Page 28 of Breaking Danger (Ghost Ops #3)

He knew how weird that sounded, but Sophie didn’t hesitate.

The material was top secret and a miracle.

In a moment, Sophie had placed the case on his back and the Dynapack on top.

Each corner stretched so easily it could have been chewing gum, except this chewing gum was hyper-resistant to just about everything except maybe a .

50 bullet. The four corners stretched around his chest and she helped him tie it in a solid knot right over his sternum.

His scanner let out a high-toned beep.

The fifteen minute mark.

They had to hurry.

He stood and jumped to see how tightly the case was secured. It didn’t budge. Bless the US military for having thought up Dynapack. The case weighed about forty pounds. In training they’d marched for fifty miles humping double that. No problem.

He went down on one knee again.

“Add my backpack to that.” She lifted the backpack over the case. His backpack straps were also made of Dynapack so she just lifted the straps over his shoulders. He shrugged, settling the backpack in place. He was at around 60 pounds. No problem.

His scanner let out a high-toned beep.

The ten minute mark.

“Okay. Pack a small backpack if you want, some personal items, girl stuff, whatever. We’re heading straight for Haven and there’s everything you could need there but—I have to tell you, Sophie, you might never come back here again.

So if there are some family mementos, whatever, you’ve got a minute to put it together. One. And dress warmly.”

“Right,” she said and disappeared into the bedroom. Exactly one minute later she came back out with a long lightweight Nomex coat over her clothes. Gloves and a watch cap. She had a smallish backpack with her.

He looked her over carefully. “Tuck your hair completely into the cap. You don’t want someone to catch you by the hair.” She obeyed immediately, watching him for more instructions.

She looked as ready as she’d ever be.

They were at the door and he pulled his stunner. He also had his Glock 92, which would stop a rhino in full attack mode.

“Is there a side entrance to the building?”

“Yes,” she answered. “The back stairwell exits onto an alleyway.”

“Okay. This is how it’s going to work. If the road ahead is clear, you go first and I’ll watch your six.”

“Six?”

“Your back.” She nodded. “If we’re attacked, I’ll take point and you stay behind me, just as close as you can. Is that clear?”

She nodded again.

“Say it.”

It was a principle for people who could find themselves in stressful situations. Pilots repeated verbally every single order. So did warriors going into battle.

“When there are no infected in sight, I am ahead of you. If there are infected, I stay close behind you.”

He nodded. “I rappelled down from the roof. I left two ropes, both with an automatic hoist system and handholds at the bottom. I don’t think the infected have the kind of intelligence that can recognize a rope.”

“No, they don’t,” she confirmed.

“That’s what I thought. Because if we’re being chased there’s no question of going up the central steps and climbing up until we get to the roof of the Ghirardelli building.

We’d be chased and caught. They’re fast. So we’ll outwit them.

The two ropes are on the west wall, close to the front left corner. Repeat that.”

“Two rappelling ropes, west wall, near front left corner. They have a hoist function.”

“If I don’t make it—” She opened her mouth and he lay his forefinger across those soft lips.

“If I don’t make it,” he said firmly, “try to get the case off me then get to the ropes. If it’s impossible to get the case, just head for the wall.

You geeks are smart. The men up at Haven could try to capture an infected for you.

And then you could—I don’t know. Isolate the virus, make the vaccine. You can do that, right?”

“In theory,” she said. “But it would take weeks.”

“But you could do it.”

She nodded.

Okay, if something happened to him, the state of California would just continue going to hell for an extra couple of weeks.

“So make it to the wall, grab the handle of one of the ropes and activate the hoist. That’s the green button you’ll find to the side.

Press it and it will immediately start pulling you up.

Get to the helo and activate the distress signal.

That’s a big red button smack above the pilot’s seat on the starboard side.

It sets off an alarm at Haven. As soon as Haven gets an active helo going, they’ll come get you.

It might take a day or two or maybe more but you should be safe up on the roof.

There’s a first aid kit if you are wounded.

There’s also water and energy bars. Just wait, Sophie, don’t move. They’ll come for you. Repeat that.”

She made her voice an even monotone. “If you die, I proceed to the Ghirardelli building. If I manage to get the case off you, I carry it. If not, I abandon it. There are two ropes hanging from the building. I grab the handle of one, press the green button and rise to the roof. Press the distress button and wait.”

“Okay then. So?—”

“Listen!” she said urgently.

“What?”

“The noise is almost gone.”

Damn. Unforgiveable. He’d been so wrapped up in making Sophie realize she had to get her gorgeous ass to safety even if he was down he hadn’t kept up situational awareness.

It was true. He checked the scanner. The huge swarm had passed, there were only stragglers and behind the stragglers, nothing.

He tapped the screen, zoomed out. Once the stragglers had passed there was no thermal footprint of infected for a radius of well over five hundred meters. It was their best shot.

He touched his comms. “Ryan, heading out with Dr. Daniels. See you at the homestead.”

It was Nick who answered. “Bring her home, Jon, or Elle will never speak to me again.”

“Roger that.”

He touched Sophie, looked deeply into her eyes. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she answered and he could tell she was.

“Let’s go.”