“Maybe you should stay in the car and have a little nanna-nap with the old ladies,” Vinn grinned. “Or you could toughen the fuck up and play with the men.”
“I meant …”
“We know what you meant, and the sentiment is acknowledged but this isn’t just your fuck up or your neck on the line. We all lost when Thielman wasn’t on the flight. Now, we’ve lost the Colonel and the girl.” Vinn raised his voice to a rallying cry. “When we get hit, what do we do?”
“Hit back harder,” the team rocked the van with their stamping and thumping of the inner walls.
Uncharacteristically, it was the quiet Reith who led the cry that most of them had called before battle and the others knew by reputation.
“Rule one?” Reith started.
“Reapers come!”
“Rule two?”
“Reapers see,” the cry intensified.
“Rule three!” In Ed’s eyes, Reith grew in stature from just another grunt to fully emerged leader as he stared down each of the team—almost challenging them to look away.
“Reapers conquer.”
“And don’t forget,” Reith paused for them all to join in, “We never leave a Reaper behind.”
“Reapers! Reapers! Reapers!”
“Ready?” Vinn asked as they were about to enter the interview room. Ed didn’t want to know what strings Vinn pulled, but they had fifteen minutes to get whatever information they could, by any means necessary.
It only took seven.
“Do you know the warehouse district at all?” Vinn asked.
“Nah, can you make some calls?” Ed panted, trying to keep up with the younger man as they sprinted back to the car even as Vinn seemed able to set the pace while dictating texts.
“Well?” Jax asked as he slid open the van side door.
“We’ve got a location and we’ve got two hours head start on when they’ll be expecting us.”
“Shit.”
“Yep, complete reverse trap.”
“Have they got the Colonel.”
“Both,” Ed couldn’t say her name. She had to be a target to be acquired by any means necessary. “Just a sec,” he stepped back out of the van, pretending to check his phone for reception so he didn’t hear Vinn give the other news. There were no plans to keep the prisoners alive. Thielman had given the orders that as soon as a rescue was launched, Vaughan would watch his daughter die before Thielman wanted the pleasure of doing the old man himself in front of the rescuers.
Apparently, Thielman never felt appreciated or accepted into the family, and this was payback.
For Vaughan’s displeasure.
For Anastacia leaving.
No amount of ransom was going to save either of them.
It would be up to this small team and unless they could mount a surprise and silent attack within the next hour, Ed’s greatest fear would be to watch the woman he loved die because he failed her.
Fuck.
“We’ve got a plan,” Reith couldn’t wait to break the news when Ed got back into the van.
“I’m all ears.”
“Apparently Kram has some questionable friends who can do unmentionable things down on the docks.”
“I’m loving the sound of that and presume I don’t want any details?” He hadn’t worked with Kram before but not only was he ex-Reapers, ex-commando but came with a reputation for enjoying the work that gave other men nightmares.
“I’ve made some calls,” Kram continued. “While the two of you were inside having your little chat, I sounded out some guys and we’ve got twenty guns at our disposal.”
“Hard to make a surprise attack with that many guns.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve promised them they can spring clean the warehouse—take whatever they want. All we want is the Colonel and the girl alive and the bodies taken care of.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Ed asked as the van bounced through the car park, screaming towards the docks.
“Our friends have security passes and will just be wandering around like the lazy assholes they’re pretending to be. They think a couple of the real security guards will join them—for a price.”
“I’ll pay it,” Ed said automatically.
“You won’t have to. No one likes it when innocents get caught in the crossfire. When we are one click out, they’ll take out any lookouts, giving us access to the complex.”
“It’s not the access I’m worried about, it’s what happens when we arrive.”
“I’ll go ahead,” Jax said. “Used to be a sniper, let’s hope it comes back to me.”
“Fuck it, man. I can’t risk her life on you reliving your youth.”
“Are you still good with the knife?” Reith asked Ed. “I watched you play darts with knives one time on base. It was fucking A.”
“I have three in my kit. I’m great at twenty metres, good at up to forty.”
“Then we get in place, get a lay of the land and find out who’s been charged with taking out the girl. That’s who we hit first.”
“Who’s on rescue and who’s on taking out the trash?” Ed asked, knowing he couldn’t be trusted to make the decision.
“They’ll react to a gunshot—so take out their shooter first with a knife?” Vinn suggested to nods.
“We should get your medic on standby,” Spider suggested from up front. “Even if everyone’s okay, your girl is going to be shaken and suffering from shock.”
“Roger that,” Ed couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of Tilly first. By the time they were nearing on the docks entrance, Tilly was on her way. “She’ll be here in fifteen.”
“Then don’t do anything stupid for ten!” Reith joked.
The van pulled to a stop and they waited for Kram to get the all clear. “Three taken out, replaced with friendlies who are monitoring the radios.”
“Any intel on what we’re up against?”
“Not without risking cover.”
