Except when I stepped out, a long corridor steered us to a set of stairs. Spurred on by a metal barrel, I descended into a dusty foyer, passing my ticket to freedom. The large steel door was windowless.
Turning the corner into a cramped smaller hall, Asshole shoved me through an open doorway which led to a smelly, dank bathroom that looked like it hadn’t been used in years.
Still, I would have peed in a bucket if I had to.
Inside the tiny space, I looked into a smeared mirror, swiping my hands across it to try and clear the grime. My face resembled an abused woman, and rightfully so. As suspected, bruising had begun. The right side of my face from my jaw to just below my eye had been affected. Redness with underlying purple proved a stark contrast to the opposite side. My eye had closed marginally. I looked hideous.
Feeling the onslaught of tears, I tore myself away and went about my business, struggling with my scrub bottoms and underwear because of my shaking hands, before flushing and exiting to await my fate.
On our way up the stairs, my handler’s cell rang. He waited until we were at the top before pulling it from his pocket and answering it. He spoke in his native tongue while still prodding me toward the chair.
Ending the call, he threw me down and began restraining me again.
Grinning like the maniac I knew him to be, he said, “It seems your boyfriend is on his way.”
Chapter Thirteen
Harley
I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, Viper shook me awake.
“Get up. We’re on the move. Intel’s given us a location.”
A switch flipped and I rose from the couch, transformed into soldier and savior in an instant.
We’d found her. Nothing else mattered.
Racing into my room, I grabbed my weapon, vested up, and stalked into the hallway, adrenalin kicking me into overdrive. By the time I made it back into the living room, Viper had already left. Locking the suite door, I strode to the bank of elevators. Pressing the button for the basement, I let the car take me to my destiny. I searched for Viper’s vehicle and found it not too far away, already running. He hadn’t wasted any time. Christ, he must sleep lightly, ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
Pulling the door shut, I climbed into the passenger seat and looked to my friend.
He had his mask on, hard and focused. The heater blasted air into the interior, which helped ease the arctic chill.
“Got your vest on?” he asked, easing out the building onto the street.
“Yep.”
“Armed?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s go get your girl.”
With a squeal of tires, we were on our way. My jittery leg jiggled up and down, a million scenario’s playing out of how the night would go. I tried to stay positive, but I knew what we were up against and a positive outcome would be hard to achieve, but with my ace up my sleeve that I hadn’t mentioned to Viper, I prayed at least Mac would come out unscathed.
We didn’t have to travel far. Knowing my girl had been so close failed to appease me. Instead, it amped me even more. I’d been dozing while she’d been held hostage in what I could only imagine were less than ideal conditions.
Game on.
Stopping outside a warehouse in the industrial area of town, we took pause and eased down the street a bit before parking and getting out.
“How are we gonna do this? Are we just going to go in guns blazing?” My memory had stolen precise procedure and protocol of the job.
“Hang five. I need to make sure our men are in position.”
I wasn’t aware the cavalry had already arrived. The moment brought back a sense of déjà vu and the dream I’d had in the hospital of our rescue mission in Afghanistan. The one where Reno got killed. It seemed all too familiar. Viper and I going in alone with backup if needed.
Unease snaked its way into my heart. “How many men we got?”
“Three,” he replied, switching off his cell and pocketing it.
“Only three?” I’d been expecting more, considering who we were up against. One more thought had me asking the question, “How will you make contact with the men on the outside with your cell off?”
He drew the sleeve of his jacket up to reveal what appeared to be a wristwatch. Upon closer inspection I could tell it wasn’t. Two buttons sat on the face. One red, one green.
“Red means wait. Green means go. One press of the green button and our guys will enter with force. It’s an alarm everyone is fitted out with. It’s specifically only used to alert soldiers outside to hold or move. No one except those requiring backup are authorized to press it.”
Raising an eyebrow, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the technology. “So if one of our men accidentally pressed the green button before we were ready, our cover would be blown and the shit would hit the fan?”
