Ghostwalker 09 - Ruthless Game

of the remote vil age. The town sprawled out in front of them, a col ection of adobe homes spreading to the outlying farms at the edge of a hil . Sitting atop the hil , a large estate, the home elaborate, two stories surrounded by towers and fences, looked down on the residents of the vil age. A shimmering blue pool looked inviting from the air.
    The setup reminded Kane of a feudal lord looking down on his subjects. He glanced around at the men—and Rhianna—who were putting their lives on the line for his woman. For him. For his son. He’d lived his life with these men at his back. He could always count on them. What did the man in the mansion have? Money. Power. Just like Whitney, they bought loyalty. They ruled through fear.
    Mack signaled the pilot, and the helicopter banked and came to an abrupt halt. The team moved into place as the ropes dropped. They fast-roped down, hit the ground running, in ful combat gear. The team was in ful force. Jaimie had stayed behind with Sebastian, Marc, and Brian, the warehouse locked up tight under ful security. The other nine members of his team ran in formation toward the safe house where their three contacts—members of the elite Air Force Pararescue GhostWalker Team Four waited. That gave Mack an even dozen, more than enough to get the job done. This was a personal mission, and it would require them being the ghosts they were. The night truly belonged to them, and Cesar Lopez was about to find that out.
    Mack held up his closed fist, and the nine members of his team went stil , sinking low, disappearing into the shadows of the buildings. A low whistle came from the left. Mack pointed two fingers, and Javier slipped into the al eyway, his body disappearing into the darker shadows along the wal . He moved in complete silence, a part of the night, his job to get a feel for their contacts. Kane slipped in behind him, positioning himself on the other wal in order to cover Javier. Gideon was already climbing up the building, going high, his night vision enabling him to see without glasses, covering Javier from his vantage point.
    Large panel truck. Beat-up. Paint peeling. Driver behind the wheel. One man standing by the back doors. One approaching you, Javier. Two Rovers two blocks down, both armed. Look military, Gideon reported.
    Lopez owns the military stationed anywhere near his stronghold. Also the police, Mack reminded. Consider them the enemy.
    Roger that, Gideon acknowledged.
    Mack wanted them in and out of the vil age without being seen—or heard. The two military men presented far more of a chal enge than those by the panel truck. If the men meeting them were enemies, there was no doubt they’d wind up dead in the street.
    Javier gave the exact same low whistle and when the man turned toward him; a little light from the tiny crescent moon spil ed over him. Joe Spagnola.
    Javier breathed the identity to the others.
    Kane felt the coils in this stomach ease. Joe Spagnola was a GhostWalker familiar to their team. He’d guarded Jaimie for months before the team had returned to San Francisco. He stayed without moving, covering the man by the back of the truck. He was a stranger, but the odds were looking better than ever.
    There was a whispered conversation between Javier and Joe before Joe walked Javier around the panel truck to introduce him to the man guarding the back. Javier kept his body away from both men, leaving a clear shot for Kane. Kane wasn’t al that worried. Joe and his friend needed to be careful around Javier. He could kil both in a split second, erupting into violence without warning. Stil , he never took his gaze from the two men. Another brief conversation ensued, and the second man stepped up to the truck to open the large door.
    Malichai Fortunes, Mack. He’s got a hard-ass rep, but he’s the real deal, Javier reported. He’s a member of Team Four.
    Kane eased his body closer. Look alive, Gideon.
    I’m on the driver.
    This was the most dangerous moment of al . Javier had to step up to the back of the truck and inspect the interior to be certain it wasn’t a trap. They would ride in that truck to a safe house as close as possible to the vil a. Most of those in town were employed directly by Lopez or their livelihood depended on his goodwil . His team wouldn’t find many al ies, and most people would gladly turn them over to the head of the cartel and reap a generous reward.
    Damn it, two Rovers suddenly got interested, Gideon informed