Quick and silent, they rushed to position themselves on the outside of the cabin with Tracker at the front door. Lifting the Thunderbolt Monoshock entry ram, Tracker positioned it, then glanced over his shoulder. Fargo was right behind him holding a flashbang grenade. Fuse and Wrath were behind him.
“Three, two, one. Go!” Wrath signaled Tracker to breach the door, Fargo following with the toss of the flash grenade. At the same time, Ghost, Rock, and Wrangler would be doing the same at the back door.
“Fuck!” Fuse turned long enough to glance at Wrath before falling against the outside of the cabin, blood seeping from a wound to his leg as a barrage of gunfire hit the cabin.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dropping, Tracker and Fargo flattened themselves against the wood deck, trying to avoid the distinct blasts of UZIs. Wrath fell over Fuse, forming a protective cover from the continuing barrage of bullets hitting the cabin.
“We’re taking fire. Eagle down.” Wrath’s notice sent the entire team into a flurry of rote actions. They’d practiced for the event of unidentified tangos many times over the years, encountered the situation in combat more than they could recall.
Returning fire as best as they could with the continued blasts of the UZIs, the three searched for better cover.
“Wrath. Over here.” Tracker motioned to a sheet of unstained plywood between him and the others. Lifting it, he rolled into the darkness below. It may not provide much cover, but the open space below the deck was better than being riddled with bullets topside.
“Fargo. Follow Tracker.”
“Negative, sir. I’ll provide cover for you and Fuse.” Without waiting for Wrath’s response, Fargo leveraged up on his elbows, sending a shower of bullets in a short arc in front of the cabin. “Go, sir,” he ground out, loud enough for Wrath to hear.
Dragging the almost dead weight of Fuse, he inched toward the opening as Fargo sent another blast into the darkness. Dropping below, he felt Fargo help push Fuse in behind him. A short shower of bullets burst through the night an instant before Fargo dropped through the opening.
Less than three feet high, the front and sides were shielded by several thick bushes. Still, a well-aimed bullet could find any of them. Not ideal, but better than being targets in a carnival booth.
“Fargo and Tracker. Provide cover while I tend to Fuse’s leg.” Applying pressure, Wrath heard the distinct crack of Gunner’s M4 rifle, then Moses’s, accompanied by the screams of fallen men.
“Ghost. SITREP.”
“We made it inside, Wrath. Back right bedroom. Returning fire. At least one tango down, with maybe three more from what I can tell.”
“Dani?”
“Not in this room. Rex and Chad are keeping us locked down in our current location. I plan to bust into the hall with Wrangler and Rock providing cover.”
“Negative, Ghost. We’re returning fire. Gunner and Moses are on the move, picking off targets. Give us another minute.”
“Too long, Wrath. Any moment, Rex is going to realize he can use Dani as cover. I will not let that happen.”
“Hold, Ghost. That’s a direct order.”
“It may be too fucking long.”
“We’ll get your girl, man.”
“Ghost, three tangos moving directly toward the back door.” Grayson’s voice rang through the comm units.
“Roger that, Admiral.” Ghost moved to the side of one of two windows, Rock and Wrangler doing the same with the second. Peeking out, he held up a hand. On three, the men aimed through the broken glass. “Two down. Third is on the run. Wrath?”
“Returning fire from under the porch. Fuse is down.” Wrath silently cursed himself for not bringing Doc. An ex-SEAL and licensed doctor, Jon Makepeace could take care of a patient and fend off approaching tangos at the same time.
“Clear and secure,” Gunner announced, indicating the threat from the front had been neutralized.
“Tracker and Fargo. Ghost needs our support from the front to grab Dani.”
“We’re on it, Prez,” Tracker answered.
They didn’t return through the opening in the deck. Moving forward through the line of bushes concealing the deck supports, the two stayed low. Finding the area clear, they aimed at the front door, completing short blasts while moving up the steps.
“Tracker and Fargo are going in the front, Ghost. You’re a go to snatch Dani and get the hell out of there.”
“Roger. Clear to go.”
At Ghost’s words, Tracker tossed another flashbang grenade through the opening in the door while Fargo showered the front room of the house through a broken glass window.
