Strike Force

by Mary Alford

  “We need men out there right away.” Kaiden’s voiced aloud as he headed for the door.

  “I’m coming with you.” Sidney scrambled to catch up with him.

  His first instinct was to ask her to stay because the thought of losing her was devastating, but he knew better than to try and protect Sidney. This was her fight, too.

  Once he reached the door, Kaiden turned back to James. “Call Ben. Get him and the rest of the team and meet us in the weapons room.”

  “You got it.”

  “What’s the plan?” Sidney asked once they left command.

  “We gather our people and go after them. Hit them before they can do the same to us.”

  The tension on Sidney’s face confirmed she was worried. He was as well. Kaiden hurried to the weapons room and grabbed the ARs. He handed Sidney one, along with extra ammo, a Kevlar vest, and night-vision binoculars.

  Sidney strapped the AR on her shoulder and checked her Glock’s clip.

  The door opened and Ben walked in followed by Will and Deacon.

  “James told us what you found,” Ben said and grabbed weapons for himself and Deacon. “Garrett is waiting outside with James and Lincoln. He has Jordyn monitoring the surveillance videos. She’ll let us know if she sees anyone coming.”

  “Good. We’ll need to bring extra firepower for them.”

  As they started to leave, Emily came in. “I’m going with you,” she said.

  Sidney went over to her. “Are you sure you’re ready for this fight? Have you ever used a weapon?”

  Emily gave her an “oh please” look. “I know what I’m doing and those people tried to kill me. I’m coming with you.”

  Sidney smiled at her bravery and handed her the AR hanging from her shoulder and grabbed another. “Here’s some extra ammo. Stay close to me, okay?” Emily nodded.

  Outside, James and Garrett were waiting by the door. Kaiden nodded toward them. Like it or not, everyone here was about to engage in a battle with an unknown number of armed men bent on taking them out.

  “Once we reach the gate, we’ll spread out,” Kaiden said. “Will, you and Emily are with me and Sidney.”

  “Copy that,” Will said, and they headed toward the north gate.

  Kaiden’s body zinged with energy as they advanced toward the location. The darkness of the countryside settled around them. James had killed the lights to the airstrip. The only illumination came from the moon and stars above.

  Kaiden listened for any evidence the people at the gate might still be around, but nothing but silence permeated the darkness. He pointed up front, and they crept deeper into the woods that bordered the property.

  Once they reached the gate, Kaiden slid his card into the reader and waited for the green light. The gate slid open. He spotted the footprints they’d seen on the screen. They continued straight ahead.

  Without a word, Kaiden motioned the team to fan out. He headed to the left with Sidney while the rest of the team moved right.

  The hairs on the back of his neck sent alarms coursing through his body. He stopped and removed the night-vision binoculars from his jacket and panned the area to his left while Sidney did the same in front of them.

  She grabbed his arm and pointed straight ahead. He focused on where she indicated. A vehicle was parked some distance ahead. The night vision picked up the men moving through the woods toward the vehicle. No matter what, they couldn’t let them get away.

  The team stole through the woods until they were almost on top of the men.

  Kaiden motioned they should take cover. He waited for everyone to get out of sight. Then he yelled, “That’s far enough. Drop your weapons.”

  The men whirled and opened fire. Kaiden ducked behind tree coverage and returned shots forcing the men to move behind the SUV as bullets ricocheted off the side, shattered glass and blew out tires.

  The rest of the Strike Force reached them. Over the noise of gunfire, another vehicle could be heard approaching.

  “They have backup coming after them,” Kaiden said. Edging around the side of the tree, he spotted the men racing toward a dark SUV.

  “We can’t let them get away.” Sidney abandoned her cover and raced after the men. Kaiden didn’t hesitate to follow. He wasn’t about to let her get hurt.

  With the rest of the Strike Force as backup, they opened fire. Several men screamed as bullets tore through flesh; others returned shots.

  The vehicle screeched to a stop. Men piled inside. Several carried their injured comrades with them.

