Chapter Twenty-Five
Saturday
SAUL TAPPED his mic. “You seeing what I see?”
Brick’s reply was immediate. “No one at the airfield. We got guards in the towers, though. I make it three in total on the north and west perimeters. Not moving.” He snorted. “They could be asleep on duty.” He let out a low chuckle. “Time for their wake-up call.”
Saul gave a signal to the seven men on his left, their features concealed by camouflage face paint, and they crept out from beneath the cover of the trees and moved stealthily toward the north fence. He signaled to his right, and the second team moved out, heading for the west fence. Finally, three men moved swiftly in the direction of the airfield.
“Doc, you ready with your team?”
“Copy that.”
“Then let’s go.”
Saul and Brick followed the first two teams, Doc and his medics behind them, until they were crouched in the dark at the base of the fence.
And now we wait.
HASHTAG’S VOICE filled Eve’s ear. “Truck’s on its way. ETA about two minutes.”
“Copy that.” She tapped her mic. “Get ready. Roadkill and I are going to move into position. Wait for Crank’s signal.” She slipped off her body armor and moved out from behind the bushes where she, Roadkill, Crank, and a team of ten men had been hiding for the last fifteen minutes. Eve lay down in the road, and Roadkill crouched beside her, his own armor stashed with Crank.
“They’re almost here,” she told him.
“I can’t hear them.”
Eve grinned. “Shifter hearing, babe. The fucking best.” Then headlights pierced the darkness. “Showtime.” Roadkill waved his flashlight in the air, and the truck rumbled to a halt a few feet away from them, the beams falling on Eve’s prone body.
The driver stuck his head out the window. “What’s going on? Is someone hurt?”
“We were hiking north of here,” Roadkill called out. “We got lost. We’ve been walking most of the night. Then my girlfriend took a tumble. Her leg’s hurt pretty bad.”
The passenger door opened, and a guy in overalls got out. “We’re heading to a military base not far from here. They’ll have a medic who can help, right? Is it safe to move her?”
Crank gave the signal, and Dex stepped out from his hiding place and closed in on the driver, his gun pointed at the guy’s head. “Hands off the wheel, nice ‘n’ easy. Get out of the truck. Leave the keys in the ignition.”
“You got it, you got it.” Judging by the note of panic in his voice, the driver wasn’t going to pose a threat.
Roadkill pulled his weapon on the passenger, who raised his hands in a heartbeat. “Fuck, don’t shoot. This is my first day on the job.”
Eve bounced to her feet, pulling her gun from where she’d stowed it in the waistband of her pants, and the rest of the team emerged from the bushes. They made short work of tying up the two men before placing them at the roadside.
“You can have your truck back when we’re finished with it,” Eve told them, while the team got busy unloading all the food and supplies from the back. Crank brought out her body armor, then climbed into the truck behind the wheel, wearing a denim jacket. Roadkill joined him.
Eve crouched in front of the two men. “What do you actually know about this place you’re delivering to?”
The backup driver rolled his eyes. “Fuck, lady, I don’t know shit, only what this guy told me.”
“And what was that?”
“Only that it’s some supersecret hush-hush military base, and if we talk to anyone about it, prison will be the least of our worries.” He swallowed. “Look, lady, me and the wife? We’ve just had a kid, and I need the money.”
She straightened. “When we bring the truck back, you hightail it out of here. Trust me, you won’t want to be around when the shit hits the fan. And there’s going to be an awful lot of it flying around here.”
Time to go, hon.
Eve climbed into the back of the truck with the rest of the team.
“Okay, next stop is the camp. Not a sound, guys.” She tapped her earpiece mic. “Let’s go, boys.” She clung to one of the side bars used for securing loads, her heart pounding.
First mission with this group, and Saul had given her a team to lead.
No pressure.
You’re doing great, sweetheart.
A wave of relief mingled with appreciation swept through her. Thanks, babe. Wasn’t nervous until now.
And you know once we get in there, everything will be automatic. You’ve got this.
She smiled to herself. There were definitely benefits to having mates.
I’ve got my own secret cheerleaders. My mental support buddies.
Who would always have her back.