A feral cry from inside accompanied a blast of gunfire, followed by a frag grenade tossed through a window to land at Tracker’s feet. Without thought, he kicked it into the open, he and Fargo crouching when it exploded midair.
“Too damn close, man.” Rising, Fargo again plastered himself against the outside wall. Counting down, the two burst through the front door.
“Shit.” Tracker whirled at a sharp pain in his arm, placing a quick shot in the chest of a man several feet away. The bullet didn’t stop Chad Fisher from charging toward him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tracker caught a glimpse of Fargo aiming and firing before Fisher crashed into him. The burn of the bullet to his arm sizzled. Refusing to let it stop him, Tracker shoved the palm of his hand into the man’s nose, feeling the cartilage crack. A momentary pause gave him enough time to draw his knife, plunging it into Fisher’s thigh.
Vaguely, he heard shouts, more gunfire, and the pounding of boots before Fisher’s weight lifted off him. A blurry image of Fargo was the last he saw before blackness claimed him.
“Fucking hell.” Ghost burst from the back room, moving to the next door. Kicking it open, he sensed Rock beside him as they aimed their M4s inside. Nothing.
Fargo rushed toward them. “Did you see him?”
“Who?” Rock asked.
“Rex Barnes. He ran this way.”
“No, dammit.” Ghost glanced down the empty hall. “Why the hell didn’t you follow?”
“Fisher got lucky. Put a bullet in Tracker’s arm. I had to take care of Fisher before stopping the flow of blood. Moses is with him now.” Turning slowly, Fargo shook his head. “Did you find Dani?”
“No,” Ghost hissed. “Which means he’s got her squirreled away somewhere else.”
“Dammit. I saw him come this way. You had to have run right into him. Unless…” Fargo started at one end of the wide, paneled hallway, knocking on the wall as he passed. Catching Fargo’s intent, Ghost and Rock joined him.
“What’s going on?” Wrangler walked toward them.
“Don’t stand there. Check for a hidden door or passage.” Ghost thumped the wall every few inches.
“Here.” Rock set down his M4, tracing a slight crack between wood panels.
Ghost and Fargo came up next to him, pressing the wall, testing for a hidden latch.
“Got it.” Ghost set down his weapon, catching the edge of a door as it swung open. Pulling his SIG P226 9mm handgun from its holster, he stared down at the narrow stairway.
Rock moved close enough to touch Ghost’s shoulder “There is a damn basement.”
“Wrath?”
“I’ve got you, Ghost.”
“Fargo, Rock, and I found a hidden door leading to a basement. We’re going to follow. Wrangler will continue to search for Dani up here.”
“Watch for hidden triggers. He’s a devious bastard. My guess is he has a safe room down there. Lots of weapons and ammo.”
“We’ve got this.” Ghost held the SIG in front of him, navigating the narrow passage. Rock and Fargo followed.
Ghost’s senses were on high alert. A whiff of something familiar caught his attention. Dani’s scent. A mixture of shampoo, soap, and one other scent uniquely hers.
“She’s down here.” Continuing down, he bent to miss hitting his head on the low ceiling before stepping onto the cement flo
or. If not for the night vision goggles, they’d be blind.
“Over there.” Rock pointed his SIG toward the far wall where an almost imperceptible ribbon of light was exposed on one side.
Ghost walked straight for it, Rock and Fargo flanking him. Studying the construction, he let out a relieved breath, lowering his voice even more.
“Damn. It’s a hidey-hole. Not a safe room. But the door is fortified and possibly soundproof.” He shot a look at Fargo. “What do you have?”
“We can’t use anything more than the entry ram without risking harm to Dani. I’ll be right back.” Fargo bounded up the steps.
“You know once the door is breached, we’ll be facing Rex with a gun to Dani’s head. He’ll try to negotiate his way out of here.”
Jaw working, Ghost nodded. “I’ll do whatever’s necessary to get Dani out of here alive.”
“That’s a given. I’m talking about how we go about it.”
Ghost’s gaze landed on Rock’s gun. “Are you still as good with your SIG as I remember?”
