36. Blake
THIRTY-SIX
Blake
The air crackles with tension as Sophia’s face hardens, her jaw set with a fierce determination that sends a chill down my spine. There’s no confusion in her eyes now, only an unwavering resolve that burns with an almost feral intensity.
“Luke’s my son.” Her voice is low, raw, each word weighted with years of fear and desperation. “Malfor has him. He’s being held hostage.”
“Your son?” The revelation hits like a thunderbolt, electrifying the air around us. The comms erupt with a cacophony of surprised exclamations and sharp intakes of breath, the shock rippling through our team like a shockwave.
“Holy shit,” Gabe mutters, voicing what we’re all thinking.
“Your son?” I repeat, the words feeling foreign on my tongue. My mind reels, struggling to process this seismic shift in everything we thought we knew. “Sophia, why didn’t you tell us?”
In a blur of motion, she grabs my arms, her grip surprisingly strong, fingers digging into my flesh with an urgency that borders on pain. Her eyes, wide and wild, bore into mine with an intensity that steals my breath.
“I couldn’t. He threatened to torture and kill him if I said anything. You have to understand. Everything I did… It was all for Luke. I can’t leave without him. I won’t.”
The weight of her words, the depth of her sacrifice, strikes me like a tidal wave. I look at Ethan, seeing my shock mirrored in his eyes. He nods grimly, understanding the gravity of the situation, but we both know questions are for later. Right now, every second counts.
“Sophia,” Ethan says, his voice calm but urgent, cutting through the tension like a knife. “Do you know where Luke is being held?”
Sophia’s eyes never leave mine as she speaks, her gaze burning with a mother’s desperation. “Upper level, north wing. At least, that’s where he was when I last saw him.” Her grip on my arms tightens, fingernails biting into my skin. “I’m not leaving without him. Do you understand? No matter what happens, I will not leave unless Luke is with me.”
The intensity of her words leaves no room for doubt. This isn’t a request; it’s a declaration carved in stone. She means every word, every syllable etched with the fierce love of a mother willing to burn the world down to save her child.
Once again, I look at Ethan, seeing the gears turning in his mind as he processes this new information. The air around us seems to thicken, the stakes rising with every passing heartbeat.
“Command, this is Charlie Team Lead,” Ethan speaks into his comm, his voice tight with controlled urgency. “There’s a secondary extraction target. Repeat, secondary extraction target. Name’s Luke. Sophia’s son. Currently held in the upper level, north wing of the compound. How copy?”
There’s a moment of stunned silence, the tension stretching like a rubber band about to snap. Then CJ’s voice comes through, strained but professional. “Charlie team, this is Command. We copy your last. Standby for updated mission parameters.”
As we wait for new orders, I turn back to Sophia. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, unable to keep the hurt from my voice. “I could have helped you.”
Sophia’s eyes flash with fierce protectiveness. “I couldn’t risk it. Malfor threatened to kill Luke if I breathed a word about him to anyone. Every message I sent, every clue I left… I was terrified they’d figure it out and hurt him.” Her voice breaks slightly. “Blake, you have to understand. Everything I did, every betrayal—was all for Luke. He’s all I have.”
Her words wash over me, heavy and undeniable, the magnitude of her sacrifice crashing into me.
I pull her close again, feeling her trembling in my arms. “We’ll get him,” I promise, my voice low and fierce. “Both of you. I swear it.”
She nods, tears glistening in her eyes but a new strength in her posture. “Thank you,” she whispers, the words a prayer and a battle cry rolled into one.
CJ’s voice crackles through the comms again. “Charlie team, new mission parameters confirmed. Primary objective is extraction of both Sophia and the child, Luke. All other objectives are secondary. Proceed with caution.”
Ethan turns to Sophia. “Can you move?”
“Yes.” Sophia straightens, a new strength flowing through her at the prospect of rescuing her son.
“Alright, team,” Ethan says, “new formation. Blake, you and RUFI-3 take point with Sophia. Gabe, you’re on rear guard. The rest of you, flanking positions. Stay sharp. We’re in uncharted territory now. Let’s move out.”
There’s a shift in our team’s energy. The stakes have just gotten exponentially higher, but so has our resolve. We came here to save one life. Now, we’re fighting for two.
