Page 41 of Raven's Claw
Bodie darted up.Disarmed the thing in all of ten seconds.Kash wasn’t sure if the man had been an ordnance specialist or if he’d learned some new tricks as part of his deputy status.Either way, they moved on in under a minute.
Nyx identified two more at the edge of the small clearing encircling the cabin.Though, clearing wasn’t really the correct term.More like the cabin had been slung beneath a chopper and plopped into a space barely large enough to fit everything.
Bodie disarmed one, left the other in case anyone came in behind them, then waved Kash ahead.Kash quickstepped to the door, allowing Nyx time to fully scent it before motioning the rest of his team forward.
“Quite the lock for a hut practically hidden in the middle of nowhere.”Kash looked at Jordan.“I assume he sent you the codes.”
“God, I hope so.”She moved in, studied the lock then hit four numbers, waiting until it flashed green twice then put in four more.
The lock clicked over, a steady green light illuminating the wood for a moment before it winked out.She turned the handle, cracked it open maybe half an inch before stopping.
She handed Kash a mirror from one of her pockets.“I think it’d be best to run that along the floor.”
Kash crouched — slipped the mirror beneath the frame.“Clear.I’ll check the rest, just to be sure.”
He took an extra few seconds to slowly slide it between the open door and the frame, once again nodding.“All clear there, too.”
“I’ll swing it open, but Nyx should probably scent our way across.Raider was one paranoid SOB.”
“Your uncle’s code name was Raider?”
“It fit.”
“Like Ember?”
She smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.“Let’s hope Rook was right about the spark.”
Rook had been right.No doubt in Kash’s mind.Jordan definitely had a fire inside her.
He whistled to Nyx — let her scour the room.“Clear.”
Bodie headed straight for the computer setup, switched on a dim lamp, then got everything humming a heartbeat later.Zain scoured the forest.That overwatch that was ingrained into his DNA.Jordan typed in the appropriate access codes, then Bodie started flying through screens and folders, mouth slightly open as he grunted several times under his breath.
Kash alternated his focus between Jordan and the rear windows, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling.And he knew, this wasn’t going to end with Foster simply picking them back up.
“I’ve got all the files located.There’s just one catch.”Bodie glanced over at Kash, then Zain.“Jordan’s asset rigged the upload so that once we copy it off the server, it’s permanently erased.Also, that decryption algorithm she has needs to be run twice.Once here in order to copy the files over.Then we can run it the second time back at my office.”
Zain huffed.“How long?”
“A good five minutes.”
“Shit.Do it, just be prepared for resistance.My freaking sniper senses are off the charts.We’re definitely being watched.”Zain focused on Jordan.“Guess Rook knew about your uncle’s cabin, after all.”
“If that’s true, then…” She kicked at the floor.“Damn it.It means Rook’s been corralling me here this entire time because he needs me to remove all that intel from the server, first, so he knows it’s been permanently erased.That he considered this site his best option.”
She muttered more obscenities as she paced.“Now, I’m thinking that asshole, Bart Conrad,waspart of Rook’s little test, only when he realized Rook was going to double cross him, he gave me the actual files.”
A growl.Low.Throaty.
Kash glanced at Nyx.She stood alert by his side.Hackles raised.Teeth bared.She took a step.Muscles primed and ready to pounce.“We’ve got company.”
“Bodie?”Zain didn’t even bother turning around.
Bodie killed the lamp — the glow from the computer still shining through the room — then tossed the answer over his shoulder.“Three minutes.”
“That’s likely two more than we’ve got.”
“I doubt they’ll open fire until Rook’s certain we’ve got the files, which suggests they’ll wait until we try to leave.”Jordan scoured the room.“No way someone like Raider didn’t have another way out of here.One only accessible from the inside.”
