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Dash doesn’t comment and a fierce blush heats my face. I do not like this Nik guy. He’s arrogant, high-handed, overbearing, far too perceptive in the most annoying way and—
“I’ll go with you,” he offers. “If you wait for Sailor and Maddox, it’ll be too late. Besides, the fewer people involved, the better.”
“Agreed,” Dash says.
“And I know my way around that place better than anyone else. I can get you in and out without anyone the wiser.”
Cocky,I add to my mental list of Nik’s traits.
Nik stands up, rolls his broad shoulders back. “If we’re going to do this, I need to get some supplies. I’ll be back in an hour. And do me a favor? Tell your woman to stop giving me the evil eye.”
As Nik saunters away with a low chuckle, I pop up off the couch and spin around to face Dash. After the door closes, I put my hands on my hips and say, “I don’t trust him. Maybe you should wait for Sailor and Maddox.”
“You heard Nik. It’ll be too late.” Dash reaches for my waist and pulls me forward, between his legs. “Nik is smart and I could use his help. By this time tomorrow, this will all be over and we’ll be on the jet heading back to the States.”
I wish I had his confidence, but something is nagging at me, filling my gut with dread.
“Hey,” Dash says softly and pulls me down onto his lap. “Don’t worry about what Nik said, okay? He can be an insensitive jerk who has no idea what he’s talking about because no woman has ever stayed with him longer than a night.”
“I’m just scared for you,” I say softly.
Dash presses a kiss to my lips. “Don’t be. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Promise?”
“Promise,” he says.
Then he’s kissing me again and some of my worries begin to melt away.
At least for the moment.
Chapter Seventeen: Dash
Two hours later, Nik and I are standing at the perimeter of Anton Petrov’s tightly secured compound, shrouded in the shadowed treeline with only the moonlight to guide us. Heavy snow flurries whip around in the ice-cold wind and I squint up. Another stone wall. It’s high, probably about 15 feet tall, and I reach for the rope clipped to my waist. We each have a Vityaz-SN slung over our back and while he carries his Udav pistol, I’ve got my Glock 19 and tactical knife.
Never leave home without them.
Nik also carries a backpack of goodies ranging from flashbangs to extra magazines to some special Russian gadgets—but I’m hoping we won’t need to use any of it. My goal is to sneak in, grab the T-Force and then get the fuck out fast, the same way we got in. A large, frozen lake is around the other side of the compound and I’m hoping to avoid it at all costs.
As long as Nik’s intel is correct we should be able to pull this off with minimal trouble.
After exchanging a quick nod with Nik, I lift the small launcher in my hands, aim at a crevice in the rock wall near the top and shoot. The rope launches upward and the anchor hits its mark, wedging into the exact spot I want. After giving the line a tug to make sure it’s secure, I offer it to Nik and he starts climbing.
Right now, we’re on our own. Ryan wasn’t able to hack into Petrov’s cameras and disable them, so it’s imperative we time this perfectly. I wait for Nik to drop on the other side of the wall, staying hidden in the shadows. When I hear his low whistle signaling me to follow, I begin to climb. Once I reach the top, I pause, staying low, and wait while Nik watches the cameras.
After about 30 seconds, he motions for me to move and I drop down into the snow beside him. We exchange a couple of silent hand signals, make sure it’s clear, then jog across the back lawn, heading toward the rear corner of the building where we’re going to need to break through a barred door. Once we reach it, Nik lifts one of his gadgets, aims at the camera above us and pulls the trigger. A dense, black substance shoots out and covers the lens, hardening on contact within seconds.
Huh.Whatever it is, I want to add that toy to my arsenal.
I reach into a deep pocket, pull out my MVT and quickly attach the small fuel cartridge. Then I position it against the iron bar and press the button. One quick blast and the flame melts through, cutting it perfectly so I can reach a hand inside and pick the lock within 30 seconds. Not as fast as Eden, or Dominic Rossi from Blue Squadron, but not too shabby either.
“Where do I get one of those?” Nik asks, eyeing the MVT.
“Give me that goo gun you used earlier and I’ll hook you up,” I respond in a low voice.
“Deal,” he whispers.
I push the door open and we step inside the dimly-lit corridor. According to Nik’s intel, Petrov is holding the T-Force in a secure lab down in the basement. The lab didn’t show up on any of the maps of the compound, but Nik’s inside man assures us it’s here. I’d be wary, but Nik tells me he knows it exists and has been down there once before himself.
