by Laura Acton
“I would if I could, but can’t. A ski pole impaled my thigh.”
“Stand. Now!” Noah commanded while pressing the barrel into Yasmin’s temple, causing her to yelp.
Scott overplayed his injury, grimacing as if he was in excruciating pain and using the locked gurney to push himself up before leaning against the bed. “Okay, I’m standing.”
“Walk over to Loki.” Noah ground the gun into the nurse’s temple, making her whimper as he visually assessed the blond man. His hairstyle was short as required for constables. “You a cop?”
“No.” Scott didn’t offer additional information as he took a step and faltered as a sharp pain shot through his limb. His grimace was not fake this time. Noting the deadly glare on Noah’s face, aware he wouldn’t blink an eye putting a bullet in Yasmin’s head, Scott braced himself and took another step.
Gritting his teeth through three more steps, Scott collapsed to the floor as his leg gave out. He needed a way to give Uncle Will more detail, so said, “My wife is gonna be ticked at me. I told her I suffered only a minor injury when I called her earlier.”
Satisfied Scott appeared to be truly incapacitated and no threat in his current state, Noah sneered. “Why’d you lie to your wife?”
Becoming lightheaded, Scott wiped at the sweat beads popping out on his forehead. “Didn’t want her to worry. ‘Cause if she had known, she would’ve found a way to come to me, regardless of the blizzard. She might’ve gone so far as getting my cousin, who is an all-weather pilot, to fly her here.”
Fighting the spinning world, Scott closed his eyes, and in a last-ditch effort to confirm in Noah’s mind he was harmless and disabled, he said, “Loki, I don’t feel so well.”
At first, Loki speculated how much of Scott’s actions were an act, but the pallor of his face and sheen of sweat indicated Scott was not faking much. With the rapid decline, Loki worried Scott might experience the same unexpected reactions to medications as Dan. Or perhaps he had been exposed to MRSA when he cleaned Dan’s shin at the cabin. Loki had no idea, but he had eyes, and Scott required assistance.
Loki didn’t want to leave him lying on the floor unprotected. Scott needed to be closer to his gun, which Loki surmised he hid in the sheets. Turning to Noah, Loki said, “He needs to be in bed.”
Providing a distraction, Vanessa interrupted, “Your brother is in pain, and the blood transfusion must be changed out. I need to give him pain medication and another bag. He requires enough blood in him to survive the surgery. I must go to the pharmacy to acquire those items.”
His attention shifting to Jonas, Noah asked, “Are you hurting bad?”
“Yeah. Hurts like hell. Let her go. I don’t want to die. If she doesn’t come back, shoot the bitches.”
“Go. You have two minutes. Her life is in your hands.” Noah stared at the doctor, making it clear he would kill Yasmin.
Loki took advantage of Noah’s inattention and moved Scott into bed. He managed to position himself in front of Scott to protect him before Noah’s focus returned to him, and the outlaw demanded he surrender his firearm.
Aware Scott still had access to his handgun, and Dan’s remained in the backpack, and having no other choice when Noah threatened Yasmin, Loki did as directed. He flipped on the safety, disengaged the magazine, and cleared the chamber before sliding his gun across the floor. At least now, Noah would be delayed in using it.
As Loki disarmed, Scott glanced at the sat phone and noted it was dead. He wondered how much Uncle Will overheard. He hoped enough for him to plan accordingly and send help as soon as possible.
Tacticians and Caretakers
40
November 25
General Broderick’s Office – Kandahar – 0315 Hours
Leaning back in his chair, William relaxed after a mission gone well, a rarity lately. Mason’s team snagged a high-value target and was now en route to base. William released a sigh, and reached for his ever-present coffee cup, though this one he laced with a half-shot of Irish Cream. William grinned at Tom. “How are things going with Blaze’s transition?”
Colonel Sutton started to reply, but Will’s direct line began ringing. Tom halted and waited since only family members had access to the number, and only called in emergencies.
William glanced at the unknown number, answering with thoughts of his wife foremost in his mind. He hoped Yvonne had not taken ill since her CFS often acted up during cold weather. William donned his general mantel when Scott whispered to him. Without hesitation, he put the phone on speaker so Tom could also listen.
