A fleeting image of his head tossed back, the muscles in his neck cording flashed in her mind. The way he’d gathered her hair and took minutes to come down from the brink, all because she’d pushed him past his limits. They’d finally taken that leap, even if it hadn’t been in every way.
He’d committed, and that was all that mattered.
Neve shoved aside the thoughts, aware that if she didn’t get her head in the game, they wouldn’t get another chance. And god knew, she wanted a lifetime of chances with him.
Coulter crawled out the other side, going to one knee, rifle notched in his shoulder as he swept the mounds of crushed cars interspaced with narrow rows of empty space. He waved Scout on, keeping watch as she copied his approach, popping up on the other side a minute later.
Neve cleared their six one last time, then dove under, a couple of the wires snagging her vest before she eased free, pulled herself out the other side. The air seemed heavier, as if crossing the boundary had increased the pressure, the weight of their mission constricting the space.
Scout motioned to the row on the far right, and they quickstepped over to it before taking a peek down the pathway. Deep shadows covered both sides, the hulking mounds cutting off most of the sodium glow from the interior of the yard. Voices echoed from farther inside, the words too muffled to make sense of.
Scout took off, hugging the left side of the corridor, her silhouette fading in and out of the dark as she crept to the next junction, paused, scanning the dirt before turning left, going over two rows then right, again.
Coulter shifted to the rear, occupying his anchor position without uttering a word, the slight rustle of his gear, how he moved in close whenever they stopped, a familiar comfort, especially considering that they might be setting themselves up for another epic battle.
That, this time, Neve wouldn’t be able to keep them all breathing.
The screech of metal, crumpling beneath pressure as glass shattered with a resounding pop, punched through the air, the accompanying growl of heavy machinery dampening those muffled voices. Scout slowed as they neared the yellow glow, shifting to the left before stopping in a low crouch.
Neve moved in beside her, leaving enough room for Coulter to shuffle in on Neve’s right. Ahead, a couple spotlights mounted on a massive crane lit up a large section of the yard, the circular beams showcasing three SUVs and one pickup off to their right, another SUV already disappearing within an enormous crusher.
The screeching stopped as the crane hovered overhead, the claw dropping into the unit before reappearing carrying a crushed metal box, twisted pieces of the vehicle poking out the sides. The crane dropped the remains on a large flatbed before moving to the next vehicle.
Neve studied the SUVs, noting the mud on the tires and up the sides. The bits of brambles stuck on the back gate. Not to mention the various antennas slapped on the top. The kind they had on their SUV so Zadie could work her magic.
Coulter nudged her. “Betting those are the ones. Unless there’s another evil son of a bitch sanitizing evidence.”
Scout motioned toward the truck. “The pickup’s got the extra tech antennas. That would be our best chance for gaining any useful intel. I’m betting Ramsey installed some aftermarket equipment to track his team. If we can find a way to access it without anyone seeing us.” She frowned. “Which reminds me, shouldn’t there be a posse of those enhanced assholes standing out front?”
Coulter shrugged. “They’re probably patrolling the perimeter. My guess is there’re a couple in the office, shredding anything related to the vehicles, and maybe four more walking the line. We probably want to be long gone before they find the section we cut.”
Neve scanned the area. “If we backtrack, get on the far side of that truck, one of us can crawl over, get in and out without being seen. Assuming that crane operator stays inside his cab. We’ll need perimeter surveillance and overwatch.”
Coulter tapped the tools strapped to his vest. “I’ll go. Scout can guard the immediate vicinity.” He glanced at Neve. “You always did enjoy a high nesting spot. On top of one of these piles should give you an advantage.”
Neve grabbed his arm. “Or, I can get the unit, and you can be our overwatch.”
“You’d make a guy with bruised ribs climb a pile of metal? That’s harsh.”
“And you’re full of it. You just want to be the one to fight hand-to-hand if it comes to that.”
“With the way you shoot, it won’t.”
She pushed down the voice in her head warning her this would end bloody. “No hero moments. Getting one of those hard drives isn’t worth your life. And don’t linger, just get in and get out.” She held on to his arm a bit longer. “If there’s even a suggestion someone’s going to discover you, I’m taking the shot, so be prepared for this to go loud and south in a heartbeat.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Neve stared at him, the hint of lust in his voice impossible to miss. She hid her grin, watching him backtrack down the aisle before disappearing around the far stack of crushed cars.
Scout double checked her weapon, nudging Neve as she turned. “Was it just me, or did that sound sexual?”
Neve grinned as she shoved Scout forward, moving with her until they reached another branch. Scout went left as Neve went right, continuing a few rows over before scaling the largest stack within sight. Pieces of metal snagged her clothing, breaking the skin as she crested the top and made her way to the front edge.
The yard sat off to her left, the light on the crane still several feet above her on the far side. Scout peeked out from just right of the machine, nodded once, then disappeared. Neve found a spot that wouldn’t slice her open and scanned the grounds, catching a flicker of movement along the edge of the scrapyard left of the crane. She adjusted her scope, zeroed in on the guy making rounds, just like Coulter had suggested.
Pride warmed her chest. Coulter had a knack of reading the battlefield without even seeing it. Of getting inside an opponent’s head from nothing more than a glance. Which was just one of the reasons he’d been promoted to team leader.
The thought hit her hard.
