“Contact the team and I’ll check on the women upstairs.” Davis pivoted and froze.
“Too late.” Lara and Jocelyn stood at the bottom of the staircase in sweatpants and T-shirts.
From their wild hair and big eyes, Ben guessed they’d gotten Davis’s message on the way to bed and found clothes.
That wasn’t good enough. Ben wanted them locked down. “You two need to get out of here.”
“Agreed.” A nerve ticked in Davis’s cheek. “Lara, take Jocelyn to the safe room.”
The beeps turned to a long, steady buzz. The alarm wound up, getting louder every few seconds.
Time was up. Rather than draw straws, Ben issued some orders. “You take them upstairs and I’ll check it out.”
“Another attack,” Jocelyn said in a voice that sounded small and distant.
Ben shook his head. “Could be nothing.”
“Lara, we’re not debating this. Ben needs me down here. You go up. You know the plan.” Davis turned to Jocelyn and his voice suggested neither woman argue. “You stick with Lara and do not come out of hiding unless you see a member of my team.”
Jocelyn frowned. “I’m not even sure if I know all of them.”
Enough talk. A shadow moved in the yard and Ben wanted it handled before whoever it was got closer to the house. “We need to move.”
Davis pointed to the staircase. “Go.”
With one last glance at Jocelyn’s pale face, Ben took off. Skipping the glass doors, he headed for the one off the kitchen. It dumped into the side yard. He could circle around if he was able to stay hidden.
Tiptoeing over boards and around boxes, Ben headed for the door. He balanced on a box of tiles while he squeezed around the new dishwasher where it was lodged between the kitchen island and the freshly painted cabinets.
The place was like a war zone. He had to hope if anyone made it this far they’d fail to look around and get tripped up in this room.
When he reached the door, he crouched on one knee and listened for any noise on the other side. When the night stayed silent except for a few crickets, Ben turned to Davis. “No light.”
Davis nodded and hit something on his black watch.
Ben didn’t wait another second. Still kneeling, he lifted his arm and turned the knob. Slow and quiet, the door opened a few inches.
The scent of freshly mowed grass overwhelmed the room. He waited for footsteps or signs of a surprise attack. Nothing happened.
He squeezed through the small space and waited on the top step. His gray T-shirt wouldn’t blend in well with the surroundings. That made him a target, so he’d have to move fast. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Davis’s nod.
Time to move.
Stepping down the few stairs outside the door, he slid against the wall and scanned the yard. He picked up movement in the shadows, over by a group of shrubs under the tree diagonal from his position across the backyard.
Even sticking to the fence, circling around without being spotted would be tough. He couldn’t see Davis, but he sensed he was out and running along the far side and directly into danger.
The goal was to draw any gunfire away from the house and catch whoever was out there. To try to cut the person off, Ben headed for the fence to his left. He had his guns plus the one Davis had given him. That should be enough firepower.
He held one now as he sprinted through the grass, dodging twigs or anything that would make noise. Keeping his breathing even, he turned and followed the fence line.
After a quick visual tour around the yard, his gaze landed on those shrubs again. He could make out a second shadow and hear grunting and shuffling.
Ben took off running. Blood pumped through him and his heart pounded. Not from the physical exertion. From the hunt.
Davis and a man dressed in colors so dark he blended right into the landscape rolled on the ground, wrestling and punching. One got the upper hand and leveraged his body to the top. Then the other.
Ben couldn’t get a clear shot without running the risk of hitting Davis. Not at this angle or at this time of night.
“Hey.” His voice cut through the night, freezing both men.
The second of hesitation was exactly what Ben needed. He grabbed for the attacker, pulled him off Davis. The guy went through the air and landed hard on the ground with a soft thud. Putting a foot on the guy’s back, Ben aimed his gun at the man’s head,
Davis lay sprawled on his back and panting. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth and he held his stomach as he rose up on his elbows. “Nice takedown.”
They needed this guy alive. It would be hard to question a dead man. Ben repeated the mantra while he forced the energy racing through him to subside. No matter how much he wanted to shoot the guy, he couldn’t. “You picked the wrong house.”