At least no one was underestimating what they were up against this time. Once bitten, twice shy. Ed couldn’t be prouder of the way the team had pulled together after the cluster-fuck up. Each man had a job and Sphinx had somehow gotten close enough to set up a wireless camera. They couldn’t get any sound, but the sight of a bloodied Colonel, hanging by handcuffs around an old copper pipe, and Anastacia lying unconscious in the middle of a dark stain on the concrete was almost too much for the team.
Ed pulled himself together, “Take a good look.” He paused while everyone took in the grainy vision. “Find your mark and study them. Where will you be standing, count the seconds from when we open the door to taking your shot. The hostages won’t be able to help us—so we have to be prepared to cut them loose and carry them out.”
“I’ve got bolt cutters for the handcuffs,” Reith said.
“Are you faster on your feet or with a gun?” Ed wasn’t joking.
“Feet, sir.”
“Take the two spare vests and cover the hostages. No good cutting them free if they’re sprayed with bullets.”
“Sir, yes sir.”
Tilly: In place. Good luck.
“Everyone know what they’re doing?” Ed looked to Vinn who gave him a sheepish grin. Kram’s usually cold eyes were on fire with excitement and he looked ready to take on the warehouse single-handedly and just for fun.
“Let’s have another boring day at the office, gentlemen.”
ANASTACIA
Anastacia pretended to be unconscious on the concrete floor, lying on the same bloodied patch that she’d been tied to only a month ago.
How could she have been so stupid?
Her father would have called her—not sent her a text. He would have been precise with the licence plate number of the car—not just calling it a “blue car”. Ed would never have changed up where they were staying without letting her father know. Picking her up from the apartment was critical to making sure no one could be distracted by keeping her safe.
The screams had gotten lost in
her throat the moment she recognized the warehouse, after all, the last time she was here had been late at night but the outline was the same.
Then her world stopped when she saw her father—handcuffed around a pipe, his face already bloodied and eyes almost closed over.
The moment she started to struggle, one of their captors struck her father. He would have doubled over in the pain if he hadn’t been hanging so high.
“Stop, please, stop. It’s me you want—please, I’ll do anything you want just let my father go. He’s an old man.”
“Really, princess? You gonna start lying to us now? Colonel Vaughan here is a national treasure. I’m sure he’s given out worse beatings than he’s gonna get here today. Isn’t that right Colonel?”
Thud
Anastacia screamed as her father’s head flung back with the force.
“And there she is, my beautiful bride,” a familiar voice accompanied loud footsteps. “Staci, my love,” the bristled face caressed hers until his angry lips found their target.
Instinctively, Anastacia bit him, hard, tasting his blood and wanting more, until he pulled away and smiled. Damn, she knew better than to challenge him.
“Now, what would make a lip bleed? A metal pole?” He took great delight in her cries as he picked up a small pipe and held it to her father’s face. “No? Well I can’t kick up that high, so what else is there that I could use?”
“I’m sorry, Hudson, I’m sorry for everything.”
“Which part, bitch? Leaving me? Taking my money?”
“I didn’t take your money,” she cried. Why wouldn’t he believe her? “I left with nothing. That’s why I’ve been couch surfing this last month since getting out of hospital. I couldn’t face my father.”
“Sure, you could.”
“No, I couldn’t. I left a wonderful life, you, and came home broke. You have all the money. Remember, you wouldn’t even let me have a credit card in my name because I don’t have any bank accounts.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her original captors sharing looks. Hudson must have convinced them about a ransom, but with what?
“Please, Hudson. I’m sorry. I’ll go back with you, just let my father go.”
“No, tell him to fuck himself!” Her father cried only for Hudson to swing the pole, missing her father’s face but everyone heard the cracking bone in his arm.
For her father’s sake, she needed to direct Hudson’s anger or attention back on her.
“Please, talk to me. If there is money somewhere, let me help you find it.”
“Bitch—you stole from me.”
“I can’t remember you giving me any money or setting up any accounts—you know how dumb I can be sometimes.”
It wasn’t working. Usually, as long as she deferred to his brilliance, his sexual prowess, Hudson could be calmed. This time, it only backfired.
“Start thinking, bitch. I get the money or you both die. The only question is who will watch who die first!”
“You fucking coward,” her father raged even though she begged him to stop. Even finding the strength to kick out in vain towards Hudson who easily evaded the wayward foot.
Whack
“You used to be able to hit harder than that—what are you? Going soft in your old age?” Hudson turned towards her, she had one idea but needed him to strike her once more to make it work.
Whack
That did it, Anastacia allowed herself to go limp, skidding across the concrete until she lay at the gunman’s feet. Not resisting when Hudson dragged her to lie next to her father. He’d never beat her if she was already unconscious—in a perverse way, Hudson needed her pain to reward his hard work.
One thousand, two thousand, three thousand … Anastacia focused on her yoga breathing, ignoring the pain and willing herself to stay still. Hopefully she could buy enough time for Ed or someone to find and save them.
“What did you ever see in her?” she heard one voice ask.
“Her father handles military contracts. Insider knowledge could have been worth millions—only daddy dearest never shared work secrets with his daughter.”
