They pricked up their ears, grunting and making strange gurgling noises deep in their throats. A few of them shuffled off, unnerved by the intrusion, but Kurt and Joe were long past them by that point, just shadows moving through the dark.
As he continued up the slope, Kurt felt the ache in his shoulder from the bullet wound and the weight of the heavy railgun. He ignored it and continued on.
Three-quarters of the way up the slope they came within sight of the compound walls. A quiet whistle
got Joe’s attention. They huddled together.
“What do you think?” Kurt asked.
“The wall looks rough, unfinished.”
“Probably hard to get stonemasons out here.”
“Front gate has cameras,” Joe said, studying the layout. “Can’t see any others.”
Kurt glanced along the dirt road that led up to the gate. “If a pizza delivery guy came by right about now, that would be ideal. But considering that isn’t likely to happen, I say we climb the wall.”
“I can see a spot over there where a tree is growing up beside the wall,” Joe said.
“Too inviting,” Kurt replied. “Let’s just use our hands and feet.”
Joe nodded again and Kurt began to move, heading farther upslope. Joe followed, and the two met up again at the base of the stone wall. In a moment they were over the top and inside, and the first thing they came to was the maze of manicured hedges.
Unlike the gentle slope of the hill outside the walls, the grounds inside had been excavated and flattened. The entire compound was built on a series of terraces, with the lowest by the front gate, then two intermediate levels containing the hedge maze and the other small buildings, and finally the main house in all its grandeur sitting up on the highest of the four terraces.
Unlike the rest of the grounds, the house was well lit. Kurt studied what he could from where he was. A pair of guards milled around the main entrance. At least one other man stood near the far side.
“Not exactly girded for battle,” Kurt said.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Just not used to so much going our way.”
Kurt ducked down behind the hedge and opened the flap that covered the GPS tracking unit strapped to his right arm. In dull gray and black tones, it displayed the grounds around them. There were three buildings on the lowest terrace that were considered possibilities. According to Hiram Yaeger, men who appeared to be armed had been seen going in and out of all three.
“We have to get to the other side of this maze,” Kurt said.
“Do we risk going through it?” Joe asked. “The hedges are at least six feet high. They’ll help keep us hidden.”
Kurt was about to say yes, considering that he had an overhead diagram of the maze displayed on his arm, but as he navigated the labyrinth in his mind he discovered one salient feature: there was only one way in and one way out.
“Better go around,” Kurt said. “The maze has no other way out. It’s a big circle that doubles back around and only takes you back to where you started. Considering how this undertaking has felt from day one, I’d say I’ve had about enough of that.”
Joe laughed. “We still have eight minutes of chameleon time.”
Kurt motioned to the right. “Around that side. Stay close to the hedge. We should come across a building that looks kind of like a shed.”
This time Joe led the way and it was Kurt’s turn to marvel at how rapidly he vanished, like a ghost in the fog. Kurt moved quickly to keep up, and on the far side of the hedge he came upon Joe.
The shedlike building was right in front of them. Kurt was just about to step forward when a door opened and spilled some light onto the grounds. Kurt froze as two men came out, allowing the door to bang shut behind them.
Leaning against the building, one of them lit a cigarette. The tip brightened to an orange-red hue as he inhaled. After releasing a puff of smoke, he turned to the other man. “I’m telling you, Laurent is on the rampage. Don’t get him angry right now or question him. I asked him about Acosta and he told me to back off.”
“Acosta is a gutless traitor,” the other man said. “He sold us out on one of Sebastian’s deals. Mark my word, we’re going to be at war with him soon. Next time you make a delivery, you watch your back.”
“It’s more than that,” the smoking man said between drags on the cigarette. “Sebastian is edgy. I think he’s losing it. Been spending too much time with Calista.”
Both of them laughed at that. “Who cares?” the other man said. “We just got paid. Now, finish that smoke and get back in the game so I can take your money.”