Page 42 of Wicked Suspicion

Chapter 18

Case put an arm around Nyx, pulling her closer, and lowered his head until his mouth was next to her ear. “Stick close to me. I want you on my heels, understand?” His voice was barely a breath of sound.

“On your heels. Understood.” Her voice was as soft as his.

With a nod of approval, he released her, and remaining in the shadows near the house, headed toward Gate Three. Oz would have been on duty there when the attack began and he’d hold his position until he received an order to leave.

He kept part of his attention on the gunfire to make sure the fighting didn’t surge in their direction and continued moving carefully. When he reached the end of the hacienda, he glanced back at Nyx. She’d followed orders and was right behind him.

Case studied the area carefully, trying to anticipate trouble. From here to the wall, they’d have no cover. He didn’t want Nyx caught in the open.

Nothing going on here.

He let his gaze go to the gate. The only person he saw was Oz, but there was a guardhouse there and his partner might be inside. Case waited a few minutes. Watching. No movement.

The gunfire increased.

Turning to Nyx, he inclined his head. When she nodded, he set off for the exit. He could feel her at his back.

They got there without anyone noticing them.

Oz had the gate partially open by the time they reached him. “Here,” he said, handing him a helmet with a night vision monocular attached. “It works.”

“Thanks.” Case donned the helmet and fastened the chin strap to keep it in position.

“Can she handle an assault rifle?”

“Yes,” Nyx said at the same time Case said, “No.”

Giving Nyx a warning stare, he said, “Just because you can handle a pistol, doesn’t mean you can shoot an assault rifle.” He turned back to Oz. “Let me have your pistol. I’ll let her use that.” Oz handed the weapon to Case. “We’ll leave your rifle, but I’ll take all your ammo.”

In seconds, he had it stashed in his pockets.

“You need to knock me out and restrain me.” Oz handed him a set of zip cuffs.

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Be careful, dude,” he said. “Those are Ramirez’s men coming over the back wall.”

Case nodded. They might have come in on one side, but Ramirez would have dudes stationed around the perimeter. Maybe even be working their way around the flanks to enter on another side since the drug lord’s men were concentrated on the initial attack.

Oz turned his back, wrists together, and Case cuffed him. “We’re lying low for a while.”

“Don’t go silent long.”

“I know.” Case used the butt of the pistol to give Oz a tap to the temple. He went down, landing in a position that didn’t look comfortable.

Case turned to Nyx. “Stay with me.”

“On your heels,” she repeated.

As soon as they were outside, Case kept them close to the wall. They had a couple hundred yards where the trees and undergrowth were cleared, but once they got through that, they’d have cover. The rainforest waited.

There was no sign of any rebels. That didn’t mean they weren’t in the trees. Watching. There was too much light from the wall to use the NVD.

He picked out where he wanted to enter the rainforest and moved. Fast. Nyx kept up with him and he stopped worrying about her falling behind.

The gunfire was shifting, signaling the rebels had made an incursion inside the compound. That added to the diversion. Vargas’s men would be focused on protecting their boss.

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