Page 21 of Deadly Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #2)

Two hours later, Axel braced his forearm against the safe house window, using the cold glass to ground himself. Snow fell in thick curtains now, obscuring the valley below. Perfect weather for hiding the thunder in his head.

Five minutes out, five minutes back—the helicopter extraction had been clean, but even short flights still triggered his edges.

He’d kept the shakes internal, the rotor sounds from cascading into full-blown memories.

No explosions behind his eyes this time.

No burning metal taste in his mouth. Just the edge of panic, manageable with the breathing techniques that had become second nature.

“The teeth are consistent with Swiss-made locks,” Kenji was saying, examining the key under magnification. “See how the secondary notches are cut at a forty-degree angle?”

“Ronan and Griff have the Eurocopter secured back at HQ,” Zara said, appearing at Axel’s side with coffee. “Storm’s got us locked in for at least twenty-four hours.”

He accepted the cup with a nod, surprisingly okay with the delay. The key was secured. Olivia was safe.

“I concur.” Zara’s voice cut through his mental checklist. “The key’s markings are definitely Swiss, pre-1990 series.”

“That dating is significant,” Zara explained, enlarging the image of the key’s notching pattern. “Swiss banks underwent a massive security overhaul in 1990. These older boxes were grandfathered in, but they’re special cases.”

Kenji nodded. “They’re practically fortresses. The older systems used mechanical rather than digital security. Can’t be hacked remotely. No electronic records. The only way to access them is with the original key and proper documentation.”

“Or in the event of the owner’s death,” Axel added, catching the implication. “With the right inheritance paperwork.”

Olivia went still. “James must have set this up before ... before everything went wrong.”

“These old boxes were favorites among military intelligence,” Axel said quietly. “Especially for people running deep cover missions. Perfect for storing sensitive materials that needed to stay completely off official channels.”

“And nearly impossible to trace,” Zara added. “The banks don’t even keep records of box numbers matched to names. The key is the only proof of ownership.”

“Which is why someone’s been watching you so carefully,” Axel said to Olivia. “They needed you to find that key. But they also needed you to have the right backup when you did. ”

“Us,” Kenji said.

“A team with military clearance, tactical capability, and the resources to access a high-security Swiss bank.” Axel’s jaw tightened. “We’ve been positioned for this from the start.”

The snow continued falling outside, but Axel barely noticed it now. Twenty-four hours to plan their approach. Whatever James had locked away in that box was clearly worth protecting—or worth killing for.

“Geneva?” Deke asked.

“Lugano.” Zara pulled up a map. “Small private bank near the Italian border. Very exclusive, very old-school. I have no doubt Olivia’s brother set up the account so Olivia could access it. Why else leave her the key?”

Axel studied the weather radar. “First we need this storm to clear. But why Switzerland?”

“I have no idea, but I found something intriguing,” Zara interrupted, pulling up a different screen before eyeing Olivia. “Remember three months ago, when your car wouldn’t start? Dead battery, right? Happened the same day your condo was vandalized.”

Olivia hugged herself hard, as if expecting another gut punch. “Sure. Not a great day.”

Zara looked thoughtful. “Or maybe it was.”

“Could be coincidence,” Kenji said, but his tone suggested otherwise.

“Doubtful.” Zara shook her head. “Two months before that, airport security reported suspicious activity at her departure gate. But her flight had been rerouted due to a ‘system glitch’ twenty minutes earlier.”

Axel’s tactical mind kicked in, pushing the last echoes of the helicopter away. “Pattern?”

“Gets better.” Zara pulled up more data points. “October: Power outage cancelled a meeting with a new client who, in retrospect, had suspicious credentials.”

“And the tinkering with my car,” Olivia added. “As if they wanted me to be aware they’re around and they could get to me any time.”

“Which doesn’t make sense if they meant you harm,” Axel added. “Why give you so many warnings?”

Deke’s eyes glittered. “Seems to me they’ve been escalating, pushing you to seek protection, almost.”

“Someone’s been watching you,” Axel said to Olivia. “Someone with resources. Technical expertise. Access to systems that shouldn’t be accessible.”

“Military?” she asked quietly.

“Or intelligence community.” He studied the pattern of interventions. “Someone who’s been protecting you. Until now.”

“Why stop?” Kenji asked the question they were all thinking.

Axel took another sip of coffee, but his mind was already spinning through scenarios, each more concerning than the last. “Maybe they haven’t stopped. Maybe this is just the next phase of the operation.”

“What operation?” Olivia’s voice held a mix of frustration and fear that made his protective instincts surge.

“That,” he said, “is exactly what we need to find out. Walk me through a typical day. Every detail, no matter how small.”

Olivia stared up at the ceiling. “Morning run at six, always the same path through Miller Park. Coffee at Urban Grind, then …”

“What is it?” Axel asked.

“The barista at Urban Grind,” she said slowly. “Sarah. She always works morning shift, knows my order before I walk in ... ”

“Coffee shop has direct sightline to your office entrance.” He drew another line. “And I’m guessing Sarah never takes vacation days.”

“Not in two years.” Olivia sank into a chair. “How could I not have noticed?”

Kenji pulled up security camera feeds. “Look at this coverage pattern. Professional setup, but there are gaps. Specific ones.”

“Blind spots,” Axel confirmed. “Carefully created ones. Giving someone room to maneuver without being seen.” He turned to Olivia. “They’ve had eyes on you for years. Multiple positions, rotating teams probably.”

“But why?” Her voice caught. “Why now? James has been dead for three years. If this connects to him, to whatever he was trying to warn me about ...”

“The pings on his account stopped when the surveillance on you intensified,” Zara noted. “Like someone shifted strategies.”

“Or like something changed.” Axel considered the pattern. “Your brother’s death, the surveillance, the protective interventions—they’re all connected. But something triggered this escalation. What made your shadow protector decide watching wasn’t enough anymore?”

“You think they orchestrated the attack?” Kenji asked. “To push her into protective custody?”

“To Knight Tactical specifically,” Axel said quietly.

Snow pelted the windows as they all absorbed the idea. Someone had been protecting Olivia for years, someone with military connections to her brother. Someone who’d chosen this exact moment to force her hand.

“They’re not just protecting you anymore,” he said.

“They’re moving pieces on a board. And we’re all part of their game.

” He glanced at the snow-filled windows, then back at the Swiss bank details on Zara’s screen.

“Storm will hem us in for a while. Twenty-four hours to plan a trip to Switzerland. Whatever’s in that safety deposit box, someone’s gone to a lot of trouble to make sure we’re the ones who find it. ”

The question was: What were they meant to discover?