Shane

by Linzi Basset

  “Got it. It’s a boat, a couple of miles west of the Royal Palm Island Resort on Hicks Cays.” He zoomed onto the luxurious yacht. “Heat sensors indicate possible four bodies.”

  “Parker and Zeke, take a team from the Hostage Rescue Squad and head out to Hicks Cays as Bravo team. We’ll arrange with the Coast Guard to meet you there and take you out to sea. Use them as a decoy to get on the yacht from below. Make sure they don’t see you coming. Evans isn’t the man we thought we knew and we have no idea how he’ll react when he’s pushed into a corner. Wait for my go signal, Parker. We need to hit them simultaneously. I don’t want either group to be forewarned.”

  “Just make it fucking quick. My estimation is that we’ll be at the yacht in less than thirty minutes. Make sure you’re ready to move by then.” Parker stomped off toward the commander of the rescue team with Zeke by his side.

  Stone looked around, surprised to see Mateo walking toward him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m part of this, whether you like it or not. I brought a Black Ops SWAT team. We’re ready to move.”

  Stone did a quick headcount as he watched Parker and Zeke head out in the one rescue chopper with the allocated team.

  “I’m glad you did. Now we have enough bodies to surround that property and hit them from all directions. Be warned, we are relatively sure they have large firepower waiting for us.” Stone briefly explained the earlier meeting with the Sicilian Mafia and Triad leaders. “I want to hit them when they least expect it. We need to scope out the area, find the bastards, and get rid of them quietly. Yale and Rebecca Lomas aren’t going to escape us again.”

  “What about Moore, Hastings, and Muller?” Mateo said as he studied the image perimeter of the beach property on the screen, fed from the drone.

  “We have enough linking them to SPEONUS to put them away for a long time. The FBI and DOJ have been informed and supplied with the necessary proof of their involvement. They’ll be in lock up by the time we return to the States.” Stone pointed to a map layout of the area surrounding the property. “We spread out from here to there. Charlie team: Shane, Kane, Hawk, and a couple of your men will approach from the ocean. Billy is going to find the best spot to scope out the entire property from the trees. We’re not leaving a yard of a gap for them to slip through. If anyone does, he’ll take care of it.”

  “Provided they don’t have a fucking escape tunnel like they did at the headquarters we raided,” Shane clipped as he zipped up the wetsuit.

  “Yeah, unfortunately, there is no way for us to know that in advance. That’s why we have to hit them fast and hard.” He looked up as the local military arrived with the Humvees they’d offered for the operation. Billy used his military contacts to obtain permission for the raid, something foreign governments usually didn’t allow, but since they were concerned about the effect a global terrorist attack would have on their country, they were willing to accommodate them.

  “We’re moving out. Be careful out there Shane.” Stone saluted them as they headed out to the beach where a Stingray Navy rubber duck boat was at the ready.

  “Report. Everyone in place?”

  Stone’s curt voice echoed in Billy’s ear as he dug the hooks into the thick base of the huge palm tree just below the canopy of leaves. He settled in the swing style seat attached to the hooks with chains and leather straps. He had a perfect bird’s eye view of the entire property from this height. He scoped the area below through the telescope of the XS1 TrackingPoint sniper; specifically chosen as the most accurate rifle he owned.

  No one fucked with Billy Hewitt’s family, especially not with his daughter who had come to mean the world to him. He breathed in, using meditation techniques to calm his mind, to focus his attention and keep his body relaxed … with the exception of his finger on the trigger. He tapped against the nano micro communication chip in his ear.

  “Ready,” he rasped.

  “Drone imagery confirms that there are at least twenty heat sensors spread around the house in the trees with another ten inside. Prepare for a bloody battle,” Stone said sternly.

  The house was nestled on the beachfront with the Northern Highway separating it from the Belize River at the back. It was surrounded by its own private forest, with large trees, shrubs, and an abundance of palm trees—the perfect setting for an ambush.

