Upon reaching the gate, Bennett and Ruby vaulted over it in unison, landing on the asphalt on the other side without making a sound. In the distance was the house, and lights shone in every window as if announcing the home’s existence to all who were curious.

“He’s definitely not trying to hide,” Ruby muttered.

“No, he’s not.”

“Well, let’s see what we have,” Ruby said, pulling something from her pocket. Holding the slender monocular to her eye, Ruby adjusted the eyepiece, and taking her time, well over a minute passed before she put it away. “There are two stationed on both the east and west corners and four by the door.” When Bennett didn’t respond, Ruby turned and saw Bennett gawking back at her. “It’s how I used to watch you in Europe when you went to and from your galleries.”

“Let me guess. You thought it would come in handy?”

“A girl’s gotta be prepared,” Ruby said, looking toward the house. “Now what?”

“We can’t very well walk up the drive. How many darts do your guns have?”

“Two each, and because they’re silent, they only shoot about fifteen yards, so we’ll need to be close.”

“Okay, that means we’ll have to cut through the trees and take out the corners first. You go west. I’ll go east. Wait for my text, and we’ll attack the front together. And take your time. We can’t risk them hearing us approach.”

With nothing more to be said, Ruby ducked into the woods on the left side of the road while Bennett did the same on the right. Taking great care with every step they took, the hike to the house was painfully slow and beautifully silent. Dead leaves covered in frost were stepped on lightly, the crunch of their demise happening so slowly that not once did those protecting the house look toward a sound, for there was none to be heard.

When Bennett reached the edge of the trees, she crouched down for a moment, peeking through the underbrush at the men slouching at the corner of the house. Tickled by what she was seeing, Bennett had to bite her lip, for while they both had swords nestled in their scabbards, they were enjoying a conversation instead of paying attention to their surroundings. After sending a quick text, Bennett stood up, and pulling the gun from her waistband, she took a deep breath and held it. Firing off two quick rounds, a split-second later, the men were slapping their necks, and a second after that, they fell to the ground.

Still wary of the guards near the entrance, Bennett stuck to the tree line until she reached the tranquilized guards, and after assuring that they’d never wake up again, she opened her phone and sent one text. “Done. You?”