Page 47 of Midnight’s Captive (Stroke of Midnight #2)

Crowded in the back of the ambulance, Taryn’s friends and associates gathered around her. She’d called in nearly every favor for this rescue, but she’d made her peace with that. She owed Ash. His sister had been taken on her watch and she’d do whatever necessary to atone for that.

“Thank you.” She acknowledged every member of the small but mighty team she’d been able to assemble on short notice today. One of her contacts had identified this building as a probable location through recent medical equipment sales. Although this was a rush job, Taryn had sent another woman to scout the location. She’d confirmed the presence of a patient but had been unable to get close enough to verify that it was Hope.

Ash had been ecstatic at the news and had wanted to come but she’d vetoed that. He needed to prepare for his showdown with Caspar. Plus, she didn’t want to worry about his emotions overruling his common sense on such a delicate mission.

Sasha, who was an EMT, drove the ambulance. Taryn was thrilled she’d been available today because she had no idea how otherwise they’d transport a coma patient without medical assistance.

Gen was the computer technician. Technically, she was a hacker, although she wasn’t on the same level as Ash. She was the one who’d backtracked the video feed and would loop the video feed and manage any of the other technical needs they encountered. Allie was a creative thinker and an accomplished thief. Daryl—the only man on her team—would provide the muscle.

Though Taryn had tried to cover every contingency, worry gnawed at her. This was the shortest timeline she’d ever worked under. What if she’d forgotten something?

“Let’s go over this one more time,” Taryn said. “Gen will loop the video and get us through the door. She’ll also get Hope’s machines ready to travel. Sasha will be the transportation out of here. Daryl and I will take first crack at any guards who might be in the room.”

She studied their faces. “Keep your eyes open and jump in where you see a need. Questions?”

No one had any.

Taryn hoped they were ready. There’d been no time to practice. “Okay, let’s do this.” She quelled the nerves unsettling her stomach.

Gen huddled over her tablet in the back of the ambulance. A small laser projected a keyboard onto a smooth shelf and her fingers clicked the virtual keys.

“I’ve looped the video. I didn’t find any alarms, but if this guy’s as good as you say, they’re probably hidden.”

“It’s a chance we’ll have to take.” Taryn hated the idea, but they had a very tiny window to make this work. She hated that they had to stage this rescue during the day.

“One of the rooms on the main floor is drawing a lot of power. It’s the same one we had a patient sighting in, so I think this is the right place.”

It was a relief to have that confirmed. That the room was on the main floor was a bonus. It would be a lot harder to get a hospital bed or a stretcher down multiple floors.

“Ready?”

Everyone nodded.

Damn, she was proud of her people. Their success, their willingness to help, almost made up for Rhonda’s betrayal.

Sasha circled the block and they exited the ambulance in ones and twos, approaching the building from different directions. No need to draw attention arriving in a big group.

Daryl and Gen went first so Gen could pick the lock.

Gen made quick work of it. Daryl flashed a thumbs-up.

Taryn walked quickly up the front steps and took the lead through the open door, trying to act like she belonged there.

Her jacket was lined with protective gear. Arms loose and hands free, she studied her surroundings, ready for anything. A number of apartment doors lined the hallway. She didn’t hear much. Hopefully everyone was at work, leaving fewer people to notice them.

Halfway down the hall, Taryn stopped and turned. Which door to choose?

“Gen, would you scan again?”

Gen nodded and pulled a tech contraption out of her pocket. It looked homemade and probably was.

Turning this way and that, she aimed the device in every possible direction, including up and down.

“Not detecting any people. No live feeds except the one we looped. That’s coming from the end of the hall. If there’s anything or anyone waiting here, they’re very well cloaked.”

“Okay,” Taryn said, still uneasy. Would Caspar really leave Hope unguarded?

Still quiet but with more purpose in her stride, she walked the long hallway until she arrived at the closed door at the end.

Taryn pressed her ear to the wood. Was that... beeping?

The steady beeps were similar to the ones she’d heard in Ash’s video. But what if it was something else, like a bomb?

Taryn turned and looked at her team. She hated to risk them. “Gen, can you tell what’s behind this door?”

Gen scanned the door and the surrounding hallway with a different device.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Everyone get back. Just in case.”

There was some grumbling, but no one argued.

“Get back.” Taryn put her hand on the knob and turned slowly. The door opened quietly.

Without the barrier of the door, the beeping was louder.

Everyone took a position along the walls while Taryn took a cautious step into the room. One step, then another.

The monitors emitted an eerie blue glow and Taryn couldn’t see much in the dim light. The open door blocked the entire right side of the room from view. The left was clear, so she stepped farther into the room.

The door swung toward her and caught her in the shoulder. “Ow.” The impact knocked her back a few steps.

The momentum carried her to the left and away from the door. The impact reverberated along her metal arm. If they’d hit her flesh and blood limb, the pain would have likely incapacitated her.

Someone was here.

“You missed someone,” Taryn growled over her shoulder.

“Shit! Recalibrating!” That was Gen.

Taryn focused on staying out of reach and locating her attacker in the dim room. The eerie light from the monitors cast shadows everywhere.

Taryn looked right and left as she stepped deeper into the apartment.

“Got it! To your right!” Gen’s warning came just in time.

