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She shuddered. She was lucky her team was so skilled.
As they sped through the city, weaving through back alleys and side streets, Paige allowed herself a moment to breathe. But the reprieve was short-lived. Soon, they were pulling up to their destination, and a new set of challenges awaited.
Graham slowed the van, turning into the weed-choked parking lot of an empty warehouse complex.
The boxy concrete structure loomed before them, a far cry from Mason’s elaborate standards for a safe house. Graham tooted the horn. The metal door of the delivery bay rolled up. Hepulled inside and they exited the vehicle while Graham watched Cody.
As they entered the huge space, the musty smell of disuse hit Paige like a wall. Dust motes danced in the weak sunlight filtering through grimy windows, some cracked, others boarded up.
Kate, their main pilot, looked up from her perusal of the sad-looking kitchen area in the far corner.
Fenn’s face lit up at the sight of her. “Hey, Gorgeous.”
“That’s Captain Gorgeous to you,” Tai teased.
Fenn ignored him, striding across the room to give his fiancé a kiss on the cheek. Kate fingered the ring on her left hand, her cheeks growing pink.
To the surprise of exactly no one but Fenn and Kate, the two operatives had become a couple on their harrowing mission in the Arctic. Paige bit back a sigh as happiness, and a teaspoon of envy swirled around her heart.
The main floor was a cavernous space, littered with the detritus of its industrial past. Rusted machinery hulked in the shadows, while empty wooden pallets were stacked haphazardly against the walls. A worn metal staircase led to a small office area on a mezzanine level.
Mason winced as he surveyed their surroundings. “I know it’s not pretty. I didn’t exactly have time to find us a five-star setup.”
The “living area” consisted of a worn couch flanked by a couple of battered armchairs. A wobbly table that had seen better days stood nearby, its surface marred by years of coffee cup rings and cigarette burns.
In one corner, a small kitchenette boasted a rusted sink and a mini-fridge that hummed ominously. Mason had managed to stock it with some bottled water and energy bars—the bare necessities for a potential stakeout.
“Hey, at least we have indoor plumbing,” Fenn quipped, gesturing to a door marked “Restroom” with peeling paint. “Sort of.”
Mason bristled. “I’d like to see you do better with ten minutes’ notice and limited resources.”
Paige intervened before the bickering could escalate. “We’ve worked with less.”
The tech expert nodded gratefully, but she could see the tension in his shoulders. He prided himself on always providing the best for the team, and this barebones setup clearly grated on him.
She set up a makeshift command center on the wobbly table, her laptop casting a blue glow in the dim light. Tai started a perimeter check, his experienced eyes scanning for potential security weaknesses.
The abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town wasn’t much, but despite its shortcomings, the warehouse offered one crucial advantage: multiple exits. Besides the main entrance, there was a loading dock at the back and several windows large enough to serve as emergency escape routes if needed.
As Paige watched her team adapt to their new surroundings, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride. They might not have luxury, but they had resilience and resourcefulness—qualities that would be crucial in the hours to come.
Paige’s heart raced as Mason and Graham carried an unconscious Cody from the van. Cody’s dead weight was a reminder of how quickly things had spiraled out of control.
“Over here,” Fenn said, gesturing to a tattered couch pushed against the far wall.
As they lowered Cody onto it, Paige couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. How had it come to this? The man she’d once trusted, now apparently in league with the Consortium. She pushed the feeling aside, trying to focus on the task at hand.
“Well, he looks comfy,” Fenn quipped, breaking the tense silence.
Mason immediately began checking Cody’s vitals. “Pulse is steady. Breathing’s normal. The tranq should wear off in a couple hours.”
Paige watched anxiously as Mason ran the device over Cody’s body. The scanner remained silent until it passed over the base of Cody’s neck. A sharp beep filled the room.
“Oh, man, this is not good.” Mason jabbed a finger at Cody’s neck. “Your boy’s got a locator chip.”
7
Paige’s stomach dropped.She tried to channel her father’s calm logic, the way he’d approach a complex system problem. What would he do in this situation? The thought of her dad, and all the time they’d lost, brought a familiar ache to her chest.
