as night into the choppy waters. It was designed for easy travel—an inflatable craft that held six comfortably but also had the advantage of having a motor so they could move quickly if needed. It was a little cramped with Ethan’s computers and the diving gear, not to mention the cache of weapons Gabe had put in the specially built compartment at the bottom of the craft.
A storm had passed through only hours before, and it looked as if another could hit at any time. Not even a sliver of moon could be seen in the cloudy sky, and the waves rolled beneath them, rocking the boat up and down and side to side. Even as she had the thought, fat raindrops slapped against her wetsuit and seemed to bounce off the waves.
Grace wasn’t sure if Ethan was going to make it after all. He was so pale she could see his reflection and the whites of his eyes in the dark, and he was holding on to the side of the Zodiac with a death grip as his backside bounced in uncoordinated rhythms against the seat.
“The GPS shows we have about fifty meters until we reach the perimeter of Kimball’s security,” Jack said. “The Zodiac will have to stay there, and we’ll need to swim ashore.”
Gabe steered the boat so it was hidden behind a large outcropping of rocks—so no one would be able to see Ethan once the sun came up—and he turned off the motor. The rocks would also act as an anchor since the rough water was likely to make Ethan drift out further to sea if he wasn’t tied down.
Ethan fumbled with his laptops and satellite imaging, finally getting everything in place. The computers were all protected from the water by the special casing Ethan had built around them. The computer screens were all set to night vision so they didn’t give off any light, and they could only be seen with night-vision goggles.
“Equipment check, Dragon,” Gabe said through his com link.
Ethan took a big gulp of air and looked like he was about to start gagging, but he held it together and croaked out, “All satellites are up and running. Heat sensors are a go. There are a good twenty people on the island, assuming that’s only Kimball’s staff and security team. I’ve got his electronic security system online. He’s got radar that reaches out to just on the other side of this rock. Jesus, I’m going to be sick.”
“Aim for the side,” Gabe and Jack both called out, each of them completely comfortable on the rough water.
Grace handed Ethan a bottle of water to rinse out his mouth and put it in the elastic pocket by his side, figuring he’d probably need it again soon.
“I’m good.” Ethan panted as if he’d just swam the distance from shore. “I’m all right. Let’s do a com check.”
“Renegade.”
“Grim Reaper.”
“Ghost.”
“Kill Shot.”
Ethan gave the thumbs up, and Grace pulled the hood of her wetsuit over her braided hair. She tested her rebreather—a device that would let them all swim to the island without bubbles giving away their location—and she gave Gabe the thumbs up that her equipment was in good shape.
“The storm’s going to help us out some,” Ethan said just as a slash of lightning seemed to spear up out of the water only a few feet away. The smell of ozone permeated the air and clung to the skin like residue. “It’ll give me the chance to knock out different sectors of the security system so you guys can get to your designated hot spots. The weather is supposed to stay like this through tomorrow.”
Grace took out her rebreather so she could speak. “Do you think the rain will interfere with the launch of the weapon?”
“No, but it might narrow the range some,” Gabe answered. “If it’s still raining when Kimball’s guests take the ferry, then they’ll all stay under the enclosed area. Look for them to launch the aerosol as they transfer from the ferry to the island just to be on the safe side.”
Grace made sure the waterproof case holding her rifle was locked tight, and she slung it across her body so her hands would be free. One by one, they rolled out of the Zodiac and into the churning water, and once they were a good distance below the surface, Ethan check the com links once more so they could hear his instructions. He was going to be their eyes for the next little while.
They all gave Ethan the all clear signal and then waited for his signal to let them know the outer security was down.
“You’ve got five minutes to make it to the next checkpoint,” he said. “On my mark.”
Grace swam between Gabe and Jack because the power of their strokes allowed her to swim in their current and keep the same pace. They stayed beneath the surface once they reached the sandy slope that led out of the water.
“Hold tight for two minutes,” Ethan said. “I’m turning off sector two on the other side of the island just to confuse things a bit.”
Grace adjusted her position carefully, using all her strength to keep near the shore. The waves were stronger here and wanted nothing more than to fling her out to sea.
“Okay, sector two is back up, and you now have guards patrolling in some kind of vehicle. They’ve also turned the spotlights on and are circling the island. You’ll have about thirty seconds where the outer perimeter and the sector you’re about to step into will both be off.”
Grace waited for Ethan’s signal, her thigh muscles burning with the effort it took to stay close to Gabe. As soon as Ethan gave the go ahead, Gabe grabbed her arm and pulled her with him to shore. There wasn’t time to catch her breath or rest her shaking limbs. They kicked off their flippers—exposing the neoprene shoes that fit their feet like gloves—and they all ran to safety before the spotlights could circle back around.
The rain came down in sheets, and Grace ignored the cold drops as they snaked beneath the neck of her wetsuit. They dove behind a small inlet of rocks and waited for the spotlights to move on before gathering all of the rebreathers and fins and shoving them into the empty bag Jack carried on his back. They’d leave the bag hidden behind the rocks.
Grace flexed her fingers and rolled her ankles so her joints wouldn’t become stiff with the cold, and she sat with her back to the rocks to conserve her strength. Coming in and going out would be the most strenuous parts of the mission.
“The guards have gone back inside the security tower on the south side,” Ethan said through the com link. They’re tired of driving around in the rain, and I’ve made the whole system go batshit, so they think it’s an electrical malfunction.”
“Good work,” Gabe said.
Gabe’s eyes were cold and shuttered, and the look of his face would have been terrifying to a normal person. She knew what it felt like to have your humanity slide away as the machine programmed to do this kind of work took over. She’d felt it before they’d left the safety of the Zodiac.
“Grim Reaper, you’re up,” Ethan said. “I’m sending the path you need to take to your GPS. It’s a convoluted route that will mix up the sectors that get shut down, but the guards won’t be paying any attention.”
Logan adjusted the bag of explosives he carried with him and said, “On your count, Dragon.”
Logan took off at a run, disappearing quickly in the rain and darkness.
“Grim Reaper has made target,” Ethan said after a few minutes had passed. “Renegade is up. Sending your coordinates now. Kimball’s scientist is staying in the pool house. You’ll take him out first and then follow the second set of coordinates up to the main house.”
Jack looked at the GPS in his hand. “On your count.”
Grace and Gabe waited patiently for their turn, and she scooted closer to him to steal a bit of his body heat. He felt like a furnace in the middle of the stormy cold. He took her chin between his fingers and kissed her once.
“You’re up, Kill Shot,” Ethan said. “Sending your coordinates now to the elevated area you told me you wanted. You should have a nice view of the whole island from there.”
“Love you,” Gabe mouthed as she moved to take her position.
She nodded once and kissed him hard a final time. “On your count, Dragon.”
She followed Ethan’s coordinates across the island, climbing the steep rocks that led to the top of a manmade waterfall. Boulders and palms surrounded the area and would give her good cover. The rocks were slick against her hands and feet, and she felt the quick sting of a sharp rock as it sliced through her shoe and into her