Taryn turned her torso and hips to face the threat.

A fist swung toward her face.

She ducked.

The fist whistled by, clipping her on the jaw rather than knocking her out.

Motherfucker!

Pain radiated through her jaw. She drew on her lessons from living with the previous Jack and forced the pain back.

Her assailant had landed two hits already. She wouldn’t let him get a third in.

Rolling onto the balls of her feet, she stayed loose, ready to dodge the next time he took a swing. Right shoulder angled toward where she thought he was, she drew her arms into a defensive position.

Her eyes finally adjusted to the light and she saw the dark figure approaching. Based on his punches, he wasn’t augmented.

Not the way she was.

Never taking her eyes off his shoulders, she watched for signs that he was about to attack.

His shoulder twitched.

Taryn leaned back to avoid the punch. Air rushed past her cheek.

She stepped into his space, planted her foot, and threw a punch with her right hand. A solid punch with all her body weight behind it.

Right on the button.

He dropped like a stone.

Taryn kicked him in the stomach and danced back.

No grunt, just dead weight.

Her shoulder throbbed, but the pain disappeared quickly. Her arm was designed to dissipate the kinetic force before it reached muscle and bone.

Her shoulder felt a hell of a lot better than her face.

“Can you see anyone else, Gen?” she asked quietly.

A soft curse and the rattle of equipment. “No one else. Sorry about that.”

“It happens, Gen. Don’t worry about it.” Taryn surveyed the room. “Okay, people. Gen says it’s clear and I don’t see anyone else either, so let’s get in and get Hope out.”

Taryn led the way. The figure in the bed was so small, so still. Her heart broke for Ash. She stepped out of the way while Gen entered the room. She was followed by Daryl and Sasha with the gurney.

Taryn stayed out of the way, giving them room to study the setup. “We good?”

Sasha surveyed the setup for another minute.

“Yeah, we’re good. We need to do this my way, though. Okay?” She looked at Taryn when she said that.

“You’re the boss,” Taryn agreed easily. She was all about letting professionals use their talents.

As if Taryn had uttered the magic words, Sasha took charge of the room.

“You need to pack up the equipment in this order, Gen.” She pointed at every piece. “First, second, third, fourth. The first two can go under the gurney. The others will need to be tucked near her on top.”

The tech worked quickly, carefully shifting equipment, until it was time to move the most important piece in the room—Hope herself.

Sasha arranged everyone around Hope’s bed. “On three. Super carefully. Allie, make sure you’ve got that machine. It’s the most important job.”

“One. Two. Three.”

On the final count, they lifted Hope on the sheet.

She was so light.

Ash said she was eighteen when they were caught, so she was twenty-three now. The same age as some of the women helping Taryn right now.

Poor Hope. She’d lost almost a quarter of her life. And might miss it all.

“Fucking Tremaines,” Taryn muttered.

Taryn vowed to help Ash with the brain burn cure. She’d do whatever she could to help the still girl on the gurney.

“What’s that?” Gen asked.

“Sorry, nothing.” Generally, Taryn tried to stay neutral. It was better for business if she didn’t get too close to any corporation.

But the Tremaine Corporation’s treatment of Hope was making that difficult. Phillip Tremaine had a lot to answer for.

“We ready to go?”

Sasha didn’t answer right away. She checked leads and connections, tubes and power cords. Taryn didn’t think they’d broken anything. Hope’s machines sounded like they were beating at the same tempo that they had in the beginning.

“Ready.” Sasha held on to one side of the floating gurney and Daryl grabbed the opposite side.

Taryn took the lead, fists up, ready to take on anyone who challenged them. Gen came next, followed by the rest of the rescue party.

Leaving the building was just as eerily silent as their arrival had been.

Taryn paused at the front door. The ambulance was still parked where they’d left it.

Good. Taryn didn’t have a plan B.

“Gen, you getting anything new?” Taryn kept her eyes on the street.

“The video is still looping. No one seems to have noticed. I’m not detecting anyone outside.”

“Great, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Taryn stepped out and stood watch as the others carried Hope out. She hated being in the open like this, but at least this neighborhood wasn’t swarming with people right now.

Getting Hope out of the Tremaine hospital would have been doable—her plan had obviously worked—but it would have been twice as stressful.

The party made their way to the ambulance as quickly as they could.

No one approached. Nothing went wrong.

Taryn didn’t like it at all.

Sasha took charge again when they reached the ambulance, getting Hope strapped down and settled.

Taryn stood on the back step, watching the action, studying Hope’s face. She felt like she knew her after all her time with Ash.

“Everything okay, boss?” Gen asked.

“Yeah. Just grateful we got her out.”

Taryn hopped into the back of the ambulance and sat next to Hope. She took the young woman’s thin hand in hers and held it tight. “We’re taking you to your brother, Hope,” she said quietly. “He can’t wait to see you.”

Sasha and Allie settled into the seats in the front of the ambulance and everyone else crowded into the back, taking care not to jostle Hope or any of the equipment.

“Take us in the back way, Sasha,” Taryn said. “Gen, keep an electronic eye out for anyone following us.”

Both women murmured their assent.

“Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without your help,” Taryn told her team once they were underway. “If you owed me a favor, your debt is paid.”