Chapter 33
Ash
Birds screech and scatter as a dozen off-road vehicles thread their way through the forest. The fleet had been waiting for us when we touched down on a stretch of road Killian had arranged to have closed off temporarily.
I don’t know how much it cost him in cash or favors to have everything prepped, and all he’ll say is that the cost be damned.
Some might question my choice of friends, but I’m a richer man tonight than I ever appreciated.
Engines and headlights are cut before we get within sight and sound of our target. The night falls still and the darkness is impenetrable.
“We leave you here,” I say to Jake, who isn’t going to manage the final hike. “I’m relying on you and your team to pick off any threats as the cockroaches scatter.”
I’m wearing night-vision goggles and his face is grim at the prospect of being left behind. He checks the straps on my Kevlar vest. “Rest assured there’ll be a clear path for you when you bring that girl back to us,” he says gruffly.
I’m flanked by my brothers as we pick our way silently through the trees.
This is where I need to let my mind still, keep my focus sharp and my pulse slow.
It usually comes easy to me, but every time I think of meeting Piper, there’s the flutter of a thousand butterfly wings in my chest. I don’t want to scare her on our very first meeting, but how can I not?
Hunter puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes as if he senses my uncharacteristic bout of nerves. He tips his head to a spot through the trees. Lights. Rather than the soft, welcoming glow of a home, these are search lights on the perimeter of a high-security compound.
“They’ll be the towers Katarina recalled,” Hunter says.
There’s chatter over our comms as Killian’s men get close enough to assess the situation. It’s as we feared. Oleg has enough men to guard six watchtowers, and each one is in sight of its neighbors, making it impossible to pick them off one by one.
“There’s no way we’re entering quietly,” I reply.
Mace says something into his earpiece. His comms are open to more than just our people on the ground, and one of them is Lily, who’s taken to stalking him as much as he stalks her. She’ll be keeping the others up to speed, and I hope Belle’s nerves aren’t as frayed as mine.
“Strider’s asking for the OK to speak openly with Marina once we’re through the fence and the alarm’s been raised.”
“It might help,” Reid says. “She needs to know that we’re the good guys. And if we can convince her to hide Piper and wait it out, there’s less chance of them being taken hostage.”
“OK,” I agree. “And, Mace, ask Strider to find out exactly where in the lodge they are.”
“I’m on it,” he replies.
Hunter points to the first two watchtowers. “We’re taking tower one, Mace and Reid are taking two,” he tells me. “Do you want to fight over who shoots out our light?”
“You’re the best shot,” I say. Tonight isn’t about egos “I’ll set up the explosives at the fence.” I’m addressing all our men when I add, “Everyone else remain in the tree line. We don’t want to let them know we’re here until we’re ready.”
I crawl through the undergrowth to the twelve-foot security fence with Hunter. We have to stop now and again as a beam of light sweeps past. I don’t know if this level of security is normal, but I’d like to think Belle’s warning to Barrett yesterday is making them nervous. It should do.
When Killian confirms that his men are in position to take out the remaining towers, we’re ready. Katarina offers to count us down.
“Good luck, boys,” she says. “Three. Two. One.”
Six shots cut through the silence and six searchlights explode.
Hunter and Mace have made clean shots, but one of the lights further down the line has dimmed, but remains operational.
Whoever’s controlling it, panics and sweeps it towards a neighboring tower.
Our snipers pick off the guards beneath the convenient spotlight.
Bullets start to fly in both directions, and Hunter and I retreat until we’re far enough away to set off the first explosion.
Another two explosions sound further along the perimeter.
We have our access points, but we hold back a few seconds as the guards on the towers are silenced with lethal accuracy.
We break through the perimeter as one, working with our teams to neutralize threats in the various outposts, and creating a clear path to the main lodge.
It’s a large, two-story structure with a balcony that runs the full length of the second floor.
The fire escapes at each end offer alternative entry points to the front and rear exits at ground level.
The lodge is at the foot of a rising cliff face, but there’s enough space between the two to provide plenty of hiding places.
We need to cut off this escape route first so we don’t give Oleg a corner to back into, especially if he decides to use my daughter as a shield.