Both men stiffened when Loki used the name Noah Barton and referred to Jonas, aware of the vicious crimes those men committed. Upon learning of the hostage situation, Tom rose and acted before his best friend and general issued verbal instructions. He stepped to the outer office and ordered William’s technician to start a trace. As details unfolded, they caught most of, but not all the conversation, increasing their worry.
The call dropped in the middle of Barton demanding Loki disarm. Daniel and Scott were seriously injured, and many innocent people were now hostages of the murderous Bartons. William’s tactical mind began strategizing. “We need an arctic weather unit spun up immediately. Once the location is established, determine what type of transport is required. Contact Ryan, if necessary, to cut through any red-tape to get a bird in the air.”
Tom nodded. “Sergeant Price’s unit finished training last week. He would be the best to lead the strike team though he’s down three men due to illness. Master Corporal Vinson was cleared for active duty yesterday and is in Ottawa, awaiting transport back to Trigger’s team. I’ll assign him and two from support.”
“Okay. Make at least one of them a medic. I’m not sure exactly what injuries we are dealing with, but they sound severe. We should also send a fully equipped emergency medical team.”
“Agreed.” Tom pulled out his phone to begin making arrangements when Corporal Remus entered.
“Sir, I did not have enough time to trace the location.”
William acknowledged the information and dismissed the corporal as he mulled over a way to determine where he needed to send the unit.
Tom paused in dialing. “Scott said he called Lily. Perhaps she knows his exact location.”
“Excellent point.” Although William didn’t want to worry her, he required info. When she answered, he pitched his voice calmly, “Hello, Lily, this is William. How are you and the babies?”
“Doing well,” Lily responded, surprised by a call out of the blue from Scott’s uncle. She peered at Yvonne and smiled. “Are you trying to reach Yvonne? If so, she is right here. She made a lovely dinner tonight.”
William grimaced, not wanting to spike Yvonne’s concern, so deflected. “No, I must talk with Daniel, but he isn’t answering his phone. I’m aware Scott went skiing with him. Has Scott contact you recently?”
“Yes. I spoke to him a little while ago. He asked me to call Sergeant Pastore for Dan and Loki. They are snowed in and won’t make it back to work on Thursday. I swear those two are accident-prone. I’m never letting them go on vacation together again without body armor and supervision. They ended up at a hospital.” Lily chuckled. “Apparently, an aggressive snow-bunny ran Dan into a tree, and Scott hurt his thigh with a ski pole.”
“Did Scott mention which one? I must reach Daniel. The storm might be interfering with cell reception, so I want to contact the hospital.”
“Scott called me on a satellite phone. We kept our conversation short because it is the only communication device available and almost out of juice. He said they went to Craig Hospital.” Lily’s stomach began churning. “Is there something I should be concerned about?”
William lied by omission, not willing to divulge the seriousness of the situation to the ladies yet. “Sorry, Lily, duty calls. Thanks for the information.” After disconnecting, he turned to Tom and relayed the location, then said, “Daniel was treated there once, after being caught in an avalanche
as a teen. It is a small two-story hospital, founded and run by Dr. Landry Craig.”
General Broderick and Colonel Sutton shifted into a well-honed partnership as they devised a strategy and made calls to set their plans in motion. Though William wanted to drop the medical team with the soldiers, they weren’t trained in HALO jumps, so he made other arrangements after speaking with Captain Lundgren of the local RCMP detachment. Technically, with the hostage situation being a civil matter, William needed to coordinate with federal law enforcement to obtain permission for his men to operate on home soil.
Ten minutes later, the two tacticians blew out breaths and shared a gaze. Tom grinned. “Will, you certainly know how to step on shoes and not mess up the shine. Lundgren agreeing to your plan surprised me.”
William lifted his coffee, sipped, and set it down. “His daughter is at the hospital. A father is willing to do almost anything to protect his kids, which is why I wanted Daniel’s team involved. I trust them.”
“Even after the debacle over the summer?” Tom challenged.
