Chapter 28
28
J ordan’s breaths were coming fast. She held her weapon true as she kept up with Mac. The moment they had entered the building, the stakes were raised even further. The rioters were aggressive and fighting back against the correctional officers and police. The sounds of fighting and tear gas explosions echoed through the air.
The emergency siren still blared around them. The lights were dimmed as if someone had gone through the place and taken out most of them. Going into a dark prison being overridden by thugs was not ideal, but it had to be done.
They had entered through the administrative end. The ransacked offices were empty. There weren’t any reports of other personnel who had been taken hostage aside from the warden. A few of the employees who had worked late had been able to escape when the riots began. Unfortunately for the warden, he had been a target of the prisoners.
Mac held up a fist when they came to the end of the hall. Behind Jordan was Brodie and Myles. Ash, Iker, Zain, and Declan pulled up the rear of the formation. Jordan’s heart rate increased. She loved the adrenaline that normally came with missions, but this somehow felt different. She didn’t want to think of how it could be. She wanted to focus on the mission at hand and extract the warden safely.
Around the corner was a stairwell that would take them up to the next floor. The warden’s office was housed on the top level. From intel, the halls should be cleared, but there was no telling when an active riot and commotion was going on. Things could change unexpectedly.
Mac used a small mirror to peek around the corner. He signaled for them to continue on. They crept silently around the corner. Brodie broke the formation to turn and keep an eye on the opposite hallway as each member turned. There would be no slipping up behind SWAT. He’d fall in formation with Declan in the back with Myles moving up behind Jordan.
This was how they trained, and Jordan was thankful for Mac and Declan being so tough on them. Their intense drills prepared them for moments like these.
The SWAT team crept silently and swiftly down the hall. They arrived at the base of the brick stairwell. The building was old and had been built back in the late fifties and looked as if it hadn’t been updated since. They came to the next level and paused. Voices and shouting greeted them. Mac braced his back on the wall near the doorway that would take them through to the second level of the structure. Jordan went to his side and waited for his command. The others paused on the stairs.
Mac motioned for Myles and Ash to move to the other side of the entranceway. The voices disappeared, and the two of them silently rushed to post up against the opposite wall. Iker and Zain came up the stairs next with Brodie and Declan trailing behind them. They plastered themselves to the walls to keep them out of sight from whoever may be down the hall. Their quarters were tight, but they weren’t fazed by it.
“They got me fucked up if they think I’m going back into a cell,” an angry voice shouted.
“Me neither,” another voice interjected.
A few others voiced their displeasure as well. It would appear some of the rioters had remained in the administrative part of the prison.
“Put your hands on your head and get down on your knees,” an authoritative voice responded.
Mac held up a hand for them all to wait. Jordan confirmed the order with a slight nod. They would wait for the officers to clear the hall of the prisoners.
“Fuck you,” the first voice said.
This was followed by the sounds of big scuffle. Declan moved slightly and took in the scene. He pointed to the hall.
In they would go.
Mac led them first. He spun on his heel and entered the second floor. It looked as if SWAT would be deviating away from the mission for a moment to assist fellow officers. When Jordan took in the scene, it had been a sound decision. The four correctional officers who had been trying to apprehend the prisoners must not have known how outnumbered they were. The officers were surrounded and taking one hell of a beating.
They had yet to see SWAT coming for them.
Aside from the few voices Jordan had heard, the others must have been hidden from the view of the officers. There had to be about ten to twelve men waiting to ambush the correctional officers.
The SWAT team swarmed on the prisoners.
“Fuck!” someone called out.
Jordan yanked one of the goons away from an officer who had fallen onto one of his knees. He launched a fist at her, but she dodged it. She used the momentum and swung her weapon at him, connecting it with his face. Jordan felt a brief sense satisfaction at the sound of bones crunching.
“Bitch!” he yelled out.
Jordan didn’t wait for him to react. She whacked her boot to his gut which sent him sprawling onto the floor. A hand grabbed her arm, but she immediately used an evading technique to get him off her. She spun on her heels and sent a fist to the new man’s gut. He bent over with the air escaping him. She brought her knee up to his face and dispatched him to the floor next to his partner.
Jordan didn’t waste any time whipping out her zip ties. She moved to the second one who had fallen on the floor closest to her and flipped him over.
“You bitch. You’re going to pay for this,” the one holding his nose shouted. He was currently scooting away from her. He glared at her, blood running down his hand and forearm.
She quickly had his friend’s hands secured behind his back within seconds.
“Whatever,” Jordan sneered.
She had another set of ties for him. The brief fight was over before it had begun. The SWAT team had efficiently handled this situation. She moved over to him. He pushed up and tried to get away from her.
