Derrick led the way in his truck with Jack and his crew behind them. First, they stopped at the 5.11 Tactical store, gearing up with tactical vests and other goodies, including breaching tools, holsters, chest rigs, and boots.
Like a kid in a candy store, Derrick could hardly contain his excitement, but he kept his cool as he stocked up on anything and everything he thought he and his group would need.
Loaded down, he and Jeff decided to drop their gear at the farm before doing recon. Finally, as he and Jeff followed Jack and his group to a stopping point about a mile from the Emperors’ headquarters, he felt the soberness of the situation slide over him. The men they were about to observe were evil. They’d taken Jack’s two children without a second thought and who knew how many others? He didn’t want to think about what they were doing with them.
“There will be innocents among these wolves,” Derrick said with a frown.
Jeff nodded. “Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. It’s both a rescue mission and a take-down.”
Jack pulled his SUV into a parking lot. Derrick followed, then he and Jeff got out of the truck and met up with the others.
“From here, it’s half a mile,” Jack said, his eyes broadcasting how hard it was for him to be so close to his children without being able to rescue them right that minute.
Derrick nodded. Then, when Jack set off at a jog through the lot and toward a long line of motionless trains, Derrick followed.
“Here’s the best vantage point,” Jack whispered as he hunkered down behind a train covered with graffiti.
Derrick squatted beside him and took a pair of binocs out of the pack on his back, glassing the scene in front of him. It was a large warehouse with a chain-link fence surrounding the property. Three armed men were walking the perimeter, although Derrick noticed that of the three, only one seemed fully attentive. The others appeared to be bored, their eyes not scanning as sharply as the one guard’s were.
Good. It would be easier to sneak up on guards who were only doing what they were told but obviously didn’t think was necessary.
They watched the area for a while.
“I’m going to recon the other sides of the building,” Derrick said. “I shouldn’t be long.”
Jeff raised his eyebrows like he was asking if Derrick wanted him to come along.
“It’ll be quicker alone,” Derrick said.
Jeff nodded once.
Staying in a low crouch, Derrick made his way to another building where he had good cover. He studied the Emperors’ headquarters from that side before managing to get a good look at the last two sides, then he headed back to Jeff and the others.
“Well?” Jack asked, clearly ready to get this done.
Derrick grinned. “I have a plan.”
They trotted back to where they’d left their vehicles, and then Derrick laid out his idea for attacking the Emperors. After a few suggestions and adjustments, everyone was in agreement. “We’ll hit them at midnight after everyone is presumably asleep.” He looked at Jack. “Meet at our place at eleven to gear up.”
“Sounds good,” Jack said, then he and his men left.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jessica
Jessica felt like a fraud. Yeah, she’d talked a good game about going with everyone and fighting the Emperors, but as she stood in the garage with everyone else and prepared the gear Derrick had given them, dread wormed its way through her, taking hold of her chest and squeezing so hard she had trouble breathing. She was a dental hygienist, for heaven’s sake. Not a warrior. But she’d committed to going, and if she didn’t do this right, she would end up dead.
Even worse was seeing Dylan in his gear ready to do battle. That made her mama’s heart stutter with an unspeakable fear. Imagining something happening to her son brought hot tears springing into her eyes. Blinking frantically to clear her vision, she breathed slow and easy and forced her thoughts to the only acceptable outcome—success.
Derrick had a good plan and he was doing everything he could to keep the less-experienced people out of harm’s way while still making them a useful part of the team. She appreciated that, but bullets would still be hurtling toward her and Dylan. And everyone else.
Then there was Matt. He knew all about the battle. He just didn’t know she was going. All evening she’d been avoiding telling him. But she had too. What if she didn’t come home? She couldn’t leave without saying good-bye.
Suppressing a sigh, she tucked a spare magazine into her tactical vest, grateful Derrick had gone on his shopping spree, then she set the vest aside and went into the house.
As she approached the room where Matt was resting—Jeff and Emily had temporarily switched spaces with her and Matt—she gathered her nerve and tried to come up with what to say, but when she walked into the room and saw him lying there, his bandaged leg propped up on a stack of pillows and his handsome face relaxed as he slept, the horror she’d felt only hours earlier as he’d been shot raced through her. The image of him falling to the ground, blood pooling around his leg, blasted into her mind. Matt had only been protecting her after Randy’s disgusting suggestion. There had been no reason for the Emperors to shoot him. Matt had been unarmed. Even though it hadn’t been a mortal wound, with no hospitals or medical care available, even a minor wound could be fatal. But Randy didn’t care. He and his gang-bangers were an evil menace that needed to be stopped.
Rage and a need for revenge plowed through Jessica, shocking her into stillness as she stood beside the bed. She would go on this mission and she would do whatever it took to make sure the Emperors were no longer a threat to the safety of her family and friends.
She realized she was breathing heavily, so deep was her need to do something.
“Babe,” Matt said as his eyes fluttered open and settled on her.
Jessica sat on the chair by the head of the bed and took Matt’s hand. “Hey, sweetie. Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?”
“Water would be great.”
