He was certain none of them believed she would betray them, they’d gotten to know her and they all trusted Wyatt. He was connected to her and he hadn’t found one hint of conspiracy or an alternate agenda. He’d made that abundantly clear to them. She wanted those children free just as they did. Just the same, she was an unknown. All of them knew they could count on each other, but Pepper… He sighed. They would just have to do the best they could.

Draden leapt from the boat when he stopped it and almost instantly disappeared into the terrain. He blended wherever he was, a ghost, moving through any background, impossible to find unless it was far too late and he was already on top of you. He would be their man to take out the guards while Wyatt controlled the dogs. Draden tied off the boat to keep it in place, using a tree stump.

Watch yourself. Snakes and alligators love this particular spot, Wyatt warned. Zeke, we’re countin’ on you to keep them away from us.

Roger that.

In the field, Ezekiel was all business. The cat in him was strong, the drive to hunt sometimes coming close to overpowering him. He was enormously strong and could leap high as well as long distances. He would clear most fences with no problem. Ezekiel was an extremely dangerous man, but he never left a friend, and he would fight to the death to get to a team member in trouble. Wyatt was grateful he was there.

Out of curiosity, Pepper, Ezekiel asked. Can you control snakes?

Wyatt felt the instant alertness in the team members. He glanced down at her face. Did she feel it too? Did she feel the sudden change in energy directed at her? She already felt like an outsider, a flawed GhostWalker, destined for termination. Wyatt wasn’t as certain that Whitney wanted her dead, but still, he knew she felt very alone.

Her eyes met his as she took his hand to step from the boat. He pulled her in close to his body, wanting her to feel protected. Not in the way you mean, Ezekiel. I can’t make them move away from me, but I can soothe them sometimes if they’re agitated. I usually am aware of a snake close to me, but I can’t always count on that. Here in the swamp, I had a lucky escape or two. It’s possible Ginger can though, she added, sounding matter-of-fact.

Wyatt knew she didn’t feel matter-of-fact. He tightened his fingers around hers and pulled her hand to his chest, pouring his mind into hers, filling her with him – with his belief in her. She wasn’t alone and he didn’t want her to ever think she was.

I meant the things I said to you earlier, Pepper. We’re together in this. We’ll get them out. The boys are used to workin’ with each other. They trust you, but you’re an unknown in the middle of a team that’s worked together through many battles. We know how one another thinks.

She nodded her head in understanding. I’ll stay open to you at all times. You can build a bridge between us, Wyatt, so I’m included in your loop.

And you’re under my command. He wanted to make that very clear. It’s important we work together as a team, Pepper. I can’ have a wild card runnin’ loose when all of our lives are on the line. Our first priority is the children, but if we have to cut and fade, you will come with us.

She bit down hard on her lower lip. Her guilt and sorrow at leaving the other two girls behind still beat at her. She was afraid for them, afraid they would think she’d abandoned them, and he didn’t blame her, but they had to be prepared for a fight with Whitney’s soldiers once they took the girls back, and that meant preparation time.

I’ll never forgive myself if anything happened to them. I know Braden would have ordered the guards and the lab techs to tell them I left them and I wasn’t coming back.

She’d told him that last night, but he let her say it again. In the midst of a team of GhostWalkers, she had to feel isolated. She wouldn’t be there at all if they didn’t need her to get the children out. They could kill the guards and use their keys and prints to open the elevators, but that would open an entire new can of worms. The goal was to get in and get out without anyone knowing they were there until after they were gone. The last thing any of them wanted to do was fight their way out with two babies on their hands.

Wyatt took the lead, moving through the swamp, feeling carefully with not only his experience, but also with his enhanced cat senses. Oftentimes, one could take a step and just sink right through to the murky, muddy waters below. The ground could be very thin in places. One had to know where to step, and even then, erosion was always taking place in the ever-changing swamp.

The babies will know better. The guards and lab people aren’t goin’ to persuade them differently. They’ll be able to sense lies. Ginger can, and no doubt the others can as well. I think Whitney wants us to have those babies. I think he studied my personality and yours and knew we’d fight for those children regardless of whether or not we believed they were biologically ours.

Then we really could be walking into a trap. What’s to say he doesn’t want us all living in the horrible compound, guinea pigs for his experiments?

Wyatt shrugged. It doesn’t really matter much, does it? We’re not leavin’ them there, so we don’ really have a choice. Whitney doesn’ like things easy for us. He sets up his hideous little experiments to see how his soldiers work together. That’s part of his fun.

He held up his fist as they approached the end of the tree-line. His team sank low and scanned the tall fence just ahead of them. Pepper followed their example. She’d gone out many times as a child and teenager, into the field to practice and learn maneuvers so she wasn’t unfamiliar with their silent signals.