sanders a secret from the other three. As a girl, gutting reindeer had always been her favorite part of hunting with her father.
She inspected such tools while following the target around a hardware and DIY superstore. They had on sale a handheld circular saw produced by her preferred manufacturer. It had a 1900 mm blade and used 1300 watts of power. Fun times could be had with that, providing one wore the right protective clothing. So much mess.
âHeâs bought himself an oxyacetylene torch,â she whispered into her lapel mike. âItâs a good one too.â
The deep, sweet voice of the Swede responded in her ear: âWhatâs this guy up to? I know youâre going to say heâs preparing for a job.â
âMaybe heâs building something.â
âBut what?â the Swede said in return.
She kept the target at the limits of her sight and observed as he added a set of protective goggles, fuel tank, and heavy-duty gloves to use with the cutting torch. He then went on to buy a small generator, diesel, and a folding four-wheel trolley to transport his purchases. At the till, he spent a minute flirting with the much older woman who served him. The smile that lingered on her face long after heâd gone told the Finn she had enjoyed the experience.
The Finn didnât follow the target outside. She updated the Swede on his new acquisitions, and the Danish man was put into rotation, wearing smart business clothesâthe opposite of the casual jeans and leather jacket heâd worn the previous day. Though arguably more attractive than the Swede, the Dane didnât endure in her fantasies. Shedidnât feel that electricity between them. The Finn took her place at the radio to let the Swede sleep. She watched his chest rise and fall beneath the sleeping bag.
While the male Dane kept them updated on the targetâs movements, the female Dane drove the van around the city, always staying at least a street or two away from the targetâs current whereabouts, but never staying so far away that they would be unable to exploit an opportunity. That opportunity never presented itself, of course; or, more accurately, the target never allowed himself to give one away.
It must be exhausting, the Finn decided, to live such a careful existence, in which oneâs guard never lowered and each and every movement had to be not only considered but executed with perfection. The Finn couldnât do it, and she was thankful she didnât have to. She would never work alone. It was suicide. There was safety in numbers. No individual, no matter how good, could be as effective as a team. They were about to prove that on this particular job.
âI think we have something,â the male Daneâs voice announced through the speaker.
âGo on,â she said.
âHeâs entered a storage facility.â
The Finnâs back straightened. âInteresting.â
âThatâs what I thought.â
âHeâs spending a lot of time in the reception area.â
âSo heâs likely renting a unit.â
âAgain,â the Dane said, âthat was my take. Hang on. . . . Yes, heâs following an employee out. I can see keys and paperwork. Heâs being taken to his unit.â He couldnât hide the excitement in his voice.
The Finn clapped her palms together.
âWhat is it?â the Swede asked, stirring.
The Finn smiled at him. He looked so cute and disheveled. âWe might have something.â
The female Dane used a laptop to remote-hack into the storage companyâs system and discovered some useful information. The unit rented was four hundred cubic feet in size and situated in the middle of a row of similarly sized units. There were more than two hundred in total at the facility, all ground level. It was a typical facilityâa chainâthough not a high-end one. The security was adequate but nothing special. There