Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Gunnar stared down the scope at the footbridge which connected two mountain ranges of Jabal al Emir and Jabal al Faish.
If he had a prisoner or a hostage in Shaharah, this was the place he would have guards waiting for a rescue to come.
Or he’d expect an air infiltration. “What do you think?” he whispered softly to Colt.
“I don’t see anything, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.”
“Me either.” On a footbridge suspending a gorge, there were so many places to hide a trap. “Once we’re on that bridge, we’re out in the open…”
“Shut it,” Colt muttered. “You are not going in there alone. We don’t even know for sure that she is there, or that she even is the JB from the text message.”
“Enough.” Gunnar scrambled to his feet. “It’s the only thing which makes sense.
It’s all tied back to that mission. It has to be.
” He moved into position, knowing most of his team were fanned out behind them.
Talon and Zombie were with Dory and the chopper.
If they needed the K9, he’d call for them.
This part of Yemen had been at war for way too long.
Him bringing a team in there was asking for trouble.
Zombie would be shot by Shia militants on sight. He gave the signal.
“Grizzly, Zipper.” The call he’d been waiting for finally crackled in his ear; the shit signal in the mountains making Remi sound like he was on an AM radio.
“Go ahead, Zipper.”
“Grizzly, all looks quiet. Drone images don’t show anyone moving about.”
“Copy.” He held his breath, waiting for the words he craved.
When they didn’t come after a couple of seconds he asked, “Orders, Zipper?” Sometimes being the boss and not being in charge of the mission sucked.
The answer better be go, because even if it wasn’t, he was going in there anyway.
If Jorja was in there, then that was where he had to be.
“I don’t like this,” Remi muttered softly. “Go time. Move out.”
“Copy.” As one, they moved, using the steps leading to the bridge as cover, and made their way down the mountain.
Someone’s foot dislodged a rock and it rolled and bounced down the slope before disappearing into the gorge.
They all crouched low, waiting and listening to see if it had attracted attention.
Gunnar cocked his head to one side, listening for it to hit the bottom, but the sound never came, telling him the gorge was too deep and the rock too small.
Mental note to self: do not fall off that shit.
He hoped the dip in the wall was still there.
It had been years since he and the men on his team had created it.
The last time he’d been in this place, satellite and drone footage suggested it was.
But until he saw the crumbling rocks, he wasn’t holding his breath.
A couple of minutes later, he saw his hope was rewarded.
The rocks they removed all those years ago were still removed.
The dip was only a couple of inches at best, but when you teetered on the side of a drop-off so deep you couldn’t hear a rock land at the bottom, those couple of inches meant the difference between easy access to the bridge and disappearing if you slipped.
Slowly and carefully, they worked together to get onto the bridge. Gunnar checked in with Remi. “Grizzly to Zipper, we’re past checkpoint French Hens.”
“Roger.”
He knew back in the war-room in Italy, Remi would be crossing the third checkpoint off his whiteboard.
Why the heck he had to pick the lyrics for the twelve days of Christmas for this mission made absolutely zero sense to him.
But then it was Remi; he barely made sense unless it was computer crap the rest of them didn’t come close to understanding.
They kept as close to the wall as possible, trying to avoid being seen from someone who may be watching from the village above.
There was a reason this place had never been taken.
With its own water cisterns and terraces to grow food, this place was a damn fortress, with only one way in or out, across the bridge and up these steep steps carved out of the rock face.
Halfway up, he confirmed the next checkpoint. “Zipper, Grizzly. Checkpoint Calling Birds in the bag.”
“Roger.”
Someone somewhere was looking out for them as the moon made a brief appearance which showed him a glint of something in his night vision. Gunnar raised one hand with his fist closed and came to a dead stop.
What is that?
He studied the next step up. This one was almost double the height of the others. Looking up, he couldn’t see the top, but that didn’t mean a sentry wouldn’t be able to see him.
Risk it or no?
Fuck.
He had no choice. He needed to know if that was a tripwire which would give a warning or set off an IED or bomb.
He palmed his pencil light, used his hand to shield its glow, moved it across the area where he’d caught the glint of something, and followed it, confirming his fears.
He flicked off the light. “Tripwire.” He spoke softly, knowing the guys would pick him up on comms. It took a couple of seconds to realize the easiest way over the wire was from the opposite side where it was lower, and they would be exposed to any sentry keeping watch above.
Which is why it’s right here.
Most of his guys were tall; they could make it. “Midas.”
“Yes, Sir?”
At just over five ten, Marco was the shortest of the bunch. “I’m not sure you’ll get up here without tripping the wire. Exchange places with Tyrone and have him boost you up.”
Snickers followed his order, but he knew without looking back to check, his men would follow order.
“I think I’m insulted,” Marco muttered. “Am I insulted, Zorro?”
