Page 120 of Sweet Little Spies

Aidan watched as the van drove by.

“That’s it.” Adam closed his laptop and pulled the pistolfrom his holster, checking it. “They have to be in there. Let’s go.”

Ian held out a hand. “Not yet.”

“It’ll be easier to take them out as they’re transportingTristan and Zach from the van than when they get them securely in the house,”Adam argued.

But Aidan knew what Ian’s point was. “We tip them off andthey either kill the women or move them.”

“The doc’s right,” Parker agreed even as he was alsochecking the arsenal he carried. “There are numerous ways in and out of thatplace. We can’t cover all of them. I would wait for my team, but we don’t havetime. Manny is hurting the women. It’s what he does. If we wait too long, he’llkill them, and we’ll be getting body parts delivered for the next ten years.”

“You’re a fucking delight, Parker,” Ian said with a huff.“So we wait until they’re all inside and then Lou loops the security cams. Youhave that ready?”

Lou nodded. “Yes. But it means I can’t see anything. I don’thave time to send the real footage to my system while the server inside has theloop going.”

“It’s okay,” Ian promised. “We’ll get it done no matterwhat. I want you to monitor local authorities and let me know if they get anycalls. Do you have anything right now?”

“I have Huisman walking up the stairs. He went to the secondfloor, but I lost him there. There aren’t security cameras outside of the hallsand shared spaces.” Lou’s eyes never left the screen.

TJ was maneuvering in the back, pulling a long-sleeve blackshirt over his head. “Are we planning on walking down the street carryingrifles? I mean we kind of look like a military team. It could freak out theneighbors, you know.”

Parker had explained they shouldn’t call the police. Huismanowned too many people in the government. According to Parker, CSIS was draggingits feet about everything when it came to Huisman.

Aidan had overheard Ian and Adam discussing the fact thatthey believed CSIS’s excuses were just that. The Canadians didn’t want to upsetHuisman until someone had incontrovertible proof.

They were doing CSIS’s dirty work.

Aidan did not care. All he wanted was to have Carys safe andsound and in his arms. He wanted to know Tristan was all right, and they couldall be together again.

He wouldn’t be able to breathe until they were togetheragain.

“I’ve got confirmation Zach and Tristan are alive andconscious,” Lou said, her voice tight. “They were in the van, and they’re beingtaken into the house through the garage right now.”

“All right.” Ian started the engine. “We’re going in theback to avoid the whole freak-out-the neighbors thing. Follow Parker’s lead.Retrieving our people is the mission. Am I understood? If someone has a chanceat taking out Huisman, take it, but not at the risk of our people.”

Aidan’s everything was in that house. He agreed with Ian.

“You have your mission and I have mine,” Parker said, astoic expression on his face.

“You go your own way, Parker, and don’t expect us to saveyou if you get in trouble.” Ian eased off the brakes and maneuvered the vandown the road. These houses were all massive, with huge yards and wallssurrounding the estates.

“I don’t expect you to save me at all, sir,” Parkeradmitted. “You deal with your people, and I’ll handle Manny.” He turned toCooper, who had been damn-near silent all night long. He’d flown the plane andkept to himself, speaking only when required to. “You’ll find her?”

Cooper’s hands tightened on his rifle. “I’ll find her.”

Parker sat back, huffing a breath. “All right. Does anyonehave any questions about the layout of the house? After Manny’s father waskilled, his grandfather closed the place up. I think it’s roughly the same asit was when Manny was a child.”

“We all studied the blueprints on the flight,” Adam replied.“Ian and I will go in via the servants’ entrance on the west wall. That shouldlead us through the kitchen and into the great rooms. Cooper and TJ are goingto cut out the window in the study and enter through there. The hallway willalso lead them to the great rooms but from the opposite side. We quietly takeout anyone in our way. Parker…”

“I’m going in through the roof. There’s access to the atticon the eastern side of the house,” Parker explained.

“And if it’s locked?” Ian asked, turning the corner to roundthe block so they had access to the back of the estate through the alley thatran behind it.

“I’ll get through it.” Parker seemed supremely sure of hisabilities.

Aidan wished he was. “I think I should go with Ian and Adam.I’ll stay behind you.”

The van stopped, and Ian turned off the engine. “It’s betterif you don’t. I promise I’ll give Lou the go-ahead for you both to come in assoon as possible, but I can’t watch over you properly.”

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