I want to avoid a lengthy stand-off. I want this over.
“Marina’s cooperating with Strider,” Mace says, a hand pressed to his earpiece as we circle the lodge. “She and Piper are on the second floor. It’s room one zero eight on the east side.”
“Mace and I can carry on to the rear,” Reid tells me. “You need to go.”
As our teams splits off, Hunter and a handful of our men follow me towards the fire escape on the east side of the building. We’re almost there when Killian cuts into my comms.
“Ash, there’s a woman on the west side. We’re on our way. Are you close?”
Not close enough. It’s possible there are other females in the compound, but a heart beat later, Mace joins the conversation and ends that hope.
“Strider’s confirmed. It’s Marina.”
I break into a sprint, racing to the other side of the lodge as my stomach twists, and twists some more.
Saliva fills my mouth, and I’m on the verge of throwing up when Hunter shouts a warning.
A window smashes on the first floor, and the barrel of a rifle points towards us.
I shoot at the same time as my brother, and the guy aiming at us flies backwards with two bullets in his head.
I keep moving, but the close call has me shutting down emotions that won’t help me or Piper. I catch the next shooter before he has the chance to turn his weapon towards us, and I keep going. My breathing is harsh but steady as I round the corner.
Please, god. No.
My night vision goggles pick out the figure of a woman on the fire escape. Marina’s cradling something close to her chest. No, not something. Someone. There’s a blanket covering Piper, but I can see her legs wrapped around Marina’s waist as she clings on.
They’ve made it down the first flight of steps, but Marina is frozen where she stands.
There’s a man in camouflage fatigues above her, and he has his finger on a semi-automatic rifle aimed directly at Piper.
I raise my weapon, but I don’t dare shoot as Oleg turns to face me with a fucking grin on his face.
There’s enough light from the lodge for him to recognize me too.
And while I’m deciding if I can risk the shot, Oleg pulls the trigger.
His gaze remains fixed on me, watching my reaction as bullets slice through the air, and… Marina topples over the edge of the railings.
Before they’ve hit the ground, I’m firing off shots at Oleg. He’s disappeared back into the lodge, but I keep firing until I empty my magazine. The emotions I’d locked down, stay locked down. They have to. I don’t fucking want them. I don’t want to feel anything. I don’t dare.
I’m reloading as I stalk towards the fire escape, gripped by determination to act. To move. Not to think. Hunter pulls at my vest to stop me, but I shake him off. I swear, if he tries that again, I’m going to smash my fist into his face.
“Get Mace to cut the comms back home,” I bark. This can’t play out in real time for Belle. I’ll shield her for as long as I can.
Killian appears around the front of the lodge, and his guys provide cover as I reach the crumpled bodies.
Marina’s eyes are lifeless, her chest riddled with bullets and her limbs fixed in an unnatural pose.
I don’t want to see Piper’s body, but I can’t abandon her now.
If this is my one and only act as her father, I have to hold her.
Belle would want me to hold our little girl. A first for me. The last for Piper.
There’s shrubbery where Marina fell that temporarily conceals the horror of what I’m about to face. I pull off my goggles, letting them fall to the ground. My hand shakes uncontrollably as I reach for the torn blanket that had been covering Piper.
There’s nothing underneath, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold it together.
My emotions are contained in a pressure cooker, ready to explode as I widen my search.
And then I find what I’m looking for, and a sob wrenches from my chest, tearing at my vocal cords.
The fates must be sick fuckers for how they enjoy torturing me.
I crouch down and pick up the tattered remains of a pillow. It’s a fucking pillow, attached to a rolled up throw to create the illusion of a child’s body.
Hunter comes up behind me, still thinking the worst. He goes to put a consoling hand on my shoulder, but I straighten up fast and he stumbles back.
“Marina used a decoy,” I choke out.
“Thank fuck,” Mace hisses into my earpiece. “We’re on our way to you, Ash. We found a bunker, but no one’s had time to reach it. The guys are setting the explosives to blow it up.”
It’s good to know that Oleg is running out of options.
I return to the body of the woman who saved my daughter’s life. It’s a debt I’m never going to be able to repay, but I silently thank her as I cover her face with the blanket.