“Nope, but I am,” Tyrone deadpanned. “I have to lug your ass up the next step.”
He didn’t want the sounds of their bickering to travel or echo, which was always a possibility when you worked in the mountains.
“Quiet.” Gunnar inhaled and took a giant step until his boot was planted on the other side of the wire, then swung his other leg, making sure to keep it high enough to miss the wire.
Once he was clear, he moved up a couple of steps and turned to watch as Colt cleared it too.
For each one of his men who got over safely, they all moved up another step so he could ensure there were no mishaps before they moved on.
When Marco with Tyrone’s boost cleared the wire, he breathed out a sigh of relief as Tyrone joined them.
“Zipper, Grizzly, we are clear of that tight spot.”
“Copy that.” Remi’s all business tone was tempered with a tinge of relief. “Drone footage shows one sentry.” He confirmed what they’d already suspected. “Swing right at the top, he’s tucked into a nook right there. You can’t miss him.”
Hah, wanna bet?
“Copy.”
Silently, they kept moving upward. Now they knew there was definitely a sentry on watch, they were careful not to scrape any of their battle rattle off the stone cliff. Just before the last step, Gunnar once more raised his closed fist, ordering a full halt.
“Grizzly, his back is to you, and he’s right around that corner,” Remi informed him over comms. “If you move now and step around, you can grab him before he sees you.”
Gunnar didn’t dare answer, but immediately sprang into action, doing as Remi had advised.
The sentry never knew what hit him. Gunnar gripped his neck in a carotid hold, lowered him to the ground, and he was bound and gagged before he regained consciousness a couple of moments later.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Gunnar whispered softly to the man who was barely more than a kid.
“I just want my woman back. If your people do not interfere, nobody gets hurt. Understand?”
The man glared up at him but nodded that he understood. Gunnar had no doubt he would struggle and attempt to escape. He ensured the sentry was secured before they moved onward, keeping their eyes peeled for anyone else who might be awake at stupid o’clock in the morning.
“Grizzly, Zipper. I just got another message to the phone.” Remi didn’t need to explain whose phone. There was only one phone it could be. “It says. JB is okay, not hurt. But the man who has her is gunning for you.”
No shit, sherlock!
“Zipper, Grizzly. I don’t suppose that message said what house she’s in?”
“That’s a negative.”
Of course, it fucking is, why did I hope for anything different?
While he was thrilled to know that Jorja was okay—or at least that was what they were telling them in the message—not knowing which building she was in meant they’d have to search them all.
He gave the signal for them to stack up outside the first house, but narrowed his eyes when he heard something from the side of the building.
“Psst. Hey, over here.” The voice was low, and definitely American. “Grizzly, over here, man.”
Gunnar immediately swung his weapon toward the voice. This asshole knew his name. That put him in the wrong camp as far as Gunnar was concerned. With Colt covering him, he moved toward the voice.
“She’s in the bottom building.”
“Who the hell is that?” Remi clearly picked up on the noise over comms.
Keeping his voice as low as possible, Gunnar replied, “No clue.” As he moved around the corner of the building, he was expecting a punch in the face or a bullet.
What he was not expecting was to recognize the man in front of him.
“What—” He lowered his voice. “Michaels, what the fuck are you doing here?”
The man he recognized as Sam Michaels stepped back, holding his hands up, trying to look as non-threatening as possible.
“I didn’t know this was the job,” he whispered.
“I thought I was gonna be security for a tourist.” He kept his eyes trained on Gunnar’s hands.
“Grizz, I swear I didn’t know until the bad guy got off the plane with Jorja Buchanan. ”
“Got him,” Remi said in his ear. “What he’s saying tracks. He commented on a post in a Facebook group last week offering his services as a guide, when guess who asked?”
“I don’t know, Zipper, you tell me?”
“Brant’s father.”
Michaels slowly lowered his hands, and the muzzle of Colt’s weapon landed on Gunnar’s shoulder. He raised them again. “I swear it was too late by the time I figured out what was going on. I was going to walk away until I realized she was one of your family. I’d have walked if it wasn’t for that.”
“And left a kidnapped American woman to fend for herself?”
What a fucking dickcunt.
“No!” Michaels insisted. “I needed to have backup before…”
“How many men does he have?”
“Just him.”
“You’re telling me a SEAL couldn’t take out one old man?” Gunnar snorted. “Because if not, you never deserved a pin in the first place.”
“Fuck you, Grizzly. He has rigged the room she’s in. If I kill him, he pushes the switch, and she dies. I didn’t figure you’d want that happening.”
Colt lowered his weapon and muttered in Gunnar’s ear, “That sounds like it could be a problem for getting her out of there.”
Gunnar nodded. It would be a problem. They needed a different plan. “Move.” He gestured toward the back of the house. “We need backup plan number ten.”
“Roger that.” Michaels turned and led the way. “I know a place.”