Ghostwalker 09 - Ruthless Game

prepared.
    We’ll move in ten, Kane announced calmly.
    Roger that. Mack cut the child free and lifted her into his arms, soothing her in Spanish. “Your uncle sent us to get you and your mother out of here. We have to be very quiet.”
    The child frowned and put her mouth next to Mack’s ear. “What about my little brother?”
    Mack stiffened. No one had said anything about a brother. “Where’s your brother, sweetie?”
    “They took him away.”
    We have a complication. There’s another child. A boy. “How old is he?”
    She muffled her cough against his shirt. “Five.”
    Kane, the moment we hit the ground running, drop back with Javier and find that boy.
    Javier lay at the top of the stairs, his body stretched out on the floor. A low light il uminated the end of the hal and cast shadows down the corridor. A guard sat in front of the door to the third apartment. He had his chair tipped back and his legs sprawled out in front of him. His weapon was in his lap, and he appeared to be sleeping, but neither Javier nor Kane was deceived. Every few seconds he stroked his finger over the trigger as though caressing his gun.
    Will do. Hold. The guard’s alert.
    You want us to draw him inside?
    Javier glanced at Kane and nodded just once. He eased his body down the threadbare carpet. Anyone could come out of their apartment and conceivably step on him on their way to the stairs. Both doubted anyone would be showing their face with so many armed men in the building.
    Get his attention, Kane said.
    Mack whispered to the little girl, and she nodded her head once. He moved her closer to the door. “Be brave, sweetheart.”
    She swal owed hard, closed her eyes, and pressed herself tight into Mack. “Mommy. Mommy, wake up. Hurry.”
    Her voice was scared, hushed, perfect for their needs. Mack positioned himself on one side of the door, and Ethan went to the other. Mack pushed the little girl behind his solid body.
    The guard’s head came up alertly. As he stood, he looked right at Kane, who was pressed against the wal , deep in the shadow. The chair came down with a thud inches from Javier’s outstretched fingers. Javier never so much as winced. The guard’s boots were old and worn, thin in places, and Javier just barely missed getting stepped on as the man swung around to face the door, his finger stil on the trigger as the other hand twisted the doorknob.
    Javier rol ed out of the way as Kane moved into position behind the man. The guard kicked the door open and took a step. Kane slammed the knife home with one hand and jerked the weapon with the other, preventing him from firing. Mack whirled around and covered the little girl’s eyes.
    “Keep your head down. Stay tight against me. We’re taking you home,” he whispered. “You have to stay very quiet.” He dragged the protective vest from his pack and quickly dressed her in it before lifting her. He waited for Ethan to put the unconscious woman in a vest as wel and shift her into a fireman’s carry. They were both vulnerable, packing the hostages out into enemy territory.
    Kane lowered the body of the dead guard to the floor wel inside the room and went back to the doorway, peering up and down the hal before signaling Javier. The two of them moved like wraiths, Javier disappearing down the stairs while Kane guarded the hal .
    You’re clear to here, Javier stated.
    What’s happening on the street, Rose? Kane demanded.
    Staying quiet, she announced. Get moving. We have to find that child before they’re on to us, or they’ll kill him.
    There was no “we” involved in finding the boy, but Kane didn’t have time to argue with Rose. It was imperative to find the boy before the rescue could be discovered. He signaled Mack to start down the stairs with Ethan close on his heels. Kane dropped in behind them, moving silently, his gun in his fist this time. He was using a silencer, but stil , they wanted to slip out without alerting the enemy force.
    Something is happening at the end of the street. Teens are running in all directions. They look scared, Rose reported. Get out of there.
    There was no urgency in her voice, but Kane sensed it, as did the others. Javier went through the door first, and after visual y clearing the street, waved Mack and Ethan through. They ran flat out, dark shadows moving through the open street for the desert.
    Bring in the bird. We’ll rendezvous in four minutes, Mack said. Gideon, you’ve got eight minutes from my