Page 241 of Bossy Hero

Take a look at that fucking stealth, Patterson. That’s how you fucking do it.

One by one, they slink onto the platform without making a sound. Henderson takes cover facing us, standing with his back to the wall under the stairwell. Aaron and Josh double up with us behind the chairs.

I gesture one finger in a sweeping arc between the detective and me. “We’re gonna take out the engine. As soon as we identify a clear path, you three need to find Katia and the baby so they don’t become hostages when SWAT gets here.”

Mia breaks in. “Boss, there should be a hatch on the wall near the staircase in front of you.”

Henderson gives me a thumbs up, verifying he sees it.

“Copy that, Mia.” I raise my brows at Detective Dumbass. “Did you get an ETA for SWAT?”

He shakes his head and slips his cell into his pocket. “Nothing yet.”

“Mia, do you know where SWAT is?”

“Sorry, Boss. The other op is going gangbusters again. They found more contraband on the cargo ship, along with Lenkov’s minions trying to deter them. Tomer and Klein are tied up with that mess. Nothing to panic about. I just don’t have the extra hands. I’ll ask Lettie and Sue to make some calls to find out.”

Shit.

I catch Henderson’s attention, motioning for him to open the door. “Is the hatch unlocked?”

He disappears under the stairwell briefly, then pops back up, waving me forward. “It’s open.”

Without delay, I grab Patterson by his vest, tugging him toward the hatch. He’s too much of a wild card to be left to his own devices. Aaron’s liable to shoot him in the leg to remove him from the equation.

Hold on now. Maybe I’m onto something.

Nah. I’ll just keep him with me.

I survey the tight space inside the open access panel. Aside from minimal safety lighting, there’s only a metal ladder running down one level. I listen closely, detecting only a much louder hum of the engine.

“Entering the hatch,” I announce in a hushed volume.

“I can see that on your chest cam, Boss. You don’t need to narrate everything. Unless you’re enjoying yourself, then by all means.”

“That one’s getting you added to the shit list,” I quip, allowing only that minuscule break from operator mode. Just a little something to break the tension.

I descend the ladder, careful to keep my contact with the metal rungs silent. Before my feet are exposed to the opening below, I pause to scan for hostiles. After removing a mirror on a telescopic pole from my tactical vest, I lower it into the opening beneath me and twist it in a circle.

Finding nobody lying in wait, I slip the collapsed tool back into my vest, lower myself to the bottom deck, and land softly on the balls of my feet. Patterson follows, attempting to be more discreet than he was earlier.

Attempting.

I’d blame his clunkiness on age, but he’s only got a few years on me.

“Bottom deck appears clear,” I inform my team.

Mia responds, “Although I could guide you, it’s probably easier to follow the sound of the engine. Shouldn’t be far.”

“Copy.”

Patterson and I advance quickly through a narrow corridor until it opens to a wider space. Our passageway intersects with another. After swiveling my head both ways, we cross swiftly.

Mia addresses the others, “Team, be advised: Boss just found a crew passage running perpendicular to his route. From where the ladder dumps, it’s about eight feet forward. Might be a viable route to help you move undetected throughout more of the ship. Stand by.”

“Roger that,” Aaron returns. “We don’t have any good options up here. Topside is crawling with tangos.”

The door to the engine room is on my right. Moving in close, I peek through a cutout window. I signal Patterson with one raised finger, indicating one person inside. He tightens his grip on his sidearm and tips his chin toward the door.

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