Page 105 of Defending You

“But he doesn’t know we have it,” Bartlett pointed out.

“Doesn’t matter.” Asher tried to keep fear out of his voice, hoping his assessment of Gagnon was accurate. “Leverage is this guy’s forte. He’ll keep Cici alive as long as he believes he can use her life to trade—for the SD card, for his own freedom, probably for both.”

Asher prayed he was right.

Callan nodded. “If it comes to dialog, we make him think we’re willing to trade.”

“Except we’re not,” Grant said flatly. “The moment he gets that card back, Cici becomes expendable.”

Asher’s jaw clenched, rage and fear threatening to cloud his judgment, but he forced them down. Think. Plan. Execute. There was no room for anything else. “Too many variables. Maybe they see us coming before we can get close. They regroup, surround her, and then we can’t get to her. It’ll be a shootout. Maybe we win?—”

“We’ll win,” Grant said.

“But at what cost? We’re good, but we’re outgunned, and those guys who just showed up.” His gaze bounced to Bartlett. “Pros, right?”

“Bearing and equipment of soldiers.”

Grant said, “But we have the element?—”

“Wait.” Asher silenced him. “Just let me…” An idea started taking shape. “What if we draw his attention elsewhere?”

Bartlett raised an eyebrow. “Explain.”

“He’s got twelve men, most of them professionals.” He nodded at Grant. “Our advantage is that they don’t know we’re coming. But think it through. He didn’t bring in trained killers to search for an SD card. They’re here because he expects trouble. His whole shtick depends on information. He must know who Cici is, who her family is. Meaning he knows somebody’s going to come after him.” Asher’s mind raced through possibilities. “We have to throw him off. Create a diversion.”

“That’s what we’re talking about doing, right?” Alyssa looked from Asher to Callan to Grant. “Two teams, each breaching at a different spot?”

Eyes on Asher, Grant gave the tiniestgo-onnod.

“It won’t be enough. They might separate to take us on, but that would leave plenty of them to protect her. They have the cover of buildings. Windows and doors. We’ll be exposed.”

“What are you suggesting?” Callan asked.

“I act as bait.” As he spoke the words, the idea solidified in his mind. This was the answer, the only option. “I walk up to the front gate, hands visible, and demand a trade. The SD card for Cici.”

“Absolutely not.” Bartlett’s voice rose in the night air. “That’s suicide.”

“They’ll think I’m alone.” He didn’t rise to the challenge, just kept his cadence even, his voice low. “They’ll think I’m the only threat, and?—”

“That’s because it’s insane,” Bartlett snapped.

“It’s a risk.” Asher focused on Grant, who waited, silently, giving Asher room to work out all the details.

“Gagnon’s spent his entire life out of the line of fire,” Asher said. “He’s not going to change that pattern tonight. No, he’ll send men out. I won’t have the SD card on me. I’ll convince them that…that if anything happens to me, it goes public.”

“Your own dead-man’s switch.” Alyssa was nodding. “I can give you enough information to sound credible.”

That would be helpful, since he didn’t have the slightest idea how to make something like that work. “I’ll insist on seeing Cici.”

“There’s no way they’ll bring her out.”

Even in the darkness, it was impossible to miss the growing flush on Bartlett’s face. He was truly angry about this, all of it. But why? Did he think Asher was so incompetent that he couldn’t come up with a plan? Or was there something else going on here?

He’d have to think about that later, when all this was over. Assuming he was still breathing. “Maybe they bring me in?—”

“And then we have two people to rescue,” Bartlett said.

“Cici’s the goal.” Asher kept his voice level. “Cici’s life is what matters. If I can help from inside, then I will.”