Page 27 of Paradise Ties

Zack gave her a cool look. “I don’t know how it works over at Zenobi, but here we do what the fuck I say. I want you first because if we slip, we’re going to be fucking heavy on you if we fall.”

“Fine,” she said, crossing her arms.

“When we get to the top, I want Smithy with me to clear the way for the hostages. Astrid, I need you to get to Lucy and Aubrey and give them a weapon. Smithy and I will get weapons to the three men on the ground. Dane and Daniel, I need you to clean house.”

Dane nodded and Zack pushed the comms into his ear. He did a mic check, which they all acknowledged, and they began the deadly ascent.

* * *

Lucy continued to watch the clock noting it was only fifteen minutes until the deadline. So far, the armed men had ignored Jace, Zin, and Jack lying on the floor at the Princess’s feet, not seeing them as any kind of threat. Scarface had let his men rough the three up for fun, Jack, Zin, and Jace taking each blow silently until a call had come in distracting them. She watched as the leader became submissive, pleading quietly. She cocked her ear to try and listen.

“I told you, my men will get the money. We should have waited until they were at sea—”

He stopped as if he’d been verbally shot down, and Lucy knew that somewhere up the chain was a much more powerful and cunning person. He hung up swiftly, his face a mask of impotent fury, before turning to the three men at his mercy. Jace was already sporting a black eye and split lip, and Zin and Jack were similarly bruised and bloodied. If they ever got out of there, it was going to make for some fascinating wedding photos.

“So, you think you are a funny man?” the leader said as he paced in front of Jace, Zin, and Jack. He turned to one of his men and spoke in Polish before laughing.

“You are making a mistake to think you will live through this,” Zin spoke in perfect Polish. In fact, he spoke many languages.

Scarface looked at him with interest before approaching with a smug impression. “And why is that, my friend?”

Zin looked up at the man and Lucy saw it was not the Zin who was in love with Celeste. Not the man who fed his dog steak, and not the man who loved his family with love so deep it was bottomless. No, this was the Viper, and Scarface had just made a colossal mistake. “I ain’t your fucking friend,” Zin snarled.

“Do I know you?” the leader asked, as if some buried survival instinct was trying to escape from the idiot’s brain.

“No, but you will beg my name for mercy before I kill you. You will know the last face you see on this earth will be the Viper’s.”

His voice was so cold Lucy wanted to shiver. She watched as the leader reacted to what Zin had said. The Viper had a fierce, almost reverent, reputation in Eastern Europe and Russia. His name was spoken in hushed whispers as if saying it could make him materialise. Most thought he was a myth, but those that knew him either died in untold pain or hailed him as a hero.

“No, you are not him.” Fear was tangible as the men in the room began to shift in fear.

Zin angled his head and smiled. Scarface lifted his gun in a shaky hand and pointed it at a smiling Viper, and then he pulled the trigger.

Chapter 12

Dane ducked as tiny bits of dirt and rock fell on him. The cliff face was sheer with very little in the way of footholds. It took him a minute to get a rhythm, not having climbed in over a year. Astrid seemed part monkey though, climbing as if it was as natural as breathing.

“How’re you doing down there, Smithy? I know you’ve been ignoring the gym to spend all your time watching Netflix.” He was joking. Smithy spent every minute keeping himself in peak physical condition.

“You just worry about your own flabby ass in my face.”

Dane chuckled low at his friend’s response. He grabbed for a hold as Zack pushed off with his foot. The grip was so small he could only get his fingertips on the ledge. Using every ounce of strength and determination, he pulled himself up, grabbing for the next hold.

He watched as Astrid neared the top of the cliff and saw her look down at them. Her signal to hold was sent down the chain. Silent tension held them as Dane watched her scan the poolside area, barely poking her head over the side. When she ducked back down, she pointed towards the left side where it would be more challenging to scale over the top. The right side was dense with greenery and a rocky outcrop where they could regroup while the left had no flat surface or greenery on which they could stop, just sheer rock face.

“The trip has a gap on the left side.”

Dane acknowledged, as did the others and they followed Zack as he headed in that direction. It meant they’d have to go over in quick succession and it also meant Astrid would have to go over first as there was no way to pass her and maintain the surprise entrance.

Kanan’s voice came over the comms. “Tangos have Jace, Zin, and Jack in the middle of the room on their knees. Nate’s returned and is taking over watching the targets from a sniper position.”

“Good copy,” responded Zack, falling back into his position of mission leader, as if he’d never had time out.

Astrid had reached the left side and stopped. “Let me go over and clear the way. The guards are facing the drama in the middle and won’t see me.”

Dane waited as Zack mulled it over for a second before he realised it was the best choice. Time was running out, especially for their friends, and Dane knew Lucy would never let Jace die without trying to stop it.

Zack nodded to the team. “Execute.”