Chapter 19 #3
Simultaneously, the east and west doors were banged open, and two flash-bang grenades were tossed through each, far enough for them to cause the most confusion among the building’s occupants.
Explosions, screams, yelled orders, Beau’s barking, and sounds of gunfire filled the air as the members of both teams made their entries—some going left, others right—and took cover.
Jake’s calm voice penetrated the headsets. “Pacer down, headshot.”
The trio from the poker table and Agent Jackson scrambled for cover while firing their weapons toward the doorways. Thanks to Carter, one of the gang members went down with a hole in his head.
Devon and Tanner had moved to the left after entry, while Boomer and Urkel went with Ian to the right.
They worked their way around a maze of crates and boxes as the two remaining gang-bangers tried to make a run for the front door using whatever they could find as cover.
Boomer released Beau with an order to attack, and the dog lunged for the nearest bad guy, clamping his jaw down on the man’s arm.
The suspect screamed in pain and tried to throw the dog loose but only succeeded in falling to the ground with the angry beast on top of him.
He brought his gun up to shoot, but Boomer was there, kicking the weapon from his hand and shoving his own gun in the dirtbag’s face. “Don’t fucking move, asshole.”
Ian and Urkel worked their way in further as the other team approached from the other side of the long warehouse.
A final gunshot sounded as Devon took out the last gang member who’d still been firing his weapon while heading for the door.
All was silent except for heavy breathing heard through the headsets and Beau’s barking as the teams searched for the missing tango, Agent Jackson.
From Ian’s spot behind a crate, he could see Angie’s prone body lying on Jenn’s.
His niece was thrashing against her restraints, and he couldn’t tell if Angie was moving because she was also struggling or if Jenn’s actions were causing the body on top of her to move.
Seeing no sign of the last suspect, and with Urkel covering his six, he ran low toward the women and knelt beside them, relieved when his angel turned her head to face him. “Ian!”
He put his assault rifle on the ground at his feet and reached to help her off Jenn.
But the sound of near-simultaneous shots had him drawing his sidearm and spinning toward where they came from on the other side of several large crates.
Both teams converged on the spot, and Ian heard curses and Tanner, their medic, telling someone to call for an ambulance.
From where Ian was still covering the women, he could only see some team members and wasn’t sure who’d been hit. Marco gave the “All clear, suspects all accounted for,” then Brody appeared at Ian’s side and handed him a handcuff key before turning to set Jenn free.
Ian released Angie’s wrists, and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him as hard as possible. “Thank God you’re here.”
“It’s over, sweetheart. I’ve got you, but you’ve got one hell of a punishment coming to you, Angel.”
Returning her embrace, he watched his teammate remove Jenn’s blindfold and gag, then cut through the ropes that bound her to the chair.
Like Angie, she was crying and shaking but appeared unharmed, aside from a few bruises.
Adrenaline, fueled by Ian’s anger, fear, and relief, had him trembling as he held Angie tight, but he stiffened as his brother’s voice came through the earpiece.
Angie cried out and scrambled to stand after she heard Devon say, “Come on, Athos. Stay with us.” Her ear had been pressed against Ian’s as the lowly spoken words had come over his headset.
Ian helped her stand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they hurried to the other side of the crates. Marco stood over Agent Jackson’s dead body while Tanner and Devon worked on slowing the blood pouring from the side of Athos’s chest.
The dirty agent had rounded the tall shipping crates and encountered the other agent’s blindside.
Jackson had fired a millisecond before Rick Michaelson spotted him and could get his own shot off, hitting the bastard in the head.
But the damage had been done. The bullet had entered Athos’ chest from the left side, in the thin area under his arm, which wasn’t covered by the bullet-proof material.
It was one of the worst places to get hit while wearing a vest.
Regret filled Rick's face that he hadn’t seen the suspect two seconds earlier. ‘What if’ was something they’d all learned to deal with since their first moments in combat, but it never made it any easier. Jake and Carter appeared and cursed when they saw what had happened.
Angie rushed forward, falling to her knees as Devon made room for her at Athos’s head.
She grabbed her best friend’s right hand while Dev leaned over his chest, holding pressure on the wound.
Tanner quickly started an IV in the injured man’s left arm.
Athos’s eyes fluttered open at Angie’s voice, begging him to look at her.
Struggling to breathe, his voice came out as a hoarse whisper. “Ang, you okay?”
“I’m fine. You are, too, Jimmy. They’re going to fix you up good as new.
” She wiped the sweat from his brow and the blood seeping out of the corners of his mouth, but it kept coming.
His face was pale, and his lips blue. Tanner looked up at Ian, standing behind Angie, and gave him a slight shake of his head.
It wasn’t good, and unless a miracle happened within the next five minutes, the man would bleed to death, and there was nothing any of them could do.
The bullet had caused too much internal damage, probably nicking the heart or aorta before lodging somewhere in the lungs.
“Promise me something, baby.” The wounded agent was fading fast. His labored breathing increased, and the blood filling his lungs made him cough. “Promise me you’ll be happy, and remember I love you.”
“I love you too, and you’re not going anywhere, damn it! You stay here with me. That’s what will make me happy! Stay with me!” Tears poured down her cheeks, and her lips trembled as she pleaded with him.
Athos’ eyes shifted and met Ian’s. “Take her. Take her out…”
The rest of his words were lost to a coughing fit. He used the last of his strength to lift the hand that Angie was holding and gestured to the man he was entrusting her life to.
Ian understood. Athos knew he only had a few minutes of life left in him, maybe even less, and he didn’t want his best friend, the woman they both loved, to see his final moments.
Ian nodded and took hold of Angie’s shoulders, pulling her to her feet. She began to fight him, struggling to stay where she was, but her friend whispered, “Love you, baby. Go.”
“No… no, Jimmy!” Angie became hysterical, and Ian had no choice but to force her from the scene. “Let go, Ian! Put me down! I have to save him! Please, someone save him!”
Ian lifted her into his arms and cradled her to his chest as she struggled and screamed. He tried to offer words of comfort, but she wasn’t listening to him. As much as it hurt her to be forced to leave–she might even think he was cruel–he knew it would be worse if she stayed.
As death neared, Athos would begin to cough up a lot more blood, and it wasn’t a sight she needed to see.
She also didn’t need to hear the death rattle as the man took his last few breaths.
Ian could hear the sounds of the approaching sirens as he carried her to the door.
Urkel and Boomer had the one remaining suspect, whom Beau had caught, in handcuffs. The others were all confirmed dead.
He brought her outside to where the paramedics, police, and a very pissed-off Agent Stonewall had just arrived.
After the gunfight, Carter had informed Ian that he’d contacted Keon.
The deputy director would ensure the scene was cleaned up and no one, other than the surviving gang-banger, would be in trouble over the incident.
Chase’s men had secured the area and began to talk to the agents and officers in an attempt to give Ian and his team some breathing room.
Brody had also taken Jenn outside, putting her into the front seat of Ian’s still-running Audi.
One EMT ran over to check on her and Angie while the others rushed into the warehouse where they were most needed.
Angie finally stopped fighting Ian, and he set her down on her feet but refused to let her go, embracing her as she sobbed and mumbled into his chest. “He’s going to die, isn’t he? ”
The painful acceptance in her voice caused a lump in his throat, so instead of responding, he just held her tighter.
A few minutes later, they both raised their heads when Carter approached.
Placing a hand on Angie’s neck, he leaned in and kissed the top of her head, whispering, “I’m sorry, little one. He’s gone.”
Her wail of grief was heard by all.