A cocky grin lifted one corner of Rock’s mouth. “Better.”
“Good.” He turned at the sound of Fargo racing down the stairs, Tracker’s entry ram in his hand.
Ghost checked his magazine once more. “All right. This is how we play it.”
“On my signal, Fargo breaches the door, tosses in a tear gas riot grenade, then steps aside for Rock and me. Are we agreed?”
The two nodded, determined expressions creasing their already lined faces.
“Wrath, we’re ready.”
“Men are in place up here. Are you sure you don’t want more support downstairs?”
“Negative,” Ghost bit out, his body pulsing with the need to rescue his girl and head home. “If all goes as planned, we’ll be joining you upstairs in less than five minutes.”
“On your order, Ghost.”
A quick glance and nod at Rock and Fargo sent the quickly devised plan into action.
It all happened as if in slow motion. Fargo used the ram to create a hole in the door big enough to pitch in the tear gas grenade, then moved out of the way. Ghost replaced him in the doorway, SIG moving around the room.
“What the hell?” Rock asked from over Ghost’s shoulder.
They stepped into a small, empty room. Along two sides were doors built half the normal height, locked with what appeared to be standard deadbolt locks.
“This is surreal.” Fargo moved forward, ready to reach out when Ghost’s hand gripped his arm.
“Booby trap.”
Stepping away, Fargo heeded Ghost’s warning. “Fuse is our main EOD and is out with a leg wound.”
“You’re his backup, Fargo. Can you handle this?” Rock asked before Ghost could.
“Hell yeah, I can.” He patted the EOD tool kit at his side. “Give me some room and be ready with cover.”
Fargo moved to the first door on the right. Drilling a small hole to peer inside, he checked for an explosive. Seeing none, he pulled a simple tool from his kit, releasing the lock. Motioning to Ghost and Rock to step back, he turned the knob, shoving the door open to reveal an empty room.
Methodically, he moved to the second door, again finding nothing. Scooting to the third door, a warning rushed through him, spotting the miniature IED with a tripwire. Compact and slim, it was attached to one side of the knob, not visible until you came upon it. Removing the wire, he shifted it back to the IED, eliminating the danger of detonation.
Sensing Ghost and Rock behind him, Fargo pushed the door open. Jaws dropping, breath catching, they stepped inside. Ghost shoved his SIG into its holster, dropping down beside Dani. Checking her pulse, lifting her eyelids, he knew in an instant his girl had been drugged.
“She’s alive.” Scooping her into his arms, he stood, stalking from the room, Rock and Fargo following.
“What about the fourth door?” Fargo asked.
“We’ll come back down once I get Dani settled upstairs. Wrath needs to know about what we found.”
Ghost’s boot hit the bottom step when a loud explosion rocked the area around them. It sent him sprawling up the stairway while Rock and Fargo were slammed against nearby walls.
Groaning, Ghost stared down at Dani’s face, seeing a thin line of blood streaming down her face. Righting himself, he shifted, his worried gaze moving over his teammates.
Shaking his head, Rock shoved himself up before crossing the room to kneel beside Fargo. “He’s out, but I don’t feel any broken bones. Probably concussed. You go ahead with Dani. I’ll get Fargo to the top.”
Giving a brisk nod, Ghost hurried up the steps. By the time he reached Wrath and the other men, Dani began to stir. A few minutes later, when Rock laid an unconscious Fargo on the floor, her eyes opened.
Confused, mind hazy, she blinked several times before her gaze landed on Ghost.
“Wha…what happened?”
Ghost could see the panicked expression in her eyes. “You’ve been drugged, Dani. I don’t know how long you’ve been out.”
Lines of fear marred the corners of her mouth. “Drugged? I…don’t remember.” Glancing around the room at the other men watching them, she squirmed, using her hands to lightly push at his chest. “Please, put me down.”
“You’re still under the effects of the drug.”
“I’m fine, Ghost. Now, please put me down.”
Wrangler heard the interchange, watched Ghost struggle with what to do. Moving closer, he got to within a foot of them. He had no idea what drug Rex used, but whatever it was, she’d need time to come down from its effects.
