Page 65 of North (The Moral Compass 2)

All I’ve heard up to now is a woman singing. Badly, may I add. She’s been clanking some glasses, but that’s about it. I could hear footsteps moving around, and as far as I can tell, she is alone. It sounds like she has gone into the main bedroom.

East yells that his tracker has gone green which tells me he’s in the suite but also, he’s now on audio with the team downstairs.

It’s a good five minutes of North shouting and threatening to leave if they don’t show and then finishing his drink.

It’s only then that things go wrong. When I say wrong, I mean horribly wrong. North is out for the count. He doesn’t say the safe word, so the team downstairs won’t move in, but he knows something is wrong because he leaves a message to tell Kara he loves her. Why the fuck did he not just fucking call for help? Typical North.

“South, get Zed on the phone and fucking tell him ‘Jasper.’ I can’t leave this call.” East and Kara both look at me with eyes so wide I can’t even look at them, so I leave the room.

“West, North is on the move!” East yells.

“He can’t be!” I run across to the screen where East and Kara have been watching.

She was right. His tracker is going down in the elevator, and a minute later, he is leaving the hotel… through the kitchen.

“East, call his driver and have him follow the next vehicle that leaves the back of the hotel.”

We stand in silence and watch as the tracker stops in the car park at the back of the hotel. It’s still green and still flashing, so it hasn’t been switched off.

The driver calls East back and says there are no vehicles in the car park, and no one has left.

“He must be in the car park!” Kara yells. “Get someone to fucking help him!” she screams.

I have been listening to the audio, and I have not heard any huffing and puffing of someone trying to move him. He is a big guy, not quite as tall as me but still a good 250 pounds of solid muscle. He wouldn’t be moved easily.

Then, it hits me. It’s not him that’s moved. It’s his clothes.

I switch back and listen to the audio in the suite, and that’s when I hear that woman singing again. She’s singing to someone, calling them baby.

Oh shit!

“South, tell Zed to get the crew into that suite now. I don’t care how they do it, but they need to get in there, now!”

“What the fuck is going on West?” Kara yells in my face.

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, we will get him out. So, calm the fuck down.” I’m trying so hard not to shout back, but she is really pissing me off.

“Zed’s not answering.” South looks at me, worry all over his face.

“Ring the hotel and tell Paul to get hotel security into that suite now and for them not to leave or let anyone go until I get there, no matter what they are told.” I grab my keys and run straight out of the door.

Chapter 45

Zed

Thisstinksofshit.North should not be going into this alone, but there is no other option. I’ve put two people acting like a couple inside the hotel, but it’s not enough. I don’t have many people I can call on and get in place at the drop of a hat, so this will have to do. Most of our team is here with me.

Everything is in place, and I’m listening in to the audio as North is wandering around. It’s a beautiful morning as the sun has just come up over the horizon here in Mexico. At first, I think I’m imagining it when I see a flash from out at sea and then another one from the cove down below.

Shit.

When Xander gave the message of 7:00 on Thursday, I assumed it would be 7:00 p.m. when it was dark, not 7:00 a.m. They must have had a tip-off something was up and moved up their timeline.

I wake up the team silently as the yacht comes closer into view. I look through my rifle sights to see at least six men all kitted out with rifles. We need to stay low. If I’ve spotted them, they could easily spot us.

We need to wait until they get closer to be sure what we are dealing with.

The yacht comes closer to the shoreline. I signal to Sam, one of my trusted guys, to go. He used to be a Navy SEAL, and he’s the best swimmer I have ever known.

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