the first wave of MANIACs made it across the moat, but they weren’t the men that he was truly worried about. That group was team two, the soldiers who were looking for the secret tunnel. Since they were ordered deep within the bowels of the basement, Payne knew it would take them much longer to evacuate.
He just hoped it wouldn’t take too long.
“All out,” declared Shell, who was the leader of the first team. “Should we secure the periphery as ordered, or lag here to assist the others?”
“Your orders still hold.” Payne wanted everyone as far away from the house as quickly as possible. “Be advised that six people have been spotted outside the fence. Repeat, six outside the fence. And some of them could be friendly.”
“Half dozen on the run: some cowboys, some Indians.” Shell waved his men forward before continuing his transmission. “Don’t worry, sir. We won’t let you down.”
Payne nodded as he turned toward Jones. “What can you see?”
He answered while peering through his night-vision goggles. “The two people on the ground seem to be slaves. Greene just kicked the one on the right.”
“Can you make out their faces?”
Jones shook his head. “Their cloaks prevent it. But if I were a betting man, I’d say the one getting kicked is a man. He’s way too big to be a female.”
Payne cursed softly. That meant the odds of Ariane being inside the house just increased. “And what about the other?”
“No idea. It could be Ariane, but I really don’t know.”
“Keep me posted,” he said, rising to his feet. “I’m going forward to help Sanchez’s crew.”
“You’re what?”
“I’m going to give them a hand. I’d lend them two if I could, but all I’ve got is one.”
Before Jones could argue, Payne sprinted full speed toward the moat. He wasn’t sure what he’d be able to do once he got there, but there was no way in hell he was going to sit passively while some of his men were still in danger. His men were his responsibility, and he was going to do everything he could to guarantee their safety—even if it meant risking his own life.
Once Payne reached the edge of the moat, he cast his eyes downward and studied the fifteen-by-twelve-foot trench that extended for several hundred feet around the base of the entire mansion. The walls of the pit were made of seamless concrete and had been laid with a steep slope to impede the climb of possible intruders. To discourage unwanted visits even further, Kotto had filled the bottom of the chasm with a freshwater stream and a family of Nile crocodiles that hissed and snapped like a pack of hungry guard dogs anytime humans approached.
“Knock it off,” Payne growled, “or I’ll make shoes out of your ass.”
Captain Sanchez heard the comment as he emerged from the house. “I hope you weren’t talking to me.”
Payne instinctively raised his weapon but relaxed when he realized who it was. “Sorry to disappoint you, Juan, but I don’t want to do anything with your ass.”
Sanchez smiled as he traversed the narrow plank with the ease of a tightrope walker. He’d risked his life way too many times to be worried about heights or a bunch of hungry reptiles. After reaching Payne’s side, he said, “I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but what are you doing here? You should be back by the fence, where it’s safe.”
“And let you play with the crocs by yourself? Not a chance. Besides, you know how I am on missions. I’d rather do jumping jacks in a minefield than sit around, waiting.”
“But, sir, aren’t you just waiting up here, too?”
Payne was tempted to lecture him on the basic concept of leadership—never put anyone in a situation that you’re not willing to be in yourself—but before he could, a second MANIAC exited the house.
The soldier immediately said, “Four more behind me, but I don’t know where.”
Payne nodded as he got on his radio to find out. “Team two status check, team two status check. What’s your twenty?”
“I’m coming out now,” answered the first, and a moment later he stepped outside.
“Making my way up the stairs,” replied another. “About fifteen seconds ’til daylight.”
Payne waited until the second soldier arrived before he went back to the radio. “Team two status check . . . What are your positions?”
Unfortunately, the remaining members of team two didn’t reply.
Confused by their silence, Payne asked Chen, the soldier who had just emerged from the house, if he knew anything about their