BLOOD RETRIBUTION
Page 26
“How many flash grenades do you have, Captain?” he asked in hushed tones.
“Only the three, Sir,” Knox replied quietly after he checked his tactical vest.
“More than enough, Captain, when you are ready, light up the NEST," Harris said as he moved so his back was to the steel wall as he tapped Knox on the shoulder. He pulled the safety pin on the first flash grenade, geared himself up as he flicked the safety lever over which strikes the primer. Knox spun on a half-step into the doorway, threw the flash grenade and quickly half stepped again to cover on the other side of the door frame.
“Flash to the right, Sir,” Knox called over to Harris and within seconds the boom of the ignited grenade sounded which set Harris into action as he entered the NEST going around to the left. Burst after burst of rapid fire prompted Knox to follow Harris in. Knox however, opted to take a few steps back and build up some speed as he rolled in through the doorway. Then, taking up a crouch position, he swept the room going right to left over the remnants of the flash grenade, the blast zone only just now beginning to clear. Two silhouetted figures could just be made out in the smoke, disorientated and holding their ears. It took Knox a split-second for him to make the call that they were hostiles and he took them down.
“Clear!” Harris called over to Knox as he checked the enemies he had taken down. The NEST was trashed, screens shot up, computers smashed and the servers had been torched. Out of the haze, an arm could be seen lifting into the air, both Knox and Harris trained their weapons onto the movement.
“Hold fire, hold fire,” Knox called out to Harris as he made his way over to the man. It was Carter, alive but heavily injured.
“Brig, Sir?” Knox said as he leant down to Carter checking his wounds, shot in his legs, arm and shoulder with char marks and burns.
“What happened, Sir?” Knox asked as he pulled out a basic medical kit from his vest. Harris searched kit boxes scattered around in the area.
“We were hit from inside… first we knew was after a… explosion," Carter forced out as he winced and moaned as Knox began packing the wound that was expelling the most blood.
“Sir, we got the file it was…” Knox said but stopped when Carter passed out. Harris knelt beside Carter with a mass of medical supplies as he checked his pulse.
“Is he…?” Knox asked knowing he didn’t need to finish off that question.
“He just passed out. But his pulse is weak. Go check out the rest of the areas,” Harris said as he turned his attention to Carter.
“Sir, yes Sir,” Knox said as he stood and made his way to the hallway entrance. Sending a flash grenade down the hallway, Knox waited for detonation down the far end before going in. Stepping over dead T.I.7 operatives, making his way past the canteen, there were no enemy threats in sight as Knox continued to sweep the area.
“Keep moving, keep moving, where are you?” Knox whispered to himself. Reaching Rose’s tech lab Knox could just make out a pair of women’s feet under a work bench.
“Tactical officer coming in, show your hand, friendly officer!” Knox called into the trashed lab.
“Don’t shoot, please… don’t shoot!” The familiar yet fraught voice of Isabella called out to Knox.
“Isabella?” Knox shouted as he entered the room making sure it was clear first. Isabella tentatively got up from under the work bench and then ran to Knox, trying to wrap her arms around him.
“Stop! Listen, it’s not safe.” Knox said as he put up a hand. Isabella looked at him and her fearful expression morphed into one of hurt.
“I don’t understand, Lucas,” Isabella said as she backed away.
“No time to explain Isabella, just trust me, why are you in here?” Knox asked her as he looked over all the computers seeing that one hadn’t been smashed.
“I was in the medical tent when I heard gunfire and what sounded like an explosion. I was scared and I hid, but men came. I was so scared Lucas, they killed them…they…killed…” Isabella tried to explain but she burst into tears and Knox didn’t have time for this.
“I want you to wait here, hide back under the bench. I need to make the area safe,” Knox said as he pointed down to her hiding place, ignoring her emotional state.
“No… don’t leave me!” Isabella cried out.
“I will come back for you, I promise when it is safe! Now get down!” Knox said forcefully and began to walk out of the lab taking note that the team members weapon’s cabinets had been opened and raided.
“You promise you will come back?” Isabella said as she got down and under the bench.
“Yes, I said so, didn’t I? I need to clear the area. I will be back,” Knox said from the doorway with a smile he knew never reached his eyes. He felt like a bastard as he didn’t want to leave her on her own but he had no choice.
Knox’s nostrils flared at the stench as he entered the medical area, half of the tents had been set alight and charred black metal frames with only smouldering canvas remained. The sick sight of countless female bodies scorched to a crisp, grouped together in the centre of three of the burnt-out recovery tents. All the girls from the first container they had rescued were now dead.
Knox’s rage hit new levels as he pulled out a face scarf and tied it around his neck as he covered his nose and mouth, trying not to gag on the smell of cooking burnt flesh. All he wanted to do now was find the one responsible and do the same damn thing to him, only being satisfied when watching his body burn!
The medical reception counter had a body slumped over it and it pained Knox to find that it was the cute medic. Knox checked for vitals and on touching her neck he pulled his hand away. Her skin was stone cold, she had been dead for a long time, she was dead before the attack on T.I.7.
The only light in the area that didn’t come from fire and smouldering tents was a white light. Mac’s recovery tent was illuminated from the inside and light was escaping from a gap in the entrance. Unsure of what he would find, he slowly made his way over. Knox checked his magazine was full and his weapon was at the ready.
“Mac!” Knox called out with no response, moving the canvas sheet entrance open with the barrel of his gun. But Knox soon saw that the tent was empty. Moving over to the bed where Mac once lay there was no sign of him, Mac was gone…
The Bull had escaped.
Knox wasn’t surprised being that Mac was the reason for all of this, the mercenaries were his, the killing, the girls, everything from day fucking one was a setup! Mac was El Toro and everything in the file Knox recovered from the Pérez mansion pointed to it. Mac had been working with Pérez for years, he was running the private army Pérez was building to take over the drug cartels. To gain control of the Mediterranean and North African crime rings and God knows what else. Mac’s joining T.I.7 was solely to use them and gain intel, staying one step ahead of everything. But it would seem Mac aka, ‘El Toro’ wanted it all for himself.
Looking up above the empty bed, Knox took a double take before taking in what he saw pinned to the tent wall with a knife. He stared at the photo printout, a photo that had the words ‘Stay away Knox’ scratched into it.
“No…fuck!” The photo was of Dani and Knox, taken on their way into the Gala. Dani looked stunning on Knox’s arm and a rush of emotion hit him like an express train. It was a warning from Mac. He was telling Knox not to come after him or he would hurt him in the worst way possible. After all, the bastard now knew his weakness, his only weakness…
His beautiful Dani.
Then in the mists of his inner turmoil and building rage came a sound that made his heart drop, the sound of death to a soldier.
The click, click… of a hand gun being cocked announced someone was behind Knox.
“Mac.” He muttered the name of his enemy as he closed his eyes and awaited his fate. He had lost his edge. He had let his emotions get the better of him and lost his focus. And now he would pay for that mistake with his life, by someone he once consid
ered a brother…
Or so he thought.
“Not such a stupid spoilt brat, now Knox!” Isabella said in her smug trademark way as she held a hand gun to Knox’s head and began
to squeeze the trigger…
To be continued…
Book 2 of the Lucas Knox series will be available to buy on Amazon from January 2020.
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