Pratt grunted something under his breath.
“Is there a problem?” Zane asked.
“In my opinion, yes,” Pratt replied. “At this point, I think it’s safe to assume CP’s in big trouble.”
“As I said, we’re going in,” Zane said.
“But why wait until dusk?” Pratt asked. “If she’s been exposed, then they’re going to want to know who she is, which also means they’re going to do whatever it takes to get that information.”
“I agree one hundred percent. But if we go down while the sun is up, we’re going to be exposed. And if we get into a shootout, then that will put Carmen in even more danger.”
Bull grunted something unintelligible then fell silent.
“Look, Carmen can take care of herself. My guess is they will use the afternoon to obtain as much information as they can. If they know she’s not Victoria Lind, then they would have to assume she’s working for a government agency or some form of law enforcement. My guess is they’ll be reluctant to harm her until they know who she is and who she works for, and I think we can all agree Carmen isn’t going to give them anything helpful.”
While Zane and Pratt debated the merits of Zane’s plan, Mortensen had been scanning the buildings with his binoculars. A half minute later, he said, “Zane’s right. That place is swarming with security personnel. We go in now and I’d say we’d have about a five or ten percent chance of success.”
“If we had bigger numbers, I might be tempted to give it a go,” Zane added.
Zane and Ross had discussed bringing in the Swiss authorities but had quickly dismissed that as a viable option. Right from the start, the ultraconservative Swiss authorities would have acted in a way that would have made matters worse. First, they would have asked Delphi to stand down. They would then have reached out to Brehmer to establish a line of communication. Absent any hard evidence, Brehmer would have denied they were holding anyone. That being said, Ross decided they would contact the Swiss only as a last resort.
“There is one thing we can do,” Zane said. “We can go part of the way down now and set up closer to the buildings. It will save us some time when the sun goes down.”
Pratt nodded. “Copy that.”
“Let’s move out,” Zane said.
Maneuvering on their stomachs, the three squirmed back off the ledge.
“That’s much better.” Mortensen patted his stomach as they stood up under the cover of the trees. “Too much beer over the years.”
Zane was about to make a joke when he saw a flash of light on the valley rim about a hundred yards to their left. He turned his head and squinted. The late afternoon sun had reflected off of something high up in the trees. As he watched, he saw another brief flash. This time, he marked the tree it came from then lifted his binoculars and turned the wheel until the area came into focus. Moments later, a stiff breeze blew several limbs aside, and Zane flinched. There, about fifty feet or more up in the tree, a person was sitting on a limb, facing down into the valley. As the branches fell back into place, Zane lowered his binoculars. Who was it, and why were they watching Brehmer’s estate?
“Ready to go?” Mortensen asked.
“Yes,” Zane said. “Check your weapons then set up your communications gear. I need to check something but will be right back. And make sure you stay out of sight.”
Pratt seemed to sense Zane’s abrupt departure was odd. “Something wrong?”
Zane shook his head. “It’ll only take five minutes.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
ZANE MOVED CAREFULLY along the ridge. The slower pace allowed him to keep the marked tree in view, but it also allowed him to travel without making much noise. If someone could climb that high to conduct surveillance, it meant they had skills. Zane guessed they were former or current military. And if that were the case, they would easily detect a clumsy approach.
As he walked, Zane thought back on the brief glimpse he had gotten of the man. He was dressed in all black. He had dark hair or had been wearing a dark knit hat. He also appeared to be short, perhaps five foot five or six at the most. Zane hadn’t noticed any weapons, but he had to assume the man was armed.
Halfway to the target, Zane decided to take another look to make sure his quarry was still there. The last thing he needed was an unexpected encounter in the woods. He probably held the upper hand, but a gunshot of any kind would be disastrous because it would alert Brehmer’s security team to their presence. Within minutes, the ridge would be swarming with armed men.
Zane slid into the thick, prickly branches of a fir tree. After maneuvering into position, he pushed a limb aside and raised his binoculars. The marked tree was only about fifty yards away. He focused on the spot where the man had been sitting, but from this angle, the foliage was too thick to see anything. Even so, he waited. There was a lot of wind here at the top of the mountain, and some of it was strong enough to move branches. His patience was rewarded a half minute later when a strong gust moved several limbs aside, giving him a quick view of the spot. A black pants leg dangled from the limb. The man was still there.
Stepping out of the fir, Zane continued on, this time even slower than before. The slightest noise could give away his approach.
He was beginning to wonder if he was doing the right thing. They needed to stay focused on the primary mission, which was to bring Carmen to safety. And yet, he didn’t like the fact that someone else might see them go down. If the man was watching Brehmer, Zane also wanted to know who he was.
With the benefit of hindsight, he should have at least told Pratt and Mortensen what he was doing. It wouldn’t hurt to have backup. Then again, he wasn’t going to stay long. He was going to observe the tree climber up close then return to the ledge.
A minute later, Zane neared his destination. He was so close that even the slightest noise could be heard. Zane stopped and looked around for a place to take cover. Just ahead, a large rocky outcrop rose five feet out of the ground. Perfect. He crept forward and crouched behind it. After waiting for several seconds, he slowly rose up for a look. The target tree was only twenty yards away. He let his eyes run up the trunk then froze in surprise. No one was there. The mystery man was gone.
As he considered his next move, Zane heard the slight rustle of leaves somewhere close by. Had the man slipped behind him? Was he about to attack? Zane removed his Glock and slid his finger over the trigger. Moments later, he heard the sound of someone running, but it was at least fifty yards away. Whoever had been in the tree was moving off with speed.
As Zane rose from his hiding place, he heard a distant hum then a hard series of thumps. He knew the sounds well. It was the noise a helicopter made when taking off. At the same time, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he found a text from Pratt: A chopper is leaving Brehmer’s compound. We need to move out.
Carmen. Maybe she was on board. If so, that was bad news.
As he put his phone away, Zane thought back on the man in the tree — his dark hair, shorter height, and the ability to slip away. Then another image flashed in his thoughts. It was the face of someone he had seen recently. He frowned, stunned by the sudden realization: the man in the tree wasn’t a man at all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE SILVER FORD Focus turned onto Wilson Boulevard and increased speed. Its driver maneuvered the vehicle deftly through the traffic, like someone very familiar with its ebbs and flows. There were times when it looked as though an accident was imminent, but the Focus always seemed to turn aside at just the right moment. After traversing several blocks, it turned right onto a service road that ran behind a shiny, mirrored office tower.