Dark Deceptions (33 page)

“No.” Annie shook her head, squinting a little as she stared at the map. “It’s better to the right. That curve indicates a
fissure.” She stood up and walked to the screen, pointing to a small indentation on the drawing. “Do we have a photo of this
part of the cliff?”

Hannah checked coordinates and then produced a split screen of the map and a photo of the cliff.

“Look,” Annie said as she studied both drawing and photo, “there’s a rock crevice here.” She pointed to a darker area of the
cliff. “Almost a chimney. It’ll provide both cover and an easier ascent. Have you got the vertical figures for this section?”

“Looks like the chute tops out at about one-sixty.”

“And is there beach access?” Nash asked.

“Yes.” Avery nodded after consulting a sheaf of papers. “Not as wide as the other location, but it’s there. You’re sure this
is better, Annie?”

“Absolutely. This is your best bet. It’ll be quicker and more contained. And considering proximity to the original site, it’ll
still feed onto the backside of the compound.”

“You sound like you know what you’re talking about,” Lara said, her curiosity evident.

“I live in Colorado, which means spending a hell of a lot of time in the mountains.” She shrugged. “I needed a way to make
a living and climbing is a huge sport with a high demand for guides. So for what it’s worth, I’m AMGA accredited.”

“AMGA?” Jason asked.

“American Mountain Guides Association,” Nash supplied. “And she’s being modest. Annie’s been climbing for years. I remember
several times in particular when she managed to climb in and out of things no one else believed possible. Hell, she’s even
been on K2.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t make it to the summit.” She shook her head. “And that was a hell of a long time ago. But I do know my
way around a rope.”

“Good, because you’re on the team,” Avery said, waving away her protest. “Normally, Emmett serves as our climbing expert.
But since he took a bullet to the leg during a recent operation, I’m thinking it’s better if he sits this one out.”

“And you’re okay with this, Emmett?” Annie asked as she searched the other man’s face. “You were pretty damn certain I’d killed
Dominico yesterday morning.”

“I was wrong,” he said, his gaze steady. “And Avery’s right, I’m not up to that kind of climb. I’d just slow everyone down.
It’s got to be you. You’re the only one with the expertise to get them safely to the top.”

“Besides—Drake grinned—“you can’t tell me you don’t want to be there when we find Kim.”

“The idea has a certain appeal,” she admitted. “All right, then. I guess that means I’m in.”

“Just like old times,” Nash said, his gaze locking with hers.

“Two against nature.” She smiled, using the phrase Tom had tagged them with almost twenty years ago.

“Or in this case, two against Kim Sun,” Nash replied. “The bastard will never know what hit him.”

T
he cliff stretched up out of sight, clouds cloaking the top as the surf crashed on the beach. Offshore, Annie could just make
out the shape of the boat as Emmett maneuvered farther out to sea. He’d stay put until they’d safely reached the rendezvous
spot, ready to call in backup should it be needed.

Already about 120 feet up the cliff, Annie carefully placed a camming device, and then, stretching out with her right hand,
she felt for a handhold and carefully worked her way up along the crevice.

Just below she could see Avery. He shot her a thumbs-up as he braced himself against a rock and pulled upward, following her
path. Drake came next, along with the haul bag containing their gear and weapons. And finally, bringing up the rear, she could
just make out Nash’s head.

Pressing her back into the side of the crevice, she adjusted the cam, making sure the carabiner was secure, and then waited
for Avery to reach her previous position, tightening the rope to maintain tension. He in turn tightened the slack as Drake
moved upward, and finally Drake did the same for Nash. At Avery’s signal, Annie again began to move upward.

So far the climb had been routine, but they had only just reached the most difficult part. The chimney she had chosen was
wider than expected, especially at the top, which meant that the final forty feet would be extremely slow going.

Because of the clouds, the moonlight was dim, a boon for keeping them concealed, but a definite detriment when it came to
the climb. Every move she made was determined by touch. The crevice narrowed, and she was able to move upward using her feet,
hands, and back. It sped up progress, but meant that there were fewer cams for protection.