She released his hand and grabbed the cup on the bedside table before holding the straw to his lips. He took a few sips, then his head fell back against the pillow. “What’s happening? Has everyone left for the Emperors’ compound?”
Forcing a smile, she shook her head. “Not yet.”
Matt’s jaw clenched as he stared into the distance. “I want to go with them. So bad.”
“I know, sweetheart. But there are plenty of people going.”
He met her gaze. “Who’s going?”
“Let’s see.” She looked up as she pictured the faces of everyone going. “Derrick and Jeff and Chris, of course.” She glanced at Matt. “Frank’s going, as well as Jack and his three buddies.”
Matt nodded. “That’s good.”
Forcing herself to look him in the eye, she said, “Emily and Paisley are going too.”
Matt’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“Uh-huh.”
His eyes narrowed. “What aren’t you telling me? Is Dylan going?”
At the look of concern in Matt’s eyes, Jessica felt her heart compress with worry again. “Yeah.”
Matt sighed. “We need everyone we can get. And in this world, Dylan’s practically a man.” Smiling grimly, he added, “I know Derrick will watch out for him.”
She had to just say it. “I’ll watch out for him too.”
Matt looked at her sharply. “Wait. What are you saying?”
“I’m…I’m going too.”
He jerked upward, then grimaced in pain as his face went white, forcing him to fall back against the pillow. “No, Jessica. No.”
She took one of his hands in hers. “I love you, Matt, and I know you want me to stay on the farm and never leave, but I’m going. The more people we have, the better our chances for success.”
His face tightened. “This isn’t a food run, Jess, this is battle. Men wanting to kill.” He stared at her, his gaze intense. “They will happily murder you, Jess.” He swallowed several time
s. “Or worse.”
He was right. She knew he was right. But that didn’t change anything. She had to carry her weight, had to do her part. But first she had to convince Matt. Not that he could physically stop her, but she wanted—no, needed—his support.
“Dylan and Emily and Paisley and I are going to be in a ditch. We’re just going to deliver covering fire while the people with combat experience go in close.”
“You realize that in the heat of battle the best plans never go as expected, right?”
That was one of her biggest fears, actually. “I know, which is why Derrick told us to fall back if things look like they’re going south.” Squeezing his hand, she smiled. “I promise I’ll stay far away from danger.”
Before he could argue anymore, she leaned in and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. When she finally drew away, she reached out and stroked his face. Tears shimmered in his eyes, which brought tears to her own.
“I love you, Matt. I’ll be back before you know it.”
He slowly shook his head, his jaw clenched like he was barely holding himself together.
With a final smile, Jessica stood and left the room, not allowing herself to look back as tears clouded her eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Derrick
“We’ll have to hoof it the rest of the way,” Derrick said to the assembled group. They’d parked half a mile away from the perimeter of the Emperors’ headquarters.
The sun had set long ago, and with everyone dressed in black, they were well camouflaged. Derrick swept his gaze over each and every person. Some, like Jeff and Chris, had their game faces on, ready for the mission. Others, like Paisley and Jessica, looked terrified, their eyes wide. The rest had varying looks of determination and fear etched in their faces.
His plan was sound. It would work. It had to.
“Our top priority is rescuing Jack’s kids,” he said, although he hoped he would be the one to come face to face with Randy. “Any questions?”
All heads shook in the negative.
With a single nod, he said, “Let’s go.”
They walked together until they reached the train yard, where they stopped.
“We all have to cross the ditch,” Derrick said. He had mixed feelings about some of them being there and hoped the less-experienced among them wouldn’t be needed at all, but if push came to shove, the more guns on their side, the better. They’d all been training. He was confident in their abilities.
They set off single file, reaching the ditch in just a few moments. All of them hunkered down as Derrick directed Jessica, Paisley, Emily, and Dylan where to position themselves. With the darkness and the high sides of the ditch, they were basically invisible.
Once those four were in place, Derrick and the rest of the team waited in the ditch until the guard within view had passed, then they sprinted to the fence line and used a pair of wire cutters to cut a man-sized opening in the chain-link fence. They poured through, dividing into four pairs before heading to their assigned areas. Jeff was with Derrick.
A large warehouse loomed in front of them, the glow of the moon casting enough light for them to see where they were going. Using hand signals, the pair communicated their intentions, silently approaching a guard who had stopped to smoke a joint. Jeff kept watch while Derrick crept up behind the man, slapping his hand over the man’s mouth, then slitting his throat before he could react. The man’s body went limp. Derrick held on to him, helping him noiselessly slump to the pavement.
On the lookout for any other Emperors, they advanced toward the building. The rest of the teams were assigned to take out the remaining guards. Derrick hoped they hadn’t had any trouble. He didn’t hear any commotion, which was a good sign.
Derrick and Jeff waited by a corner of the building. A few minutes later Frank and Chris, as well as Jack and his three men—Ben, Scott, and Charlie—appeared. From the looks on their faces, they’d been successful in taking out all of the guards. Good.
