Page 81 of One Way Out

A message from Ridge flashes on the screen, and I read it aloud as soon as I understand what I’m seeing.

Two sets of headlights. They cut them as soon as they turned onto the easement. Big vehicles. Gonna need some backup.

My eyes widen, and I toss the phone onto the counter. “Lock all the doors, except the patio, and get ready. It looks like the facility held a grudge, after all.”

Stomping over to the closet where we stowed all our gear, I pull out as much as I can carry and take it to the table.

Omen was right when he said the facility would attack at night if they intended to. It will give them cover, but it’ll provide us the same luxury. They likely believe we’re asleep. That they can get in and execute us without detection.

Unfortunately for them, that’s not how this is going to go down.

“Gear up,” I say as Omen and Valor jog back into the kitchen. They get to work without useless questions. I strap on a shoulder holster and shove two extra mags in each pocket. Depending on how many men are in each vehicle, we might have to ration and count our shots.

I clip myself into a thigh holster that has room for another gun and a slot for a tac knife sheath. It feels all but useless with the way it slides up and down as I walk. The material of the sweats does nothing to keep it in place. I haven’t even stowed my knife yet, and that’s only going to add additional weight.

I’m used to having pockets and compartments, but there’s no time to complain, and there are definitely no seconds to spare on running upstairs to change.

Fuck me.

I don’t even have time to warn Leo to be on alert in case we fail.

Nah, fuck that.

Failure isn’t an option.

Pulling out the bag of knives, I unzip it as I head back to the table. I grab the knife I used to kill Amato and drop it into the sheath on my thigh.

There’s no way we haven’t wasted sixty seconds just gearing up.

Possibly ninety.

I eye my phone.

It would take an extra thirty seconds to get to it, unlock it, and send the text. There’s no guarantee that would even wake either of them. They were done for—knocked completely out.

My eyes fly to Omen and Valor. They’re my teammates now, and it’s time I put a little faith in them.

I stride toward the glass door that leads to the deck. “Let’s do this.”

* * *

Ridge never mentioned a rendezvous location, but I already know I’ll find him by the fountain. He quirks an eyebrow when he spots me. “Well, this should be interesting.”

Yeah, I bet we do look like idiots.

Not a single one of us even has a shirt on.

“All right, two on each side of the house, watch the perimeter, and take them out as they approach?” Ridge suggests.

“Isn’t there a road back that way?” Valor asks, pointing to the guest cabin and beyond the copse of trees.

“Yeah, but it’s a hike,” Ridge says. “It’s better to focus on the verifiable threat.”

My head tilts.

Normally I might agree, but I really do not like the idea of the back door being unprotected. The two glass doors that lead to the deck are a major breach point.

I shake my head, jabbing a finger at Ridge. “You guard the deck. Leo doesn’t even know this shit is going down. If anyone gets past us, I’m counting on you to put them down.”

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