Split Second
Page 10
“Alex?” Jonas asked without looking at her. Face buried in intel and operations plans, she managed to bust a thumb up.
“Max, you with me?” he asked the SEAL Team 6’er who was along unofficially by request of Pike. His growl sufficed for acknowledgement. His thoughts were on the detonation charges that they’d use to force entry.
“Bandit, you with me?” The Washington DC Metro cop and outlaw biker gang expert nodded.
The intensity in the cabin was incredible, and they still had over an hour of airtime. Pike knew the routine. Jonas briefed, the team chewed on it a bit, then Jonas briefed again until the briefing became a quiz. He obsessed over every detail until FORCE was actually assaulting the target. Jonas was why FORCE was so successful at executing high-risk operations like this one.
“This isn’t going to be easy, but each one of you has committed. Speed, surprise and violence of action is the only way everyone survives this.” Jonas spoke through gritted teeth. “We're off the radar and unauthorized. FBI and ATF are still ensnared over which team will rescue Cobra. I have no confidence they’ve even laced up their off-the-shelf SWAT boots yet. We gotta be in and out—no questions—no prisoners—no trace of us.”
No prisoners. Jonas had just signed the death warrant for anyone other than the Navy SEAL inside the structure. Pike tried to force a smile for Voodoo, but she looked absolutely okay with the notion. SWAT ops were her specialty and where she felt most comfortable.
“Intel shows Cobra is still being tortured in a secluded structure just north of the city in Westchester County. The Village of Scarsdale sounds quaint, and probably the reason why they chose it. We’re almost thirty miles outside of the city, so no real police presence to contend with. Everything carried is suppressed, except Max’s entry tools.
Black Hawks will drop us at our rendezvous point just off the Bronx River Parkway. We’ll finish gearing up, grab detonation cord, water bladders, oh, C4 and blasting caps just in case, then drive the rest of the way. It's a few miles off White Plains Road.” As usual, Jonas didn’t reference his briefing book—the guy was a machine.
“Who’s the taxi?” Bandit asked.
“NYPD Anti-Terrorism Task Force Agent. Personal friend and one of the white hats,” Alex replied with a crooked smile.
Her CIA career had allowed her to cultivate close relationships with people from every walk of life. She never knew when it might happen, but always expected to be at even the most remote locations in need of an ally. She made people feel invested in America’s safety.
“Once boots hit the ground, I want this done like we rehearsed it at the warehouse,” Jonas said. “No freewheeling. By the time we hike the half-mile to the target, I’ll know which room Cobra’s in. No time wasted telling dirt bags to hit the ground—you drop ‘em.”
Jonas’s sharp hand movements and finger jabbing emphasized each point—his intensity would have to level off before they executed the assault.
“Prep to land,” snapped the young sounding pilot.
“Roger that,” Alex said.
“Remember, drive, hike, assault, rescue, and fly. It’s that damn simple,” Jonas said, again meeting everyone’s eyes. “We were never here. Understood?”
About Louis Scott
Chief of Police (rtd.), Scott blends over 25 years of heart-stopping policing Special Operations experience.
From deep in the heart of south Louisiana’s Cajun Country, his action-packed writing style is seasoned by the Mardi Gras, hurricanes and crawfish étouffée.
Don’t let the easy Creole smile fool you. The author served most of a highly decorated career in SOG buying dope, banging down doors, and busting bad guys.
Bringing characters to life based on those amazing experiences, Scott writes it like he lived it.
Lock and Load – Let’s Roll.
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