Traveling in silence added an element of danger, and also gave the night an eerie feel, the hiss of the wind against the rocks
swirling around them almost like a living thing. She stopped for a moment to adjust the rope’s tension, waited for visual
confirmation that everyone was all right, and then began her ascent once more.

She tried to keep her mind clear, but there were so many thoughts rushing through her brain. Adam. Nash. Their future as a
family. It had been her dream for so long. And now here it was within her grasp, and yet, he hadn’t told her he loved her.
He’d shown her as much, maybe, but it wasn’t the same. And then there was the question of A-Tac.

For so long she’d believed that distancing herself from her past had been the way to keep Adam safe. To give him a shot at
a normal life. But instead, she’d set him up for Kim. And her little boy had been through more in his short lifetime than
most people ever go through.

She shuddered as she thought about what could have happened.

But it hadn’t. Adam was safe. And with a little luck, they were about to put an end to Kim Sun’s threat once and for all.

She closed her eyes for a moment, pushing away her thoughts. She needed to stay focused. Reaching upward, she felt for a handhold,
surprised when her fingers met something soft and warm. Instinctively, she jerked her hand away as a gull came careening out
of the chimney, screaming in protest.

The resulting melee left her hanging by only her right hand and foot. She swung her body inward, reaching with her left hand
for the rock face and the now-abandoned crevice. Connecting with a scraping thunk, her fingers closed on the tiny ledge, but
the rock broke free, sending a hail of scree sliding down behind her.

She fought the urge to scream a warning, instead concentrating on securing herself as the rope tightened with a sickening
jerk. Below her, Avery spun out away from the cliff, his body weight threatening to pull her with him.

Holding her breath, she braced herself, fighting to hold the rope steady as he swung out and then back, desperately scrambling
for a second handhold before gravity had the chance to win the day.

Her shoulders tightened with the effort to hold on to the rope, and she pressed into the rock, bracing herself with her feet.
Then, just when she was certain she couldn’t hold on any longer, the rope went slack as Avery regained his footing.

She leaned against the mountain, gulping in air.

“Annie,” Avery’s voice crackled in her ear, “we’ve got a problem. The rope’s splitting. I can see it. About four feet up.
It’s holding, but there’s no way it’ll take my weight again.”

“Everybody just sit tight,” she said, already climbing down to where Avery was clinging to the rock. Working quickly, she
removed the damaged portion of the rope and spliced the remaining ends together. Then, after setting an additional cam, she
moved back into position.

“Everybody okay?” Nash asked, his voice sounding tinny in her ear.

“Well, it’s raining rocks down here,” Drake said, as usual using humor to deflect the intensity of the situation. “But no
bodies, so I guess that means we’re good to go.”

Annie smiled, despite herself. “I’m here. And in one piece. Rope should be secure.”

“Avery?”

“Not to worry. I’m fine. Just went for a little ride,” he said, his breathing contradicting his casual tone. “View is damn
fine. But I think if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather get off this rock.”

“Copy that,” Nash said. “Annie, we still good to go?”

“Yeah,” she said, already beginning to climb. “Let’s get it done.”

The crevice fortunately proved to be less of a problem than she’d anticipated, or maybe after their close call it just seemed
that way. They made good time, stopping only once when Drake needed to resecure the haul bag.

Nearing the top, Annie moved more cautiously. According to intel, there were three pairs of guards, two working the perimeter
and one stationed at a gatehouse on the north of the island. She checked her watch, the luminous dial showing sixteen after.
The guards should be about fourteen minutes out.

“Fourteen minutes,” she whispered into her headset, reaching upward to pull herself onto a ledge about four feet below the
top. She anchored the rope for the last time as Avery pulled himself up beside her, a long scrape down the side of his face
serving as a reminder of their near miss.

“You sure you’re all right?” she asked, wincing in commiseration.

“I’m fine. It’s just a scrape. Damn bird’s fault. Guess I must have severed the rope when I swung across the rocks.”

She nodded as Drake climbed onto the ledge, pulling the haul bag behind him.

“Get up there and see if you can spot the guards,” Avery said, checking his watch. “They ought to be visible in five.”

