Chapter 130 The Early Deployment

Chapter 130 The Early Deployment
Adrian’s POV

The door of the back bedroom clicks open, and Damien steps straight into the room without wiping his boots, his hands holding a printout from the terminal as he looks directly at Maya and me.
"Silas isn't waiting for the midnight shift like he said over the phone, because my contact near the canal just called to tell me that three trucks pulled into the timber yard five minutes ago," Damien says, stepping up to the small table where my weapon is laying.
"Did he bring the barge operators with him, or is he just trying to move the remaining equipment before the police set up their roadblocks along the highway?" I ask, picking up my gun and sliding it into my belt while Maya stands up from the bed.
"He brought at least ten men with him, and they are already setting up floodlights around the main mill building, so if we don't leave right now, he is going to load those barges and clear the canal before Commander Balogun gets his trucks in position," Damien answers, handing the paper to me so I can see the timestamp on the message.

"We are coming with you right now, so grab the bag from the corner and let's get to the car before the rain gets worse," Maya says, reaching for her coat on the chair and pulling her phone out to check the battery level.
"Maya, you need to stay in the passenger seat once we reach the gate, because I am not letting you step out into that yard until Damien and I verify where his shooters are standing," I tell her, stepping directly into her path so she has to look at me before we walk out to the hallway.

"I am not sitting in the car while you two walk into that yard alone, Adrian, because I have the digital exchange codes on my phone, and Silas won't even talk to you if I am not standing right there with the files," she answers, stepping around my shoulder and heading toward the kitchen where Sofia is waiting.
"She is right, Adrian, because Silas knows we have the ledgers, but he needs Maya to input the master key on her screen to unlock those European accounts, so she has to be near the terminal link," Damien notes, following us into the corridor while he checks the lock on his own gun.

"Sofia, are you connected to the magistrate's server from this laptop, or are we going to lose the signal once we drive into the industrial zone?" I ask, turning to Sofia as she types rapidly on her keyboard.
"I have the cellular link active on two separate networks, Adrian, so the moment Maya enters the final verification code on her phone, the magistrate will get the copy instantly regardless of where you are standing," Sofia replies, looking up from her screen to hand a small drive to Maya.

"If the signal drops near the water, Sofia, you need to trigger the automatic upload from your end so we don't get stuck waiting for a connection while Silas is standing there with his men," Maya says, taking the drive and putting it inside her pocket.
"The connection won't drop because I am using the priority channel we bought yesterday, so just make sure you keep the phone dry when you walk up to the mill," Sofia tells her, closing the side panel of her laptop and packing her cables into her bag.

"Damien, what is the perimeter layout around that timber yard, because I am not driving the sedan straight through the front gate if his men are holding rifles near the entrance?" I ask, looking at Damien as we all move toward the back exit.
"There is a side road that runs right along the drainage ditch behind the main shed, so we can park the car under the trees and walk through the gap in the wire fence without being seen by the guards at the gate," Damien explains, opening the back door and checking the dark alley outside before stepping out into the yard.

"That works, but once we cross that fence, you take the left side of the shed near the stacked logs, and I will take the right side near the office door while Maya stays behind us," I instruct, grabbing the heavy bag from the table and carrying it under my arm as we walk toward the car.
"I will stay behind you until we reach the main floor, Adrian, but once we see Silas, I am stepping forward to show him the ledger because we need to keep his focus on the papers instead of his guards," Maya says, sliding into the front seat while I get behind the wheel.

"Just keep your eyes on the men near the water, Maya, because if any of them reach for their belts, you drop to the ground instantly without waiting for me to tell you," I warn her, starting the engine and pulling out of the alley onto the main road.
The drive toward the mainland takes us twenty minutes through the quiet streets, and as I turn the sedan onto the unlit dirt track that leads to the canal, the bright glare of white floodlights becomes visible through the trees, showing the outline of the old timber mill sitting right at the water's edge. I cut the car headlights and roll the vehicle to a stop near the broken wire fence just as Damien pointed out, and we sit in the dark interior for a few seconds to listen to the heavy hum of the diesel generators running near the pier.

"Damien, look through the fence and tell me if you see Silas's car parked near the main office door," I whisper, turning my head to look through the side window while Maya pulls her phone out to verify the digital link with Sofia.
"His car is sitting right by the loading ramp, Adrian, and I can see five armed barge operators standing around the entrance holding rifles while two other men are moving crates onto the deck of the boat," Damien answers, pointing his finger through the gaps in the wooden fence toward the lit area ahead.

"The signal is still strong on my phone, Adrian, so we can move through the fence right now and get into position behind those stacked logs before his men notice our car," Maya says, checking the drive in her pocket and opening her coat door slightly.
"We go through the gap one by one, and nobody draws their weapon unless one of those operators steps past the log piles toward our side of the yard," I command, opening my door quietly and stepping out onto the mud while Damien and Maya follow right behind my boots.