  The driver spun around. The vehicle slid on the snowy ground and sped away.

  Sidney emptied her weapon at the fleeing vehicle. The bullets shot holes in the back of the SUV. The driver didn’t slow down.

  As Kaiden watched the vehicle speed away, he couldn’t believe Legion had infiltrated their inner sanctuary, and they’d gotten away.

  Chapter Twelve

  “We’ve been compromised,” Sidney said while her mind raced over what lay ahead. They’d have to move everyone from the compound as soon as possible before the men returned with added manpower.

  James grabbed his phone. “I’m letting Peter and Tegan know it’s not safe to return here. I’ll give them the coordinates for the new location once we’re there. Brookes and Abby will need to know as well.” He kept his conversation brief. Once he’d ended the call to Peter, he called Brookes. “There’s no answer in Texas.”

  “Keep trying them. We need to get moving. There won’t be much time. They’ll rally more people and come after us,” Ben told the stunned group. “Get everyone to the plane in fifteen minutes. Take only what you can carry. Anything that might expose us, get rid of it.”

  Once more Legion had them on the run.

  As soon as they arrived at the compound, Ben said, “I’ll let Oviok and his team know we need to move Cole and as much equipment as we can load into the cargo plane.” He shook his head. “I’m grateful Cole had the foresight to put a contingency plan in place. I believe he envisioned such a thing happening.” He told them about the place in Montana Hernandez had purchased. “It was a former youth camp. I’ll give you both the coordinates shortly. In the meantime, let’s get moving. We meet at the airstrip in fifteen, folks. James, don’t leave anything behind that might allow Legion to track us.”

  “Got it,” James told him and hurried away.

  “I’ll meet you and Samson back here in ten minutes,” Kaiden whispered to her and clutched Sidney’s hand, his eyes lingering on her face. So many unspoken emotions were there, but now was not the time. Every second they remained here, they risked being captured. If that happened, she had no doubt they’d all be dead.

  Sidney hurried to her room. The second she entered, Samson leapt to his feet, almost as if he realized something was wrong.

  “We have to leave, boy.” The dog remained close while she tossed essentials into a duffle bag. Over the years, she’d become good at picking up and moving at a moment’s notice. It’s what kept her alive through two years on the run.

  With her bag slung over one shoulder and the AR on the other, Sidney went to the door and glanced around the room for a final time. She hadn’t been here long enough to miss it. Would she ever find a place to put down roots?

  Samson was right on her heels as she descended the stairs to the entrance where Kaiden waited.

  “We’re moving people over to the plane in groups. I’ll take you and Samson and then come back for more.”

  He was only trying to keep her safe, but she wasn’t leaving until every member of Strike Force was safely onboard.

  “I’ll stay and help out. Have they managed to get Hernandez ready to transport yet?”

  Kaiden accepted her answer, though she could tell he wasn’t pleased.

  “He should be coming down soon. Doctor Oviok and his staff will take him over.” Kaiden shook his head. “I just hope he’s up for the transport.” They were worried about Hernandez. He’d been the driving force to bring down Legion. W
ith him gone, there was a real chance Evans would take over, which was exactly what Legion had planned.

  At the top of the stairs, Ben and Deacon lifted the gurney holding the CIA director and carried him downstairs while Oviok and his team rushed behind them.

  “Let’s get him onboard and stable as quickly as possible,” Oviok ordered.

  Once the unconscious director was loaded into the van, Ben joined Kaiden. “How’s James coming on disabling the network?”

  “He and his team are almost ready to transport the equipment. Thank goodness, James was thinking ahead and made sure everything could be disassembled quickly.”

  Ben smiled despite the gravity of their situation. “I’m thankful we have him on our team.” He stared at the van where his good friend lay in critical condition.

  “Go,” Sidney said and squeezed his arm. “We’ll wait here for James’s team and be right behind you.”

  Relief shown on Ben’s face. “Be careful. I have a feeling those men didn’t go far. And you two can’t afford to be captured.” The meaning behind his words was not lost on her.

