Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
The hairs on Buck’s neck prickled, Tierney’s words still ringing in his head as she struck off, back rigid, following after Nick and Sloane as they wove through another maze of rusted machinery and rot, pausing at the last room.
Nick grabbed two flash bangs off his vest, showed the countdown on one hand, then tossed them along the tiles.
The canisters clicked along the worn flooring, spinning to a halt on different sides of the room, a foreboding silence filling the space before they blew, erupting in a wash of blinding white light and ear-piercing wails as smoke filled the air.
Men shouted from the shadows, errant suppressed gunfire spraying across the walls and ceiling a moment later.
Nick and Sloane slipped inside, laid down their own suppressed fire, keeping the rounds from getting too close. Just enough the men still functioning staggered behind better cover, giving Tierney and Buck the opening they needed.
Tier sprinted off, slaloming through the smoke and flames, dodging more brass before hitting that last corridor going full out.
Buck stayed on her six, covering any possible shot from behind as they stopped just shy of the main room, smoke swirling in behind them, the echoed shrill from the grenade still ringing off the walls.
A metallic clank sounded behind them as Sloane closed the fire door, a few angry thuds impacting the opposite side. Acrid smoke and brine saturated the air, the bulk of the noise dampened by the thick metal.
Buck peered around the corner, ducking back when a round punched through the wall an inch from his head. He cursed, drew his knife, using the blade to survey the layout.
Massive vats and conveyor lines filled the room, a set of metal stairs leading up to the raised platform off to their right. Like on the video feed, Wade sat dead center, a huge brick of C4 strapped to his chest, the timer glowing red against the dark — eight minutes.
Grieves stood behind the railing, weapon trained on the hallway, a smug smile curving his lips. “Surely, you didn’t think you could just waltz right in. You’ll have to earn the right to fight me.”
Buck pressed his back into the wall. “I only see one access point to that platform, and we’re down to just over seven minutes.”
Tierney nodded, readying her Sig. “I’ll plant a couple rounds next to his feet, get him to flinch, while you hoof it to that first conveyor. You can cover me, and we’ll improvise from there.”
Buck eyed the distance. “That’s a fair amount of open space with Grieves in the elevated position. Don’t dawdle.”
He waited, sucking in a breath as she popped out, unloaded a few rounds into the metal framing beside Grieves’ boots before darting out, hauling ass toward the first conveyor.
Grieves stepped back, shielding his face, granting Buck the few seconds he needed to slide along the algae-slick cement, slip in behind the conveyor’s frame before Grieves recovered, got off a few more shots.
Grieves laughed, the maniacal sound bouncing off the walls. “Looks like it’s just the three of us, but then, only one of you can save the Ranger. Guess that leaves you and me, luv. I’ll be waiting…”
Buck returned fire, burning through half his mag before Tierney slid in beside him, green muck staining her pants, grime and dried blood dotting her skin.
She motioned to the stairs. “Just get me as far as the stairs, I’ll take care of Grieves after that. Give you whatever time’s left to save Wade.”
“Tier.” He leaned in close. “Remember your promise. No sacrificing yourself.”
“Says the guy who’s got like five minutes to disarm a bomb.”
“Judging on all we’ve been through, the bomb’s the easy part. Grieves…”
“You just focus on not blowing yourself up, and I’ll handle Grieves.” She inched to the end of the conveyor, glanced back at him when he whistled.
He met her gaze. “I love you. Don’t fucking die on me.”
Her eyes widened before she smiled. “If I die, I can’t tell you I love you, too, so… Hold that thought.”
She took off, pushing hard as Buck covered her again, firing until he had to reload. He switched mags, checking the platform again, but Grieves had vanished, nothing but that timer glaring back at him, the faint clank of boots on metal farther off.
That had him moving, covering the last twenty feet before reaching Wade’s chair, dropping down at his buddy’s feet. Wade pulled against the restraints, one eye swollen shut, cuts and bruises already blooming on his skin.
He shook his head, split lip cracking open. “Damn it, Landry.” He spat out a mouthful of blood. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What does it look like? Saving your ass.” Buck removed his kit from his vest, laying it beside him as he noted the time — five minutes.
“Get O’Rourke and get the hell out before this thing blows.” Wade’s chest heaved beneath the vest. “There’s no time. Just… go.”
“Have some faith, brother.” Buck ripped into his kit, removed a couple tools. “Now, shut up, and let me work.”
