h4Chapter 382: Another Extraction/h4

    The drive to the Thorne private hangar blurred past in tense silence. Only the low hum of engines and the asional crackle of Zane’s voice over the radio broke the stillness.

    Athena kept her gaze fixed outside, watching trees dissolve into stretches of highway, her thoughts spinning restlessly.

    iWould the criminals hold onto Kendra just for a while? Could they not kill Lucas yet? Could they hold on until she got there? /iThis mantra repeated over and over in her head, like she was trying to push her mental positivity into the minds of the kidnappers.

    Secondly, she wondered how the men had located the almost invisible ce she had hidden the family in. Was there a mole in their midst, as Morgan had spoken about, or were the criminals thatpetent?

    She bit her lips, yet watching her environment from the tinted ss, her feet dropping slow beats on the floor of the car, impatient to get to level ground, to begin the mission.

    Spider had promised his innocence in all this, so thepetency of the criminals dwindled before her eyes. Or was there someone like him, someone he had groomed while working with the gang? Someone who had no loyalty to Ewan...

    "Athena, you shouldn’t worry. Spider gives me updates every five minutes. Nothing will happen to Kendra or Lucas."

    Although Ewan had no real energy to save Lucas, who had been one of the tools used to destroy his rtionship with Athena more than five years ago, looking at Athena’s worried face was enough motivation. And there was the part that he had to forgive the male for lying against his wife, as he had been forgiven.

    "And what has he said in thest five minutes?" Athena’s question drew Ewan from his thoughts.

    "That they are safe. Lucas is losing blood, but he will survive if we arrive there as nned, if the extraction goes as nned."

    Athena nodded, yet looking through the window, thinking of the nature of beating they must have given her former best friend, for him to have bled that much. Beating with iron?

    She sighed, and looked away from the window, turning to meet Ewan’s gaze. "What do you think about this mission? I don’t want to be too positive."

    "Maybe you should be," Ewan said softly, meeting her eyes, wishing he could hug her, that he could nestle her in his arms andfort her.

    With this thought came the strong feeling to do as he felt, and so to curtail this thing, especially with her looking at him that way, he asked about her boyfriend; the name tasted bitter in his mouth.

    "How is Antonio? Did you inform him of this matter?"

    Athena shook her head. "He already talks about his work being strenuous. I didn’t want to add an extra burden."

    And then she returned to watching the sights from her window; and Ewan knew that the conversation, as of that moment, was over.

    Should he have kept quiet? Should he not have brought up Antonio, maybe talk about his confession to the Thornes a few moments ago? Exhaling from his mouth slowly, he reverted his gaze to the window. iEverything will work out fine./i

    When atst the convoy slowed, the ck silhouette of the private hangar rose ahead. Floodlights cast the tarmac in pale gold, where the Thorne’s jet waited like a bird of prey, sleek and polished, its nose pointed toward the stars.

    Athena thought it beautiful, aware of the security men posted at every corner of the hangar. From therge warehouse meters away from the jet, she knew there was more than one flight machine in the hanger. iSoon, this all will belong to her./i

    She noted the pilots and attendants standing by the open private jet, who must have been awoken from their sleep to be here, and felt sorry. Her old man shouldn’t have. They could take care of themselves.

    She was sure he wouldn’t want to hear that though. To him, paying his employees higher than their counterparts in the same industry was enough incentive to get them running when he called.

    "We are here," she heard Ewan say, and gave a nk nod.

    The cars braked sharply as they passed the long metal gates and parked a few feet away from the jet. Doors opened and men flooded out. Just five men in addition to the usual flock–Ewan hadn’t thought it wise to bring in a multitude; it might alert the criminals of theiring.

    Cold night air rushed in as Athena opened her own door, carrying the sharp tang of fuel.

    Athena’s breath caught up close as she looked up at the ne. She had seen it before, in the news media of course—the Thorne’s wealth had never been subtle or hidden—but tonight it looked different. It looked mysterious, screaming both luxury and salvation.

    Before her, Ewan moved quickly, his strides purposeful as he coordinated with the waiting crew. She watched as the men saluted him–this man she thought wore authority like a cloak, with terse nods–their eyes sharp, already briefed on the urgency.

    "Fuel’s ready, Mr. Gietti. Cabin prepared," one of them said briskly.

    "Good. Wheels up in five," Ewan replied.

    She watched as he reverted his steps to her, to Aiden and his friends. "Everything has been prepared." He paused, to tell the few agents with them to load up the bags in their hands into the ne, bags which contained surveince equipment and weapons.

    "We just have to get in and out, and then go to our beds." A short smile touched his lips. "Not that any of us are alien to this kind of movement."

    Aiden smiled with him. "I’m getting older, but I feel rather refreshed when on missions like this. Was sitting on a spring, when you told Susan to stay back..."

    Ewan cocked a brow in questioning.

    Aiden shrugged. "I thought that if you told me to stay back too, citing something like age as you told Old Mr. Thorne, you would be kissing my boots next."

    Ewanughed, together with his friends—Athena managed a smile—diffusing the tension in their midst.

    They would do this, and everyone woulde out alive was the statement that rang through in their minds as they started toward the jet.

    The steps nged under their boots as they filed aboard. Inside, the jet’s cabin gleamed—cream leather seats, polished wood panels, soft recessed lighting that tried but failed to soften the remainder of the faint tension riding with them.

    Athena slid into a seat, her palms not mmy, her chest not as tightened as before. Everything will be fine. She had gone on worse missions than this, and had emerged victorious; this wouldn’t be different.

    She was aware of Ewan moving down the aislest, stopping to rest a hand on the back of a chair before speaking, the door shutting behind him.

    His eyes swept the group, steady, hard.

    "Are we allfortable enough to eat," he started. "A light snack."

    Beside him was one of the attendants watching them behind anxious eyes. Echoes of nos, and shakes of head greeted him.

    "You don’t have to worry, Rita. You can have the moments off, you and others. We will be fine with some privacy."

    The attendant muttered something Athena couldn’t hear and then she stalked off to a closed door, a resting ce probably for the staff. Once the door shut firmly behind her, Ewan turned to them.

    "Just more detailed nning, so that we hit the ground running. No hesitation."

    The engines rumbled beneath them, a rising growl that set the sses trembling in their holders. Outside, the runway stretched long and ck beneath the night sky. The jet lurched, began to taxi.

    Athena closed her eyes briefly, feeling the thrum of motion beneath her feet, then opened them to fix on Ewan. His jaw was set, his shoulders square.

    When the ne lifted, pressing them back into their seats, Athena’s stomach dropped somewhat, but her resolve steadied. They were in the air.

    The seatbelt lights dimmed. Ewan remained standing, bracing himself against the slight sway of the jet.

    "Listen carefully everyone," he began, his tone clipped, deliberate. "Thepound Spider gave us—it won’t be easy. It’s one of the gang’s main locations... Outer guards, inner watch. He’ll leave the main gate open, but once we’re inside, it’s ours to fight through. The agents will take care of surveince and dealing with the men outside..."

    Zane leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "What about the extraction? We need a way out that isn’t suicide."

    There was a ghost of apprehension in his eyes, which was well-founded considering the gang they were trying to steal from. And that was apart from the consequences that would fall out.

    This was a deration of war as they knew it–if the gang found out the identity of their stealers–hence the mask each held in their hand, as the ne got closer to their location.

    "North side," Ewan replied finally, yet remembering this location from his year as leader of the gang.

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