That’s right, hon. Just think of us as your mental bra. We’ll always give you support in all the right places.
Eve groaned internally. Guys? I really didn’t need that image.
“WE’RE AT the gates,” Crank told Eve in a low voice. “Thermal imaging shows two guards. No one else nearby.” The truck’s headlights bounced off the metal barrier that barred their way, illuminating two guards armed with rifles. Crank took a moment to remove his headgear before stopping the truck and lowering the window. “Morning. Except it isn’t.”
One of the guards approached the truck, a flashlight aimed at Crank’s face, then Roadkill’s. “Hey. Haven’t seen you two here before.” His tone made it sound as though the experience wasn’t a pleasant one. Vic always said how much he loved the way Saul and Crank smelled, yet here was this asshole, wrinkling his nose as if they were covered in shit.
“Yeah, we only started with the company this week. Told us we had an ‘early delivery.’” Crank air-quoted, wearing a suitably grumpy expression and acting as though he hadn’t noticed the guy’s manner.
The guard laughed. “Sounds as if you drew the short straw. I think I drew the same one. Fourth time I’ve done this shift in two weeks. Someone around here obviously doesn’t like my face.”
Okay, maybe he wasn’t all that big an asshole if he was attempting a little conversation. Then Crank reasoned that being a slightly less obnoxious shifter than the rest of them didn’t alter the balance a whole lot.
He raised his gun and aimed it. “You wanna know something? I don’t like your face either. So put down your weapon before I rearrange it with this.” Roadkill got out and took down the other guy with a tranq dart.
The guard lowered his rifle, and Crank gave a nod of approval. “Now raise the barrier, and kill the power to the fence.” When the guard hesitated, Crank aimed for the dead center of his forehead. “Did I stutter? Drop the weapon and do as you’re fucking told.”
The guard did as instructed, and Crank followed him to the small control booth, his gun in the guy’s back. “Make a wrong move and I paint this closet with your guts, you got that?”
“Got it.” The guard pressed one switch and the barrier rose into the air. Then he pressed another and a loud beep sounded. “That means the fence is off.” He reached toward another switch.
Crank shot him in the neck with a tranq dart. “Unfortunately for you, I know that’s the alarm.” He waited until the guard had dropped to the ground before tapping his earpiece mic. “Saul, Johan, we’re in business.”
Roadkill drove the truck through the gate, and Crank went around the back to open the doors. One by one, the team got out, and Crank pointed in the direction of the barracks.
First task was to take down every last fucking guard.
They crept through the darkened compound, and Crank heard other sounds, cutting metal, muted shots….
“Team A is in,” Saul told him. “Doc is heading for the medical and experimentation blocks. Airfield is secured.”
“Copy that.”
“Team B is in,” Johan reported. “We’re through the fence and the guards are down. Repeat, the guards are down.”
“Copy that.” Eve’s voice filled his ear. “Team C in position at the barracks.”
Time to kick ass.
Crank waited until all teams had converged on the barracks before opening the doors to the nearest block and throwing in the flash-bang grenades, followed by the gas bombs. The brilliant white light illuminated the interior briefly, and he signaled the teams. “They’re coming out.” He pulled on his mask, dove into the block, and kicked in the door closest to him.
In the ghostly light of the thermal imaging camera, Fielding could be seen out of bed and reaching toward his nightstand.
Crank didn’t hesitate. “Oh no you don’t, you fucker.” He fired the gun and the dart pierced Fielding’s neck, then another in his thigh, before swiping him with his arm and dropping him onto the bed. Fielding tried to remove the dart, but the damage was done.
“You won’t… get away… with—”
Crank rolled his eyes. “Would you just shut the fuck up?” He swung again, and this time Fielding went flying, out like a light. “Tier One target acquired,” he said into his mic. From all around came shouts as the guards swarmed out to be met with force. Every pop meant another guard out, which was fine by him.
“Get Fielding to the airfield. The Chinooks are on their way, and once it’s no longer needed for air cover, one of the Apaches will land. You go in that,” Saul told him.
“Copy that.” Crank hoisted Fielding onto his shoulder and strode out of the block, through the still forms of guards who lay on the ground, unconscious.