  “We’ll see you all soon.” She prayed her words would prove true.

  With a final nod, Ben climbed into the van and they sped toward the airstrip.

  Outside, the temperature hovered below freezing, the noise of the van disappearing the only sound.

  “I’ll go check on James and see if he needs any help,” Kaiden told her, yet he didn’t move. He was worried about her and she loved him so much for it.

  “I’ll be okay. I have Samson to back me up.” When he hesitated, she leaned forward and kissed him gently. “Go. Help James wrap things up. If anything happens here, I’ll come get you.”

  He held her gaze for the longest time, then turned on his heel and went inside.

  An uneasy feeling slithered into the pit of her stomach when Samson growled and trotted off to her left. She whipped out her Glock and left the porch.

  Samson was hunkered down low and continued to growl. The dog wasn’t one to bark at nothing. If this was Legion’s men, there would be no time to get Kaiden.

  She moved close to the dog. “What is it, boy?” She peered into the darkness, her heart racing, her throat dry.

  Nothing moved for the longest time and then Samson charged into the foliage, growling with teeth bared.

  Sidney fired off a shot to alert the others. Someone screamed as the dog’s teeth made contact. More rustling sounds followed before the night lit up with barrel flashes.

  She dove for the ground and crawled behind the cover of a spruce tree.

  Her cell phone shrieked as bullets peppered the dirt and dislodged tree branches above.

  Answering the phone, she knew it was Kaiden. “I’m under attack by multiple gunmen. I need help now.” Sidney gave her location.

  “We’re on our way,” Kaiden told her. She dropped the phone beside her and returned fire.

  In the frigid darkness, something charged her way. She whipped her weapon toward the advancing form and realized it was Samson.

  The dog reached her side and she blew out a relieved breath.

  “Good boy, Samson. Stay.” The dog obeyed.

  It sounded as if the entire woods were crawling with men shooting at her. She was grossly outmanned.

  Sidney emptied her clip and reloaded. When there was a lull in the shooting, she stopped and listened. Over the sound of her labored breathing, footsteps. They’d determined her location and were closing in.

  The first assailant entered her line of vision. She fired on him. He fell to the ground without a sound. There was no doubt he was dead.

  “Hurry, Kaiden,” she said under her breath. They’d fought so hard to survive, to bring down Legion. It couldn’t end like this.

  ◆◆◆

  “She’s in trouble.” Kaiden ran toward the front of the house with the others following. He hit the door at full stride. It sounded like a war was taking place outside.

  James stopped him when he would have charged directly into the battle. “Hold on a second. Let’s determine where the shots are coming from.”

  “She gave me her location.”

  “Yes, but she might not be there now.”

  Though James spoke the truth, forcing himself to slow down and listen when the woman he loved was in trouble was a near-impossible feat. But if they stood a chance of taking those men, they’d need to be smart about it. As the shots continued to rain down on the countryside, Kaiden got a sense of where most of them were coming from.

  “James, you and Garrett go behind the house and cut them off. Lincoln, you and Jordyn are with me. Be careful. There’s a whole lot of manpower out there.”

  With a curt nod, James and Garrett circled behind the house.

  With the AR in the ready position, Kaiden stepped from the porch, flanked by the others. Immediately gunfire met them. Their assailants had eyes on the house.

  Kaiden leapt for the cover of trees nearby, followed by the others. With his heart beating a frantic rhythm, he took out his night-vision binoculars and panned the direction of the shots. “I count five shooters. My guess is that these are some of the men who were here before.” When silence followed, he whistled once. Sidney would know he was trying to communicate with her.

  A beat passed and then she responded.

  “She’s over there.” Kaiden pointed to the spot just ahead of them. “Cover me while I go get her.”

  Lincoln and Jordyn opened fire while Kaiden tucked low and ran as fast as he could to where Sidney was hunkered down while bullets churned up the snowy ground at his feet.

  Samson growled and leapt to his feet until he realized it was Kaiden.

