Page 88 of Shadow Undercover

“He and his family are safe,” Nico said. “Jose has a second chance. What he makes of that opportunity is up to him. I think he understands how close he came to dying tonight.”

“Couldn’t miss after you explained things to him in blunt terms,” Ben said. “He’s lucky Trace answered Hugo’s ad. Another hitman would have pulled the trigger.”

Nico’s cell signaled. He checked the screen. “Phantom’s back.” He looked at Bridget. “You up to meeting with them?”

She nodded. “Maybe they have information on Ruth.”

“I hope the kitchen is still open.” Ben went to the breakfast bar and grabbed the menu for room service. “Anybody else want a sandwich?”

“Wait until the other team arrives,” Joe said. “They might want food.”

Bridget frowned. “How will Trace and I explain ordering enough food to feed a crowd when we’re supposed to be alone?”

Ben shrugged. “You’re ordering food for later. You prefer to be alone in your suite without having to go out for anything.”

A knock sounded on the door and Nico admitted Adam and his team. “Have a seat. We’re ordering from the room service menu. Do you want anything?”

“Thank goodness,” Jake said. “I’m starving. Veronica and Lily eat like birds.”

The women protested that blatant untruth, making the rest of the room’s occupants laugh. After making their selections, Trace called in the order. “Delivery in forty minutes,” he told the operatives.

“Let’s get started.” Nico snagged a chair from a nearby table and straddled it with his arms draped over the chair back. He told Phantom about Trace and Bridget’s encounter with Hugo and Jose’s near miss.

Veronica smiled at Bridget. “I knew you could handle Hugo and his friends.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you saw me crying all over Trace’s shirt as soon as we were inside the suite.”

The operative shared an intimate smile with her husband. “Our men are strong enough to handle a few tears. Besides, you held yourself together until letting go was safe. I’d call that a win for the good guys.”

Trace eyed Phantom’s leader. If Adam felt as feral when Vonnie cried as Trace had with Bridget, he could imagine the other man plotting revenge against anyone who caused his wife to shed tears. Bridget crying was an experience he didn’t want repeated.

“Hugo’s security?” Adam asked Trace.

He gave detailed descriptions of the guards’ locations and security measures inside the house. “Cameras were everywhere. No way to infiltrate unobserved.”

“Best plan?”

“Knock out the power. Can’t jam electronic transmissions without impacting our own communication. Depending on what the satellite images reveal, we may be able to infiltrate two locations at the same time.”

“They have to be the right locations,” Joe said. “We can’t afford to breach Hugo’s main residence and the wrong secondary location without jeopardizing Ruth’s life.”

“We also can’t forget the chlorine gas and missile.” Ben scowled. “As much as I want to save the woman, the weapon is our priority.”

Another knock sounded on the door.

Trace checked the peephole. “Food’s here.” He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. After tipping the bellhop, he pushed the large cart of food into the suite.

Phantom debriefed Shadow while the operatives ate. Trace urged Bridget to drink more as he listened to their report. “The security set up is the same at all four secondary residences?”

“Carbon copy,” Remy said. “We saw eight guards at the residence we were assigned. Blackout curtains at every window.”

“The guards were sloppy,” Lily added. “Well armed, but distracted and sleepy. Two were more interested in each other than in keeping an eye on the area. Remy and I could have taken all eight of them.”

“The rest of the residences had the same protection level?” Nico asked.

“The one I observed had bars on the windows,” Jake said.

“One of our residences also had bars,” Veronica said. “Perhaps Hugo keeps his most valuable collectibles in those two residences or with him in the main house.”

---