Zack tried to soften his footfalls and prevent his weapon and gear from snagging on the surrounding branches even though the wind masked his movements. He found himself less than fifteen feet from the edge of the woods, the picture clearing with each step forward. He paused for a moment, less than five feet from the tree line, and waited with a clear line of sight to the pavilion, the vans, and the remainder of Griffin’s assault force.

Three gunmen stood on the pavilion, M4s pointed at his neighbors, who’d been forced into a small section along the back of the pavilion. Another two enemy combatants were between the vans, which were still parked on the hub at the mouth of each street. They die first—they’re the closest. And just north of the pavilion stood Griffin Huntsmen and Barrett Connolly, staring toward Windy Tree Way, waiting for Brandon Harper’s arrival as if he were the honored guest at the Annual Hidden Refuge Gala.

It’s almost time. He glanced at his watch, acutely aware of the weight of the laptop on his back, somehow heavier than when he’d first shouldered it. Zero three thirty-two. He thought of Steph, Ethan, and Addison, asleep in their beds at her sister’s place in Richmond. As much as he longed to be with them, to hold them tight, to inhale the intoxicating scent of his wife, feel the warm embrace of his children—the way Ethan patted him on the back when he hugged him, mimicking Zack’s movements, the way Addison curled her head under his chin—he was relieved that they weren’t here on this night. They were safe, and that was all that mattered.

And then Zack Chambers did the hardest thing he’d done that night and forced them out of his mind, breathing deeply, allowing the calm before the storm to infiltrate every fiber of his being and focus his mind on one simple thing—to prepare for violence.

Part VI Spy versus Spy

Part VI
Spy versus Spy

Chapter Thirty

Chapter
THIRTY

malta

six years ago

Pain, sharp and throbbing, split the back of Zack’s head as if trying to chisel its way into his brain. Awareness dawned on him slowly, a recognition that he was in a sitting position with his hands bound behind his back. I’m on a chair, was the first lucid thought he had. His predicament flashed into his consciousness, snapping him alert, and he opened his eyes to see Noah watching him intently. His teammate was already adorned in full battle gear, his HK416 resting across his lap.

“How’s your head, brother? He hit you with the butt of his Glock before we could even object. Say what you want about that man, but that fucker is fast.”

“I’ll live,” Zack said, fighting the panic as he felt time spiral out of his control. “Has it happened yet?”