unheard when moving through enemy territory. It was a skill she’d had to learn early on when she’d been chosen for reconnaissance missions, not only for her ability to perfectly recall everything she’d seen and heard, but because she was a woman and thus seen as less threatening. She and her teammates, before they even were a team, had spent a lot of time in countries where women were the property of men—fathers, husbands, even brothers. When the women were permitted to go out, they were often covered head to toe, which was a very convenient camouflage not only for Layla, but sometimes for a male companion as well. Layla had known enough of the regional dialect to pass if she’d been called upon to speak, but she was more often inserted or extracted at night. And for that reason, she’d learned how to move quietly through dried brush and weeds. Animals ignored her for the most part, rustling in the underbrush, while birds continued to sing in the treetops. Layla was part of the forest, no threat, raising no alarms.
She was, however, armed for bear, as the saying went, though there were no bears in this part of Spain. She carried her MP5 in the ready position, though still wishing she had an extra mag or two. A 9mm Glock 19 rode on her hip, and she had two knives—one at her waist, one in her boot. And just for kicks, she had a taser on her belt. Armed and pissed off as she was, she was almost disappointed at the lack of enemies along her route, and by the time she could hear the occasional car or truck passing by, she was actively hoping that her team had found someone to attack. She wanted to hurt the bastards who’d thought terrorizing children was in any way acceptable.
It struck her then that the kidnappers hadn’t demanded anything for a safe return. No ransom, no reciprocal action of any kind. Did they truly plan to whisk the Fortalesa’s children away forever? Did they think Xavier, or anyone else, would permit that?
She hit the edge of the forest, then, and hunkered down in the shadows to consider her next steps. Sakal had to know Xavier would come for the children. So why take them? Something itched at her brain about that letter. It struck her as too familiar, almost taunting. Too much of a one-up shot aimed at Xavier, to be from an unknown. And he’d addressed Xavier by his first name, signing his own the same way. This felt personal.
It would be interesting to see Xavier’s reaction to Sakal’s letter. But she couldn’t wait for that. She had to act based on what she knew at this moment, so she went ahead and texted Brian, asking his position. As she was typing, her phone vibrated with a call from him.
“Can you talk?” he asked, his voice low, but not stealthily so.
“Give me a minute,” she murmured, and moved deeper back under the trees, finding a spot that would shield her from casual listeners, but not blind her to anyone coming up on her position. “All right, go.”
“We’re set up at a place called Vista Bonica. It’s a rundown motel that probably rents rooms by the hour, but it was right on the edge of town as we drove in. Figured we’d keep a low profile until we heard from you.”
“Good choice. And you’re right. They do rent rooms by the hour, so don’t sit anywhere.”
Brian chuckled briefly. “Oh hell, Cap. You know River. First thing he did was strip the beds and dump everything in a pile along with the towels.”
“This is one time I agree with him. What’s the situation now?”
“I’m on my own, Kerry and Riv are together, checking in every thirty. Should be hearing from them in a few.”
Layla studied her current location, mentally calculating time and route to reach the Vista Bonica. It wasn’t far, but armed and dressed as she was, she wouldn’t blend in with locals or tourists. Spain’s gun policy was very restrictive, and civilians simply didn’t carry guns of any kind, much less a damn MP5. She cursed herself for not thinking of that sooner, and then immediately moved past it. She needed her weapons. “I figure thirty minutes for me to reach you,” she told Brian. “It’s going to take some maneuvering to avoid notice. Let me know if anything pops before then.”
“Roger that. Out.”
She tucked her phone in a