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“Having you there will be a distraction,” Nick said. “And distractions could be dangerous for Alexa. If you want the best shot at getting her out of there, you’ll let us handle this. We know what we’re doing.” There he was, dancing around the truth again. “I think Alexa would want you to be with Jean right now. The waiting will be the hardest part.”
“I could call her,” Elise said. Nick hadn’t seen her come into the room. “Invite her to come here and wait.”
An internal war played out across Russell’s features before his shoulders sagged in resignation. “I’ll call her. Thank you.”
He removed his phone and stepped out into the courtyard.
“Thanks,” Nick said to Elise.
She nodded.
“How do you want to do this?” Ronan asked when she left the room.
“Two in the back, one in the front?” They were already dressed in black tactical gear, and Nick slipped some extra magazines into his Kevlar.
Clay’s infrared drone had given them a clear view of the building’s layout. They hadn’t wanted to deploy it to all six of the possible holding sites — getting flagged by the FAA was the last thing they needed — but once they’d had reason to believe someone was inside the condemned building in Mattapan, the drone footage had proved invaluable.
The building was split into two apartment units, one on the ground floor, the other on the second floor. Footage from the drone had shown four men on the second floor, three concentrated in a roomthat looked like the kitchen, a fourth appearing to sleep in a nearby bedroom.
It had also shown a lone figure crouched in the bathtub of the bathroom.
Alexa.
Nick’s heart had almost burst through his chest when she’d moved, proving that she was still conscious. He’d had to resist the urge to barge into the building then and there, heeding the advice he gave to Russell instead: be smart, be deliberate, don’t let your emotions make you stupid.
“We need someone to clear that ground floor apartment,” Ronan said, holstering his weapon.
“I’ll do it,” Declan said, fastening the straps on his vest.
“You won’t have backup,” Ronan said. “Nick and I will have to take both sides of the second floor.”
The ground floor of the building appeared empty. It was even possible that it was blocked off entirely from the second-floor unit, the door that connected the two floors sealed when the building had been turned into two units.
But Ronan was right: they had to clear it anyway, and Nick and Ronan would have to take the second floor from the front and back at the same time.
“I know,” Declan said, sounding annoyed. “I cando it. I’ll clear it and meet you on the second floor when I’m done.”
Ronan looked at Nick. “So Dec clears the first floor.” He looked at Declan. “Quietly.”
“I know,” Declan said, obviously annoyed.
If Declan announced their arrival before Nick and Ronan got to Alexa or the men holding her, they were fucked.
“I’ll take the back, you take the front?” Ronan said to Nick. “Meet in the middle?”
“I’ll take the back,” Nick said. The bathroom where Alexa was being held was at the rear of the second-floor unit. Nick wanted to be the first one to reach her.
Ronan nodded.
“No survivors,” Nick said, his voice steely.
“Not this time,” Ronan agreed.
They'd fucked around with the Walkers, with Matis Juska, enough. Nick needed this to be over, needed it to be over for Alexa.
Julia stepped into the room with John Thomas, eyed the weaponry on the island, and looked away. Ronan stroked the back of her head, kissed her forehead, and then did the same to John Thomas.
Julia leaned her forehead against Ronan’s shoulder before pulling one of John Thomas’spacifiers out of the dish strainer. She left without saying anything, but the fear on her face hit Nick like a ton of bricks.