Viper laughed. I didn’t see the question as funny, but he obviously did. “Pretty much, but don’t worry, we have a code. Press it once and hold for three seconds, followed by four quick depressions.”
Of course we had a code. I couldn’t imagine anything connected to the military as being so easy.
“So when are we doing this?”
“No time like the present. We’ll head around back. Word has it there’s a door, enabling us to be a little less conspicuous.”
Nodding, we crept around the block to the rear of the building, stopping just shy of the corner that would direct us to our entry point. Unlike our last mission, I let Viper lead while I had his back, scoping the area for company, both our weapons raised. We used our night goggles rather than relying on exterior or interior lighting. It proved easier to spot targets, moving or still, and would give us the advantage against our enemy.
Viper slowly peered around the corner, his head pivoting back in a microsecond. He held up two fingers, indicating two armed men guarding the door. Both our weapons had silencers, so it would be easy to take them out. Although with one of our snipers apparently positioned in a building across the street, it would be even easier for Viper to order the kill. I got the impression my friend didn’t like the easy way, so when he then held up four fingers and began counting down, I prepared myself.
At one, a bead of sweat bubbled just above my right eye, and then we were moving. We both let fire, our targets slumping to the ground simultaneously.
Backing against the wall, we waited for retaliation, and when none came, we inched forward.
Creeping up to the door and stepping over the two corpses, Viper gave it a short pull and gave me the go ahead to follow when it opened. I didn’t bother taking stock of the dead men. They played a part in Mac’s abduction, so they didn’t deserve an ounce of my time.
Obviously someone was expecting us. With two men standing watch at the door, I’d guarantee our intel had been compromised. With the change of game, there posed a new threat. We were stepping into a trap. Viper took pause, probably thinking the same as me. We were sitting ducks. Still, we needed to get inside and assess the situation. We couldn’t afford to order ‘go’ just yet, or it would put Mac in jeopardy. Not that she wasn’t already.
Darkness cloaked us, so we moved stealthily, letting our goggles guide us. I made sure to close the door with as little noise as possible. My heart rate soared with each step I took, not knowing what we were walking into, but with my sole focus on getting to Mac.
Fingers crossed we would still have a small element of surprise and our approach hadn’t been monitored.
The air smelled musty, like the place had been closed up for months, perhaps years. My ears honed in for any sound, but the only noise came from the wind outside, forcing itself against the back door.
A closed door to our left appeared in the narrow hallway. Viper stopped. We needed to assume any door we came across held Mac inside. With his fingers on the handle, I raised my gun over his right shoulder while searching the hall for any incoming threats.
All clear.
We did the four
finger countdown again and Viper pushed open the door. My finger was on the trigger ready, but the room held nothing but a few boxes stacked in the corner.
Moving forward, the bottom floor consisted of three more empty rooms, a bathroom, and foyer leading to the front door and a set of wooden stairs. So far the only threat had been the men guarding the door. I began to wonder just how prepared these guys were for our visit.
Walking around the foyer and past the small bathroom, I froze. Something hit me full force, and yet it would probably evade anyone else. Mac’s perfume caught my senses. It lingered in one spot, and then disappeared as if never there. My eyes closed for the briefest moment before instinct had me on guard again. Viper stopped and turned to look at me. I motioned with my hand to proceed, so we eased to the bottom of the stairs.
Mac had been here, and hopefully hadn’t been moved to another location. Smelling her perfume lifted my spirits and told me she remained alive. That is, if the scent in the air wasn’t the remains of her arrival.
Through my goggles, a patch of heat flared at the top of the stairs. Viper saw it too and held his hand up to wait.
If we took a shot, it could cause an adverse chain reaction.
Our men were placed around the perimeter as backup only. Acting now would be suicide.
Viper motioned back down the hallway. I followed, not knowing what went through his head.
