Page 103 of S.O.S. Billboard

“Then we’re going in?” he questioned Del, itching to get moving. Every minute O’Shea was in that house was another minute where they might be doing unspeakable things to her.

“Prez?” Del asked their other man who was already on the scene.

“Lights are on inside the office at the back. Jakes is sitting behind his big-assed desk, glaring at the safe, but I’m not seeing anyone else.”

“Then let’s get him while he’s not expecting company,” Del confirmed. “The windows are…”

“Plentiful,” Sarge confirmed before Del could bring up the schematic on his phone. “At least six, all nearly floor to ceiling.”

Del grunted. “Good. We should be able to use those.” He turned to his guys. “Let’s go.” They all began skulking through the sparse woods.

“The first thing we do once we enter,” Del told them quietly, “is to barricade any inside doors to the office. If Jakes has even just those two guys on premise, they won’t be able to get in to help him.”

That was fine with Billboard. They’d expected Jakes to have a lot of security, but if all he had were the two who’d taken O’Shea? Even better.

“Okay. We’re headed your way,” Del confirmed to Sarge and Prez.

Finally…finally, they were on the move.

“Daire? Brent?” the boss asked. “You have everything we need?”

The pair had climbing ropes looped over their shoulders, as well as large duffels, so the question was clearly moot.

“Harnesses, rappelling devices, and friction hitches for four,” Daire confirmed, patting Brent’s pack.

Del turned to regard Billboard. “You and Wiley join Daire and Brent on the roof and when I give the order, I want a dramatic entrance.”

“You got it,” Wiley answered excitedly.

Billboard would normally be pumped, too,ifhe weren’t so worried about what was happening with O’Shea. As it was, ittook everything in him to tamp down his concern so he could do his job.

Silently, the four split off and moved to a darkened portion of the house where a convenient tree butted up against it. They all climbed swiftly and silently. From the tree, it was an easy, soft leap to the roof, where they hunkered low and made their way to the back of the mansion where Sarge had indicated.

Brent put down his pack and extracted four harnesses, which they all donned without trouble. They were very familiar with the equipment, all of them having used it not only in the service, but on numerous rescue operations thereafter.

Daire opened his duffel and took out more goodies.

Moving steadily but stealthily, he secured the ropes they had to various points with roof anchors, which he somehow managed to do with a minimum of noise. Once that was accomplished, each one of them clipped on and clipped in.

“Ready to roll,” Billboard acknowledged to Del via his earpiece.

“We’re in position, as well,” Del confirmed. “On my go.”

Billboard sucked in a breath.

“Three, two, one…go, go, go.”

Billboard and his three companions backed out over the lip of the roof, and with a healthy kick on the soffit, sent themselves swinging away from the building. With synchronized precision—because they’d been together for so long—their downward trajectory halted at exactly the same height, then feet first, they crashed through four different windows.

Before they could even begin to unclip, Del, Prez, Perk, and Sarge had vaulted in over the sill behind them, and were already headed for two egresses in the room, throwing bolt-locks that, luckily, Jakes had installed.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Jakes blustered, rising to his feet looking equal parts outraged and scared shitless.

“Where’s O’Shea?” Billboard snarled, stalking toward the man with dangerous intent in his eyes.

“Billboard,” Del warned with just the one word.

Billboard glowered, but stopped just short of his prey.

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