Chapter 4 #2
He wasn’t all that surprised that no threat had been detected. From the intel Talia’s people had provided, they’d learned the section of the port they were targeting carried a meager eight-man skeleton crew.
Talia had also previously confirmed those same men all had known ties to Los Dios. Which explained why these guys were the ones working the dock where Arlos Sanchez’s ship was coming to port.
Too bad they don’t know there’s a shitstorm headed their way.
“Okay, team.” Talia’s hushed voice filled the tiny mic in his ear. “This is where we part ways. Keep your heads up and your asses safe. See y’all on the flip side.”
With a quick hand motion they all recognized at first sight, the group of thirteen divided themselves into two.
Per the plan, Christian, Brody, Rocky, and Cade all went right with Emmett, Blake, and Draven following closely on their heels. As those six moved south, Talia and Jagger led Liam, Gwen, Jimmy, and Lucas in the opposite direction.
A couple of minutes later, they reached their next meeting point at the center of the building’s east-facing wall. A strong gust of wind picked up, the cool air a relief as it passed over Jagger’s adrenaline-heated skin.
Talia motioned toward the evenly stacked rows of shipping containers located several yards away as her voice sounded in their ears once more. “Stick with the plan and stay alive.”
“Stay alive,” Gwen repeated. “I kinda thought that was the plan.”
Jagger grinned at the calm, almost jovial tone in the woman’s voice. If any part of her was scared, it sure as hell didn’t show.
“Let’s go!” Talia announced clearly, still pointing her free hand toward the stories-tall stacks of containers.
Brody and Emmett took off for the shadowed space between the two southernmost rows of containers. As they disappeared into the shadows, Rocky and Blake took the next row up. Cade and Draven took the one north of that.
Jagger stayed on Talia like white on rice as they jogged purposefully toward the two most northern lines of containers. His gaze slid from side-to-side, following the motion of his rifle’s long barrel. First eye-level, and then up high, he left nothing to chance where her safety was concerned.
As they made their way down the long, dark, corridor formed by the containers at both sides, Liam and Jimmy kept their weapons up and at the ready as they disappeared into the space to their immediate right.
Since they couldn’t divide themselves up equally—thirteen being an odd number and all—Christian went into the remaining space with Lucas and Gwen.
The air movement dropped drastically, the northern breeze effectively blocked by the stacks of containers.
Jagger’s and Talia’s booted steps remained silent and steadfast as they crossed the asphalt toward the opening drawing nearer.
A few feet before reaching the end of their cover, Natalia’s fist rose into the air.
“Location check.” She spoke to them all through her comms. “Delta, does everyone have their assigned target in view?”
The strength in her voice came to him in stereo, traveling both through the air and the mic in his ear. As he stood there, listening as each of his teammates gave their affirmatives, Jagger thought for the hundredth time that night how much he loved watching Talia in action.
It wasn’t simply because she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on, though that fact definitely didn’t hurt. It was also her intelligence and courage, her dedication to the job, and her willingness to put herself on the line for the greater good that left him impressed as hell.
Jagger was also hard as a damn rock beneath the confines of his pants. Not exactly mission-ready when he was walking around with a giant hard-on pressing against the inside of his zipper.
It’s the adrenaline. That’s all it is. Just ignore it, and it’ll go away.
But even as the mental peptalk rolled through his brain, he knew it wasn’t that easy.
Anytime he was around the tantalizing government agent, Jagger’s dick was the first to notice. It was getting damn hard always coming up with new ways to hide his perpetual hard-on.
Pun absolutely intended.
“Targets are in sight,” Talia reiterated what the others had confirmed. “Remember, capturing our targets alive is preferred, but you and the guns are the priorities.”
“Copy that,” Christian responded on behalf of the others.
A set of golden-brown eyes found his through the dark as Talia sent him a quick glance from over her shoulder. Without a word spoken between them, she asked if he was ready to roll.
Jagger nodded, offering up his silent promise to keep her safe.
They held each other’s stare a moment longer before the capable woman turned back around and lifted her gun.
“Oscar Mike.” She whispered the military slang, letting the others know they were on the move.
