Page 111 of Peace Under Fire

Time Stamp 9:00—Infiltration teams have not located ground zero. All packages remain secure.

What the hell were ‘all the packages’?

Time stamp 7:05 p.m.—Pipe continues monitoring the infiltration from off site. Refuge crew and guests remain at ground zero. Your package remains secure.

He paused after that email, surprised and relieved. Apparently, the Refuge’s crew had opted not to engage the cockroaches’ assault teams. Thank Christ for cool heads and experienced minds. If Brick and company had gone to war, they could have been sucked into a bloodbath.

Time stamp 6:35 p.m.—Infiltration teams now sweeping the surrounding woods. Ground zero and all packages remain secure.

The bastards hadn’t found what they were looking for in the cabins, lodge, or barn, so they’d spread out through the forest. He hoped they hadn’t slaughtered any of the animals when they’d hit the barn. Mandy would never forgive herself if any of the animals had been harmed.

Time Stamp 6:00 p.m.—All packages remain secure. Infiltration teams sweeping cabins and lodge.

Mandy had been underground by then. If Giulia hadn’t warned her, if she hadn’t made it to the bunker… An icy chill swept his spine. He’d come so close to losing her.

Time stamp 5:05 p.m.—The Refuge will not engage. Guests and crew will retreat to ground zero. Pipe will monitor the camera feeds from off-site.

What had turned the Refuge leadership from fighting to hiding? It had been a wise choice, but not the one he’d expected based off his preflight conversation with Tex.

Time stamp 4:47 p.m.—Additional assault teams spotted on camera feeds. Four teams located.

Ah, yeah—that explained the change of plans. Four teams meant the refuge guys had been seriously outnumbered.

Time stamp 4:30 p.m.—Multiple infiltration teams on camera feeds. Your package is secure.

With each repeat that Mandy was safe, Squish’s pulse slowed, and his chest loosened. He already had the phone to his ear, about to call Tex, when he shoved his way out of the exit door and into the passenger pickup area. A white, low-slung sports car idled at the curb. Pipe’s ride. Squish made a beeline for it as the English dude straightened from his lazy slouch against the Challenger’s hood.

“Sitrep!” he barked as he yanked open the passenger door. He picked up the laptop sitting on the seat and settled into the car.

Pipe slid behind the steering wheel and took the laptop. He punched a button and shifted the computer slightly so Squish could see the screen. The feed was centered on the cabin he and Mandy had been occupying until four days ago. It looked forlorn…deserted…its door wide open, and the lights all on.

“They knew where she was staying,” Pipe said, the edge to his voice sharpening his British accent. “They headed directly there, swept it first.” He hit another button and Brick’s cabin flickered onto the screen. “When they didn’t find her at your cabin, they headed to Brick’s.” A cold, dangerous tone flickered through the crisp accent. “It was only after they searched your place and Brick’s—and didn’t find her—that they spread out and swept everything. All the cabins, the lodge, the barn. When they came up empty, they spread into the woods.” Pipe looked up, directly into Squish’s eyes. “I don’t know how they found her, how they knew exactly where she was staying, but the intel didn’t come from anyone at the Refuge. I promise you that, brother.”

Squish simply nodded. He didn’t doubt Pipe. But this news opened an ugly can of worms. Where could he take her that those fucking cockroaches wouldn’t find her?

He sighed, rubbing his temples. The headache was back. A low, aching pressure behind his eyes.

“In the last update I got from Tex,” Squish forced himself to focus, “he said the bastards had withdrawn.” But that had been at ten-thirty. It was after midnight now. “Have they shown up again?”

“They haven’t been on the camera feeds. Here…” Pipe shifted the laptop until Squish could see the computer screen and keyboard. “These buttons control the various feeds. You can scroll through them like this.” He clicked the arrow at the top of the screen and image after image went flying by. “This button…” he clicked on a segmented box in the top right corner of the screen. After a brief blur, multiple boxes with different images filled the screen. “…will let you see all the feeds at once.”

“You got a satellite link so you can monitor the cameras off-site?”

Pipe nodded, “We got a BGAN terminal. The best tech money can buy. It’s been a good investment.”

No shit.

“There’s been no sign of anyone on the feeds for hours,” Pipe added as he scrolled through the images again. “Our crew and guests are still bunkered down.” He shot Squish a quick glance. “That includes Mandy.”

He hit a couple more buttons and turned the laptop fully toward the passenger seat. The image on the screen was dark, a moonlit section of the forest. Squish squinted but couldn’t make out any details. “What’s this?”

“That’s the hatch to Mandy’s bunker. The camera is inserted directly into one of the surrounding trees. You can’t see it unless you’re looking into the lens. As you can see, the hatch is undisturbed.”

Another slug of tension slid out of him. Too bad it didn’t ease some of the pressure in his head. The headache was about to go full migraine. He could sense it.

“She’s still in there?” He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. By all accounts, the danger had passed, and hiding out in a concrete shell beneath the ground couldn’t be comfortable. On the other hand, she was safe.

“Yeah.” Pipe paused to rub a hand down his face. “Here’s the kicker. Those bloody bastards could be lurking just beyond the camera feeds. If they are, the moment she climbs out of that bunker, they’ll move in. These fuckers slide through the night like ghosts. They hide in plain sight. My instincts say they’re hiding out there,” he nodded toward the forest on the screen, “blending in, waiting for us to get comfortable. Waiting for us to bring Mandy up. I say we stay put until daylight, then do some recon.”

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