slid over Steele. “She gonna hold when this goes down?”
“Depends on how it goes down. If something goes wrong, watch her for me.”
Savage shook his head. “Somethin’ goes wrong, I’m going to be right there with you, Steele, taking those fuckers apart. That little boy is one of us. We’re not going to let this happen. Nothing going wrong on our side. They’re the ones who had better look out.”
He leapt up and caught the edge of the eaves, somersaulted up onto the roof and climbed in a casual display of strength. Steele watched him for a moment, getting his emotions under control. The thought of Zane in the hands of anyone close to those who had brutalized him or any of his brothers and sisters, was almost more than he could endure.
He wasn’t alone in this, Savage had made that clear. His boy was one of them. Torpedo Ink. He leapt up, caught the eaves and performed the same maneuver Savage had. With his strength, it was easy enough, and balance wasn’t an issue for any of them.
Preacher had been up since dawn, stretched out on the gabled roof. That type of roof could be problematic in a hurricane if not properly supported, but it was a beautifully constructed home and the roof added to the beauty of it. He walked with ease in spite of the sharp pitch, crossing to the front where he could lower his body down beside Savage.
Ink was there as well. He sat tailor fashion, paying no attention to them. He looked up at the sky. Somewhere in the distance a hawk let out an eerie cry. Ink didn’t move. He kept his eyes on the sky and his hands over his knees.
“Lana’s in the water,” Preacher reported.
The tension went up significantly. If there were any men at the estate next door, they wouldn’t be able to resist a beautiful woman in a thong bikini and very little string for a top. The material barely covered Lana’s full breasts. Her body was sculpted with curves and sleek lines. She looked like a model for bathing suits. Her hair was long, a blazing red that went with her pale skin. Even so, there was always the possibility that if any of the Swords were at that estate, they would recognize her in spite of her disguise.
Lana took the boat out onto the lake easily, evidently confident in her driving. She went slow as she passed the houses but picked up speed once she was on the lake. She hadn’t looked at the estate as she glided past, merely glanced at the beauty of the oasis created by the builders, but Steele knew that one glance was enough for her to mark every point of entry from the lake side.
She went on past, sweeping out in a big arc, going across the water at a much higher rate of speed. The weather was perfect. Humid, and hot already. It was going to be good day, with the sun blinding on the water. Anyone would want to be out, which only added to the normalcy of Lana taking the boat out on her vacation.
Steele used binoculars to study every inch of the estate he could see. There were no child’s toys. No animals. The yard was pristine, clearly kept up by a landscaping crew. No one came out of either the main house or the smaller cottage. He studied the trucks. Information was crucial when planning any assassination or rescue. The more information, the smoother and safer the operation.
A hawk circled above them and then drifted on the wind to the estate next door. He circled the structures and then settled in a tree overlooking the front yard. A flock of sparrows approached, the group larger than normal with more birds joining as they got closer to the vacation rental. In the sky, the dissimulation looked like a dark, twisting shadow, coming fast, suddenly veering away and rolling into a strange-looking apparition.
The flock of birds changed direction in midair, looking as if they came to a standstill almost directly above Ink. He didn’t move, as still as a statue, his face a mask of concentration. The birds wheeled and dipped, moving back toward the neighboring estate.
“Any of those vehicles look familiar?” Steele asked.
Transporter shook his head. “None. They seem fairly new, all but the one in front of the guest cabin. That’s several years old, but even from here, you can see it’s in good condition.” He