“Barrack two secured,” Johan messaged.
“Barrack three secured.” That was Roadkill.
“We’ve got unfriendlies trying to escape through the windows in barrack four,” Eve yelled. “Be on the lookout.”
“Copy that,” Johan replied. “Deerling to Air Control, you copy this?”
The air was filled with the sound of whirring blades. Spotlights pierced the dark as the Apaches hovered above the compound, and shots rang out.
Crank wasn’t about to mourn the deaths of a few idiots. Shit, if they ran, they had to take the consequences.
Crank tapped his mic. “Doc, you hear me? How we doin’ with locating the drug?” Fielding wasn’t that heavy, thank God, and the airfield was in sight. The drone of Chinooks spoke of their imminent arrival.
“Acquired. Medics on their way to you with shots. Enough for all guards, if we need them.”
“Copy that. And save a shot for Fielding. I don’t know what kinda shifter this bastard is, and I don’t wanna find out.” Two tranq darts would take down a human—he wasn’t so sure about shifters.
“Head for the sleeping quarters. We’ve got one hundred fifty prisoners to get the fuck out of here,” Saul told them.
“Copy that. Meet you there,” Brick called out.
Crank smiled to himself. I know who you’re looking for.
brICK OPENED the door to the first sleeping block—and stopped dead to find silent figures standing close by.
Waiting.
Then his arms were full of a lithe, warm body. “I told you I’d have them awake and ready.”
Brick’s knees buckled, and he cupped Seth’s face, kissing him on the lips. “We’d better save this for later, okay? Let’s get you someplace safe first.” He peered at the faces lit by his flashlight. “We’re gonna head to the airfield. Anyone unable to make it that far?”
“We’re all fine.” The guy’s voice was deep. “And more than ready to leave this fucking place.”
Brick glanced at him, and knew in a heartbeat who was speaking. “Jake Carson, I presume. Dellan’s the spitting image of you.”
Jake’s face broke into a huge smile. “You know Dellan?”
“Can this wait?” Saul interjected. “We’ve got three Chinooks standing by, and we don’t wanna keep ’em waiting.”
Jake chuckled. “Isn’t it always the way? You want a helicopter to whisk you out of here, and then three turn up at once.”
“Where’s Jamie?” Saul demanded.
“Not in this block.”
“We’ll find him. In the meantime, stay close to Brick. You guys aren’t going in the Chinooks—you’re coming with us back to our camp.” Saul smiled. “Some people there who can’t wait to see you.”
Brick led the prisoners out, Seth by his side, Jake close behind them, and all around them was noise and smoke that drifted in the breeze, raised voices and the throb-throb-throb of blades. From behind the building, a lone figure emerged, a rifle pointed in their direction, and as soon as Brick registered its owner as the enemy, he aimed his gun.
“Give it up,” he commanded.
The guard made no reply, but as soon as Brick heard the click of the safety, he acted instinctively and fired a single shot to the heart.
The guard dropped like a stone.
He tapped his earpiece. “We missed one. He’s been taken care of.” Then he realized Seth was staring at him. “Hey, if I’d known for certain he was one of the ones who treated you badly, he wouldn’t even have gotten a warning. I played nice.”
Jake chuckled. “If this is you playing nice, I’d hate to see you when you’re pissed.”
Brick hurried them along, stopping only when he encountered a prisoner who’d fallen, clutching his leg. He glanced at Jake. “Head for the airfield while I see to this guy. Seth, go with him.”
Jake nodded, then took the lead, Seth beside him.
Brick crouched down next to the injured man. “Can you stand?”
The guy shook his head. “You might have to carry me.”
Brick took a good look at his face, then tapped his earpiece. “Hashtag, you getting this?”
“Copy that. Enemy. I repeat, enemy.”
“Copy that.” Brick didn’t hesitate. He fired a tranq dart into the guy’s neck with a snort. “Nice try.” He pushed the man out of the path of the oncoming stream of prisoners, then dashed toward the airfield, where Johan and others beckoned them up the rear ramp into the belly of the helicopters. As each Chinook was filled, it rose into the air, heading southeast.
