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Logan left his concealed position and crossed to the side of the building. He sprinted into the garden, following the same path the two guards had taken when they’d left the building.
As Dev closed in on his guy, his team continued reporting, identifying more guards at different positions around the grounds.
“Sentries on the east side, moving toward the rear of the building,” Teller said into the headset. “We’ll take them before they reach the corner.”
The deeper he ventured into the garden, the more Dev could make out the female voice. He was almost on his guy with one bend in the trail between them when a male voice joined the female’s. Then another woman spoke.
Dev’s heart flipped.
Kiana.
For a split second, he lost focus and stumbled, making just enough noise to alert the man in front of him. The guard shot a glance over his shoulder. His eyes widened, and Dev shot forward, breaking out into the open near the rear wall where three women stood near a gray-haired man. Dev couldn’t be sure, but one of the women held a knife to her own throat.
The guard’s partner must have heard the noise and leaped out of the maze at the same time.
“Get the women,” the older man called out.
Too far away from his guy, Dev couldn’t reach him before he grabbed the woman closest to him.
Sweet Jesus, he had Kiana.
Logan flew out of the bush maze and tackled the other guard. The man hit the ground hard and lay still. Logan leaped to his feet.
Another guard appeared behind him, pointing his rifle at Logan.
“One step closer, and he’ll slit Kiana’s throat, and I’ll shoot Meredith,” the gray-haired man said, aiming his small pistol at the other woman. “Whether they are dead or alive, I’ll get what I need.”
The man holding Kiana pressed a wicked knife to her throat, holding her in front of him like a shield.
Dev’s heart thundered in his chest, but he kept his cool and met the older man’s gaze. “It’s over, Mercer,” he said. “My men outnumber yours. This ends now. Let the women go.”
“I can’t,” Mercer said. “I need them for my baby. Without them, she’ll die.”
The woman holding the knife to her throat cried out, “No, Daddy, don’t do this! Just let me die.” She pressed the tip of the blade into her skin and winced. A bead of blood dripped down her neck.
“Tina!” The older man’s arm snaked out. He backhanded his daughter, knocking her to the ground. The knife flew from her hand, landing somewhere in the bougainvillea. “Stay out of this,” he ordered.
“I won’t stay out of this. You’re playing God with my life and with theirs.” Tina crawled to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes. “If you love me, you won’t do this.”
“It’s because I love you that I have to,” he said and spun, aiming his handgun at Dev.
Kiana cried out, “Look out, Dev!”
Dev dove to the right as Mercer’s gun went off, the bullet hitting the ground where Dev had been a moment before.
Kiana slammed her head backward into her captor’s nose, then swept her arm upward, knocking the hand with the knife away from her throat and dropped all her weight to the ground.
The guard’s eyes teared, his nose gushed blood and he lost his hold on Kiana. She rolled out of his reach and back onto her feet.
Meredith threw herself at the guard from behind, sending him toppling to the ground.
Dev rolled to his feet and plowed into Mercer, knocking him onto his back.
Mercer lay still, his eyes closed, out cold.
Dev glanced toward Logan.
“Got this handled,” Logan said from where he had the second guard pinned to the ground.
