Chapter 50
FIFTY
Amanda and Trent approached Hernandez’s residence tagging along behind SWAT officers.
All of them were outfitted for war with their body armor, face masks, and automatic weapons.
She and Trent had their Glocks, masks, and thick Kevlar vests.
Though if Nina came at them with a blade, the latter wouldn’t offer any protection.
The street had been closed off to prevent innocent civilians getting caught in the crossfire.
Though the search warrant was no-knock and allowed the use of smoke grenades, no one expected Hernandez to go down without a fight.
“Here goes. The moment of truth,” she said to Trent. If they met with resistance, it was likely that Anderson had tipped off Hernandez that they were coming.
It was six o’clock when the group trudged up the front walk to the double doors, but they didn’t make it far when an eruption of gunfire blasted through the front windows of the house.
“Everyone get to cover!” the SWAT leader yelled, and the group scattered.
Amanda stuck close to Trent, returning fire along with the SWAT officers. As bullets flew, she ducked behind a concrete abutment that sat in the middle of the lawn stating the house number. Trent hunched down next to her.
“I guess we have our answer about Anderson,” she told him.
Rounds of gunfire kept popping off, and she was glad there was another SWAT team sent to the rear of Hernandez’s property in preparation for an assault.
Up front, they and SWAT were pinned down, only able to pop out from cover to return fire in measured response times. During a brief ceasefire in the front, gunfire picked up in the backyard.
The SWAT leader up front signaled they were moving in. As they were detailed before arriving, SWAT would lead the way through the front door into the home and drive Hernandez and his men into the backyard.
They breached, and one of the SWAT officers yelled out, “Grenade!” before tossing one inside.
The entry filled with smoke, and SWAT, Amanda, and Trent moved in with their masks and night-vision goggles in place. Thermal imaging allowed them to see through the thick smoke. Their opponents wouldn’t have such an advantage, but it didn’t stop them from spraying bullets.
Amanda and Trent sought cover again, returning fire when it was safe for them to do so.
As the smoke started to clear, calls of SWAT officers signaled this firefight was coming to an end. Lots of Hernandez’s men lay on the ground, bleeding out or dead already. The ones who were standing surrendered.
Amanda scanned the room for Hernandez. Where the hell is—
Nina lunged out of a side hallway and came at her like a wraith wielding a blade.
Amanda backed up and raised her gun, prepared to fire on Nina, when she roundhouse-kicked the gun from her hand. It clacked onto the tile at her feet.
Icy fear immobilized Amanda, and she looked around to see that Trent wasn’t at her side. They must have gotten separated along the way. She was on her own.
Amanda jived out of the way, trying to avoid every swipe of Nina’s blade, while keeping tabs on her gun. I just need to get to it…
Just as she reached out, Nina kicked her in the chest, propelling her backward. She hit the floor, landing on her back, the wind knocked out of her.
Nina came at her. Amanda called out for help, but Nina jumped over her and pinned her down. She held her knife suspended above Amanda, ready to plunge it into her chest and leave its lethal mark.
I’m going to die like in my nightmare… But just as Amanda thought her life was over, Nina’s blood sprayed out the front of her head, and her body slumped forward.
Amanda rolled out of the way just before the blade came down.
Trent was standing there with his gun still extended from being fired.
“Thank you,” she said, between pants for breath.
“I’ve always got you.” He holstered his weapon at the shouts of “all clear” from SWAT. They must have gone through the house and apprehended everyone. Trent helped Amanda to her feet. “You all right?”
“Yes, thanks to you.” She couldn’t imagine what would have happened to Zoe if Nina had killed her. “Did we get Hernandez?”
“Secured,” one of the SWAT officers said as he walked past with Hernandez in cuffs.
The drug kingpin stared Amanda down, and she went cold.
She followed them outside and caught just a brief glimpse of a man in the distance. At first she wasn’t even sure if she might have imagined him. Then the man came into focus.
McGee.
Time stood still.
He raised his arm, a gun in his hand.
Amanda ran forward and slammed all of her body weight into the SWAT officer and Hernandez, knocking them both to the ground, just as the loud crack of a weapon firing pierced the air.