“Where the hell you think you’re going?” Zain grabbed the guy by his arm and hefted him up. He swung him around and forced him against the wall. He gripped his arms and brought them behind his back.
“She broke my fucking nose.”
“Be happy that’s all I broke,” Jordan said.
She came up behind him and applied the ties. Zain forced him back on the floor. The other men who had participated in jumping the officers were all secured.
“Are you men good?” Mac asked.
The correctional officers were battered and bruised, but they all got up off the floor. Their uniforms were in disarray, but they all appeared to be unharmed.
“Yeah, we’ll live to see another day,” the one in the front muttered.
He sent a glare around the hall at all of the prisoners. They weren’t talking their big mess anymore. Jordan was proud of her brothers. They had handled the prisoners swiftly. They didn’t even know what had hit them.
“I don’t get paid enough for this shit,” another officer said. He slapped his hat back onto his head.
“Get these men back to containment,” Mac ordered.
The correctional officers all stood at attention at the bark in Mac’s voice. Jordan smirked. It didn’t matter who was on the receiving end of Mac’s growl, they all listened.
He swiveled around and motioned for the SWAT team. “Let’s go, SWAT.”
Jordan fell in formation with her team. She trotted behind Mac toward the stairwell. A chuckle sounded behind them. Jordan paused and glanced over at her shoulder. A chill rippled down her spine. One of the prisoners who was hog-tied leaned his forehead against the floor. She wasn’t sure who had tied him up like that, but it apparently didn’t keep him from getting her attention.
“What’s so fucking funny?” Jordan narrowed her gaze on him and stalked toward him.
“Knight, let it go,” Declan ordered. He snatched her by her wrist and held on to her.
She tore her gaze from the prisoner and faced Declan.
“I wanna know what he finds so hilarious about this situation.”
She tried to pull away from Declan, but he held on tight. He shook his head and narrowed his darkened eyes on her.
“We have a mission to continue. You want a piece of him, I’m sure these officers will oblige later,” Declan bit out through clenched teeth.
“Go on up those stairs.” The prisoner continued to chuckle.
Declan’s eyes snapped to the man who’d uttered the words. He released Jordan and crept over to him. He yanked him up by the back of his conjoined hands and flipped him over. By this time, Mac had stalked forward and stood next to Declan. Jordan moved to where she could see the prisoner’s face.
He was dark-skinned with cornrow braids. He had a few scars on his face. The most noticeable one was on his top lip. Whatever had sliced through his skin had left deep, permanent damage.
“What will we find?” Mac asked. His low voice was menacing yet eerily calm. The sergeant bent down on one knee to stare the man in the face. Mac, on any given day, could be a deadly predator in his own right.
The prisoner glanced at him, and his smile slowly disappeared. Fear settled in his eyes. Jordan watched the transformation in awe. He swallowed hard then looked away from Mac.
“They are upstairs. Waiting for you,” the prisoner admitted. He glanced down at the floor and didn’t peek back up. “That’s all I know.”
“They had better be,” Mac growled. He stood to his full height and stalked back to the stairwell. He didn’t turn around to see if they were following. Where this man went, the SWAT team would follow.
Jordan jogged ahead and got into her position directly behind Mac. She didn’t want him to focus his angry glare at her for not following his instructions that had been very clear.
According to the blueprints, the warden’s office was the only one on this floor. From the stairwell, they would exit a short way down the hallway. There would be a slight walk down a narrow hall until they arrived at the waiting room.
Jordan held on to her weapon as she crept up the stairs behind Mac. The team arrived swiftly up to the fourth floor. Jordan pushed down the nervous feeling that rested in her gut. The team remained silent as Mac opened the door. He again used a small mirror to take a peek. This was not the time to be using his head when the enemy was close by.
He turned back and pointed at Declan, Iker, Zain, and Ash, then the hall. Without saying a word, they all understood he wanted them to go first and the rest of them would go next. Declan strode forward with the others behind him. They silently exited through the doorway. Myles and Brodie moved ahead of her, and Mac then went behind the others.
Jordan controlled her breaths and reminded herself this was no different than their drills.
Don’t lose focus, Knight.
She tightened her hand on her weapon and kept it pointed down and not at Brodie’s back. Mac was behind her. She was comforted by the fact that he wanted her with him. They arrived at the end of the hallway where it opened into a large waiting area just as the blueprint had depicted.
A bullet went whizzing through the air. Jordan dodged out the way in time for it to fly past her and into the wall.
“Shit!” she cursed.
