Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“Puh-puh-puh-please, Daddy…?”
Goddammit.
“Does your mom really think that’s a good idea?” I asked reluctantly.
“She thinks it’s the best idea!”
Somehow, I doubted that.
Elliott would definitely not like my showing up.
Blake cranked up the pitiful tone that made me cave. “Don’t you wanna see what I learned?”
Real nice, throw in all the guilt.
“All right. I’ll be there.” At the very least, I’d get some hugs from her.
“Yay! It’s gonna be the best barbecue ever!”
Uh-huh.
“Just let us know if someone tries to contact him on the radio,” Darius commanded. “Until then, they have no reason to be suspicious.”
Elliott and I darted up to the back of the warehouse, taking cover in the darkness, and we ran the length of the structure to see if any of the rusty metal sheets was loose.
The extraction had barely started, and my head was already fucked from what the younger guys had just accomplished.
Reese came up behind us. “Cameras angled to cover the spots where Joel and Ryan are supposed to overlook the courtyard, so once you get there, it’s on.”
“Copy that.” I bent down and tugged at a piece of metal protruding from the wall, but it wouldn’t budge. Fuck, I would’ve wanted to at least confirm they were keeping Blake and Marisa in the warehouse. “No way of knowing the precise location of Blake and Marisa yet.” In other words, we couldn’t blow up the main house and be done with it. “Proceeding to the corner—update, Ryan?” I inserted an earplug where I didn’t have an earpiece.
“Coming up behind the terrace now,” he confirmed. “We have eyes on nine targets in the main house. No signs of hostages—or space to keep anyone restrained. Four bedrooms on this side, doors open, lights on, living room and dining area, kitchen, possible office, mood’s relaxed. Some playing cards, some eating. We don’t see Carillo yet, but there should be a few rooms on the front too.”
“Then you stay there with Ortega,” Elliott said, changing the plans. “Joel and I will attack from the courtyard. You, Ortega, and Crew take out anyone you can shoot from where you are.”
“Hold up—unit two doesn’t mean we’re fuckin’ backup, Jones,” Reese replied. “River and I will charge when you charge. We’ll go for the warehouse.”
“Fine,” Elliott bit out. “Let’s go. Ryan?”
“Ready—”
“Wait,” Crew whispered. “Snipers, you have high-caliber rifles, right?”
I furrowed my brow. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Ryan said.
“Okay, I just wanted to make sure. Go on,” Crew answered.
What the— Fuck it. We didn’t have time. Blake could be on the other side of the thin wall right behind me.
I snuck up and stopped a few feet before I reached the corner, and I spotted River across the courtyard, hugging the short end of the main house. A couple more steps and we’d step into the outdoor lights mounted in various spots across the yard.
We signaled to each other, both ready.
“Status update from rescue crew,” Elliott requested.
“Covering the back,” Darius replied. “If anyone makes a run for it, we’ll get ’em.”
“Shay and I are in position,” Gray confirmed.
“Ryan?” Elliott double-checked.
“Ready to fire,” Ryan said.
I glanced back at Elliott, who nodded.
I took a deep breath. “Unit one, advance. Unit two, advance.” I lifted my rifle and rounded the corner, and I was suddenly in plain sight. “Courtyard empty—Tenleys, go, go. I’ll cover you.”
River and Reese ran for it and ducked down between the cars, not stopping until they’d reached the doors to the warehouse. I could see from here it was barred and locked, and when Reese aimed his gun at the—
A shot blasted through the air, catapulting me into action. I sprinted toward the main house, hurriedly scanning the windows. The rooms were well-lit and seemingly empty of people. But then I caught several men running into the hall separating the two halves of the house.
I aimed at one man and shot him through the window. Then I quickly ripped off my monocular—it was just in the way now—and I took aim and fired over and over. Gunfire filled the air, Crew grunted and reported he was inside the house, followed by Ortega, who’d joined him, and I cursed when I saw the former bolting through the living room with his gun raised. Jesus Christ, the kid was reckless!
“Four down,” Ryan said. “Five.”
“Three down here,” Elliott added.
“Handful jumping out the windows this way,” Darius snapped.
“Holy fuck,” I heard Reese curse. “We need backup in the warehouse!”
I growled in frustration and kicked in the front door of the main house, immediately coming across two men. I fired two quick shots, and they dropped dead on the hallway rug.
“Kill them!” someone yelled. In English. Carillo?
For a moment, all I heard were bullets flying and windows shattering, then a handful of seconds of people shouting at once. Darius and Mercier threw themselves into the fight from behind the house, Ryan left his position to assist the twins, and I grabbed my sidearm. Fuck me if we hadn’t underestimated the number of cartel motherfuckers.