Page 82 of One Knight Stand

I blew out a nervous breath. “I’m not sure about anything right now. But I’m worried, and I need to know she’s in there and alive.”

“Well, in this case, I agree with Jax that you’re making a good call. Intelligence collection is fair game. I’ll stay here and continue to monitor the cell phones to make sure Sampson and Remington don’t try to communicate with each other. If you find something out from the house, relay it back to me so I’ll be in a better position to respond and manipulate their conversations if they reach out to each other. Plus, I’ll act as the welcome team once the FBI arrives.”

I put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him gratefully. “Thanks, Wally. For everything.”

“Anytime.”

I climbed out the car and saw the team waiting, equipment bags slung over their shoulders. I took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s break into teams. Bo, Hala, and Mike, you head up one team and take the front of the house. Stay in the trees and keep quiet. Jax and I will take the back of the house and do the same. Kira, you stay with Wally in the car and coordinate our communications. Wally is continuing to run the MITM mission and is keeping an eye on Remington’s and Sampson’s exchanges. Frankie, you’re our lookout. We’ll use the same communication setup we had for the Target run, so get your cell phones and earbuds ready. I know it’s dark, but we can’t risk using flashlights. It’s moonlight only, and unfortunately, there’s not a lot of it. This will make it especially dangerous in terms of making noise, so be as careful as you can while walking.”

Not a single person argued or complained. Everyone simply took out their equipment and phones and got to work. Mike slung the sonic cannon over his shoulder, and Bo took the laser mic. Jax took the other laser mic for us, and I was grateful. It was going to be hard enough for me to walk in the dark as it was. Kira ran us through a quick series of communication checks to make sure everything was in order before we headed out.

Jax put a hand under my elbow as we stepped into the woods, steadying me. “Thanks for choosing me this time, Red.”

“You made the most operational sense,” I said. “Mike and I know how to use the laser mics the best, and you and Bo are the strongest, so it’s easier for you to carry it.”

“True, but you could have chosen Bo.”

I smiled. “I guess I could have.”

He gave my elbow a quick squeeze, and we fell silent after that, making our way at an agonizingly careful pace through the woods. Jax kept his hand on my elbow the entire time to steady me. I appreciated it, because at least three times I almost tripped over roots and branches. Fortunately, there were only trees, low bushes, and fallen branches to navigate, not a lot of dense brush. Still, the ground was uneven, and a lot of unseen branches whipped in our faces. Jax, who was well aware of my lack of athletic ability, stayed by my side the entire time, his calm presence helping to settle my jangling nerves.

As we passed the front of the house, we spotted Sampson’s car parked out front. He was definitely inside. When we got to the back of the house, Jax stopped and lowered his hand from my elbow. I missed it immediately. The night felt colder without his touch. Yet, despite the cold November wind, sweat trickled down my back beneath my shirt, sweater, and coat.

“This is a good spot,” he murmured into my ear, and I nodded.

We’d reached the back of the house near a small opening in the overgrown bushes that looped around the backyard. The house was dark from our viewpoint. No light came from any of the rooms at the back of the house. The yard was overgrown with weeds, and I saw nothing except the dark outline of what were probably outdoor cellar doors.

Jax tapped something on his phone, then stuck it in his pocket. “In position,” he murmured to the team. He took the bag off his shoulder and unzipped it, kneeling to pull out the laser mic.

I took off my gloves and quickly assembled it. Jax helped me hold it while I adjusted the settings and moved it around to see if I could hear anyone talking.

Nada. I heard nothing.

“We’re in position in the front,” I heard Bo say in my ear. “We’ve got light and sound from the front left room, possibly the living room.”

My heart jumped at the news. Could he hear my mom?

“Copy that.” Kira’s steady voice came through. “Can you make anything out in terms of conversation, or do you hear a woman’s voice?”

“Not yet,” Mike replied. “I’m still working on it.”

“I’ve got zip from the back,” I offered.

I fiddled more with my mic but couldn’t hear any voices. Apparently the occupants were only in the front of the house. I handed the headphones over to Jax, but he couldn’t hear anything, either.

“Wait. I’ve got something,” Mike said excitedly. “Voices. I definitely hear voices, but one of them sounds weird, almost like a robot is talking. The other one sounds normal, but it’s not Sampson. No woman’s voice yet.”

Robots? Something niggled at the back of my mind. Robots. Why would someone sound like a robot? Suddenly, I had it. “Mike, could that robotic sound be a voice modulator? Maybe Sampson is trying to disguise his voice.”

“Could be,” Mike said. “Good thinking, Angel.”

“Hang on, I’m getting more,” Mike said. “Robot Voice said they were to await instructions from the boss before proceeding any further. The other guy, the one with the regular voice, is mocking Robot Voice for wearing a stupid mask and voice box. You nailed it, Angel. It’s a voice modulator.” He was quiet for a minute and then continued. “Robot Voice, who I agree is Sampson, said he isn’t in the business of taking chances with anyone. The other guy asked why the woman was still alive, then.”

My heart jumped to my heart and lodged there. “She’s alive?” I asked. “Is she there?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t heard her, but I think she’s in there,” Mike replied. “Sampson said she didn’t know anything and hadn’t seen either of them, so they could let her go and she’d be clueless about why or who had kidnapped her. Then the other guy said…” He let the sentence trail off.

“Said what?” I prompted.

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