  “Everyone stay in formation, move on your cue and do not deviate from your course. No one slips by us. Get ready, we move in five.”

  Billy listened to Stone’s voice as he continued to confirm each team’s position and barked out instructions. His eyes narrowed as he detected movement on the side patio. Two men stepped out for a smoke.

  “Enjoy it, you bastards. It’ll be your last,” he muttered as he watched them through the scope. They’d be the first to fall if they were still outside when the GO call came. Both would be dead before either could raise an alarm. Billy was that good and that fast.

  “Bravo team ready.” Parker’s voice echoed through Billy’s mind. His finger tightened on the trigger as he adjusted the scope.

  “Get ready. On my mark,” Stone’s voice grated immediately. “And Go! Go-go-go!”

  The two pops merged into one before the order silenced in his ears. He didn’t check to see if his targets were dead. There was no need. The assassin, Billy Hewitt, only shot to kill.

  He moved his attention to a rush of movement to the left of the house. Four ninja clad forms scrambled down large palm trees and landed behind the rescue team formation moving toward the house. The first two crumbled to the ground before the others realized what had happened.

  “Now the hunt is on, shitheads,” he grunted as he followed their frantic dash to hide, searching the area for the sniper. The next bullet slammed into the third ninja’s left eye. The fourth was nowhere to be seen but the commotion had alerted the rescue team. It was Ace who moved in behind him and sliced his neck, quietly, with precision, and no remorse.

  With Billy guarding everyone’s backs from overhead, the forest was cleared within minutes, leaving them free to approach the house. He watched as Stone and his team breached the house from the back and the sides at the same time as the Charlie team rose from the ocean to secure the front of the property.

  “There you are, you bastard,” Billy growled as David Yale charged out onto the front patio. He stumbled to a halt as he came face-to-face with Shane, Kane, and Hawk.

  “You have no fucking jurisdiction here, you bastard.” His voice sounded clear over the distance. His laugh was evil. “You’ve just killed your brother’s whore, Sinclair. If I don’t report in within the next two minutes, they have a standing order to slit her throat.” Yale looked around. “Do you hear me, you bastard? Hewitt! I know you’re there. Your slut of a daughter is dead!”

  “Bravo team secured the package,” Parker’s voice crackled in his ear. “I repeat, the package is safe and secure.”

  Billy switched on the laser and waited until Yale noticed it moving around on his chest. He smirked as he lifted his hands in defeat, his gaze following the beam to look directly in his direction.

  “I surrender,” he shouted. “Under the protection of the Geneva Convention, I surrender.”

  “Surrender this, you motherfucker.”

  For the first time in his career, Billy stayed to watch and reveled in the shocked surprised expression on his target’s face, his mouth spread open wide as a death gurgle escaped his lips. He was dead before he hit the ground.

  Parker and Zeke, along with three Secret Service agents broke the surface of the ocean on the far side of the yacht from which the Coast Guards siren sounded.

  “Prepare to be boarded,” a deep voice echoed through the atmosphere as the ship moved alongside the yacht.

  Parker nodded at the team as they climbed the side ladder and waited. “Bravo team ready,” he said under his breath, every muscle in his body was tightly strung. He kept his mind blank as to what condition he’d find Ava in. For now, he had to con
centrate on getting to her first.

  “Get ready. On my mark,” Stone’s voice grated immediately. “And Go! Go-go-go!”

  They moved as one. Parker flicked his fingers to the side and two of the agents moved in formation to the front of the yacht, the other two the opposite direction while he and Zeke slipped inside.

  Of the confirmed five heat sensors on the boat, three stood on top, facing the Coast Guard, which meant Evans had to be guarding Ava.

  “Talk to me, Zeke. Where are they?”

  Zeke checked the heat sensor imagery on the handheld monitor of the drone overhead. “One level down, left at the stairs.”

  They moved as one down the stairs and turned left. Parker stopped with his fist in the air at the sound of grunts and curses coming from a room to the right.