Opening the first door we’d checked, he motioned me inside.
“We need to distract him. To get him down those stairs. Find something to toss that will make noise.”
Searching for anything besides the cardboard boxes proved hard in the dark with only thermals as our guide. Stooping low, I let my hands feel for anything metal such as a screw or shard of glass.
“Find anything?” whispered Viper.
“Nah.”
“Keep looking.”
Scouring through the boxes, Viper claimed, “This might do.”
He held up a small bottle with no label. Perfect.
Before leaving, I listened to the plan.
“I’ll throw it up the stairs. You flank the other side out of sight. As soon as someone comes down looking for the source of the noise, we shoot, making sure it’s not Mac, of course.”
“Right.” I couldn’t get anything else out, being so keyed up. I needed to draw on my subconscious and trust my soldier instincts would come into play. I didn’t want to have to turn myself over but if it came to that, I would.
Giving me a thumbs up, we slipped out of the room and advanced to the staircase. I took my position on the opposite side and waited. Viper acted immediately, tossing the bottle high up the steps. A noise broke out above, a foreign tongue barking rapidly, followed by more than one set of footsteps.
Do or die time.
Watching the color appear through my goggles to signify heat, I aimed, ready to take the shot. A sense of all-knowing flowed into me, allowing me to focus only on the task at hand. Viper took the first shot, and I followed with the second as four men descended, random bullets flying left and right. The first guy hit the floor with the second one falling on top of him. The remaining two attempted to retreat back to the first floor but we were on the move, rising like ghosts, taking out both men consecutively, leaving slumped bodies in our wake.
Upon stepping into the large, open expanse of the warehouse, my eyes immediately zeroed in on Mac, tied to a chair. A dim light shone against the far wall, only allowing enough light to make out her form and nothing else. A lone man stood behind her with a gun to her head, stopping me in my tracks.
Viper screamed, “Arms in the air! Now!”
I could hear Mac whimper, the sound lancing through my chest. Tearing my goggles off and dropping them, I needed to see her. Taking a step closer, I heard the click of the safety being released, forcing me to stop.
Noise behind had me check over my shoulder. I prayed our men had busted in. Instead, two scruffy guys in jeans and tees held rifles at Viper and I. Where had they come from? We’d checked and cleared down below, taking out any threats.
Spinning back around, suddenly feeling as if things were spiraling out of control, I found Mac again.
A sliver of light across her cheek showed me half her swollen, bruised face. Rage had me cry out, “Mac! Fuck! Are you all right?” Stupid question. One wrong move and she’d take a bullet to the head, but I couldn’t think of anything else to ask.
A slight nod from her allowed me to exhale.
The asshole holding the gun smiled sinisterly. “I’ve been waiting for you to show up.”
Indeed. He’d used Mac to lure me here. Well, he had me, and I sure as hell wasn’t leaving until Mac walked out safely, consequences be damned.
“Let the woman go. You have me. She’s not a part of this,” I hollered.
“Oh, but she is. She’s my bargaining chip. You see, I’ve been watching you closely. Finding out you survived the first attempt at killing you only drove my hunger to have you suffer even more.”
“Why?” I knew why. Everything in me told me this guy had everything to do with our mission to save Reno and the guy I shot.
The dude’s smile vanished, replaced by an angry grimace. “Why? You killed my brother, that’s why. And now I’m here to kill you.”
His English had an Eastern accent wound through it. My theory had been correct. Everything I’d gone through to get to this moment had been caused by this freak. My memory loss. The break-in at Mac’s apartment. Her abduction. And the psycho didn’t stop to think that none of this would have happened if Reno hadn’t been captured and held hostage in the first place.
I couldn’t see the fear I knew would be shooting from Mac’s eyes, but I knew it would be the same I’d seen in Reno in his final moments alive.
