Page 111 of Fixed Asset

“How in the . . . never mind . . . good to see you. Do you know what’s happening?”

“Tom, then Shep, filled me in on the basics.” Mason’s head jerked, then he looked around, belatedly realizing Calista wasn’t with me. “She went with Tom. I’ll tell you about it on the plane.”

“She left with Tom?” he incredulously snickered.

Interesting.

I’d probe him later about why that seemed to bother him.

But first . . .

“Where’s Jack?”

“Covering the east side of the building. Pete’s inside with one tango. Six guards surrounding the building.”

“There’s a former SAS soldier who stayed behind when the others went out to the island to get Calista.”

“Fuck,” Mason clipped and pulled out his phone.

He angrily stabbed at the screen before he lifted it to his ear.

“Shep? Do you have a good copy?” I asked, making sure he could hear Mason and I talking.

“Yep. Confirmed six men. The two on the north side are sitting on their asses catching a smoke break. The other four are amateur at best, more like four dudes who could use some extra cake and agreed to roll out of bed to stand outside a building in the middle of the night. My guess is the SAS soldier got word his buddies back on the island are dead and he’s pissed as fuck, taking his frustration out on Pete.”

That was my guess too. Obviously Mason was of the same mind, since he was on the phone with Jack, giving him an update.

“. . . yeah, she’s here and good. We hit in thirty, count down now.”

Mason lowered his phone and glanced at his watch.

“Tell Mase I’ve got overwatch,” Shep radioed.

“Shep has overwatch,” I relayed.

“He’s here?”

“He’s my backup.”

Mason let out a low whistle and shook his head.

“Twenty seconds to go time. Follow me.”

“Copy,” Shep acknowledged.

With my left hand on Mason’s shoulder, I followed him to the side of the hut while counting backward from twenty.

Three men stood by a door looking like they were having a natter.

“Is that the only entrance?”

Mason nodded.

Easy day, as the guys would say.

A shot rang out, then a second.

The three men in front of us went on alert.