Page 87 of Her Forever SEAL

“The rest of the team knows,” Clint said.

“I see one guard, no AK, near the back entrance of the production building,” Sophia reported. “I didn’t see anyone between the two buildings.”

“I saw movement on the roof. Could have been a bird, but I don’t think so. Nobody is watching the loading dock. Lydia, there’s a door beside it, nobody beside that either.”

“Shit, you’re right, Angie. I should have mentioned the door beside the loading dock when I was looking over the blueprints. What building did you think you see someone on the roof?”

“Facing the driveway into the property, on top of the entrance to the tasting building.”

Mason listened as all of the intel was communicated to the men.

He looked at the clock on the dashboard. He had five minutes. He sped up so that he could make it on time.

He took a right turn off a major street, and headed east for a mile. Then up on the right, he made out the weathered sign for Cielo Ranch Vineyards, and took that turn. He stopped for a moment and picked up the burner phone. “Team, I’m turning off the volume, and hiding the burner. You’ll have ears on the situation.”

“Rog—” Mason turned off the volume and slipped the burner phone into the bottom of his sock beneath his foot. He started up again and drove for two hundred yards, and took another right onto a paved drive. Up ahead he saw two black, high-end Audis, parked right in front of the production building.

Just as he’d expected, two large men wearing suitcoats, presumably to cover their weapons, were waiting on either side of the entrance.

“Two guards, no weapons visible, in front of the production building front door. I’m getting out of my truck now.”

He shut off his engine and looked down at his personal cell. Ibrahim's leash. He slowly put that phone in his pocket so that the guards could see him. Then got out of the car. The men did not make a move, so Mason continued walking forward.

The production door opened before he had taken three steps.

Rylie had shown Mason a picture of Ibrahim Sula, so he’d known what to expect. But the charm-covered hate was definitely not in any of the pictures.

“Mason, you came.” He strode over to him, and held out his hand for Mason to shake it. He stared down at it, until Ibrahim was forced to pull it back. He smiled, then took a step back. Then he looked Mason up and down, like he was taking inventory.

Mason allowed it. He would have allowed almost anything for his daughter.

“Come in,” Ibrahim threw out his hand, and a smaller man, who had come outside with him, opened the door wider.

Mason stepped forward into the building, looking over his shoulder. “I see you’re bringing your entourage.”

“I like having my men around me,” Ibrahim agreed.

28

“Listen up.” Sophia heard Clint’s voice through her receiver. “Lydia and I now have the comms merged. Rylie, Angie and Sophia, you’ll now be able to hear both me and Lydia as well as the rest of the men through the comm. Men, you’ll be able to hear the ladies.”

“The women,” Lydia corrected.

There was a slight pause where Sophia imagined Clint glaring at Lydia for bothering to correct him at this particular moment.

“We can see all of your positions, and identify you each individually,” Lydia explained. “Drake, what’s the plan?”

“Finn and Dare were dropped off at the beginning of the vineyard. Their objective was to get to Rylie behind the tasting room, then spread out. Rylie, what kind of night vision and binoculars do you have?”

“Night vision, yes,” Riley responded.

“No to the binoculars,” Lydia said.

“I have binoculars,” Angie interrupted.

“Finn, I want you to circle the building, I want you to determine exactly what we have waiting for us on the roof. Jack, you’re on point with Rylie. I want those two guards taken down without noise. Are we clear?”

“Clear,” Jack answered.