  “You’re gonna pay for that, bitch.” Evans’ furious voice followed another scuffle. Parker kicked down the door at the sound of Ava’s painful cry.

  “Took your sweet time getting here, Parker.” Evans frantically grabbed Ava by the hair and dragged her in front of him. He was obviously rattled to see Zeke following his cousin inside the spacious den.

  Tears coursed down Ava’s cheeks as she stared at Parker, her breathing was laborious and loud as she desperately tried to break free from the vicious hold on her hair but with her hands tied behind her back, she only managed to cause herself pain. The silver tape covering her face cut into her skin from being wrapped too tightly.

  “Stop, baby. It’s okay. I’m here now.”

  Ava immediately stopped struggling. Her body slumped as she dropped to her knees, taking Evans by surprise as he suddenly lost his protective human armor. Before he could recover and yank her upright, Parker’s leg snapped out, his boot connected Evan’s wrist so hard, the fragile bones splintered under the force. With a cry, Evan’s fingers went numb and the gun clattered to the ground. Parker yanked Ava from his grasp and pushed her behind him.

  He didn’t need to have bothered since Zeke already had Evans in a chokehold. His eyes glittered deadly and was filled with anger in memory of what he had done to Taylor not so long ago.

  “I surrender. Take me in,” Evans hissed as he struggled with pain searing through his arm. “I’ll talk, give you every name of every leader and operative in SPEONUS.”

  Zeke’s hold didn’t relax. He looked at Parker who carefully removed the silver tape from Ava’s face and cut the zip ties that had also been so tight it had cut through her skin. He cursed as he tore a piece of his shirt to wrap it around her wrists.

  “It’s over, my love. I’ve got you,” he murmured in her hair as she started to cry in gulping gasps.

  His eyes were merciless as he looked at Evans. He didn’t say a word, nor did he look away, but nodded at the silent question emanating from Zeke. He cupped Ava’s head and kept her face pressed against his throat. Without a spec of remorse, he watched Zeke take Evans by the chin and with one hard twist, broke his neck.

  “Let’s go home. I fucking need to hold Taylor in my arms.” Zeke hustled the couple through the door to spare Ava the sight of the dead man’s stare. He looked back at him for a moment.

  “May you rest in hell, you fuckdick.”

  “Operation Belize concluded,” Stone’s voice sounded in their ears as they boarded the coast guard ship. “All taken into custody, including Miceli Randazzo and Zhang Yong.” There was a brief hesitation. “Rebecca Lomas escaped.”

  “Fuck! How the hell did that happen,” Parker sneered angrily.

  “We don’t know. She was taken into custody but on the way to the holding cells, she somehow escaped. We can’t find her anywhere. She’s gone underground.”

  “Let’s just get the fuck home, Stone,” Parker snapped angrily. They had every avenue covered and she still managed to escape.

  “This is fucked up,” Zeke slammed a fist against the wall. “When are we ever going to get our lives back to normal?”

  “She’s not going to stay in Belize, Zeke. Now that the local authorities are involved, she has to run. We’ll find her, even if we have to sit in front of the computers twenty-four-seven.”

  “We better. I’m sick and tired of this shit.”

  “You said it, cousin. Now let’s get the fuck home.”

  Parker sat down with Ava on his lap, wrapping his arms around her in a protective cocoon.

  “It felt like my heart stopped beating when I watched him take you away and it only started up again on that yacht when I held you in my arms. You are my life, my love. I’ll never let you out of my sight again.”

  Ava cupped his face and kissed him tenderly. “We can’t live like that, honey. It’ll kill the joy of living a happy life. All we need to do is be more aware.” She smiled tenderly. “I’m fine, my love. Here, now in your arms, I know I don’t ever want to be anywhere else but with you.”

  “Ditto, baby. Now, how about we seal your release with a kiss?”

  “Why don’t the two of you get a room, already?” Zeke mumbled irritably but only because he yearned to do the same with the love of his life.

  “Aww, come here, you,” Ava took his hand and drew him in for a group hug. “Thanks for saving me, Zeke.”

