“Upshot is word got out and people noticed when the van drove by a place it shouldn’t be. One guy, former military, noticed the shattered window, the blood on the door. A gran paid attention because the kids were too quiet. Gotta admit, I was impressed.”
“So you followed the bread crumbs,” Layla said. “What’d you find?”
“Brian, waiting for us. He got there first.”
“That’s because I didn’t stay to finish my coffee before acting on what I’d heard.”
River just shrugged.
“Where’s the house?” Layla asked.
“South of here,” Riv replied. “Just past the town proper. Van was concealed under an awning. They tried to camouflage it with branches and shit. Maybe they thought we had air support.” He made a what-the- fuck gesture and continued. “Their camo might have passed a casual look, but we’re not casual, Cap. Small house,” he continued. “Windows all covered with blinds mostly, but some brown paper taped over, probably where they didn’t have anything else. I moved in for a closer look while Brian headed back here to meet you, and Kerry kept watch on the street. Got one good look where the curtains didn’t quite close. I don’t know your kids,” he said, meeting Layla’s gaze. “But there were too many little ones in the room I saw. Most of them were or had been crying, and all of them looked scared and huddled together. Pissed me off, but definitely our PC,” he finished, using the abbreviation for “precious cargo” which was what people like those on her team used to describe the hostages they’d been sent to rescue.
“See anyone else?” she asked.
“No older kids, or adults, either. But I couldn’t see much beyond one part of one room. It needs a closer look, but I’d say at least some of your missing are there.” He tapped the phone which was attached to the cross-strapped gear belt over his chest. “I set up a couple mini-cams front and back. Quality will be for shit, but we should pick up if anyone else arrives or if they try to move the kids.”
Layla glanced at Brian. “What do you think?”
“I say we go in, take down any hostiles, and get those kids home.”
“Agreed, but I’d sure love to grab at least one of those fuckers alive and talking. I don’t care who it is, but one of them is going to squeal. Understood?” She looked around, received three identical nods, and stood. “Kerry, I assume that’s the map you’re studying. How far is this place? And what’s the fastest route there? We’ll need to drive, so we can transport the kids fast.”
“Better to drive anyway. All of us geared up would draw too much attention. Kidnappers might have friends looking out for them. Ten minute drive, fifteen tops. Only one traffic signal.”
“Right,” Layla said. “We leave in ten. Riv, everyone’s on comms. Make it happen.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay, we’re on the clock. Let’s move.”
While the others did last minute gear checks, she stepped into the second room and faced down the teenagers. “Kill me now,” she thought as she met a variety of expressions, from frightened to bored, and all the way to sulky. What the fuck?
“We’re heading out to recover the PC—”
“What does that mean?” Marcos demanded. His was the sulky face.
She blinked, not understanding the question at first. “Oh. Precious cargo. PC. The kids.” She eyed him. “What’d you think I meant?”
“Nothing,” he muttered, not meeting her gaze.
“Uh huh. Anyway, we’re heading out, and you all are staying here. You can sit in the other room, too. But you are not to touch anything,” she said, enunciating every word. “You understand?”
“Can we touch the TV?” someone asked in a snide tone. The others snickered, but no one claimed responsibility.
Layla rolled her eyes. “Sure. Although I expect the only channel it gets is porn, which you can watch, as long as it’s free. But if I get a huge movie bill when we check out, or if any parents complain, someone’s going to pay.”
“Can we turn our cell phones back on now?” someone asked.
Layla gave them a hard stare, to make sure they were paying attention. “Are you safe at home in your little bed? No, you are not. So cell phones may be on, but ringers are off.” She glanced over her shoulder and found her team about ready to depart. “All right. We’re leaving. Remember what I said. Lock the door, don’t answer it, don’t even call out.” She turned away as Brian opened the door and led the way to the SUV, but then she swung back at the last moment to say, “And no fucking on the beds.”
Ten seconds later, she was in the SUV and pulling the door shut as River sped them out of the parking lot and on the road to undertake one of the most important rescues they’d ever had to do.
Chapter Ten
THE BIG SUVS THAT Layla’s team habitually rented when necessary weren’t as common in Europe as in the US, but they weren’t unheard of either. Money was money, everywhere in the world. One didn’t call Hertz for that kind of rental, however. Fortunately, the team did enough work around the world that they had a network of suppliers, including one very happy contact in Barcelona, who’d been waiting for them with a Mercedes SUV that could comfortably hold the four of them and their gear. Layla wasn’t as broadly muscled as the guys, but her legs made up for it. Kerry, on the other hand, was pretty and petite, and utterly harmless. Yeah, right. Bad guys frequently took her as an easy mark, which was the last mistake they made, before she killed them. Pound for pound, she was stronger than any of the guys, and vicious as a rabid squirrel.
They parked at a house across the street from where the children were being held. Brian had verified it was uninhabited, but not vacant. The area was mostly upscale, with walls surrounding several homes just like it. Layla reasoned these were primarily vacation homes for wealthy owners from all over Europe. Winter visitors from the northern countries were common in Spain. The one they’d chosen as a staging location had a good-sized wall around the front, with no gate across the driveway. River pulled onto the circular drive in front of the house, taking them out of sight from the street, and stopping under several good-sized shade trees. He then maneuvered the SUV until they were facing outward for a quick exit, without sacrificing any of their cover.
“I want to see the house before we make any plans,” Layla said quietly.
They all wore standard Bluetooth comms, which were uplinked to a private communications satellite network, for which they paid an access fee. It wasn’t cheap, but it was worth every dime and had saved their asses more than once.