Page 71 of Operation Heartbeat

“Send a drone in for a closer look.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sophie turn her head and look at them, taking in their discussion.

He met her gaze for a beat before turning to another man. “Chickie, we need a drone.”

“On it, boss.”

“We don’t have much time left. Deniz’s deadline is soon.” He returned to his call. The CIA provided more intel they required about the organization and what crimes they’d been connected to. Moments later, they had approval from their commanding officer to go forward.

Con moved around the group, checking in on their progress. When he reached Sophie, he hovered over her shoulder, watching her work.

She was testing letters and numbers to decipher the latest cryptogram. The way she worked was a reflection of her mind asshe quickly pieced together things and then discarded them to begin again.

“Drone at the ready, Con.” Henner’s voice made him straighten away from Sophie.

Con took stock of the maps. As he fired off coordinates, Henner sent in the drone. Everyone stopped to watch the big screen.

The drone swept across several city streets, headed toward the compound. The landscape was filled with the bustle of the dock in the distance, but directly beneath the drone was an eerie stillness that had everyone in the room going silent.

Just then, an armed guard walked out of the stone building and strolled at a leisurely pace toward the gate. Another guard made an appearance and joined him. They stood talking for a minute, rifles resting on their shoulders, unaware of the drone overhead watching them.

“Move in,” Con ordered Henner.

“On it.” With a few clicks, he hovered closer to the building and switched on the infrared. Blotches of colors that represented heat signatures popped up on the screen.

Con stared at the cluster of people in one part of the building’s interior. Then something else caught his eye. “What’s this?” He pointed to a single small blotch in another corner.

“Moving closer.” Their view of the western corner sharpened, revealing barred windows. Behind it, the single small heat signature stood. Alone.

“I think that’s her. Deniz’s wife.”

Sophie leaped out of her seat and ran over, pushing her way close to Con. She wrapped her arms around herself the same way he imagined Deniz’s kidnapped wife must be doing.

“The walls are twice as thick here as the ones on the other side of the building. They definitely don’t want anybody getting through them,” Con noted.

Henner grinned at his statement. “I can get through anything.” As breacher for the Charlie team, he wasn’t exaggerating.

It was time. He shifted his gaze from the screen to Sophie when he gave the order. “Team One—get to the dock. Now!”

Six men scattered so fast that Sophie gripped Con’s shoulder as if to steady herself.

“Time to shine, Team Two. Let’s go!” He jerked to his feet and turned to Sophie. “You’re coming with us.”

She shook her head. “I can’t go! I’m not trained.”

“You can’t stay here without protection. As of right now, it’s only a surveillance mission.”

Not yet. Even if they saw that Deniz’s wife was being held in that building and he made the call to go in after her, one of the Blackout team could guard Sophie.

She clutched his hand, and with all the trust in the world, let him lead her out of the safe house into the shadows.

* * * * *

Sophie’s stomach pitched as she watched Con adjust the binoculars he held firmly to his eyes. The breeze coming off the sea blew warmly at her back, carrying the scent of wrack and loads of spices that sat on the dock awaiting shipment.

“Anything?” she whispered to Con.

He shook his head. “No.”

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