Three trucks stood on the tarmac, and Brick pointed to them. “They’re for us.” Then he saw a familiar face and his gut tightened. Jamie was there.
Not now. Seth grasped Brick’s hand. You can explain it all to him later if you want, but right now let’s get away from this place.
But it’s my fault he got caught.
And because he did, he found his dad, so enough guilt, all right? You’ve both been through hell. It’s time to leave it behind and move on. Another squeeze of Brick’s hand. You’ve got other things to think about. Two mates, actually.
And the start of his new life.
SAUL TAPPED his earpiece. “Crank, where are you?”
“In the Apache, on my way to the FOB in Brunswick. Fielding’s come round, but he’s had his shots and he ain’t goin’ nowhere.” A chuckle. “He ain’t sayin’ much either. I gagged him.”
“Meet you there. And Crank? Don’t lay a finger on him, okay?”
Crank snorted. “Now would I do a thing like that? Not until he’s answered a few questions first. Over and out.”
Saul was going to ensure Crank wasn’t left alone with Fielding. Not that Saul hated the idea of a little retribution for the pain and suffering he’d endured on Fielding’s orders, but the bastard had information they needed.
He tapped again. “Anyone seen Milo Keppler?”
“Copy that,” Eve came back. “He’s in one of the Chinooks, and he’s with his mate.”
“Great. Where are you?”
“Heading back your way. I had to return a truck.”
He smiled. “I bet that was a relief for the drivers. Okay, let’s head back to the camp, pack it up, and get the fuck out of here.”
Then on to Brunswick where a certain Geran had a lot of explaining to do—and a location to reveal.
DELLAN DRANK what had to be his third cup of coffee since Saul and the men had left. He’d been surprised Horvan hadn’t gone with them, but he and Aelryn remained in constant contact, watching the mission unfold via drone camera. Horvan assured him that so far it had been textbook, but that hadn’t alleviated Dellan’s nerves.
Horvan stuck his head out of the command tent. “The trucks are on their way back here with the troops.” When Dellan stared at him, he smiled. “And your dad, Jamie, and Seth.”
Then he heard the sound of the trucks’ engines, and he could hardly breathe.
The trucks rolled into camp, and someone flicked on the perimeter lights they’d set up. The guys piled out, talking loudly and laughing, and for Dellan, it felt like a rerun of the Bozeman mission, the same sense of exhilaration that it was over and everyone was home alive.
He stilled. At least, I assume they—
No injuries or fatalities. For us, anyway. They never saw us coming. Horvan sounded pleased as fuck.
Dellan breathed a relieved sigh. Thank goodness. He watched as the trucks emptied, and couldn’t help smiling when Aric all but flew across the camp and into Brick’s arms. Judging by the way Brick wouldn’t let go of the guy at his side, Dellan reckoned it had to be Seth, and the joy shining from their faces brought a lump to his throat.
I guess I can meet my new half brother later.
Then his heart lurched at the sight of a familiar face.
Dad .
Jake spotted him a split second later, and his eyes went wide. He broke into a run, and Dellan hurried over to meet him halfway. They came to a stop a couple of feet from each other, and it was as if neither of them knew what to do next. Then Jake held his arms wide, and Dellan ran into them, tears streaming down his cheeks as Jake enfolded him, a warm, solid body that felt so fucking real .
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Dellan croaked.
It didn’t matter that he was almost forty years old. It didn’t matter that he was male and everyone knew men weren’t supposed to cry. His dad was sobbing too, his tears wetting Dellan’s cheeks, and if his dad could cry like a fucking baby, then Dellan could too.
“Do I get one of those?” a tremulous voice asked.
Dellan turned his head and smiled at his half brother. “Get your ass over here.” He and Jake pulled Jamie into a hug that seemed to stretch into minutes.
You hug them all you want. Horvan sounded a little croaky too. Plenty of time for introductions later.
Dellan didn’t want to let go of either of them, for fear it would somehow break the spell, and he’d wake up back in Homer Glen in the house his stepdad had built for his mom, his dad nothing but a distant memory.
I’m not going anywhere.
With a shock, Dellan realized the voice in his head was that of his dad.
What the fuck?