So who the hell was she?
Connor checked his watch, pushing all thoughts of Hudson aside. He clicked his radio and addressed Xander. “Kill the cameras. Now.”
Five seconds ticked by before Xander responded. “Done.”
“Go time,” Connor murmured.
Rylan cocked his weapon and grinned. “Let’s do this shit. My man Xan needs a new razor.”
Like clockwork, the perimeter guard came ambling around the corner. A second later, Connor and Rylan burst out of the shadows.
Fear widened the young Enforcer’s eyes when he spotted them. His rifle snapped up, but not fast enough – Rylan was already knocking it out of his hand. The kid’s arm shot up as he tried switching his earpiece on, but he froze when Connor’s knife angled over his throat.
“Nice and easy,” Connor rasped in his ear. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
“Screw you,” the kid sputtered.
Connor dug the blade deeper, but not deep enough to draw blood. They needed the guy alive. If the warehouse really was protected by mines, then this kid was the only one who knew the right path to the door.
“No need to be an asshole,” Rylan drawled. “We’re all buds here.”
“Yup, we’re about to be the best of friends,” Connor agreed.
Keeping the knife in place, he yanked the guard toward the electronic panel by the gate door. He used his free hand to lift the key card from the Enforcer’s front pocket, then swiped it to open the gate. A light blinked from red to green, and then the lock released with a click.
Rather than walk through the gate, Connor lightly dragged the blade over his captive’s throat. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to lead us inside, because a friend doesn’t let another friend get ripped apart by land mines – right, buddy? And then, when we get to the door, you’re going to call out to your partner and assure him that everything is all right.” Connor paused. “And look, yeah, we’re buds and all, but you should know – one wrong move and I’ll slice your throat. And then my friend blows your head off, just for fun.”
“It’s overkill, I know,” Rylan quipped. “But one can never be too careful these days.”
Connor could feel the Enforcer trembling. Good. Fear made men a lot more amenable than anger did.
Chuckling, he nudged the guard toward the gate. “After you.”
Hudson held her breath as she peered into the binoculars. The men had walked through the gate with the young Enforcer in the lead. She hoped the guard didn’t do anything stupid, like blow himself up just to take out a couple of outlaws who wanted his supplies.
At the uneasy thought, she had to remind herself that the Enforcers were selfish bastards, each and every one of them. They might have sworn to sacrifice themselves for the colony if needed, but Hudson had seen more than a few of them leave men behind to save their own hides.
Xander looked over, catching the concern on her face. “Don’t worry about Con and Ry, doll.”
She turned toward him, a tad flustered by his handsome good looks. He was tall and muscular, with a full beard and brown eyes that twinkled playfully at her. She had no clue why these men were so happy-go-lucky all the time. They seemed completely unfazed by the dangers around them.
“They’re walking into an Enforcer station – how can I not worry?” she retorted.
He shrugged. “They can handle themselves.”
Maybe, but she didn’t release her breath until she saw the three men reach the door of the warehouse in one piece. Connor kept his knife to the guard’s throat, murmuring something in his ear that Hudson knew was a threat, because the Enforcer’s shoulders set in a rigid line. A moment later he swiped a key card in the panel next to the door, and the men disappeared inside.
“Pike, what’s doing on your end?” Xander barked into the radio.
Pike was quick to respond. “Absolutely nothing. No Enforcers in sight.”
“Good.” Xander clicked the radio again. “Kade?”
“All clear,” came Kade’s voice.
Several minutes passed before there was any more activity. Relief flooded Hudson’s belly when the metal door swung open and Connor’s broad frame filled the doorway. He gave a nod in the direction of the clearing, and this time it was his voice crackling over the radio.
“Move in. Follow the path Rylan laid out. Xan, bring the Jeep right up to the gate. We’ve got a shit ton of supplies to haul.”
Xander was already heading to the vehicle. “Come on,” he tossed over his shoulder.
Panic ignited inside her. “You want me to go with you?”
“Of course. It’s time for you to pull your weight, doll.” He gave her biceps a teasing pinch as she came up beside him. “I hope you can handle some heavy lifting.”
Crap. She wasn’t worried about the land mines since Rylan had apparently marked a path to the door, but what if there were more Enforcers inside the warehouse? What if one of them recognized her?