Page 31 of The Comeback Road
My body was moving on an autopilot setting I didn’t know I was capable of. I was fading into muscle memory of the place we had gone over and perfected time and time again over the past few weeks. I mentally told myself that it was just another practice run, that it would be just fine.
We continued in silence until I felt Luke take my elbow. I turned to look at him, his expression serious. “I know you’re used to being behind a screen, but trust your instincts. You’re a vital part of this team, and significantly more badass than I would have guessed.”
I choked back a laugh, knowing it was his attempt at a pep talk before the real fun began. “These are high stakes, Luke. If I mess up, there’s no do-over here. People could die.”
“They could, but they won’t.”
“You don’t know that,” I whispered.
“But I know you,” he countered. “You’ve got the skills we need. If anything happens, we’re in this together. I got you.” He made his way around me, and I followed. We rounded the corner of the warehouse, and we were hidden behind a stack of oldcrates left outside. My eyes darted around, scanning the area. “Main entrance, two guards. Plan?” I asked.
Luke nodded, and I could see his mind racing through the options as he brought his left hand up to the comms. “Laurel, Randolf, you see what we see?”
The crackling of static had my heart tick and in my throat before I heard Laurel’s voice on the other end. I felt myself smile in relief. “Yeah, we clocked them.”
“Laurel, you and Randolf will need to create a distraction. Zed, you’ll watch them from your vantage point, and come back up to take out anyone who might try to make their way out once we breach. Lexie, you’ll need to monitor the security feeds from your laptop while we get you to the server computer.”
A chorus of “copy that” rang through while Luke kept his eyes trained on me and mouthed,You got this.And all I could offer him was a nod.
“I just need to establish a connection to their server and the wifi they use.”
“Let’s get you set up quick,” Luke said, a hint of a smile breaking through the seriousness of his demeanor.
We moved around the sides of the warehouse, keeping low and quiet. As we reached the back, he pointed to a small window. “That’s going to have to be our entry point. With the distraction, once they are engaged, we will slip in through here. Lexie, be ready.”
“I am.” I did my best to project confidence in my voice, even if I could feel my fingers trembling. “I should have the feeds up in no time.”
As we prepared to execute our plan, the air was thick and brimming with unveiled anticipation, as if it were building a static in the air. I couldn’t help but pause for a brief second at the weight of the moment, preparing myself to face whatever awaited inside.
“On my mark,” Luke said, low and commanding, “let’s move.”
I crouched low, ready.
It’s time.
Chapter Thirty
Lexie
We stayed crouched low behind a stack of crates that had been piled up at the back entrance while we waited. The faint sounds of the city faded into the background. I couldn’t help but stay completely focused on the small, grimy window about ten feet away. It was our only way in, and it was completely dependent on the timing of Laurel and Randolf.
Luke shot me a glance as if to ask me again if I was ready, and I rolled my eyes at him. I focused on where I needed to be, and that was inside. I could feel my body simmering with determination.
I knew that there would be a very narrow timeframe in which we could slip inside undetected. The old warehouse was a fortress, and the guards were going to be on high alert. Timing was everything.
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the air, shaking the ground beneath my feet, and I almost faltered. The sound was followed by the crackle of debris hitting the roof, hitting whatever was in its path. A flash of light illuminated from the front and was large enough to radiate to the back.
“Let’s go!” Luke said as he sprinted toward the window, and I was right behind him. We reached the small opening in seconds. He took a quick look around—no guards in sight, but we still didn’t have time to waste. Stepping back, I saw him inhale, and then, with one powerful kick, he shattered the window. Glass exploded everywhere at the force he used, tinkling like wind chimes as it hit the ground in a haunting sound.
“Get in!” Luke urged as he climbed through the jagged opening. He landed silently, then reached for me. He immediately started scanning the dimly lit room we found ourselves in for any threats. It seemed to be a small storage area filled with old shipping containers and crates, the faint smell of mildew and urine lingering in the air. Luke opened one of the shipping containers, and I had to hold back my bile as I saw what appeared to be chains and a mattress inside.
My heart was racing, and I knew I didn’t have time to fall apart at what I was seeing. I pulled my laptop from my backpack and flipped it open, the screen illuminated the dark space. “I just need to bypass their firewall to get access to the security cameras,” I said, my fingers already flying over the keyboard as it fired up.
I set to work as Luke moved to the corner of the room. He pulled out his FBI-issued sidearm—a standard Glock 19—and checked the magazine, ensuring it was loaded and ready for whatever would be ahead. He looked at ease, like it was what he was born to do.
“Just one minute,” I said softly, my focus unwavering as I navigated through the layers of security. The whir of the laptop and the clicking of my fingers filled the stuttered silence that seemed out of place after the blast. I could hear the faint sounds of chaos, where I assumed the rest of the team was keeping the guards occupied.
Luke continued to keep watch at the door, and it became eerily quiet, the distant sounds of battle echoing through the walls.
