Page 12 of One Last Chance
“We need a drone,” Skye said.
Edge grinned. “Exactly. Let’s take a look around, get as much intel as we can, and head back to the motel. We’ll call Trace, have him bring everything we need.”
Skye nodded.
Edge made a motion with his hand, telling Skye to go left while he went right, then flashed all ten fingers, indicating a ten-minute timeline in which to survey the area, circle around and meet up back where they’d started.
As he watched Skye slip into the darkness, the muscles tightened across his shoulders. He knew how capable she was—they’d faced some tough conditions in Mexico. Still, he didn’t like sending her out by herself with an unknown number of hostiles and so little intel.
He reminded himself to trust her, let her do what she was trained for; he took a deep breath and set off to see what he could learn.
As he moved through the darkness, he spotted two more men, both of them armed. There were two big metal Quonset buildings off to one side and another some distance away. He pulled the night-vision binoculars out of his pack and brought them into focus, saw what appeared to be two men guarding the building farthest away and had to figure they were both armed.
He wasn’t ready to risk exposure to find out what was inside the structure. Tonight he was more interested in getting a layout of the compound.
Careful to stay out of sight, he pressed as far ahead as he dared, then began making his way back to the rendezvous point. He had almost reached his destination when a shadowy figure appeared in the darkness.
The outline of a slender shape and long flowing skirt said it was a woman. Carrying a small satchel, she crouched low to the ground and continued making her way toward the fence. Edge moved silently up behind her, easing closer, until he was just inches away. When she rose, he clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her back against him.
“Take it easy—I’m not going to hurt you.” He could feel her trembling, her terror so intense it turned every muscle in her body to stone. “I don’t work for Henson,” he said, low and soft. “I’m just here to help someone.”
A little sound escaped her throat. She was taller than average and reed-thin. When the clouds parted for a moment, he saw that she had lustrous black hair cut in a shoulder-length bob around a heart-shaped face with very nice features and pale blue eyes. There was a bruise on her cheek and one on her chin.
“I have a woman with me,” Edge said to reassure her. “She’ll be here any minute. You don’t have to be afraid.”
Some of the stiffness went out of her spine.
“If you promise not to scream, I’ll take my hand away.”
She nodded, and Edge moved his hand a few inches from her mouth. He noticed her bottom lip was puffy. “What are you doing out here?” he asked softly, easing his hold on her a little. “Are you meeting someone?”
She shook her head.
“Are you trying to escape? If you are, I can help you.”
Tears spilled onto her cheeks. “If they catch us, they’ll kill us.”
Edge’s jaw hardened. “They can try.”
Just then Skye appeared. “What’s going on?”
The woman’s knees went weak as she realized he had been telling her the truth.
His hold tightened to keep her upright. “Everything’s okay,” he said softly, setting her back on her feet. “This is Skye.”
“Hello. What’s your name?” Skye asked.
“Molly.” She fiercely clutched her satchel.
“It’s about time for the guards to make their rounds,” Edge warned. “As soon as they’re gone, we’ll leave.” He looked at Skye. “Molly’s going with us.”
Skye took one look at Molly’s battered face and immediately understood. She grabbed the woman’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Just do what Edge tells you and you’ll be okay.”
Edge pulled his Beretta, and they eased back behind the metal sheds to wait. The guards moved along the fences, meeting at the corner, talking for what seemed hours but was less than five minutes, then started back the way they had come.
“Let’s go.” Edge motioned for Skye to lead the way. Molly fell in behind her, and Edge followed, weapon in hand. As they made their way silently back toward the hole in the chain-link fence, he wondered how Molly had planned to get out of the compound.
They reached the opening behind the bush, and in minutes, they were on the other side, the fence back in place behind them. Skye dropped down into the ravine, and Molly followed. As Edge fell in behind them, he noticed the uneven rhythm of Skye’s footsteps as she made her way over the rough ground toward the car.