“Yes. Pastore and Hardy are professionals. They have a vested interest with teammates involved. They deserve a chance to make it up to my son and the honor of escorting the Bartons back to Toronto to face long overdue justice.” William raked a hand through his hair. “Now, for the hardest part.”
“Informing Yvonne?”
“Yes. She’s at Lily’s, and I assume Ann’s there too. I’m going to send Erik since the ladies should be told in person and will need reassurances while they wait. I trust Erik to rally Kimberly and Connie to assist him.”
“Smart to engage the support team.” Tom valued William’s three brothers. Erik, Ryan, and Mark would drop everything to help their family. Brodericks were not only master tacticians but caretakers who rallied whenever any of them needed comfort. “I assume you’re on the next flight home.”
“You assume correctly. Appreciate you holding down the fort.”
“Anytime. The plane leaves at zero five hundred. Go pack. I’ll make certain Sergeant Price is provided a direct line to you.”
“Thanks. I can always count on you, brother.” William downed the remainder of his coffee and huffed out an elongated breath. “I hate always being half-a-world away when Daniel needs me.”
“Hazards of our positions. He understands. As does Yvonne.”
“Keep me apprised of any intel from the HVT Mason is bringing in. We need a break to stop our men from being lured into traps. If Plouffe wasn’t dead and Pletcher in jail, I might believe they were involved.”
Tom nodded as his mind shifted. “When Blaze’s unit returns from recon, I’ll inform him about Dan and keep him in the loop.”
“Thanks. He’ll want to go, but we can’t spare him with the losses we’ve been experiencing. I’ll make it up to him somehow.” William rose. If he hurried, he had time for a shower before catching his flight.
November 24
Special Forces Base – Ottawa – 8:05 p.m.
Sergeant Rupert Price scanned his partial unit as they prepared their arctic gear. He worked with Forbes, Ramos, and Welch for years and trusted them without question. Added to his team were, sniper Vinson, and two medics Hinder and Thorson, since his was down with the flu. “Listen up. This HALO jump is not without risk. The wind factor is likely to blow us off course and separate us. Ensure your GPS tags are working on both you and your gear bags.
“We are involved because the local law enforcement is not trained as we are and do not have the necessary equipment to get there in this weather. This is a hostage situation involving the Barton brothers. I’m sure you have heard of their amoral, almost psychopathic brutality.”
Vinson nodded. “Yes, Sarge. So, is this a kill mission?”
Price shook his head. “Only as a last resort. Our goal is to neutralize the threat with as little force as possible. Jonas Barton appears to be injured. At last report, Noah is holding multiple civilians, two Toronto TRF officers, and a Naval officer hostage. Thorson and Hinder are with us due to potentially urgent medical issues with two hostages. General Broderick prioritized their well-being second only to the apprehension and containment of the Bartons.”
Shrugging his parachute on his shoulder and picking up his gear bag Marcel Vinson acknowledged, “Roger.”
“A TRF team is being sent to take custody of the felons, and a medical team will be arriving with them. Let’s go. We’ll review the building’s schematics and develop our plan on the plane.” Price grabbed his bags and led the men out.
Marcel brought up the rear as he rubbed his thigh. The hit he took saving Corporal Carles in Sudan almost ended his career, but he would do it again if necessary. The thank-you note from Carles he received in October surprised him. It also helped him through a dark period when he didn’t think he would make it back to his unit. After this mission, he would be rejoining his brothers.
“Hey, Viper?”
Marcel turned to Doug Forbes, Price’s second-in-command. “Yeah?”
“Glad you’re operating again. Think we can steal you from Trigger’s unit? We could definitely use the best-damned sniper in Special Forces on our team.”
“No chance in hell,” Viper declared. He enjoyed being top-dog and sought after, but nothing would compel him to willingly leave his elite Guardian unit for a regular one. As Marcel walked up the ramp, he wondered if Dan Broderick would be among the TRF officers sent to transport the Bartons to Toronto. If so, he might find an opportunity to apologize, face-to-face, for not doing more to communicate what he knew about Plouffe. Brody Hunter might still be alive if only he had possessed the courage to speak sooner.
