Read Ghostwalker 09 - Ruthless Game for Free Online Page B

said.
    Mack whispered to the little girl, and she nodded her head once. He moved her closer to the door. “Be brave, sweetheart.”
    She swal owed hard, closed her eyes, and pressed herself tight into Mack. “Mommy. Mommy, wake up. Hurry.”
    Her voice was scared, hushed, perfect for their needs. Mack positioned himself on one side of the door, and Ethan went to the other. Mack pushed the little girl behind his solid body.
    The guard’s head came up alertly. As he stood, he looked right at Kane, who was pressed against the wal , deep in the shadow. The chair came down with a thud inches from Javier’s outstretched fingers. Javier never so much as winced. The guard’s boots were old and worn, thin in places, and Javier just barely missed getting stepped on as the man swung around to face the door, his finger stil on the trigger as the other hand twisted the doorknob.
    Javier rol ed out of the way as Kane moved into position behind the man. The guard kicked the door open and took a step. Kane slammed the knife home with one hand and jerked the weapon with the other, preventing him from firing. Mack whirled around and covered the little girl’s eyes.
    “Keep your head down. Stay tight against me. We’re taking you home,” he whispered. “You have to stay very quiet.” He dragged the protective vest from his pack and quickly dressed her in it before lifting her. He waited for Ethan to put the unconscious woman in a vest as wel and shift her into a fireman’s carry. They were both vulnerable, packing the hostages out into enemy territory.
    Kane lowered the body of the dead guard to the floor wel inside the room and went back to the doorway, peering up and down the hal before signaling Javier. The two of them moved like wraiths, Javier disappearing down the stairs while Kane guarded the hal .
    You’re clear to here, Javier stated.
    What’s happening on the street, Rose? Kane demanded.
    Staying quiet, she announced. Get moving. We have to find that child before they’re on to us, or they’ll kill him.
    There was no “we” involved in finding the boy, but Kane didn’t have time to argue with Rose. It was imperative to find the boy before the rescue could be discovered. He signaled Mack to start down the stairs with Ethan close on his heels. Kane dropped in behind them, moving silently, his gun in his fist this time. He was using a silencer, but stil , they wanted to slip out without alerting the enemy force.
    Something is happening at the end of the street. Teens are running in all directions. They look scared, Rose reported. Get out of there.
    There was no urgency in her voice, but Kane sensed it, as did the others. Javier went through the door first, and after visual y clearing the street, waved Mack and Ethan through. They ran flat out, dark shadows moving through the open street for the desert.
    Bring in the bird. We’ll rendezvous in four minutes, Mack said. Gideon, you’ve got eight minutes from my mark.
    Roger that. Gideon was calm. He kept his eyes on the street, sweeping rooftops and windows. Mack and Ethan were past the buildings now and running hard through the desert toward their destination. His job was to back Kane.
    Rose, get moving, Kane ordered, even as he began quartering the buildings. They wouldn’t have taken the child too far from his mother and sister.
    They wanted leverage, and a five-year-old was perfect to manipulate a woman. Get on that helicopter.
    Rose slipped back into her apartment and shrugged into her pack. She traveled light. She hadn’t invested in much for the baby, just the bare necessities, and she knew better than to add anything that might slow her down. She wasn’t getting on the helicopter without Kane. Kane could give al the orders in the world, but she didn’t trust anyone else. She owed him, and she knew he would protect her and the baby, but the others ...
    She’d started this mess by cal ing in a team. She hadn’t done enough research and found out about the