Shane, Ashley, and Alex entered the building around the corner from where their SUV was parked, away from the entrance closest to the Subaru. Alex made short work of the lock and Shane was impressed. He planned to expand his current skillset from explosives and breachers to include lock picks and add a little subtlety for those occasions when stealth was paramount.

Presumably Ethan Grice had similar locksmith skills. The alarm inside the school was also disarmed. Shane eased open the door a crack before checking for explosives using a small, red-beamed flashlight.

“Clear,” he murmured quietly. “You two head that way and cover the south and east exits. I’ll take the west.” Which Shane figured was closest to EG’s vehicle. They took off at a quiet jog through the darkened corridors while Shane headed in the opposite direction. A fire exit sign gave off enough of a glow that he could easily make his way without the NVGs. The gym was in the middle of the building with the north wall abutting the playing field.

Shane moved silently along the corridors and forced himself not to think of Yael walking these same halls the day her brother had sacrificed his humanity and condemned his sister to a lifetime of pain. He loved his family but if any one of them pulled a stunt like that, he’d put a bullet in them himself.

A scream rang down the hallway and ice sped along his veins. He had no doubt they were in the right place this time. He forced the need to hurry out of his mind. He couldn’t afford to rush. He worked his way through the maze of school passageways until he found the gym.

Another soul-chilling scream of pain pierced the air.

At the doorway to the gymnasium, he paused and texted Sloan an update. Presumably she’d roust the troops now they had a confirmed location.

Laura screamed again and the sound stabbed into his spine like nine-inch nails.

Fuck that asshole.

EG had covered the glass of the doorway with sheets, but lights were visible inside. The smell of gasoline made Shane pause.

He pressed his comms and said in barely a whisper, “You guys smell gas?”

“Yep,” Ashley answered.

“Any visual on EG?” he murmured.

“Negative. He’s nailed sheets to the doors,” said Ashley.

“Negative.” Alex.

“Fuck.”

“I’ll check the locker rooms entrances,” Alex said. “There’s no way this guy doesn’t have an escape route mapped out.”

Shane texted Sloan again, this time to have cops secure the perimeter and have fire trucks on standby and to have everyone approach without sirens.

“EG looks like he heard something,” Yael’s voice warned through his earpiece. “He’s stopped doing what he was doing and walked to near the camera. Want me to cut the power now?”