The SWAT team dove for cover as more bullets came in their direction. Jordan fell to the floor and immediately aimed her MP5 toward where the projectiles had come from. There were desks and chairs throughout the room. Large pillars were scattered around. Declan, Iker, and Zain had made their way to them, hiding from the rain of bullets. Ash had dove down on the floor and crawled behind one of the large couches to take cover. Myles and Brodie had fallen somewhere behind Jordan. They were basically sitting ducks.
“It’s about fucking time you fucks arrived!” someone shouted.
Another popping sound filled the air. A deranged-looking guy with long black hair wielded a semiautomatic rifle. If memory served her right, it was Sergio. He appeared much different than the last time Jordan had seen him. That day he’d run from the K9 officers. He had been apprehended by Duchess, Zayden, and Mac when the gang had kidnapped Ronnie.
“Knight,” Mac hissed.
Jordan took her eyes off the gangster for a moment and stared over to where Mac had landed. He was on the other side of the room behind another couch. He motioned for her to join him.
“Didn’t know you were waiting for us,” Brodie shouted.
“Ah, Officer Gipson. How is that wife of yours?” Sergio laughed. He sprayed the room again with bullets.
Where the hell had the gangster got a gun from?
Jordan leaned back against the furniture and fought to catch her breath. She’d had an open shot and should have taken it when she’d had the chance.
“Put that gun down and come see me,” Brodie taunted.
“Gipson,” Mac growled.
The sergeant sent a glare toward Brodie who was not paying Mac any attention. This situation was quickly going to shit. Beside the elevator, they had no other way to get out of the waiting room other than the stairwell they’d come up.
“Sergeant MacArthur. Just who I wanted to see,” Sergio called out. “Why don’t we negotiate a trade. You for the warden.”
Jordan went to move but was stopped by Mac grabbing her vest. His eyes narrowed on her. She scowled and shook her head fiercely. He was not trading himself for anyone.
“How do we even know he’s still alive?” Mac called out. He pushed her back down on her ass. This was not the time for her to be the good little soldier for the SWAT team.
Mac was not turning himself over to this damn gang.
Not tonight.
Not any other night.
“You are a smart man, Sergeant MacArthur.” Sergio laughed. A muffled yelp followed behind the gangster’s laugh. “They want to know that you are alive, Warden Kovacs. Say something.”
Another yelp followed.
“I’m here,” a weak voice announced.
Jordan rolled onto her stomach to see if she could get a peek at the door to the warden’s office. She scanned the room. Two prisoners were sneaking out of the office toward the elevator while another two were posted behind Sergio and the man she assumed was the warden. He appeared haggard, and apparently someone had tried to rearrange his face. It was littered with bruises, and a dried trail of blood coated his mouth and chin. His once white button-down shirt was torn and filthy. His gray hairs stood on end.
The other two men behind Sergio were also outfitted with guns. Someone had to have snuck the weapons in before they’d overthrown the prison.
Jordan rolled back over toward Mac and signaled what she’d seen.
“Stay where you are, Officer Baldwin,” Sergio shouted.
Two loud pops filled the air. Jordan instantly got up on her knees. She immediately focused on the prisoner who fired his weapons at the pillar Iker had hidden behind. She didn’t hesitate to pull her trigger.
Her bullet slammed into the guy’s shoulder. He flew back into the office and landed on the floor. The second prisoner and Sergio both swung in her direction and began firing. She ducked back down as bullets hit the couch and flew overhead.
“One down,” she said.
Mac nodded to confirm he’d heard her. The bullets stopped.
“You are going to pay for that, Officer Knight,” Sergio screamed.
“Where is Bravon?” Jordan shouted. There was only one reason why Sergio would want Mac, and that would be to take him to Viktor. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Deep in her gut, she knew it was he who had orchestrated this entire takeover.
“You’ll get to see him soon enough,” Sergio responded.
Jordan knelt back up again, this time with Mac at her side. Their guns were aimed at the prisoners. Sergio and the warden were halfway to the open elevator. He pulled the warden in front of him and aimed a handgun at the warden’s head.
“No funny moves. We are going for a ride on this elevator. Don’t think I won’t put a bullet in this motherfucker’s head.”
Mac growled, his gun trained on Sergio. Jordan swept the room and took in her brothers all coming out of hiding, their weapons trained on the prisoners entering the elevator. Jordan’s finger itched to move, but she didn’t want to chance shooting the warden.
The elevator door slammed shut.
SWAT immediately went into action.
“Son of a bitch,” Ash swore. He strode toward the office where the prisoner had landed.
Jordan pushed off the floor and followed Mac to the center of the room. Ash and Myles swept into the office.
“He lives,” Myles called out. He zip tied the prisoner’s hands behind his back.
“The elevator is going to the basement,” Zain said.
