Page 102 of One Last Stand

Moose hovered the chopper. “Go.”

“Out the door,” Fraser said and turned. “Wait until we’re clear!”

Shep knew how to do this, thank you.

Fraser moved down to the chopper skid, York next to him, then suddenly they were zipping down the line, the rope moving through their descenders. Moose held them at a hover, the specialized rotors of his Airbus allowing him to pull in closer to the mountain.

The men landed, unhooked, and then deployed into the house.

Just like that.

Shep hooked into the line.

“I’m right behind you,” Axel said.

Shep turned and, just like Fraser, stepped out of the door, onto the skid, and then Boo was sending him down the line with the winch. Not quite as cool as the fast-roping, but it did the job, and his feet touched down on the stones of the balcony. He unhooked, then sent the line back up.

He didn’t wait for Axel.

Fraser and York hadn’t broken the windows, just pushed one open, and now he climbed inside too.

He entered a large room, a hearth on one side, a couple sofas, a carpet over the stone floor. Empty.

York stood near the chairs. “Blood over here.”

Yeah, Shep didn’t need to hear that.

Axel came in through the window.

York gestured to Fraser, and he took off down the hall.

“Stay behind us,” Fraser said, and followed.

“Hurry up,” Shep said, but hugged the wall until York gestured to him.

Fraser was already at a stairwell landing. “Up or down?”

“I’ll go down,” York said.

Fraser headed up, and Shep followed him. Axel went down with York.

A chill gathered on the next floor, emanating out of the brick floor and granite wall of the mountain. A series of closed doors ran down the hallway. Wooden and thick, with locks hanging from bulky hasps.

Fraser crept down the hall. He thumped on a door. “London?”

Nothing, and Shep went to the next one. “London! Are you in there?”

Down the hall, a voice. “Here!”

Shep ran toward it. Slammed his fist against the door. “London!”

A beat. “Shep?”

His knees nearly buckled.

“Stand back,” Fraser said. He’d pulled out a long metal lever, like a fireplace poker. He must have picked it up along the way. He put it into the lock and pried it open with a snap.

Shep shoved past him into the room.

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