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“Yeah, seems like it. But this isn’t Mission Impossible, and you’re not Tom Cruise,” he said.
Tank felt a knot tighten in his gut. Citadel had invested heavily in keeping their secrets hidden. For no one to know about this place and for it to be essentially untraceable back to Citadel? What were they doing here? “What other secrets do you think they’re hiding?”
Ryder shook his head. “Nothing good,” he offered.
They kept their distance, not wanting to raise any alarms ahead of their plan tonight. But as Tank steered the boat, passing the entirety of the old mill property, he ran through potential scenarios. There were no guards posted, but there would definitely be cameras. Maybe even underwater sensors, depending on how paranoid the Citadel forces were.
Under the cover of darkness, they would be nearly invisible, but would it be enough? Tank's mind raced with strategies to breach the compound, his jaw set in determination.
He pointed down the beach, letting Ryder know without words what he was thinking. They’d noticed this natural jetty on the satellite images. Ryder nodded. “That’s our landing point.”
Tank agreed. “One team there, one from the shipping channel on the west side.”
His team leader hummed in agreement. “What about the James Bond entrance?”
Tank glanced back at the hidden water entrance, trying to figure out how it played into the Citadel fortress. It didn’t appear connected to the main buildings. Tank knew the two large buildings on the shore used to be steel rolling facilities, but they’d been shuttered when he was just a kid. It had been a devastating economic blow to the area, one his father had happily taken advantage of.
Now, the buildings were supposedly empty. Rusted building panels and overgrown weeds trailing up the gutters certainly tried to sell that version of truth. But Tank wasn’t some tourist wandering up from Miller Beach a mile to the east. He could see the small cameras tucked under the roofline, and the fresh tire tracks in the dirt roads. A nondescript door with an electronic keypad next to it. That was their way in.
Citadel certainly wanted everyone to overlook this location. Afterall, evil thrived in secret. But Tank was ready to cast them into the light.
“Got what we need?” he asked.
Ryder nodded, and Tank pulled the wheel sharply to the left, banking a wide turn and taking them away from the industrial area. It would take twenty minutes to return to the small private dock they were using, even at top speed.
Back at the safe house, the team gathered around the desk for Tank and Ryder's debriefing. Marshall adjusted his glasses, his eyes locked on Tank. "What did you see out there?"
Tank took a deep breath, reliving the visuals of the disguised fortress they'd witnessed. “At first glance, the compound looks like an abandoned steel mill. But it's definitely fortified, and we should expect cutting-edge tech. Surveillance cameras, sensors, the works. There's even one building that sits over the water. Almost like it is floating there, where they have a retractable boat entrance.”
Ryder chimed in, adding his insights. "We didn't get too close, but we can’t underestimate them. And for anything inside, we’re essentially flying blind.”
The room fell into a contemplative silence, everyone absorbed in the weight of the situation. Tank's eyes, however, sought out Kaylie. He wished he could erase the worry etched across her features.
When Kaylie spoke, her voice was steady and determined. "What’s the plan to get Lia out?"
Tank admired her resilience and her unwavering focus on Lia's safety. "In and out, as quickly as possible. Engage as needed, but don’t stick around any longer than necessary.”
Questions and ideas flooded the room as the team delved into the specifics. Kaylie would be their diversion, forcing the Citadel team to move, giving the rest of them the opportunity to approach from the water. As the discussions continued, Tank felt the weight of responsibility press upon him.
When the team dispersed to work on their assigned tasks, Kaylie lingered behind.
Tank leaned against the table, his eyes meeting hers before darting away. He wasn’t sure he could handle this conversation. Wasn’t sure he could keep pushing her away when everything inside him wanted to claim her. "Kaylie—"
She cut him off, pulling his eyes back to her. “I’m trusting you, Anthony. I should have trusted you sooner.” She sighed, running her fingers through her dark hair and looking away. “Maybe if I had, we wouldn’t be in this mess. I never should have run away from Black Tower.”
Her words resonated, wrapping around Tank's heart. Despite the challenges, the uncertainty, there was a flicker of hope. “Why did you?” He forced the words out through the tightness in his throat, remembering the pain of coming back to BTS and finding her gone.
Kaylie stood and stepped around the desk until she was next to him. “I hated that I was dragging you back into the world you’d left behind. Into my mess with the Moreno family.”
A choked scoff, drenched in self-loathing, tore from his throat. “If only Moreno was the big problem. Instead, you’re wrapped up in this mess with Citadel. You were right to leave, but not because it pulled me back into my past. But because I’m always going to be the man who brings danger to your door simply by being me. You deserve someone better.”
Kaylie’s hand traced his jaw. He closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotion, the tender touch almost painful in the pleasure it brought him. “Don’t say that,” she whispered. “This isn’t your fault.”
Tank vehemently disagreed with that statement, but now wasn’t the time to argue. Right now, they had to focus on getting Lia back.
“Can I convince you to stay here?” he asked, already knowing the answer. His fingers found her own, where they still cradled his chin.
“I can’t just wait on the sidelines. She’s everything,” she added, her voice tight.
