Pepper, how many damn guards do they have on the roof as a rule? Wyatt asked. That would have been helpful information.

I have no idea. I didn’t think any. I’ve only seen the patrols around the building.

I’m moving into position, Ezekiel reported. I can protect him from the roof as well as the guards patrolling the fence line.

Don’ fire unless someone has a gun on him, Wyatt cautioned. This was exactly what he’d wanted to avoid. They’d reconned multiple times and there had never been more than one guard on the roof. Most of the time, as Pepper had said, there was no guard up there at all.

Stay still, Draden, Malichai advised. Larry and the dog are coming around again, and Jim is not far behind.

Wyatt sucked in his breath. Draden was very good at camouflaging himself. His skin, his body, everything became whatever he touched. Several GhostWalkers were able to change their skin color, but Draden was clearly an improvement on the older models. They often gave him a hard time about it. Still, there was the dog and two men who seemed to be nervous, unlike the guards on the roof.

The team members remained absolutely still as the dog pulled toward the fence line and Larry allowed him a little more room. Wyatt clamped down hard on the animal, taking control, not taking any chances. As a rule, when he connected with an animal, he was careful, but Draden’s life was at risk as well as their entire mission. He forced the dog to keep moving and not to alert, although clearly the animal smelled Draden lying so close.

We’ve got a third guard on the roof. I think they’re having a party. Seriously, Wyatt, they’ve got food up there now. Food and beer. Our man with the book has put it away and appears to be entertaining.

You have got to be kiddin’, Wyatt said, exasperated.

Nope. They’re all popping the tops off beer bottles. I just may go join them. They seem to be having a better time than we are.

Wyatt swore under his breath. They would choose the night when the guards decided to have a party up on the roof no less. They must have chosen the location in order for whomever it was who had pulled guard duty that night to join them.

Keep your eye on Larry. We’re still a go this evening. It complicates things, but at least we know where most of them are. And they aren’t in the building.

These were all civilian guards, those responsible for the plastic side of the laboratory. No soldier would party when they were on alert, and there was no doubt in his mind that Braden had put the compound on alert. Larry was far too tense. He had to know about the party and that made him all the more worried. Wyatt was beginning to like Larry in spite of everything. The man took his job seriously and he’d tried to warn Wyatt there could be trouble, indicating the locals should stay away from the plant.

Wyatt willed Larry and his dog to keep moving. Jim seemed every bit as nervous as Larry, cradling his rifle as if it was a woman. He even stroked the barrel occasionally. An alligator bellowed and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Quickening his steps, Jim caught up with Larry.

Strange noises always accompanied nightfall in the swamp. Snakes could be heard plopping into the water from the tree branches overhead. Birds flitted from tree to tree in an effort to find safe harbor. Owls screeched their displeasure when they missed prey. All kinds of insects lent their song to the night. Lights flashed deep in the trees and in the dark waters, eyes shone as predators swam and looked for prey.

Clearly the guards didn’t like the night’s symphony. Wyatt had grown up there and to him it was a familiar lullaby, but clearly every new noise and howl only made the two guards more nervous. The dog caught both men’s tension and began to resist Wyatt’s firm hold on it. He couldn’t afford to lose the dog and allow it to warn them of Draden’s presence, but the harder his grip on the animal, the more he ran the risk of injuring it.

He kept his grip tight on the dog, trying to soothe it at the same time, forcing calm into his mind, in the hope the animal would stay relaxed. The men walked together, Larry eyeing the dog for any signs that something dangerous lurked on the other side of the fence. It took precious minutes for them to make it to the far side of the building and round the corner.

Now, Malichai said. Go. Go.

I’ve got eyes on them, Draden, Ezekiel assured.

Wyatt bit back the need to remind Ezekiel not to take a shot unless absolutely necessary. There was a zone for cats, he’d found, and sometimes they all had to fight to stay out of it, but once there, the need to hunt and kill was nearly overwhelming – a byproduct of their enhancements.

Draden didn’t hesitate, taking both men at their word. He was up and over the fence as if the obstacle wasn’t there. His job was to take out the patrolling guards so the rest of the team could enter without incident. The guard change didn’t take place for another two hours. That, Wyatt was certain, would give them plenty of time to get in and out of the compound without incident.

Draden disappeared around the side of the building. Instantly, Wyatt felt the dog’s resistance.

Both men are down. I darted them. They should sleep for a few hours.

Wyatt knew the moment Draden darted the dog. Like the two men, the dog went down quietly.

I’m getting the bodies out of sight. Give me another couple of minutes. Malichai, what’s happening on the roof?

I’ve counted five guards up there. They’re drinking beer and eating cake. I think it’s someone’s birthday.

We’re goin’ in, Wyatt said. Trap and Pepper, you stay back until we’ve cleared the guards on the roof.