Page 74 of Drift

Ah. Light eased back and followed the look. Someone was still here.

A knock came at the patio door, and where Light tensed, Ray moved over and handled the lock. “Simon,” he mouthed back over to Gray, and Gray gave the nod. Simon was still main security with Ray, so Ray would have given the summerhouse a brief reprieve over lockdown.

Light got to his feet as Simon came in. He wore his suit, and looked the most… out of place, even with Ray in his suit. Simon’s look showed it: always the last invited to a family meeting.

“Clear external perimeter,” Ray said to him, and Light went over and rubbed at Simon’s arm.

“Interior’s the target. It’ll be breached soon.” Simon flicked Light a look. “You all right?”

Light nodded a little. “Cold.” He wasn’t lying. “Tired.” He meant that too, missing the summerhouse and its darkness surrounding their bed with Simon in it more than he wanted to admit.

Simon eased his jacket off and wrapped it around Light’s shoulders as he kept his annoyed look on Ray. Light smiled briefly down to his feet, the small offer mixing stunningchemistry inside. Yeah, at moments like these, he felt it. “We’ll take the upper floors,” said Simon.

Gray nodded. Light saw why. If they were facing a third kid, maybe youth was the best to face it. Light was the best to face it, although he’d long since passed his teens.

“Check in with George for me too,” added Gray.

Light nodded as Ray tapped his ear. “Don’t lose comm either,” Ray said Simon’s way.

“We’ll know if there’s trouble.”

Light gave a small snort Gray’s way. “Still no invention of the wheel to help us get around this place quickly, then?”

Gray buried a smile or tried to at least. “Just play it careful, both of you.” He turned so serious. “Get me that third kid.”

Chapter 22

DRIFT… MEET JUDE

Upper arms took most of Drift’s weight as he eased himself down onto the landing before he slipped behind a white column. He’d taken out one camera with his laser pointer, but there was no way he could risk anymore without getting caught. But he wasn’t exactly here to… steal anything, not tonight, just… answer a call the only way he knew how, but he knew homeowners like this wouldn’t give a damn over the whys.

The staircase below split into two on the way up to him, one route rounding his way into the west, then the other curved off to the east to where voices echoed. That left either downstairs or behind him to rummage through. The voices opposite offered too much light, and the shadows behind waved him back into safety. People mostly relaxed more on security as they moved upstairs as they checked downstairs first, which should, in theory, leave easier access to personal space up here on the west side for a while. And it was personal space he wanted to get a look at. Making a call didn’t mean replying if he didn’t need to. He just wanted to see who was on the other end of the phone.

Keeping a brief watch on the stairs opposite, he backed up and touch-felt his way along the wall. He brushed a lot of wood, then grooves of thick oak before he finally found a doorhandle.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he slipped inside and quickly closed the door, wincing at the click it gave.

Space played around him, and huge arched windows stared his way as he looked over his shoulder. He couldn’t see much beyond the moonlight streaking floor, but from how space played lover with more space, he took a guess at a hall in here.

A red light winked at him from a corner, and… fuck. He aimed the laser pointer at the sensor and held it there for a few moments. His heart started to beat less fast as the sensor’s light quickened, only it flashed far faster than normal, almost as if—

Christ.

Gut instinct had been right. These bastards were really kitted out, where it seemed even the security cameras came with installed laser detection devices. The heart-pounding speed off that one there was warning the watchers they had company.

He frowned.

Double-tap.

If they had detection devices installed, then Drift bet they had image-enhancing tech that would unscramble any damage done by a laser pointer, and that meant—West. She’d taken her mask off back by the fence. They’d have her on file.

Heart pounding harder, Drift tugged off his own mask and tucked it into the back of his compression pants for one reason only. Someone would be along soon enough, and he was locked into this whether he wanted it or not. But rather they work with what image he offered rather than West. They had just better be damn quick under foot to catch him, because most security would pile in on the room where the unwanted guest was, whichmeant he’d skirt around enough of them and be able to make it to clearer running ground.

But they certainly didn’t seem in a rush to get to him if they knew he was in here.

Drift stayed in the hall, getting a feel for it. Flooring creaked underfoot, and he buried a groan at how it loved crying out assault. He really needed quiet before security decided to stop playing perv.

Keeping to the walls to stop the flooring help out and cryThis way, lads, sewer rat’s inhere, he kept it slow as he made his way away from the windows. Empty halls in big joints meant music, and one thing he damn well knew was music, the subtle story it told. Most kept access to music systems and instruments away from natural light in halls like this, and he found what he was after a moment later.

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