CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
We climbed the wall surrounding the compound in tandem. We all knew what needed to be done; it was time to trust each other and march.
Once inside, Danny and Benny’s team took the lead, knocking out all the Alacráns in the way, not once pulling out their guns. Sneak, attack, handcuff, repeat. It was fast, silent, and effective. As they cleared the way, Ethan and Aaron led their team in search of Bryan Keyes, while Shane and I went on our own scavenger hunt .
Surrounded by silenced grunts, we stepped inside one of the bigger buildings. According to the blueprint, it had a similar structure to the other ones where the cartel kept their victims, so that was my first bet.
Working with a new person for the first time felt a little odd at first. We didn’t know each other’s quirks and signals, and we didn’t have our own language. But Danny, Benny, Aaron, and Ethan knew the cartel; they learned their traps and techniques, something Shane hadn’t had the time to do, so I thought it’d be best if they handled the members, while he and I rescued the girls.
And I was glad I’d made that call. He was fast, sharp, cool under pressure, and not even once balked at receiving orders from a woman—something I had to deal with more times than I cared about.
We soon found our groove and advanced through the open space, alternating who would walk in first and who would have the other’s back. I wasn’t sure if I should be glad or frustrated for not facing many Alacráns on our way in.
It was certainly easier to complete our assignment with less resistance. But I wouldn’t mind being able to arrest more of them.
Shane and I reached the room at the back of the house, and I knew it had to be the one we wanted. I squatted in front of the door and fished from the sheath in my ankle the knife Zach had given me what felt like a life before. Using one of its many functions, I picked on the lock and eased the door open to find exactly what—rather who—I was waiting for.
There she was. Scared. Traumatized. Most likely brutalized. The woman I’d been looking for since my days at the DEA. The woman I planned on rescuing the night everything went south, the night that sealed my layoff. The woman I met again while investigating the same son of a bitch I hoped to arrest that night. The one I tried to “buy” from Keyes.
The woman I failed miserably.
Besides her, twelve other victims stared at us in fright. Not wanting to scare them, I soon put my gun down, turned on the flashlight I had with me, and raised my index finger in front of my lips.
“Shh. It’s okay. We’re not here to hurt you. We’re getting you out of here, but we need to hurry.”
Despite my flashlight, the room was dark, but I tried my best to address each girl as I instructed them on our next steps. The nameless victim I was there for shook her head, chanting “sorry,” and pointing at her ear, until one of the other girls explained.
“She’s deaf, the room must be too dark for her to read your lips.”
I was stunned for a second until Shane crouched in front of her close enough for her to see him clearly in the dim light, but not enough that she’d feel threatened. To my utter surprise, he started moving his hands, signaling to the woman, who seemed to calm down slightly.
He stretched his hand at her. She hesitated for a while, watching his hands with wariness, yet ended up taking it. He helped her up and signed again, earning a sign in response.
“Her name’s Delilah.”
My eyebrows shot up at Shane. “Do you know sign language?”
The question was rather stupid, I could see he knew. But it warranted my asking anyway. He shrugged and threw me a cocky grin.
“You Cross men never cease to impress me. All right, I’ll talk to the girls, and you translate to Delilah.” I peered at the victims and tried to convey as much calm yet urgency as I could muster. “I’m Mia, and he’s Shane. We don’t have time to waste. Our teams are out there right now arresting the men we all want gone. Do any of you need help walking out?” When none of them answered, I went on. “We need you to follow us and stay close. Along the way, more of our friends will join us to get you out. Let’s go.”
Shane and I huddled them together and followed through the corridor, me at the front, him at the rear. I turned on my radio.
“We’ve got the girls. Heading out now. ”
“ Danny and I cleared the path. We’ll meet you halfway to get them over the wall, ” Benny answered.
“Copy that.”
Shane and I continued siding the building with the girls. At a distance, I caught sight of Benny, Danny, and their team. Sighing in relief, I hastened my step, urging Shane and the girls to do the same.
“Phoenix? Aaron?”
Ethan’s gravel voice sounded in my ear. “ We’re still looking for Keyes. The fucker is nowhere to be found .”
“I didn’t find anything on the blueprint. But in the other compounds, there was a hidden wall between the master bedroom and the office. He could be hiding—”
The zing of a bullet next to my ear startled me, and more shots followed our way.
I pulled down the head of the victim closest to me—the youngest of them. “Everybody down!”
Benny and Danny ran our way with their team, shooting at our attackers and creating a somewhat safe corridor for us to follow.
“ Mia, where are you? ” Ethan’s words were puffed and broken, indicating he was running.
“Outside the east wing, getting closer to the exit—freaking hell, I spotted Keyes. ”
“ Don’t engage, Mia, ” Aaron warned. “ Take the girls out, we’re close and will get him .”
I trusted him and Ethan to do it, so I pushed forward—Shane and I shooting our way out and guarding the girls, as Benny and Danny accompanied us and cleared the way. We were almost reaching the wall when I heard a commotion behind me.
One of the Alacráns had jumped on Shane and was trying to take Delilah away. If I was glad to have invited Shane along, it didn’t compare to how exhilarated I got when I saw him act in a dire situation.
Mindful of Delilah the whole time, he channeled his rage into a strategic attack, pummeling the man to the ground with the strength of a wrecking ball, yet keeping it concealed enough not to scare her. But when he was forced to fight the other three members who attacked them, it became a little harder for him.
I instructed Benny’s team to take the girls out and pushed my way through the hurdle of Alacráns surrounding Shane and Delilah.
She was frightened on the floor, bleeding on the side of her head, and hyperventilating.
“Shane, take her out. I got this.”
He glanced at me for a second but didn’t dispute. He signed something in a hurry to Delilah, picked her up, and ran to where the other girls were already being taken out over the wall by the agents and Benny.
Danny ran to me, and we shot back at the victims’ tormentors as we ran to freedom, not once turning our backs to the compound.
We were almost out of that hellhole. We just needed the final good news.
“ We got Keyes! ”
For more than one reason, Ethan’s voice brought me a smile of relief.