Jagger followed his partner toward their first unsuspecting target. A man in jeans and a hooded jacket standing approximately fifteen feet away.
The dock employee faced out over the glistening, moonlit waters. With his back to them, he had no idea they were there. Not until it was too late.
As if sensing their presence, their target started to turn his head their way. But Talia was ready, her rifle already spun around and lifted high in the air.
“What the fu—”
The poor bastard didn’t have time to finish before the butt of Talia’s weapon slammed against the side of his head. While Jagger kept an eye on their surroundings for any possible threats, their target’s legs crumbled beneath him, his body falling to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Talia worked impressively fast, dropping down into a crouch to slap a strip of duct tape over the unconscious man’s mouth. By the time he’d drawn in his next breath, Talia was already securing his wrists and ankles together with police-grade, plastic zip-tie cuffs.
A quick glance to his right showed three additional, near-identical scenes. Each set of partners had taken down their own assigned targets without incident or alerting anyone else of their presence.
There are still more to go.
Talia pushed herself back up to her feet as Jagger bent down and reached for the secured man’s collar. With her covering his six, he fisted the thick material of the guy’s jacket and began dragging his bound body across the asphalt.
Like clockwork, the combined teams had their targets secured. Less than two minutes later, they’d been bound, gagged, and stashed out of sight, behind two smaller buildings standing behind the team’s current location and the water’s edge.
The next step in their plan went off without a hitch. All they had left to clear now was the boat, which had just been docked.
Following Talia’s lead, Jagger and the others waited for two of the four crewmen to disembark. Just a few…more…seconds…
“Drop your weapons and put your hands on your heads!” Talia’s shouted order echoed through the air.
The two men who had disembarked did as they were told. Almost immediately, the automatic rifles they’d been holding fell to the ground by their feet.
The remaining dickheads, however, were still standing on the boat’s deck. Behind them, stacked in four rows of three high by three deep, were several identical shipping boxes. They were all unmarked. Each one the perfect size for the kinds of weapons they’d come here to seize.
Jagger eyed the two men who were refusing to follow Talia’s clear and concise directive. Their chins lifted in a show of defiance, as if they truly believed they could win the massively lopsided fight.
“We don’t want to hurt you.” Talia kept her voice calm and steady.
Jagger’s muscles tensed, his gut clenching with worry and anger as she continued closer to the enemy. What the hell was she doing? Begging these pricks to take a shot?
No, she’s giving them the chance to willingly surrender.
The other members of Delta and Echo closed in. Within seconds, they were standing together, near the concrete edge. One united group.
One team.
As far as standoffs went, on a scale of one to ten, this one was about a two. Two against thirteen, that is. And from the looks on their targets’ faces, these guys knew their odds weren’t good.
“One last chance, assholes!” Talia shouted at the men. “Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air! Now!”
Yep. Definitely in love.
In reality, he was most likely experiencing nothing more than a heavy dose of lust. Hard. Hot. Driving-him-crazy-with-need lust.
And seeing her in action—all fearless and determined in her quest to make the world a better, safer place—only made it worse.
Focus, dumbass.
Jagger blinked himself back to the situation at hand. The guy on the right looked scared as shit. His buddy just looked pissed.
“I’d listen to her if I were you.” Jagger backed up his partner. “Either you walk out of this mess, or you’re carried out. The choice is yours.”
“Okay!” The skittish one on the right confirmed that he understood and spoke English. “J-just…don’t shoot!”
“Shut up!” The other man spat out angrily. “You know what he said. We do not surrender.”
He’s referring to Sanchez.
And it was obvious he was more afraid to face his cartel leading boss than a literal firing squad. Given the love for torture and pain men like Sanchez were known to possess, Jagger wasn’t all that surprised.
The guy on the left wasn’t anywhere near ready to surrender. His friend, however…yeah, he was damn close to giving in.
It was there, in his eyes. The way they bounced frantically between Talia and the others. His wavering resolve was plain as day as his chin quivered and the grip on his rifle began to loosen.
“That’s it.” Talia’s right foot moved forward in a slow, cautious step. “Just set it down and nobody gets hurt.”
“Don’t do it!” The idiot on the left warned.