“At the far end of the crawl space is a largeish octagon-shaped window that opens onto a widow’s walk. Once upon a time there was a wrought iron fire escape ladder that extended down, but it was removed as a hazard about fifteen years ago. The bolts for the old escape are still in the wall. An agile person could climb up using the bolts as handholds, open the window—which I doubt has a lock because it was an emergency escape—and slip inside the lodge. The hallway door is locked to keep guests from snooping and getting injured in the attic, but it’s probably the same key as the other utilitarian exterior doors. I bet my basement key could open it.” She pointed to an octagon that sat above Harriet’s name. “This isn’t a stop sign. It’s the shape of the window.”

Xavier stared at the drawing, disbelief peppered with excitement coursing through him. Was it possible George Shaw was inside the lodge, setting a trap for the mercs? It was clear from what they’d found in Jeb McCutcheon’s workshop that Shaw was exceedingly smart and capable. But damn, this note for Audrey was a level of cunning he’d never have dared to hope for.

Shaw had ensured that if anyone spotted him planting the message and intercepted it, it would be meaningless. And it said something about Audrey that George had trusted she’d zero in on their teatime spot.

Fucking brilliant.

Shaw must have slipped into soldier mode the moment he saw his friend murdered at the hands of mercenaries. His home territory was under attack, a friend and fellow vet killed. At some point, he saw Audrey’s vehicle, knew she was in danger too, and George went to work.

What had been McCutcheon’s role? Xavier was beginning to think that the man had shown up at the yurt to give warning. He might have stayed in the training zone so he could spy on the SEALs, but then he saw something that alarmed him enough to reach out to the people he distrusted most.

Xavier cleared his throat. They needed justice for McCutcheon. And he needed to get Audrey out of danger. “We need to find the SEAL team. Tell them we have an ally who might be inside with bombs planted in the library.”

“And the dining room,” she said, pointing to the lightbulbs by the name Bastian Ford.

“That’ll be risky. It’s on the same floor as the mercs and hostages.”

“But the other end of the lodge from the ballroom. As a point of surprise attack, it will leave the hostages out of it.”