“Not really,” Zane admitted. “Obviously, we have no way of knowing what kind of security will be in place. I’ll have to look everything over when I get there. As I said before, we may try to slip out when Brehmer makes his big reveal.”
“During my breach of the Pallas network, I was able to find a set of the building’s plans,” Brett said. “Zane and I identified a few places that look like they could be holding cells of some kind. He’ll search those first.”
Amanda nodded. “And what happens if we find Carmen and the others?”
“Once we find them, we’ll call James and his team in,” Zane said. “If all goes according to plan, they’ll escort everyone over the ridge and out to the boat.”
“You’re not worried about them finding the boats?” Danielle asked.
“There aren’t any patrols on the beaches. They leave that to those zombies that are running around.”
Danielle lifted her brows. “Oh joy.”
“Don’t worry,” Brett said. “We have a backup plan in place. If something happens to the boats, then Amanda and I can bring over another one we rented down at the marina.”
“Any questions?” Zane surveyed the faces around him. “If not, then let’s all gear up.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
ZANE AND DANIELLE arrived at the dock at 4:37. As far as Zane was concerned, their timing was perfect. Approximately three-quarters of the sixty guests had already arrived, which was exactly the way he’d planned it. When attending an event undercover, he never liked to arrive too early or too late. He liked to arrive when a crowd was already assembled. That way, he could just walk up and blend in immediately.
As they stepped onto the dock, Zane noticed dark storm clouds in the distance. The leading edge was soot black, indicating they might get more than just a little drizzle.
“Looks like the booze is already flowing,” Danielle said.
Most of the guests were mingling under a tent at the end of the dock, where a temporary wet bar had been set up. Almost everyone was holding a clear plastic cup with a little cocktail umbrella sticking out of the top.
“That’s standard protocol at these things,” Zane said. “I think Brehmer is going to shake down his investors to pay for his work, and alcohol tends to loosen wallets.”
“I guess it’s safe to assume we need to lay off the booze if at all possible.”
Zane smiled as they walked toward the crowd. “On the contrary, we need to drink early and often.”
Danielle gave him a confused look. “We’re about to engage in critical work, and you want us to drink heavily?”
“Let me clarify,” Zane said. “In case someone is watching, we want to look like all the other guests. And trust me, most of them are going to be drinking heavily. It’s how these things work. If we stand off to one side without a drink, then we might stand out.” They were getting near the tent, so he lowered his voice. “Here’s how we’re going to do this without actually getting drunk. When you order your drink, tell the bartender to make it weak. Once the drink is in hand, try to take sips only when people are watching you. If you get the chance, pour out as much as you can into a trash can or into the water. Then go back to the bar and repeat. I’ll probably go through five or six drinks throughout the evening, but in reality, I’ll only be ingesting about a quarter of that.”
“Wow, you’ve really thought through these things.”
“I’ve been doing this for a long time. If I were working security, I’d keep my eye on any people who were standing off to the side without a drink in their hand.”
When they reached the tent, Zane spotted several members of Brehmer’s security team. They tried to blend in, but Zane’s trained eye picked them up immediately. Each had a flesh-toned earpiece that was noticeable only if someone was looking for it. They also kept their eyes on the crowd, looking for anyone who seemed out of place.
Zane led Danielle over to the bar, where he ordered two Bahama Mamas. He asked the bartender to go easy on the alcohol, but in all the confusion, it looked as though she ignored his instructions.
“Be careful,” Zane said as they took their drinks and waded into the crowd. “I think our friend made these a little stronger than I asked her to.”
“Don’t worry,” Danielle said. “I’m pretty good at fake sipping.”
“Well, remember, you don’t have to be perfect. A little alcohol is fine. In fact, it will probably loosen you up.”
“You won’t have to tell me twice.” She gave him a little wink.
Zane touched her arm. “Let’s go over here.”
After making sure they weren’t being watched, Zane led Danielle to the end of the dock. He needed to get away to test their communications devices. Once he made sure no one was watching, he removed his phone and used a special app to turn on their earpieces. The tiny devices had been inserted deep into their ear canals prior to the operation. The sound quality was superb, although it did make hearing more problematic.
“Brett, can you hear me?” Zane asked.
“Loud and clear,” Brett replied directly into their ears.
As they had rehearsed earlier in the day, Zane faced Danielle when he spoke, making it seem as though the two of them were talking.
“We’re having drinks at the dock,” Zane said.
“Nice,” Brett said. “See any bad guys?”
“Lots of them. I’ve counted six, and I assume there are more than that.”
“PSM is already out on the bay,” Brett said, referring to Pratt, Skinner, and Mortensen. “They have some fishing lines in the water and will approach the island in about a half hour when the sun starts to set.”
“Make sure our Southern friend remembers we have an operation tonight,” Zane said. “That man loves to fish.”
“I think he likes to fish almost as much as he likes women,” Brett said with a laugh.
“Almost as much?” Zane said.
“I’ll let you know when they reach the island,” Brett said.
“Copy that.”
“You need anything from me before we sign off?”
Zane was about to respond when a voice came through the loudspeaker, letting the guests know that boarding would begin in five minutes.
“Negative,” Zane answered after the announcement was finished. “It’s time for us to get in line.”
“Remember, I’m here if there are any problems.”
Zane turned off the earpiece then looked at Danielle. “Let’s do it.”
The two tossed their drinks into a nearby trash can then got into line. From what Zane could see, the boarding process was simple. Each person presented their identification at the base of the boat ramp, then once their name was verified, they were given a name tag and waved through.
As they neared the checkpoint, Zane leaned closer to Danielle. “Remember, I’ll do all the talking. Don’t speak unless you’re spoken to.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t say a thing.”
Suddenly, she didn’t sound as confident as she had before.
“You okay?” Zane asked.
“I guess I am a little nervous. I wish we’d had more time to drink. Once we get through this and onto the boat, I’ll be fine.”
“Just remember that in five more minutes, this will all be over.”
Zane looked toward the front of the line. Two men flanked the entrance to the boat ramp. The man checking IDs was dressed casually in a Hawaiian-style shirt. He stood behind a podium and appeared to be verifying each name on a laptop. After watching him for a few seconds, Zane shifted his gaze to the other man. He was dressed in black pants and a crisp black polo shirt. He examined each person who approached, which told Zane he was their top security guy. No one boarded that boat without walking past his discerning eye. If anything seemed out of place, he would probably pull them aside.