Page 64 of Knot Yours

“Good. What time are the dogs loosed, and who guards the back gate at that time?”

“Eleven. And I’ll make sure the guard is distracted.”

“No. Don’t do anything out of the ordinary. If you make anyone suspicious, they’ll put someone else on the gate tomorrow.”

“I’ve got it!” Birdie nearly shouts, heading off my next question. “Or I sort of got it. There were no plans to be had, but pictures from an old real estate listing helped me piece together a floor layout. I’m sending it now.”

Knot hands me his phone and fishes a tablet out of his bag. Once he fires it up, he finds Birdie’s message and opens the images. Two floors with attic space. Dormer windows in the attic face the pool. Perfect.

“I’m going in at a quarter to eleven. I should miss the security patrol and will be hidden away before the dogs are out.”

“Wait. Don’t you mean we?”

I meet Knot’s glare head-on and shake my head once. “I need you on Borrero. If Cruz doesn’t have a man there yet, he will.”

The man understands why I’m asking and doesn’t argue. “It would be better if he were moved. I’ll handle it. That way, no one can trace him.”

He doesn’t have to do shit. Cirilo isn’t Knot’s problem. That he would do this for me, for Marisol… I can’t find the words. “Thanks, man. I owe you.”

“Forget it.”

Knot holds his hand out to Ruiz for the keys. “I’ll keep you updated. Make sure you do the same.”

I’m already turning away as Knot walks out the door. After studying the satellite view of the Cruz estate a minute longer, my plan is set. I lift my eyes to Ruiz. “Ozzie, you should go now. We don’t want your extended absence to be noticed.”

I wait until he’s gone before making my next request. “I need a car.”

Without question, Ruiz motions for me to follow. In the garage below, Borrero’s top enforcer drops keys to a BMW roadster in my hands. It's not exactly subtle, but anything less would stick out around here.

“What should I expect?” he asks.

“Nothing. You won’t see me. Keep your eyes on Marisol every second you can. I’ll take care of the rest.”

The man doesn’t argue, sensing I don’t completely trust him. That he doesn’t press me for information means I probably can, but I’m not taking any chances with Marisol. I stow my bag in the trunk, call for Piper, and set off for supplies.

Several hours later, I park the sleek ride along the Rockefeller Nature Trail. Dressed in swim trunks, a sleeveless tee, and sunglasses, I shoulder on the new backpack, filled with mine and Piper’s gear. The last thing I grab is a pink tennis ball before setting off toward the beach.

For the next hour or so, I toss the ball to Piper. She does tricks and plays hard while I smile for the ladies, blending in. Just like that, we’re accepted as guests in one of the expensive mansions. The sun begins to set just before seven, and the beaches soon clear.

I pack up to leave like everyone else and head toward the privacy hedges behind the Cruz estate. The dense foliage and spacing between give Piper and me plenty of space to hide out. The first thing I do after picking a spot is set out some food and water for Piper.

While she eats, I scarf down a couple of protein bars and a bottle of water. Next, I dress in black from head to toe. We hang out until ten, and I fit a camera and earpiece on Piper’s head. She doesn’t like using the rig, but she tolerates it well enough.

I pack everything up except for my headset and a specific training toy. The last thing I do is text Knot to verify the pool house is still empty. He relays a message from Ozzie, confirming that it is. Now, we’re ready to go. We circle the fence to the side bordered by public property. This area is lined with dense forest, which serves my purposes well.

From my hiding spot, I watch the service gate for a while, knowing this area is a hotspot for security activity. I fist the purple scarf-wrapped ball, waiting for the right moment to deploy. When the heavily armed man passes by, I wait for a count of sixty, show it to Piper, and give her the command to be silent.

I toss the ball, watching the purple tail flutter until it lands just a few feet in front of the gate. Piper’s eyes tracked the object, clocking its location. Then we move out.

We back up and circle the property until settling behind the pool house. Precisely at ten-forty-five, I turn on Piper’s device, pull up the feed on my phone, and set her to seek. She takes off, barely a shadow in the forest.

Keeping the screen covered, I watch Piper’s progress through her camera as she slips silently through the underbrush. I command Piper to hold once she reaches the tree line and creep toward the beach gate we’ll use to gain entry. Using a mirror, I watch security returning to their posts. When one nears the gate close to Piper, I give her the commands to retrieve and speak.

Piper’s loud bark carries through the expansive backyard, and she keeps up the noise level at my urging. Once I’m sure she’s got security’s attention, I call her back. Piper silences her bark and runs like a demon back to me without making a sound. The guard calls for reinforcements to check out the area, and men from around the property converge on that one spot.

I gesture for the Mali to jump onto the thick wall and follow her, dropping silently to the ground on the other side at the same time she does. Piper glues herself to my hip, our target being a door on the right side of the pool house. It only takes thirty seconds to pick the lock, and then we’re racing across the living room and up the stairs.

My first easy breath comes when we’re tucked away in the attic space. Whether we leave this place alive or not hinges on a lot; all of it out of my control. I’ve never been a gambling man, but I’m playing a long shot here. I assume Cruz will have to use the pool house in the morning since it’s the only structure behind the ceremony setup. If I’m wrong, Marisol and I are both screwed.

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