Drake grabbed a pair of night vision goggles from the bag. He popped up for a quick look, just as Nash pulled himself onto
the ledge.

“Good,” she breathed in relief, “everyone’s safe.”

“So far.” Nash shrugged, a half smile lifting the corner of his mouth.

“They’re right on time,” Drake whispered, dropping back down beside them. “ETA two minutes, coming from ten o’clock.”

“Should we take them out?” Annie asked, pulling her gun from the pack.

Avery shook his head. “Only if absolutely necessary. We’ll take them later, after you and Drake get inside. Better to have
them reporting in for as long as possible.”

Annie nodded, seconds passing slowly, until laughter in the distance indicated the men were finally approaching. Avery motioned
them all back against the wall, as Drake pulled the bag deeper into the shadow.

The sounds grew closer until the men, speaking Turkish, stopped just above them. Frowning, Nash looked upward, muscles tensing
for attack, but Avery shook his head and Annie held her breath as the smell of cigarettes wafted over the edge of the cliff.

Sons of bitches were taking a break.

She pressed back against the cliff, her hand tightening around her gun, finger lightly pressed against the trigger. A cigarette
sailed over the edge, the end glowing as it spiraled downward, landing just to their left.

Rocks skittered across each other as something in the darkness moved. Crouching now, ready to spring, the team held steady
as the men above grew silent, their flashlight beam sweeping back and forth across the face of the cliff, until it settled
on the source of the noise, a mountain goat, clearly startled by the incoming tobacco.

The flashlight flickered off as the men walked away, talking again, their voices receding as they headed out, clearly satisfied
that everything was as it should be. Two minutes later the area above was totally quiet, and Annie drew a deep breath in relief.

The goat bleated and Drake let out a soft laugh. “At least they didn’t decide to take a piss.”

Annie smiled, the tension of the last few moments easing as she holstered her gun and then carefully pulled herself up and
over the cliff’s edge. Nash and Avery followed suit, with Nash reaching down for the bag as Drake boosted it up. Then he slid
it back into the shadow of a rock, while Avery offered a hand to help Drake.

The company fully assembled, Drake and Avery began to check the equipment, while Annie walked to the edge of the cliff to
make sure their climbing ropes weren’t visible from above.

The moon had broken through the clouds, bathing the rocky terrain in silvery light that fell off the edge of the cliff, cascading
down into the water below. In any other circumstances she would have considered it breathtaking, but her overriding thought
at the moment was that it robbed them of cover. Fortunately, due to the angle of the cliff and overhang, the ropes were hidden
from sight.

“You okay?” Nash asked, the proximity of his voice startling her.

“I was until you scared the shit out of me,” she gasped.

“Sorry.” He smiled, his hand on her arm to steady her. “Occupational hazard. Everything look good?”

“Actually, no,” Annie said, handing him the frayed section of rope she’d cut free after Avery’s near miss. “This rope wasn’t
cut by a rock. Look at the ends. They’re clean.”

“You’re sure?”

“Nash, I’ve been climbing a long time. Ropes never break. Which means one of three things can happen. They can sever after
pulling across a sharp object—rock or ice. They can be chemically damaged. Or they can be cut by a knife. In the first two
cases, the ends are frayed. In the last, it’s a clean break.”

“So you think it was deliberate.”

“Looks that way.” She frowned. “I checked the ropes before we left Sunderland. Everything was fine.” She waited while the
weight of her words sank in. “I did a cursory check on the boat, but it was dark. I could have missed something.”

“So somewhere between Sunderland and here, someone tampered with the rope. You mention this to anyone else?”

“No.” She shook her head.

“Good. Let’s leave it that way for now. And why don’t you let me hang on to the rope. We’ll want to be sure it gets safely
back to Sunderland.”

She handed him the piece of rope. “Should we be worried about the mission?”

“Not as far as the team is concerned,” he said. “If the rope had severed completely, Drake and Avery would probably both be
dead. Me, too. Wouldn’t make sense for them to sabotage themselves.”

“What about Emmett?” she asked.

“No way. He’s risked his life for me on more than one occasion. If there was sabotage it had to come from somewhere else,
which means we’re probably insulated for the moment.”