She already had the folding knife Papá had given her. Because she was smart and careful and responsible.

He’d probably take her knife away now.

“My Hawk. No, no, no.” Kit’s hands on the rifle trembled, and she pulled in a breath. The small attic room was filled with the acrid, smoky stench of gunpowder. “I’ll kill Nabera.”

As if she could. Her shooting wasn’t exactly accurate.

“Too far away,” came Sarah’s whisper.

Kit gritted her teeth. Sarah was right.

The white van was past Gabe’s house at the other end of the semicircle on the road coming in. It was almost to the forest, but not quite. The captain must have been the last to arrive.

He was too far away to shoot. Probably too far for anyone except Hawk, who supposedly could hit anything he could see in a scope. The captain hadn’t come close to the houses—he wouldn’t take the same risks as his troops.

Nabera had Hawk. And Frankie. The knowledge was so painful she set the rifle down.

Four of the PZs ran from the SUVs toward the white van. She closed her eyes in despair. With the location of Frankie and Hawk known, Nabera would set guards there.

Damn him.

In her headset, she heard Gabe, Caz, and Bull talking.

“I’ll tell Nabera I want to meet him outside to discuss the exchange,” Bull said. “I can agree, then stall by working out precautions for the exchange.”

Gabe said, “Tell him to work out a way that no one knows we turned the women over. He’d understand your reasoning.”

“If you keep his attention, I can try to get Hawk and Frankie loose. But there isn’t much cover.” Caz sounded worried. “And not enough time to go slow. I’ll have to take out those four guards too.”

Gabe said, “Even if they don’t see the guards drop, Hawk and Frankie will be seen when you try to leave. If they can even move.”

Kit stiffened. How badly might Hawk and Frankie have been hurt?

The captain—of course, he’d hurt them.

We have to get Hawk and Frankie away from him.

“Nabera will expect us to try something; he’ll be watching,” Bull agreed. “I’ll try to keep his attention, but—”

“I’ll set up somewhere in the brush where I can take out Nabera or the guards on the van, if needed.” Gabe made a growling sound. “This is a forlorn hope, guys.”

A forlorn hope. Hawk’s westerns had told her the term meant a suicidal assault. A bunch of men sent right into the kill zone.

Kit scrubbed her damp palms over her face.

Even though Caz was completely silent in the forest, he couldn’t hide when there wasn’t any cover. Especially if Nabera was suspicious. And if their captain was watching, the guards would be especially attentive too.