Page 89 of Sinful Beauty

“If he’s willing to sell them out, they must not be that formidable.”

“I had the same thought. But maybe of all the irons in the fire, he offered Lucia’s location because it’s a live case and he had the most negotiating leverage on that one. Anyway, I just texted you an address. You’re to go there and meet up with your back-up team.”

“You’re sending our men out here? Did you notify the local authorities?”

“No. The men you’re meeting up with are private. Arrow.”

“Right. Jack Sullivan’s team.”

“The location I sent you is a five-minute walk from the estate line.”

“How’d Jack get the men together so quickly?”

“Apparently he keeps a small army of contractors at the ready around the world.”

“Nice gig if you never get called in to work.”

“I’m prepping some of ours too, but we’re not notifying the local authorities or making any moves. Since we have a private team, might as well let them go in first. Getting approval to move into an estate without an owner would be time consuming. This is faster.”

“No complaints here.”

“When you meet up with the men, ask for Ryan. I’ll be awaiting your report.”

Three minutes later, and the navigation guides me onto a winding road into the mountain cover. There’s a small cabin up ahead and two SUVs are parked in front. The back of an SUV is open, and three men are standing behind it.

Three men brandish weapons. I roll down the window as I slow the vehicle, on the ready to accelerate.

“Ryan?” I call.

“Right here.” A tall man with salt and pepper hair approaches the vehicle. The others turn their attention to the back of the vehicle. “Tristan?”

I confirm with a nod and he extends a hand. “Ryan Wolfgang. I’m one of Arrow’s partners. Happened to be on vacation in Lake Como when Jack called. Why don’t you park and I’ll take you through where we’re at?”

Intrigued, I do as he suggests, and he rounds my vehicle as I get out of my car. “I’ve got two men roaming the property. We have a drone, but with the dense forest, it’s not as useful. There’s an open area around a historical building. If we’re at the right place, they’re holding the girl somewhere in the building. Looks almost like a storybook castle.”

He extends his phone to me. Puzzled, I take it from him.

“That photo was taken with a long range lens. See the shadow by the window?”

The first image is of a chateau, probably fifteenth century. The building has been renovated and maintained. There’s a tower on one side, and in the zoomed in image of one narrow window pane deep set into the stone, the glass is broken.

“I see the shadow.” The clarity of the image is low. The shadow could be a play of light.

“Someone’s standing there.” Ryan says. “We can’t be sure if it’s her or someone keeping guard. But, other than that person near the window, there’s no sign of security on the premise.”

“You’re trusting the intel?”

“If you’re asking me how reliable I think the intel from a hired assassin is, let’s leave it at a need to be cautious. The absence of security has me on edge. Might be a setup.”

“No guarantees.” I study the shadow in the window.

“Exactly. If my men get caught, we’ve agreed on a cover as tourists in the area. They’ll come across like looters.”

“Are you all tourists?”

“No. Mix of former British SAS and French GIGN.” I can’t make out any details in the shadow and pass the mobile back to him. “We’ll use this cabin as a base. We’re placing cameras around the perimeter and closer up to the house. Or castle, whatever you call it.”

“Someone’s chalet,” I say. In this area of the alps, I’d expect the interior has been renovated countless times.

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