Page 25 of Wild Temple (Tyson Wild Thriller #84)
T he little scooter buzzed down the road, Jack holding on for dear life. With the two of us on the moped, it wasn't quite as fast or as agile as one would hope.
We looked ridiculous.
It was still dark out, but the sun would be cresting the horizon before long.
The wind swirled, and the engine purred as we headed away from the main strip, cruising through rice paddies and luxury villas.
The denizens were mostly tech bros and digital nomads who had achieved a degree of success.
Crypto types with more money than sense.
A lot of people bought these villas as a passive income stream to rent out.
The construction wasn't all that great, and when the land lease was up, you’d have to give it back unless you’d negotiated an option to extend.
Jack shouted over the wind, "Just how exactly do you plan on exfiltrating if we actually find the girl? "
"I'll improvise something in the moment," I said, having no clue what we’d do if we actually found Hannah.
We cruised through the posh villas and arrived at the target site.
It was two stories of modern tropical design.
Large windows and relaxing terraces. An A-frame roof capped the villa.
Slatted wood softened the stark appearance of the natural stone.
Lush creepers hung from the terrace. Shrouded by tall palms, thick greenery engulfed the backyard, creating a secluded oasis from the outside world.
A high perimeter wall surrounded the property.
We did a recon pass to assess the situation.
A second-floor light was on.
I pulled to the curb and parked the bike about 50 yards from the house. The lot to my right was undeveloped.
“How do you want to handle this?” JD asked.
I had gotten used to Isabella as our eye in the sky. We didn't have a drone to scope out the property. Isabella wasn't around to hack the Wi-Fi and tap into security cameras.
I called Talia. "We reached the target site. Can you tell me how many phones are currently at the location?”
She tapped the keys and, a moment later, said, “I count two cell phones, including the one that called Brooke's phone with the ransom demand.”
It wasn't a guarantee, but it likely meant there were two people on site guarding Hannah. If my theory was correct, Caspian hadn't wanted to pimp her out yet. He probably wanted her for himself. First dibs on the new merchandise .
"Were you able to get any background information on Caspian Vorn?”
"Not yet. Like I said, I don't have access to the vast amount of resources that Isabella had.
But what I did find on the Internet is that he is an international businessman.
Or at least that's what he purports to be.
He owns numerous restaurants and bars on the island.
At a casual glance, everything looks legit.
That's all I know right now. I'll keep digging.”
"Who owns the Villa?"
"I don't know.”
I thanked her and told her I would keep her updated.
The villas on the street were packed tight. Some shared common walls. Others were freestanding. Several homes were mirror copies of each other, built by the same developer. There was a narrow gap between the target house and the neighboring property.
JD and I casually strolled down the block toward the target, then slipped into the narrow alley between houses.
At the perimeter wall, Jack cupped his hands together as a platform and boosted me up. I grasped the top of the wall and pulled myself up. Jack stepped back and took a running start. He climbed up the wall, grasped my hand, and I pulled him up until he could reach the top of the ledge.
We both pulled ourselves up and over, then dropped down between the trees and ferns in the backyard.
The small plunge pool was a perfect place to cool off in the afternoon sun. Lounge chairs sat atop deck work, and the whole area offered a peaceful, tranquil vibe.
Sliding glass doors opened to the main living room. There were no lights on downstairs. Nothing but the flickering glow of a television.
I didn't see any cameras in the area. That didn't mean there weren't any.
I peered through the floor-to-ceiling window that offered a view of the breakfast area, kitchen, and living room. The open floor plan let me see almost all of the first floor.
A man sat on the couch, his head against the backrest, mouth open, passed out.
There was nobody else downstairs.
A light tug on the sliding glass door told me it was locked. It would have been too noisy anyway.
I used one of the support beams to shimmy my way up to the terrace. More sliding glass doors offered a view into the bedroom. A soft amber light in the bathroom spilled out through the door, cracked just a hair. Was someone inside?
I pulled myself the rest of the way up, grabbed the railing, and climbed over.
JD followed.
With weapons drawn, we hovered by the door. I tugged the handle, and the door rumbled as I slid it open with a gentle touch. Just enough to slip through. JD followed me in, our barrels sweeping across the master bedroom .
The decor was elegant and minimalist. The four-post bed was shrouded with mosquito netting—a must in these parts. Rich or poor, the bloodsuckers didn’t care. They’d take what they wanted all the same.
I advanced across the cream carpet with light steps, keeping my weapon aimed at the bathroom door. My wary eyes flicked to the entryway, scanning the long hallway.
JD and I held up at the bathroom door. I didn’t know what I’d find on the other side. Perhaps Caspian on the crapper.
I gave a nod to Jack. He pushed open the door, and I angled my pistol inside.
The bathroom was nice—his and hers sinks, an elegant walk-in shower, a standing tub.
It was empty.
We moved away from the bathroom, cleared the closet, then headed down the hallway. We crept like ghosts to a guest room on the left. With a delicate touch, I twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.
The guest room was empty.
But the comforter was rumpled. I took a cautious step into the room and creaked a floorboard.
We both froze in our tracks.
JD and I held still for a moment, the sounds of the night seeping into the house.
My heart thudded so loud I was sure JD could hear it.