The plan was to go inside and spread out, looking for Jack’s kids while taking out as many Emperors as they could. Trouble was, none of them had any idea where the kids were—or if they were even there. Plus, it would be pitch black inside.
What Derrick wouldn’t give for a pair of night vision goggles. No matter. They would deal with the situation as it was.
Everyone stood back as Chris reached for the door that led inside. Chris grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. Derrick and Jeff were right there, leading with their guns, ready to shoot anything that moved.
All was silent.
They went inside. Moonlight filtered in through the windows, allowing them to see that they were in a small reception area. A hallway to the right had several closed doors coming off of it while a closed door stood behind the reception counter. With a nod, the men broke into four teams of two men. One team—Jack and Charlie—went behind the counter to investigate what was behind that door while the other three teams headed down the hall. Using his flashlight sparingly, Derrick led the way. This area was obviously the office space. Each team took a door.
Working together, Derrick and Jeff silently entered one of the rooms. It was a conference room with a pair of windows, casting enough moonlight for Derrick to see that there were four men sleeping on cots. With a grim expression, Derrick slit two of the men’s throats while Jeff took out the other two. They wouldn’t use their guns unless it was absolutely necessary. The longer they had the advantage of surprise the better.
They left the room, meeting up with the other three teams, who nodded their success. Each held up two fingers. Ten men down. Good.
“Randy?” Derrick mouthed.
Everyone shook their heads in the negative.
That meant there had to be more than a few men yet to kill.
They continued down the hall, reaching another door. Derrick opened it. It was the main warehouse. Dim light glowed from one corner of the cavernous space, although the light came from behind tall shelves. Someone was up and about, but Derrick couldn’t see anyone. The area directly around them was thick with darkness.
Cautiously entering the space, Derrick kept his head on a swivel. The rest of the men followed. Once the eight of them were inside, Frank silently closed the door. They spread out, ready to swarm the place and take out whoever they could.
That’s when all hell broke loose.
“Intruders!” someone shouted.
Gunshots rang out. Derrick dove to the ground, but he heard one of his men grunting. Someone had been hit. It was too dark to see who it was. Grabbing the string of firecrackers from his vest, Derrick lit the fuse and threw them off in the distance.
Bang bang bang!
The noise added to the confusion, but it drew the gunfire of the enemy away from Derrick and his men long enough for them to scramble to safety behind a tall shelving unit. When they got there, Derrick swept his gaze over everyone, which was when he realized Ben was missing. Frantically looking to the others, he saw Jack shake his head. Ben was dead. They’d just made contact with the enemy that was awake and already they’d lost a man.
Shoving down his concern, Derrick motioned instructions. The pop of the firecrackers was slowing down. Time was running out. Derrick, Chris, and Frank went toward the gunshots that were still echoing while the other four headed the other way, preparing to flank the enemy.
Marching forward with his gun at the ready, when Derrick caught sight of a pair of Emperors through the shelving, he stopped and took aim. Beside him, Chris aimed as well. With a nod, they shot at the same time, dropping both men. Frank had his back to Derrick and Chris, watching their rear.
With the little bit of light, Derrick could see well enough to move forward. Gunshots rang out in another part of the warehouse. He hoped it was his men shooting and not the Emperors.
A staircase came into sight. It led to a landing with an office that had windows overlooking the warehouse. Is that where Randy was? Derrick peered upward
, but it was completely dark inside the office. With a shake of his head, he pressed forward, determined to clear the main warehouse before attempting to ascend the stairs.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jessica
Jessica could hear gunshot after gunshot from inside the warehouse. What was happening? Should they go in and help? Should they fall back? What if Derrick and the others were shot? The Emperors would come outside and find her and the others. Of course they would. It would only make sense for them to search the surrounding area. She and Dylan and Paisley and Emily would be killed. Or worse.
Jessica looked toward Emily, but she was too far away and it was too dark. Desperate to know what to do, she had to force herself not to call out.
Someone burst through the door of the warehouse, running flat-out in their direction.
Straining to see if it was one of her people, Jessica lifted her handgun, her hands shaking as she aimed. It was a man. She could tell that much. He paused at the hole in the chain-link fence, then he climbed through before running again. He was headed straight for them. That meant it had to be one of their people, right?
Terrified to shoot the wrong person, but also terrified for one of the Emperors to find them, she froze, her gaze riveted on the person who was getting closer, closer.
He changed directions slightly. Now he was headed toward Dylan. Taking a quick glance in Dylan’s direction, Jessica saw her fourteen-year-old son holding his ground as he stood in the ditch, standing straight and tall, his gun pointed at the man, his head and shoulders above the edge of the ditch.
She shifted her gaze to the man. He was fifty feet away. She didn’t recognize him. Was he one of Jack’s men? He was getting closer—thirty feet, twenty feet. No, she’d never seen him before.
Dylan’s gun went off. Jessica gasped. His shot missed. Ten feet from Dylan, the man halted and lifted his gun, pointing it right at Dylan. Jessica didn’t hesitate. She sighted in on the man and pulled the trigger. Once, twice. The man fell and didn’t move.
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