No! Anastacia honestly thought that Hudson loved her, at least in the beginning.
“It took getting married to figure that out?” the other voice scoffed.
“I was the perfect son-in-law, except he never trusted me. No matter what I did, buttering him up for advice, pretending to respect his uniform. It didn’t matter. I hoped a grandchild would give me leverage.”
“So why keep her around? Especially if she doesn’t have the money.”
“Bitch!”
Anastacia couldn’t hide the shock of the bucket of cold water thrown over her and her father. Sitting up, drenched, cold and more scared than she wanted to admit, “What the hell?”
“Had a good sleep, princess?” Hudson sneered. “You’ve woken up just in time for me to tell my friends here how I kept myself entertained during our dreary marriage.”
Her father couldn’t take hearing Hudson list all the ways he’d hurt her; listing each of her broken bones and beatings as if it was an award citation.
“You bastard, I’ll—” her father cried until stopping midstream with another blow to the head.
“Oh, princess, you shouldn’t have woken the dragon!”
Calmly, Hudson left her father, instead explaining to his friends how to strike without leaving evidence.
She hurt so bad, bruises barely healed were hit with all the force of his frustration and rage. All she could do was hope that her death would cure his bloodlust, or his friends would convince him that one live hostage was better than none at all.
Blow after blow, and Anastacia stopped trying to hold back from screaming. If she couldn’t fight back, at least she’d die in full voice.
Ed had asked her to trust him. Where was he now?
Losing all hope of being rescued in time and knowing her actions had cost her father his life, and hers, Anastacia whimpered at the last strike—“I’m so sorry, daddy.”
ED
At least one operation was a success, Ed thought as he surveyed the warehouse where only the good guys were left standing.
With Jax’ gun covering him and ready to unleash hell, Ed had been able to sneak into the warehouse and quickly throw the first two knives, hitting the gunman in the shoulder instead of the chest, but enough to incapacitate his firing arm.
The silence of the knife attack had been the element of surprise needed to buy Reith enough time to sprint across the concrete floor, reaching Vaughan and Anastacia before the bastards had time to react.
Reith had taken an early shot to his left arm before Jax took out two guards, but at least had cut Vaughan free before covering the two hostages with his body. The two flak jackets lay on the ground, riddled with bullet holes meant for their bodies.
Ed had to hand it to the professionalism of the soldiers and Kram’s “friends.” Once the gunfire started their professionalism took full advantage of the first thirty seconds of confusion. That’s all it had taken for them to get control of the situation.
Hudson only had fucking guns-for-hire amateurs. Ed would have had more sympathy if they hadn’t taken so much obvious pleasure watching Hudson beat his captives.
Vinn didn’t have to hold Ed back as the vision played out on the camera. As hard as it was to watch, he knew that it would be the last time Thielman would ever lay a hand on either Anastacia or her father—years of training kept him cool. They had a plan and if executed, she would be safe.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Vinn had warned before they separated.
“My signal is the knife throw.” He appreciated but didn’t need anyone to remind him what was at stake. “Everything starts from there.”
Minutes, that had been the difference between life and death. Now, with everything under control, Ed made his way to where Reith was still trying to get Vaughan to take sips of water.
If Anastacia had been pretending to be unconsci
ous before, now it was no act. The guys had checked she was still breathing, but left Ed to gently cradle her until Vinn stopped him at the warehouse exit.
“Let me take her.”
“Not bloody likely,” Ed moved to push past.
“Mate, this is your operation and you have to go in there and clean up the fucking mess.” Vinn didn’t back away. “You don’t want those guys to think this was all personal. Now is the time you man up and show them that you’re still in charge.”
“It’s Staci,” he pleaded for understanding. Not that she’d ever given him permission to call her that.
“Yeah, and she’s safe. After the cluster-fuck of this morning, it’s your career and reputation that we need to protect.”
Just because Vinn was right, didn’t make it easier for Ed to hand over the limp body he knew so well. He didn’t need to look around to know that everyone was watching him not kiss her goodbye as Vinn took her out of the warehouse and to find Tilly.
Kram introduced him to an indescript, middle-aged man with graying beard and a warehouse high visibility vest. He could have been anyone’s father or grandfather.
“Lieutenant Colonel Alexander, meet Mr. Black.”
Despite the situation, Ed laughed, “Mr. Black are you kidding? I think I’ve seen this movie once or twice before.
“You boys finished with your fun?” Mr. Black might have looked like an every-day Santa Claus, but his eyes were cold with no depth or soul.
“What are you going to do with the injured?” Ed had resisted the urge to finish off Thielman who was now cable-tied and sitting cross-legged on the ground. Despite knowing how many ways he could extract the lifeforce from the bastard’s body, he couldn’t bring himself to tell Anastacia that her ex-husband hadn’t died in her rescue but had been murdered in cold blood. No matter how much he hated what the bastard had put them through, he loved Anastacia too much to give her that guilt.
Mr. Black answered as if he was delivering a pizza, “Our deal was we get to clean shop, and then the bodies are our responsibility.”
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