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“You do realize that’s not really a window, right? And that balcony? It’s for decoration only. It’s not built to hold a gnat’s ass, much less a two-hundred-pound man.”
“Yeah, but it is a way inside. Just keep him busy. I’ll do the rest.”
“Hey,” the guy shouted, “what’s going on out there? We got a deal or not?”
“Hold on,” Liam yelled back. “I’m conferring with my boss.”
“Well, hurry up. I don’t have all day.”
“Be right with you,” Liam assured him. “I can’t authorize squat without talking to the boss man.”
“Well then, let me talk to him instead.”
“Yeah…okay. That’s a good idea.” Liam sent a grin to Ash. “Keep him talking. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”
Liam headed downstairs, hearing Ash’s authoritative warnings of what happens in most hostage situations. Sounded dire, but Liam knew this asshole’s kind. He wasn’t going to give up without concessions. OZ didn’t do concessions.
Sean and Xavier met him in the foyer. “What’s the plan?”
“Follow me around back. I may need a boost.”
He had to give them credit. Instead of telling him it was a boneheaded idea, they followed him.
Double-timing it, he was at the back in seconds. Daylight had broken, giving him a good view of the railing he needed to get to. There was only one opening on this side of the house. His best bet was to go straight up.
Hearing a noise, he turned to see Xavier holding a rope with a grappling hook. “Sean’s looking for a ladder in the garage. If this holds, I figured it might get you there faster.”
When they weren’t working, he and most of his OZ teammates spent hours climbing the Bitterroot Mountains. Scaling a house should be a lot easier. Hopefully, he’d find a foothold or two to help him on his way.
Taking the coiled rope, Liam took aim and hoisted it up at one of the balcony posts. He missed the first time around, grunted in frustration, and gave it another go. Second time, he snagged the post and gave it a good, hard yank.
“This’ll do.” Thankful for the gloves he’d remembered to stuff in his jacket, Liam was gloved up and walking up the wall in seconds. Ash continued to talk to the guy, delaying him by assuring him that he wanted to work out some kind of a deal. Ash was good, but the tone in the man’s voice said he was getting impatient. Liam needed to get up there ASAP.
Fifteen feet from the balcony, the steel post creaked audibly. That wasn’t good. Liam climbed faster, hoping he could make it before the thing completely broke. Nine feet from his destination, the rail bent and then snapped. In a flash, he was plummeting to the ground.
Grabbing hold of a protruding brick, Liam stopped the free fall. He plastered his body to the wall and assessed the situation. A thirty-foot fall might not kill him, but it would lay him up for a while. He didn’t intend to fall.
Doubly thankful for his gloves, Liam found invisible little crevices in the brick and started the climb again.
“Stryker, you on your way?” Ash said in his ear. “This guy’s getting antsy.”
“Couple more minutes.”
Thunder rumbled overhead. A storm was brewing, and the sweltering humidity covered him in a sheen of wet, hot heat. Sweat dripped into his eyes, and he fought the sting. Stretching with all his might, he reached the bottom of the decorative balcony and hung on for several seconds to gather his strength before swinging himself over the railing. He landed with a soft thud and held still for a moment to ensure the thing would hold him. When nothing moved, Liam took an easier breath.
Peering into the small window, he noted a few concerning things. The guy had his gun pointed toward the door where Ash stood. He was burning up, his clothes, soaked in sweat, were stuck to his body, and his face was tomato red. Definitely agitated. But most concerning of all, Liam could not see his captive.
“Ash, you see the woman anywhere?”
“I spotted her once. I think she’s in the corner to the right of the window. Looked like her hands are tied.”
“I’ll grab his attention. You get the woman.”
“Copy that.”
Liam took another quick look inside and inwardly cursed. Taking a clean shot was out. The guy had moved, and now most of his body was hidden behind a stack of boxes. Liam considered his options. If he tried to wing an arm or shoulder and missed, the man could easily swing around and take out his captive.
He took a step back and quickly considered his best plan for entry. Ash had been right. The window was barely a window and was for decorative purposes only. There was no latch, no way to slide the thing open. The only way in was to go through it. The glass was thin, not double-paned. It was going to hurt, but with no other options available, this was his best bet.