Suddenly, a strong arm encircled her waist from behind, pulling her into deeper shadow between the trellis and a massive topiary.A hand covered her mouth, preventing her startled gasp.

“Don’t move,” Atticus whispered into her ear, his breath warm against her skin.His body pressed solid against her back, his arm like iron around her waist as the guard’s light swept past.

For endless seconds, they remained frozen—her back against his chest, their bodies aligned from shoulder to knee in the confined space.Sabrina registered every point of contact, the solid strength of him, the controlled rhythm of his breathing despite his heart-pounding escape.

The guard paused, his light hovering near their hiding place.Atticus’s arm tightened almost imperceptibly, his body tense and ready to move if discovered.The moment stretched, her pulse thundering.

Then the guard’s radio crackled to life, and a voice instructed him to report to the main entrance.With a final sweep, he turned and departed, footsteps fading into distance.

Only then did Atticus release her, his hand dropping from her mouth, his arm unwinding from her waist.The sudden absence of his warmth left her oddly bereft despite the summer heat.

“Are you all right?”he asked, his voice low and controlled despite the adrenaline coursing through him.

Sabrina nodded, not trusting her voice immediately.“Fine,” she finally managed.“You?”

His expression was granite in the dim light, but something burned in his eyes.“We need to move.Now.Everyone to extraction points.Mitchell’s security is on high alert.”

Nate materialized beside them.Through her earpiece, Sabrina heard Cal coordinating the team’s withdrawal.“Nightshade is clear, headed to secondary rendezvous.Frost, status?”

“Disassembling position, will meet at secondary.Status on primary team?”

“Moving to extraction point now,” Atticus confirmed, lengthening his stride as they reached the wooded area separating Mitchell’s estate from neighboring properties.“ETA three minutes.”

“Copy that,” Cal replied.“And Viper?You owe me a hundred bucks.That was definitely under thirty minutes.”

“Really not the time, Cal,” Atticus growled.

“Hey, a bet’s a bet,” Max said.

Sabrina matched Atticus’s pace, adrenaline driving her forward through the wooded area.The extraction route utilized natural cover provided by the landscape.

They reached the extraction point—a service road where their disguised van waited—in precisely three minutes, as Eden pulled up in a catering van.

“Everyone accounted for?”Eden asked as they climbed inside.

“Nightshade’s coming overland,” Nate replied, closing the door.“She’ll rendezvous at the safe house.”

“Drive,” Atticus instructed.

As the van pulled away, Sabrina watched Atticus remove the LuxScan device from his tuxedo jacket.His expression remained unreadable as he handed it to Cal, who secured it in a specialized case.

“Did you get what we needed on the bioweapon?”she asked, breaking the tense silence.

“Partial intelligence,” Atticus replied, loosening his bow tie.“Mitchell is negotiating with South Korean separatists, not the official government.Delivery timeline within the next thirty days.Dr.Cho provided technical details on deployment and efficacy.”

“We’ll review the audio recordings,” Cal added, working on a tablet.“Extract specifics on delivery method and target.”

Sabrina nodded, processing this information with clinical detachment.“Any mention of countermeasures?”

“Nothing explicit, but Dr.Cho referenced contingency protocols for accidental exposure,” Atticus said.“Suggesting a treatment exists but is closely guarded.”

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