Resigned, Ghost set her feet on the floor, holding her steady until she regained her balance. Looking up at him, something flickered in her eyes, as if recalling some of what transpired the last couple days. A flash of disappointment mixed with pain crossed her face before she turned away, stepping into Wrangler’s arms.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ghost paced the length of his living room, agitation seeping from his pores. Almost a week had passed since they’d returned to Liberty Lake, the entire team still on edge.
They’d made a complete sweep of the house, including the hidden rooms downstairs. The explosion had come from the fourth locked room. While Wrangler watched Dani, Ghost, Rock, Fargo, and Wrath headed down the stairs.
Finding a tunnel behind the blown door had been a surprise. Knowing Rex had escaped through it, still posing a threat to Dani, infuriated them.
Fargo had discovered the fragments of an IED, which meant Rex had taken a detonator with him or had set the bomb to go off before escaping. It had been a masterful plan, and the Brethren hadn’t discovered it until too late.
They’d followed the tunnel until it ended a quarter of a mile west, opening into a well-concealed spot. Not far away, Rock discovered the distinct tracks of a vehicle traveling a narrow trail to the highway.
There was good news. The injuries to Fuse’s leg and Tracker’s arm were both through-and-through shots. It wouldn’t take either long to recover.
Sipping his coffee, Ghost glanced down the hall toward the bedroom where Dani slept. He’d been surprised she hadn’t argued when Wrath announced Sully’s wishes she return to Ghost’s house. Pleasantly stunned when she’d promised not to run again.
A rotation of other club members had been established. Gunner, Moses, and Fargo each took twenty-four hours at a time partnering with Ghost to provide protection. They weren’t delusional. The threat of Rex returning for her was as real as snow falling in December.
Dani had kept busy in Ghost’s gym, reading, cooking, and using a burner phone to keep in touch with her father and friends. Twice, Ghost and one of the other men had flanked her when she pleaded to go for a run. She’d returned more relaxed, talking easily with whichever Brethren had gone with them.
Although Dani had been cordial with Ghost, they’d yet to get past the fact he’d passed off his responsibility for her to Gunner and Fargo. It had been the last straw in a series of de
cisions where she had no vote. He hadn’t even been given time to explain the choice hadn’t been up to him. It had been one hundred percent Wrath and Grayson. Still, Ghost took a hundred percent of the blame. He hadn’t fought hard enough to keep her with him. If he had, she never would’ve felt the need to run, Rex wouldn’t have had the opportunity to take her, and they wouldn’t be dancing around each other, neither making the first attempt to clear the air.
Ali had brought Raider over a couple times after visits to the burn center. He’d improved a great deal since coming home. If the progress continued, the doctor estimated he’d be back to active service within two months. Which meant Ali would be leaving for Pine Glen soon.
Grabbing the ringing phone from his pocket, he saw Rock’s name, stomach clenching. “Any news on Rex?”
“None. The man ghosted on us. Nothing from monitoring his facility in Texas. Not a word about Chad’s death. Raider and Wrangler continue checking chatter, but have come up with nothing. The consensus is he’s back with his team in Africa, training men on both sides of the various conflicts.”
“Whoever has the money gets his attention.”
Rock snorted a harsh chuckle. “Even if they’re on opposite sides of the same conflict. How’s it going with Dani?”
“Not bad. Not good. Different day, same tune, man.”
“You’ve got to tell her how it all went down with Grayson and Wrath. She understands the chain of command. The choice wasn’t yours.”
Ghost glanced down the hall again. “I should’ve fought harder.”
“And Grayson would’ve shipped your ass back to Coronado, Virginia, or Hawaii. You did what you had to. As I recall, the admiral hasn’t cleared you for active duty. You do not want to jeopardize his approval.”
Hearing a door open down the hall, his attention switched from Rock to Dani. “My girl’s finally emerged from her cave.”
“Talk to her, man.”
Seeing her gaze lift to his, he felt his stomach clench at the tiny smile curving her lips. This time, it didn’t falter when she walked into the kitchen.
“I hear you, man. Get in touch if you learn anything.”
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