  “We’re family, little one. We take care of each other.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Carpe Diem—seize the day.” Alexa huddled against Shane’s chest as she stared out over the ocean. “It’s such a beautiful name for the yacht.” She smiled. “And so fitting of the man who owns it.”

  “You said it, love. This is Danton’s pride and joy. We are honored that he offered it to us for a short weekend break.”

  “Or perhaps he just wanted to get you out of his hair.”

  “Me?” Shane was taken aback as he stared at her. “I’m his best friend.”

  “And as overprotective as a mother bear. Face it, honey, you have been hovering over him since the day you came back from the doctor.”

  Shane sighed as he leaned back on the chaise lounge. “I’m worried about him, Alexa. I can’t help it. The thought of him …” He swallowed the rest of the sentence as a knot formed in his throat.

  “He’s going to be fine. I know it. He’s a strong man, Shane. Inside and out. You babying him reminds him of the dangers of the operation.”

  “Luckily, the op is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. You’re right, he needs to relax.”

  “And so do you. You’ll be no good to him if he notices you’re all tense and worried.

  “Are you aiming to take over my practice, Miss Silver?”

  “Pfft, I don’t need a degree in psychology to have common sense, Mr. Sinclair. Now … as your submissive, it’s my duty to take care of you as much as you do me.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Oh yes, and it’s a responsibility I take very seriously. There’s just one problem,” she said as she tapped her nail against her teeth while regarding him with a pretend frown.

  “Which is?”

  “It’s not in your nature to relax and let a sub take charge, so I’m going to have to take extreme measures.”

  “This sounds more and more intriguing by the second.”

  “Then I suppose you won’t mind when I do this …”

  This … was tying his wrists to the top of the chaise lounge with the chiffon sarong she’d been wearing over her bikini … loosely, which he’d easily be able to release himself from should he wish to.

  She watched him with bated breath as he stared at her unflinchingly, one eyebrow twitched in that sexy Sinclair crawl.

  “Is it my imagination or did you just tie me up?”

  Her smile was breathtaking as she stood back and regarded her handiwork with her hands on her waist and one hip tilted forward. His relaxed demeanor gave her confidence a boost to continue.

  “I might have … tied you up I mean.” She licked her lips as she knelt next to him. “And to enable me to ensure that you’re fully relaxed, we don’t need these.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him befor
e she pulled off his bathing suit, leaving him deliciously and oh, so sexily naked for her hungry eyes to feast on.

  “You’re taking a huge risk, my pet, you know that right?”

  She fluttered innocent eyes at him. “Risk? For servicing your needs? I’m afraid we’re going to have to agree to disagree on that one, Master Fox.”

  “Hmm.”

  Alexa basked in the amusement turning his eyes a deep charcoal color. It was the sign she’d been waiting for. He might be a sadist but he was confident enough in himself as a Dom to allow her to play … this once at least.

  “I’ll concede … on one condition.”

  “Conditions? You should know better than to demand anything from me at this point,” she chirped but took a step back as a precaution. She was being exceedingly sassy and forward. That he was allowing it filled her heart with joy.

  “Don’t push your luck, Lady S.” His eyes did a slow gander up and down her body. “The one thing that’ll make me relax fully is if you’re naked as well.”

  “That goes without saying and, I daresay, had you not been so impatient, I would’ve been quite bare-assed by now.”

  “Too much talk and too little action is … ah, that’s much better, my lovely,” he purred as he watched the three pieces of material flutter to the ground. He loved how confident she was in her own skin and the pride she took in him appreciating her body.

  “So, I was thinking to start with a little massage,” she lilted as she straddled his knees and ran her hands up and down his thighs, teasing the base of his cock until it rose to the occasion and swelled under her teasing strokes. “Oho, I think I must be doing something wrong.” She tapped the mushroom shaped tip with a finger. “Your body is supposed to remain relaxed … this isn’t good at all.” She wiggled sideways, rubbing her hot core against first his one knee and then the other.