Glen scooted back and snake-crawled to cover, then made his way to where Spencer crouched, peering through binocs and thoroughly annoyed.
“There’s professionals here,” he said as Glen approached. “Some local talent, like the guys at the market, but—”
“They’ve got Cash,” Glen interrupted, and saying the words made his hands sweat.
Spencer fumbled the binoculars. “I did not expect that.”
“You think?” Glen sank to his haunches, trying to be professional about this. “These assholes haven’t killed anybody yet,” he said, more to soothe himself than Spencer.
“Always….” He actually heard Spence Helmsley change his brain track and fix what he was about to say. “Always good to know.”
Which was a helluva lot better than “Always a first time.”
“What’s the plan?” Spence asked, and given that he was singularly bad at taking directions, Glen had to appreciate him asking.
“First we contact Damien and make sure my brother’s all right—then I’ve got a rendezvous around dinner time—and you’ve got another.”
Spencer stared at him impassively as he outlined the plan. “I get the idiot children, and you sneak in the back and get your boyfriend. That’s what I’m hearing, right?”
Glen didn’t even bristle at “boyfriend.” They had Cash. Impulsive, emotional, worried Cash, who had promised to stay, who had worked so hard at apologizing that Glen had almost—almost—forgiven him, and now he was in some idiot’s wine cellar, probably wishing he’d run before they even got on the plane.
Glen found himself really, really wishing for that third chance, that moment to see if Cash meant it about staying. He’d been afraid to hope that morning, been afraid to admit it was a possibility the night before.
But now, knowing how scared Cash must be, how sure he was that nobody would stick around for him, Glen wanted him to know that all his posturing was pure bullshit. Glen would always go get Cash.
The hope, the breath of a hope, that Cash cared enough to stay—that was enough.
Crouching in the underbrush, waiting for the sun to advance across the sky, Glen knew that the hope alone would sustain him through a thousand adventures like this one if only Cash was willing to promise one more time.
But in the meantime, the wait was killing him. It was like physical pain—it built in his sternum, shivered through his chest, sweat out of his palms. His back and neck were aching from the pressure, and he thought longingly about running down to the compound, taking out the guards like he’d told Spencer not to, and then grabbing Cash and running. Yeah, he’d promised that scared girl, but goddammit, Brielle wasn’t here. That meant she’d gotten away. Didn’t that mean he’d kept his promise?
Logically, no. No. Waiting for the evening meditation—that was a good plan. A great plan. He’d hold to that plan. Hold… hold….
He and Spencer found comfortable positions, studied the compound layout, and waited….
And the whole time his palms were sweating like he was being ripped to pieces by pigs.
About an hour after he got back to Spencer, everybody was called inside for what was probably afternoon meditation and meal prep. After tracking the movement of the guards, Glen fished the sat phone from his pack while Spencer glared at him in outrage.
“The hell?” he asked as a crackle sounded on the other end.
“Damie?”
“You two okay?” Damien asked, voice strained. “Because I’ve got news.”
“Yeah, me too. How’s Preston?”
“He just got here, and he’s really freaked-out.” Damien made a soothing noise in the back of his throat, and Glen imagined the two of them, standing personally close but not touching, not until Damien was off the phone. “He’s got Brielle with him—”
“And the dogs?” Spencer hissed.
Glen gave him a look but Spencer was unrepentant.
“And the dogs?” Glen asked irritably to get Spence off his back.
“Yes, the damned dogs are safe!” Damien snarled. “You were right about that, by the way. Preston says they refused to shoot the dogs, and that’s how he got away with Brielle. But Glen, they’ve….”
“They’ve got Cash,” Glen said heavily. “Yeah, I’ve got a bead on his location. We were going to start smuggling kids off the island in a couple of hours, and while Spencer takes the first group, I was going to go see where he’s being held.”
Damien growled. “That is not a good plan. Wait for me. I’ve got the authorities—they can get the kids, and you and I can—”
“No,” Glen said, looking out across the vacant property. “Spence, those binocs got infrared?”
“Aye-aye,” Spencer said. “Want me to check for alarms?”
“Yeah.”
“Any reason you’re having him do this now?”
“I’ve got an idea,” Glen said. “And it involves me sneaking onto the property and hiding out until it’s time to get Cash.”
“Wait for me,” Damien said flatly. “Preston can deal with the authorities and I can—”
“Did you even hear what you just said?” Glen asked, wondering where Damien’s head was. “You leave Preston to deal with the authorities and he’s the one who will end up imprisoned. I thought you loved my brother!”
“I do!” Damien grunted. “But you are not expendable.” He gave a sigh. “And I’d sort of miss Spence.” Another pause. “And you seem sort of attached to Cash. I would rather bring you all home.”
“I am moved,” Spencer said. “Now shut up and let Glen plan.”
And Glen barreled ahead. “Look, Spencer’s going to take the kids to the beach and get them off the island. You guys can tag team if you want, but I’m sneaking onto the property right now and finding Cash.”
“I’m sorry, Gecko, but have you confused yourself with Cary Grant lately? Because as sexy as that fucker was in To Catch a Thief, you look nothing alike.”
“Yeah, but I’ve got his moves.” Glen shot Spence a fierce grin, and Spence low-fived him. “No… seriously—”
“No, seriously,” Damien said, and he had a new note in his voice, something he hadn’t had until recently, not even in the military. “You wait. You wait until the evening meal, like you were going to in the first place. You take the kids out then and rescue Cash then. Remember the fucking gun towers, and how the floor of the cove will rip you up, and so will the fucking wall—and Spence?”
“Yessir.”
“Stay away from the goddamned snake. There will be someone here at the rendezvous point for the first batch of kids, but as Dog is my witness, if I have to cobble together a helicopter from spare parts and a bicycle, you will have air support by the time they start looking for the missing people, you understand me?”
Glen grunted. “I like that plan,” he said. “That’s a fair plan.”
“Well, it depends on two things. One is me finding a bird. And the other?”
Glen let out a sigh. “Me staying put.”