Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Two down.
He examined the bank of windows. Three didn’t open; they were large and permanently fixed. The two on either side of them opened by simply raising them. It wasn’t as if the house was built for security. This had been someone’s home originally, and when it was sold, the new owner used it as an Airbnb. It hadn’t occurred to them to put in bulletproof glass or an alarm. What was wrong with the Ghosts guarding Declan? Why hadn’t they placed alarms on every window?
The windows are clean. Makes me uneasy, he reported to the others.
Same thing on this side, Maestro said.
I’m checking the first-floor bedroom window, and it isn’t secure, Master said. Looking for traps, but I’m unable to find any.
Same here, Maestro concluded.
Keys had to agree with them. The Ghosts hadn’t secured the windows.
Lana weighed in. As usual, she had their backs. She studied the house through her scope, looking carefully through every available window.
Enemy upstairs, moving through each room, making a loop. He’s dark-haired and wearing a suit, even his jacket. Could be wearing armor.
She switched to the downstairs windows, looking for the last two targets. Primary is in living room, sitting in recliner. One guard, also in suit, in same room, standing to left of fireplace.
That left one Ghost unseen.
Going in, Keys said. Am on second story. Will take out the roving upstairs guard and make my way to first floor and main target.
Entering second story, will clear rooms and make my way down to first floor to search for missing guard, Maestro said.
Breaching back kitchen door, Master said. Doesn’t appear to have alarm and lock is shit. No problem with it. Will clear rooms with Maestro and meet you in main room.
Keys slipped through the upstairs window and found himself in a large bedroom. The craftsmanship of the walls and high ceiling was a work of art. The original architect and contractor were excellent and had used the finest wood for the home. He needed to touch the wall with his skin, but that was a risk. If he connected with the wood, it would tell him everything he needed to know about the whereabouts of each person in the house.
Torpedo Ink didn’t wear their own fingerprints, faces or hair when they were carrying out a mission. When he left this house, there would be six dead men left behind. He couldn’t leave anything of himself there. Everyone at the street party for the opening of Lyrical Waves would swear he was there. That every Torpedo Ink member was there. Jonas Harrington and Jackson Deveau would be among those giving him an alibi. He couldn’t fuck it up by putting his bare hand on the wall.
Resisting the way the old wood called to him, he turned his mind to the hunt. He used every sense—sight, smell, hearing; touch was important but lost to him. He moved from the bedroom into the long and very wide mezzanine overlooking the first story. Maestro would take care of searching all the upstairs rooms for the missing guard. Keys was responsible for taking out the Ghost pacing up and down that long gallery and going through the rooms.
Keys took three steps onto the mezzanine and smelled the guard. The idiot was wearing cologne. These men had been trained in Sorbacov’s schools. How had they survived? There were things you didn’t ever do if you wanted to stay alive. Smoking, wearing cologne, staring into a fire—the list was endless, and it was second nature to follow those rules in everyday life. Even drinking was done only when Torpedo Ink knew it was safe and had their brethren around them. Once again, he was thankful that he had been chosen by Czar down in that hellhole.
There had been three factions down in that basement of torture. Two had been far larger than Czar’s. He’d kept his coalition very small. No one had wanted the small territory that was designated Czar’s. What they hadn’t realized was that it was under the kitchen and was warmer. There’d been several perks to their little space the others knew nothing of. Mostly, they couldn’t be spied on. No one could reach them without their awareness. Czar had them spend nearly every minute of the day when they were together training to stay alive.
The guard was approaching, but his gaze was on Declan, the man he was protecting, another mistake. One didn’t need to look at the client; the bodyguards should have been scanning for trouble. Keys faded back against the wall. He didn’t want to chance the Ghost with Declan looking up and spotting him. He waited in the corner for the guard to continue along the mezzanine. Barely breathing, not moving, fading into the wall until he was a part of it.
Keys went over every move in his mind. The guard had to die without a single sound. Declan and the two Ghosts left couldn’t be warned. As the guard came toward Keys, the man’s gaze was fixed on the floor below. He clearly felt safe because he’d gone through the rooms behind him and deemed them unoccupied. He hadn’t checked windows. This particular Ghost would have been eaten alive in the Sorbacov school Keys had attended.