TRF HQ – Briefing Room – 8:15 p.m.
Interrupted while making love to his wife by an urgent message from TRF dispatch, Jon rushed to dress and broke the speed limit to reach headquarters. Upon entering the conference room, he found Ray, Lexa, Bram, and Nick waiting at the table while Commander Gambrill paced at the front of the room. “Sorry, appears I’m last to arrive. Got here as fast as possible.”
Walter halted as Jon took his seat. “No apology necessary. Hated to pull you in on your day off, but this is critical. I got a call from General Broderick.”
Nick studied Gambrill ever since arriving. The commander appeared concerned, and when he mentioned the general, Nick surmised this had to with his godson. Dan still had enemies who held grudges from his time in the military. But recalling Lily’s call tonight, his worry shifted to Dan’s health. His injury might be more severe than first reported. He kept silent, not wanting to interrupt since the information he sought would soon be imparted.
“I’ll keep this short. You all need to gear up for a hostage situation in the Blue Mountain area. A military helicopter will be here in thirty minutes to transport you to the RCMP substation about forty-five kilometers from your final destination. That is as far as they can fly you, given the weather conditions. An emergency medical team from Ottawa will join you, and you’ll be driven the rest of the way in snowcats.”
Walter noted their perplexed miens and took a breath. “The Barton brothers are holding the patients, visitors, and staff at Craig Hospital hostage.”
“Son of a bitch.” Nick’s eyes widened.
Jon surged upward. Anger and concern coursed through him as his chat with Boss earlier came to mind. “Dan, Loki, and Scott are there.”
“What do you mean, Loki is at a hospital? They went skiing.” Ray pinned a confused gaze on Jon.
“Are they hostages? Are they hurt?” Lexa’s stomach twisted as her dream about Dan this morning came rushing to mind.
Bram spoke over Lexa, “Did Dan contact his father?”
Putting his hands out in front of him with palms down, Walter pushed them down several times. “Calm down. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
A quiet pall came over the room, Alpha Team sensing they wouldn’t like what Gambrill had to share.
Walter interlaced his fingers and clasped them tightly. “The exact si
tuation is unknown. Scott contacted General Broderick. It appears Loki is trying to negotiate, Dan is in surgery, and Scott is also injured.” Walter conveyed all William told him, which was not much, explained the plan, and informed Nick once they were on scene, Sergeant Price would defer to him. “So gear up and be outside in fifteen minutes.”
Scott’s and Lily’s Home – 8:25 p.m.
Lily paced with Jerrell in her arms. Her fussy boy woke and started crying after Scott’s dad called his wife to say he would be swinging by shortly. That, coupled with Scott’s call followed by General Broderick phoning a little later, created a puddle of dread in the pit of her stomach, leaving her on edge. She perceived tenseness in both Ann and Yvonne, but used them as role models and remained calm. Whatever was going on, they would find out soon.
The doorbell ringing alerted her to Erik’s arrival. Answering the door, Lily found not only Erik but also Kimberly and Connie. After ushering them in, she asked, “What’s going on with Scott?”
Smiling, Erik reached for Jerrell. “Let me take the little guy.”
Lily relinquished Jerrell to Erik, and her son promptly quieted. Perhaps the infant sensed safety and calmness in his grandfather’s arms. Erik had a magic touch with his grandchildren. Lily followed the others into the living room where Yvonne and Ann patiently waited ever since Erik’s call. She noted Connie and Kimberly peeled off, heading to her kitchen. Her breath caught as she sank to the sofa beside Ann.
Erik tenderly held and rocked Jerrell a moment more. He possessed a knack for calming fussy grandbabies and helping them fall asleep, a talent he discovered four years ago when he held Vicky’s fraternal twins, Caleb and Courtney, and two years later when little Tony came along. He loved all five of his grandkids and would go to the ends of the earth for them, as he would for his entire family. Erik lay a now sleeping Jerrell in the double-bassinet where Anna peacefully slumbered.
He took a seat facing all three women. “You’re worried and so am I. I’ll tell you all I know, but I don’t have the full story.”