As we move through the dimly lit corridors, every shadow seems to hide a potential threat. The air is thick with tension, our breaths coming in short, controlled bursts. Sophia moves with a renewed purpose. She’s weak, clearly malnourished, but there’s a fire in her eyes that burns brighter than any physical pain.
Her son?
I still can’t believe it.
We’re coming, Luke, I think to myself as we ascend toward the upper levels. Hold on, kid. Your mom’s coming for you, and she’s bringing an army .
A son?
As we near the north wing, the resistance intensifies. The sharp crack of gunfire echoes through the corridors, the acrid smell of cordite filling the air. Malfor’s men have finally realized the diversion at the gates is just that. They’re regrouping, desperate to stop us.
We take them out efficiently, but each engagement slows us down. Every second lost is another moment Luke remains in danger, and I can see the fear and determination warring in Sophia’s eyes.
Finally, we reach the room where Luke is supposed to be held. Sophia’s breathing quickens, her eyes wide with anticipation and fear.
“Ready?” Ethan asks, his hand on the doorknob, muscles coiled tight.
Sophia nods, her whole body tense.
Ethan tries the handle, but it’s locked. He nods to Gabe, who steps forward with a lockpick set. Within seconds, we hear a soft click.
“We’re in.” Gabe steps back.
Ethan pushes the door open slowly, his rifle at the ready. We file in, eyes scanning for threats. But the sight that greets us isn’t what we expected. The room is empty, except for a small bed and scattered toys.
“No,” Sophia whispers, her voice breaking. The single word carries the weight of a thousand shattered hopes. “No, no, no. He was here. He has to be here!”
She rushes into the room, her movements frantic, desperate. She overturns furniture, throws open closet doors, her actions growing more frenzied with each passing second. “Luke?” Her voice echoes off bare walls, a mother’s anguished cry. “Luke, baby, where are you?”
“Sophia, we need to—” I move to pull her back, acutely aware that we’re exposed, vulnerable.
She whirls on me, eyes blazing with a fury born of fear and desperation. “I’m not leaving without him. I won’t?— ”
Suddenly, Gabe’s voice cuts through the tension like a knife. “Movement. Back stairwell.”
We all turn, weapons raised, to see a woman hurrying down a hidden staircase. In her arms is a small boy, his face buried in her shoulder, and behind her, a little girl follows, eyes wide with fear.
Sophia’s reaction is instantaneous, primal. “Luke!” The name tears from her throat, a sound of pure emotion that seems to freeze time itself.
She breaks free from my grip with a strength born of desperation, launching herself toward the stairs. The woman turns, startled, her eyes widening in shock and confusion as she takes in our armed group.
“Who-who are they?” she stammers, clutching the boy tighter.
Beside me, Ethan goes rigid, his eyes widening in shock.
But there’s no time for explanations. Hearing his mother’s voice, Luke lifts his head, his small face lighting up with recognition and hope.
“Mommy!” he cries out, his voice piercing the tension like a ray of sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
What happens next seems to unfold in slow motion. Sophia reaches for her son, her arms outstretched, tears streaming down her face. The woman, seeing the raw emotion in Sophia’s eyes, hesitates for just a moment before setting Luke down.
The little boy flies into Sophia’s arms as if propelled by an unseen force. They collide in a tangle of limbs and tears, Sophia clutching Luke to her chest as if she’ll never let go again. Her voice, choked with emotion, fills the air as she murmurs reassurances to her son, each word a balm to years of separation and fear.
“It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s here. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
For a moment, the world seems to stand still. The gunfire outside fades away, the danger momentarily forgotten in the face of this raw, primal reunion. My eyes sting, and the lump in my throat makes it hard to swallow.
But the moment of peace is short-lived. I glance at Ethan, expecting to see relief, but instead, I’m struck by the intensity of his gaze as he stares at the woman. His face is a mask of shock and disbelief as if he’s seen a ghost.
His voice is low and tight as he speaks into his comm. “Command, this is Charlie Lead. I need an immediate ID check. The woman with the boy….”
The words trail off, lost in the chaos of the moment. But as I look between Ethan and the mysterious woman, I can’t shake the feeling that our mission has just become even more complicated.