“Declan, you take Iker, Zain, and Ash. Secure up here. The rest of you with me. We are going down,” Mac said. The sergeant was pissed.
Jordan glanced back at the elevator and felt her anger rising as well. They’d almost had the warden. Had she taken the shot when she’d first had it, Sergio would be the one on the floor. Not some random punk.
“As soon as we’re done up here, we’ll rendezvous with you,” Declan confirmed.
“Let’s move,” Mac barked.
Jordan tore her eyes away from the elevator and followed Mac back to the stairs. Looked like they were taking a trip to the basement. Things were about to get interesting.
“Welcome to the shit show,” Zayden announced.
Rhys held Honor’s leash tight to keep her close to him. He had received a call for him and his partner to report to the prison not too long after Jordan and Iker had left. It was the same job that Jordan and the SWAT team had been called in for. It didn’t take Rhys long to come to the conclusion that this was indeed a shit show. Prison breaks and riots always were, and this one appeared to be on a much larger scale. The sun had yet to rise and would be soon.
Rhys glanced around and took in all of his fellow K9 handlers. This was entirely rare for them all to be used at the same time. Each of them were prepared for the worst. They were all decked out in their K9 vests and weapons. They made a formidable team with their dogs fierce and ready for action.
“Where do you need us?” Dax asked.
The man was always direct, but Rhys had to agree. If their entire team was needed, then they would jump in wherever.
“Glad you men are ready to go.” Zayden gave a satisfied nod.
The scene outside the prison was pure chaos. There were so many agencies here that it only meant one thing. Someone had escaped. He glanced at the structure and knew his woman and her team were in there somewhere. He just prayed they all would make it out alive and safe.
Honor barked, bringing Rhys’s attention back to Zayden who was speaking.
“It has come to our attention that the Demon Lords have overtaken the prison,” Zayden stated.
Curses went around. Rhys inhaled sharply. Well, shit. He could smell a setup. His gaze cut to the building again.
“Shit,” Rhys muttered. His gaze snapped back to Zayden. “And we sent SWAT in there?”
The Demon Lords had a thing out for the SWAT team. Every cop knew it. From the dark emotions swirling in Zayden’s eyes, he knew exactly what Rhys was thinking. Not only was Rhys’s woman in there, but so was Zayden’s younger brother.
“We are going to assist the correctional officers and the US Marshal. We have reason to believe that Viktor Huff has escaped.”
Rhys dragged a shaking hand along the side of his face. The stakes were high tonight. If Viktor Huff was out of that prison, it was only a matter of time before he’d disappear. That was why the US Marshals were there. This would become a dangerous manhunt.
“Rhys, you, Honor, Dax, and Hawk will assist the US Marshals. Agent Sampson will be waiting to discuss details with you.” Zayden motioned to the agent who was striding to them. He was tall and a little older than Rhys.
Rhys nodded. He’d prefer to be on the assignment that would lead him to Viktor. Where Viktor was, he was sure Bravon would be. The nephew wouldn’t be far from his uncle.
“Arlo, Kimbo, Lane, and Colt, you will be with me and Duchess. We will be assisting the officers on the inside with maintaining order,” Zayden instructed.
Honor gave a low growl as if she understood Zayden’s words.
“Hold, girl,” Rhys murmured. Going into a prison with angry and hostile prisoners was dangerous. He met his friend’s eyes. He didn’t need to say the following, but it was necessary. “Be careful in there.”
He turned and strode over to the US Marshal who had stopped midway to them. Honor remained quiet as she walked alongside Rhys. His partner could always tell when she needed to be on her best behavior. Honor was one hell of a police dog, and he could count on her. Dax and Hawk strode beside him.
“You ready for this shit?” Dax murmured.
“Do you need to ask?” Rhys arched an eyebrow at Dax. The son of a bitch had the nerve to smirk.
They arrived in front of the Marshal.
“Officers. I’m Agent Sampson.” He held his hand out to Rhys who took it in a firm grip.
“Newman,” Rhys murmured.
He released him with the agent turning to Dax with his hand outstretched. Honor sat at Rhys’s feet, waiting for orders. Rhys made a mental note to give her a big chicken treat when they returned home safe—with Jordan.
“Timbrell,” Dax said, shaking it.
They stepped away from each other. Sampson motioned for them to go with him. Rhys held on to Honor’s leash and guided her next to him as he walked with the US Marshal.
“I’m not sure how much Sergeant Gipson updated you, but we have it on good authority that Viktor Huff has escaped the prison,” Sampson announced.
“Whatever assistance we can provide in apprehending Huff we are ready,” Rhys replied. He wasn’t getting a good feeling in his gut. Something was screaming at him to stay close to wherever Huff was located.