He took a breath, then removed the casing from the C4 block, got a look inside.
Dead.
That’s what they’d be in four minutes and forty-five seconds because the inner workings were a nightmare.
Live and dummy wires twisting in every direction, a main receiver linked to Grieves’ dead-man switch, along with two mercury-tilt switches to prevent Buck from simply lifting Wade, carrying him out.
Add in the timer and some tamper-proof relays, and it outshone anything he’d disarmed in the Marines.
At least, in under five minutes.
Buck placed a hand on Wade’s shoulder. “Wade. Buddy, I’m gonna need you to stay very still.”
Wade froze, just one boot still tapping a bit. He blew out a slow breath. “You can’t disarm it, can you?”
Buck snorted, already sorting through wires, isolating lines. “Haven’t found a bomb that’s bested me yet…” He chuckled. “Other than that damn car, but in my defense, I didn’t get a chance before it knocked me into next week, so… It doesn’t really count.”
Wade cocked his head, stared at Buck when he glanced Wade’s way. “It’s okay. I know he did some serious shit. He’s been bragging about it the whole time. Said even a MARSOC ordinance guy wouldn’t be able to unravel it, so… No dishonor in saving those you can.”
“Don’t give up on me, yet. I’m just getting started.”
He traced more lines, cutting through the mass of wires once he’d mapped half of them out. Each snip echoed in the vast room, the soft reverberations counting down the time.
Three minutes…
Boots clanging on metal grating rang in the distance, muffled grunts drifting along the air.
A couple shadows flickered just out of sight along that platform.
Voices teased the edges of his attention, but he couldn’t split his focus enough to understand what was being said without losing track of the wires.
Buck forced himself to concentrate. Tierney could handle herself. He had to put faith in that — believe they hadn’t finally found each other only to have it end before they discovered how perfect they could be together.
Before he could look her in the eyes, tell her he loved her without their lives hanging in the balance.
He worked through the labyrinth of wires, bypassing the switches, narrowing it down to the final relay fused to the timer.
Four wires.
One chance.
He looked at the time — fifty-three seconds.
Buck positioned the cutters, looked up at Wade. “One last cut.”
Wade nodded, lips pursed tight, skin blanched white. He closed his eyes, looked as if he’d braced for impact as Buck isolated the blue wire — cut it.
The timer blinked, reset to sixty seconds, then started racing backwards.
“Shit, there’s a secondary timer.”
Wade grunted. “Go! Now!”
“No fucking way.”
Buck lifted the vest, spied another wire snaking around to the back. He jumped up, rounded the chair, then shoved Wade forward, cutting through the outer part of the vest until he found the unit embedded in the fabric.
Ten seconds…
He tore off the material, exposed two more wires. Both equally good choices, and without the time to trace them back…
Five seconds…
Buck grabbed the red one and cut.
Tierney stood at the edge of the platform, staring at the man who’d stood outside her cage, priced her like a piece of meat. He looked the same, that unnatural calm oozing off him as he removed that matte-black Zippo, flicked it open.
Snick-clink.
The sound thundered around her, the rain hammering the roof with the same staccato beat. All that was missing was the booming crash of thunder, the blinding flashes of light.
Grieves brought the lighter to his face, blew out the flame. “I always knew we’d meet again, luv.”
The endearment slithered over her skin. “Me, too. Only this time, you’re the one who’ll be caged.”
He laughed. “Is that so? What makes you think I won’t simply kill you?”
“For the same reason you let me live the first time. I’m worth more to you alive.” She inched closer. “The MI6 pedigree.”
His smile faltered a bit, eyes narrowing. “Did Pike tell you that?”
“No, you did that night on the veranda.” She shifted slightly, opened up her left side to strike. “I was behind the chair.”
“Were you?” He laughed. “I wondered why I smelled that cologne. It was still on your skin from gutting José.”
“He deserved worse.”
“I suppose he did.” Grieves flicked the lighter again. “No chairs to save you tonight, luv. Let’s do this civilized. Walk out with me, and I won’t send more men to kill your friends.”
She slipped the baton into her left hand, snapped it to its full length. “Or, I end it.”
She lunged at him, swinging the metal rod at his ribs, connecting with some kind of armor layered beneath his jacket. He pinned the baton with his arm, pivoting in close, landing a brutal knee to her side.
She stumbled back, ribs still grating from her fight with Pike, pain stealing her breath. She shook it off, keeping her weight on her toes before launching at him, pummeling him with a series of blows.