Shooting a quick glance at Viper, who’d remained silent since ordering the scum bag to drop his weapon, I watched him press the button on his wrist in the sequence he’d described, to finally order an attack. I just hoped to God our men would enter silently, because if any noise sounded, we were all dead.
Seeing my friend’s rock-steady hands holding his weapon at head height, I couldn’t tell what went through his mind. He showed no fear. This is what he lived for. He stood tall and proud to be an American and would fight patriotically to the end.
His head never moved, solely focused on his target even though he had two at his back. I guessed we waited on our backup. It would be stupid to make a move now. If they didn’t hurry up though, I’d make my move.
I could smell Mac’s fear now. Her fear not only for herself, but for me and Viper.
None of this should be happening. Not again. Not with Mac. She was good and innocent. I’d die if anything happened to her because of me. The guy might be using her to lure me, but that didn’t mean she’d walk away. We both could be dead soon.
An uneasy sensation crawled over my skin. Something felt off. Our backup should have arrived by now. What took so long? Three Black Ops soldiers ordered to go. My cooler façade began to heat up as each second ticked by.
Asshole spoke. “You have a decision to make, soldier. Your life or hers.” He pressed the gun harder to Mac’s temple. A noise escaped her and I made my decision.
I couldn’t risk her life. I wouldn’t make the same mistake I made with Reno. I couldn’t wait for our backup. I just hoped to God when they arrived, they could get us all out of this jam.
With a sudden calm, I dropped my weapon and held up both hands in surrender.
“Dec, what the fuck, man? Pick up your weapon. We got this. That’s an order!”
Order be damned. He wasn’t my commanding officer. He might have taken charge of this mission, but I answered to no one in this instance. The sensation of doom heightened but I knew I’d made the right decision.
“Don’t shoot, Viper. Save yourself and Mac.” I growled it out, not taking my eyes off the enemy.
Taking a step closer, Mac’s fear became visible. She shook her head at me, tears sailing do
wn her bruised face as I let my eyeballs sway to her then back to the guy I wanted to mercilessly kill.
“I’m here. Take me, but let her go,” I offered, inching closer.
“Not happening, man. I’m not letting you do this,” Viper roared, desperation lacing his low voice.
“I’ve made the choice. Mac’s life for mine. You need to get her out of here and keep her safe. You shoot and you’re dead. I won’t stand by and watch anyone else I care about die or suffer.”
Shuffling closer, I stopped just shy of Mac, giving her my full attention. I tried to show her everything I felt about her and what I sacrificed. I let my emotions surface and with it came the welling of tears. Who would have thought everything would come full circle. My savior now needed saving.
Perhaps this pivotal moment would prove to be my calling. What I had prepared for my whole life. To die a hero. A martyr. We all had sacrifices to make. Some greater than others. Was I prepared to die? Hell no. Who could possibly be? But knowing she’d live and forever be protected by my wingman strengthened me to face my fate.
Seeing her banged up and desperate confirmed my decision of surrendering. She looked a mess, and all I wanted to do was tear the heart from the enemy standing beside her. If his two lackeys weren’t in the room, it would be all over. He’s be lying in a pool of his own blood.
Silence still loomed outside and my thoughts began racing at a million different scenarios, the main one being, had our guys been found out and killed? That seemed unlikely considering they were the elite. Even some Afghani rebels trained in combat wouldn’t get close to killing a Special Ops soldier.
“I mean it, Dec. Don’t do this. Please?” Viper’s hard voice bordered on begging. I didn’t want to put him in this position, but what choice did I have? Someone in this room would die, but it wouldn’t be Mac.
Shaking my head, unable to look my friend in the eyes, I focused on Mac. Even as she sat injured, her strength exuded from her. She still had fight left in her, so I knew she would heal and move forward. Everything I ever needed sat before me, pleading me to back off. Her pain became my pain. I took it in, soaking it into my pores, needing it to spur me on. The fact that I’d die for her spoke volumes about how I felt.
The Lost and Found Series Page 25