  “How many are there?” Sidney asked once he was beside her.

  “Five, possibly six. We’re running out of time. Chances are there are more men on the way. Are you ready to get out of here?” he asked and she didn’t hesitate. Kaiden gave another whistle to alert the others they were coming. With Lincoln and Jordyn keeping the assailants on their heels, they made it back to them. By now, James and Garrett should be in position. “Let’s see if we can drive them toward James,” Kaiden told the group.

  “Samson, stay,” Sidney ordered the dog who reluctantly heeled.

  “On my count.” Kaiden counted off three. They opened fire and advanced. Voices yelled as if hit. The men were no longer returning fire.

  “They’re on the run,” Sidney said.

  Up ahead, a gunfight erupted.

  “They’re engaging James and Garrett. We’ve got them pinned in. Let’s go,” Kaiden said, and together they raced to assist their comrades while muzzle shots lit up the woods. “Over there!” He pointed to the men who were engaged in a gunfight.

  “Drop your weapons. You’re surrounded,” he yelled over the noise of the battle.

  Too late, the enemy realized they’d walked into a trap. A few men shot at them, forcing them to take cover, but one by one they lowered their weapons and surrendered.

  “Get them restrained,” Kaiden told his people.

  Six men were quickly cuffed, their weapons confiscated.

  Kaiden grabbed his phone and called Ben.

  “What was that?” Ben asked as soon as he answered.

  “We ran into a bit of trouble.” He explained about the ambush. “What do we do with them?”

  “Take their weapons and phones and leave them. Get everyone here as fast as possible. Legion will have more men on the way.”

  “Roger that.” Kaiden ended the call and gave the order to confiscate weapons and phones.

  None of the handcuffed men had any IDs on them.

  With the men restrained, the team hurried back to the spot where Samson waited.

  “Let’s go, boy.” Sidney urged. The dog jumped to his feet and galloped in front of them.

  At the house, they quickly loaded all the computer equipment into one of the side-by-sides, then they piled into two of the machines left behind and raced toward the airstrip.
r />   With everyone’s help, they loaded the equipment onboard the smaller plane and drove the machines into the cargo plane.

  “The sooner we’re out of here, the better I’ll feel,” Kaiden said as he glanced back at the house that had been their temporary home. Beyond the structure, multiple headlights were coming their way. “We’ve got company. Let’s get going.” He slammed the door closed. Lincoln eased the smaller plane into position and waited while Deacon headed the cargo plane down the runway.

  Kaiden’s heart pounded in his chest as the headlights grew closer. He had no doubt the men were armed to the teeth and were going to do everything in their power to stop them from leaving.

  “We’ve got to go. Now, Lincoln,” Kaiden warned as he watched four vehicles racing their direction. If they caught them on the ground, they’d tortured them for information before killing them all.

  The cargo plane took flight. Lincoln started down the runway as vehicles kept pace with the plane. Windows rolled down. AR’s pointed at them.

  “Whatever you do, don’t stop,” Kaiden warned Lincoln.

  The men opened fire. Lincoln swerved but kept going. Bullets peppered the side of the plane and took out one of the engines.

  “Can you still fly with one?” Kaiden stared at Lincoln’s ashen face.

  “We should be okay.” Lincoln pulled back on the control. The plane sputtered and shook while Kaiden prayed hard.

  Slowly, the plane lifted off the ground and out of the men’s range.

  “Whew.” Lincoln blew out a sigh and showed his hands. They were shaking. “That was a little too close for comfort. We should make it to Montana on one engine, but I’m going to radio Deacon and let him know.”

  While Kaiden listened to the conversation, he gave thanks to God for bringing them through yet another storm. It felt like they were caught up in a tidal wave of danger that wasn’t even close to being over.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Once the plane cleared the mountains, it slowly descended, fighting a strong crosswind the entire way. A rudimentary runway had been carved out from the woods below. Sidney thanked God for the safe passage and Lincoln’s skills.