Mitch: An Eidolon Black Ops Novel

by Maddie Wade

  Chapter Nineteen

  He would’ve liked to have seen Autumn before he left, but the window was short, especially as there seemed to be a lot of comings and goings from the Cobras’ base. Will had been monitoring the farm with unarmed aerial vehicles commonly known as UAVs from Eidolon while Lopez kept watch on the Cobras.

  It was useful for intelligence gathering, but now it was time to act. They’d take the chopper from Hereford at nine o’clock that night and land ten miles north of the farm. Bebe and Astrid would stay with Autumn and Maggie overnight, and Nate would be on call if they needed him. Aubrey was going to pick them up the following morning and drive them into Eidolon where Zack had agreed to meet her and stay with her until they were back.

  Mitch had kitted out in the same black clothing as the rest of the team, with his personal body armour underneath, a black helmet with built-in comms, and NVGs. His weapon of choice was his MP5SDs with hollow-point rounds to make sure they didn’t over-penetrate and hit a friendly. He also carried a Glock 17 sidearm as well as three K-Bar knives.

  “What are the ROE?” Mitch wanted to be fully aware of the rules of engagement on this op as he didn’t want blowback.

  “Engage on contact, but no kill shots unless fired upon. Alex will run command on the takedown at the Cobras’ base, and I’ll run point at the farm. Alex, Blake, Reid, and Deck are with you.” Jack nodded at Alex. “Mitch, Waggs, Liam, you’re with me. Lopez will run comms with Will.”

  Mitch looked around the helo as they waited to land. Jack had decided that having two bulletproof Range Rovers take them in was preferable than getting too close with the chopper.

  “We all good?”

  A round of nods happened as the chopper flown by Liam landed in a field owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and sanctioned by the Palace for use on this mission. Mitch was quiet as they got in separate vehicles and headed for the farm and the Cobras’ base. He’d asked not to go on that op, worry he’d have to engage someone he knew from his past hanging over him. He would’ve done it, but Mitch didn’t believe in making life difficult when it wasn’t necessary. The fact the Cobras still had the same group of garages on the estate where he’d grown up, despite them dripping in money now, was a statement.

  As they approached the farm, Jack killed the lights a mile out and then half a mile later they hid the vehicle in a wooded area before hiking the rest of the way. They were on comms only now and using NVGs to see, the green hue casting an eerie light on the trees and countryside around them.

  Jack lifted a fist, and they all stopped, hunkering low on the perimeter of the farm closest to the warehouse which housed the suspected chemical weapons. A group of six vehicles drove in and over twenty-five men walked out of the warehouse and got into the cars before they drove away into the night. That left just four guards on the outside, the heat signatures confirmed by Will.

  Mitch waited while Jack checked his watch. The plan was to wait until everyone was in position and hit them all at once. Hench, Anton, and Midas had been confirmed going into the Cobras, if Linton was there it was a bonus. Still, he’d hardly left his mansion which was six clicks east of here in a fucking gated community.

  It was impossible with their limited manpower to hit all three locations, and the priority right now was to grab Hench, Midas, and Anton because without his lieutenants Linton would come out in the open where he’d be exposed, and they could grab him as well. That he hadn’t left the house in two days was good in that they at least knew where the fucker was.

  “On my count.” Jack crouched his fist raised. “Go.”

  They were moving fast, keeping low to the ground as Mitch and Waggs moved off to the left to cover the rear exit. As he stepped into the light, he heard the explosion from the front of the building, set off by Pyro and heard the commotion as the guards went running. As expected, two of them moved to the back door and began firing.

  Mitch held back with Waggs four feet to his left returning fire. He could hear as Liam and Jack engaged the guards near the front. A bullet hit close to his right, the wood splintering and bouncing off his helmet before his bullet hit true and the first man went down from a headshot. The plan was they would take some of the men alive and question them.

  “One down,” he called over the comms.

  Waggs hit the second, managing a leg shot as Mitch rushed forward and kicked the gun clear before Waggs bound his hands and legs after a quick check of the wound.

  “He’ll be fine, it’s just a flesh wound.”

  The sounds of Jack and Liam taking the others out flew over the comms. Happy that the guard was secure, Mitch eased his way inside, lifting his goggles as the harsh lights almost blinded him. The inside the of the space was like a production line, with stations set up containing scales and other drug paraphernalia as they moved towards the front where Liam and Jack were clearing the stacked boxes of any threats. Mitch saw more evidence of cocaine, including a multitude of different distribution methods.

  “Look!”

  Waggs pointed towards an office space on the second level which was accessed by a mezzanine and gallery area. Most probably an overseer would watch from the there. No cameras had been detected inside, and the lack of guards worried him. Something didn’t sit right with this.

  Mitch walked up the metal gridded steps and to the office space where he found a locked door.

  “Break it open,” Jack demanded, and they all stepped back while Liam did the honours.

  The lock gave after a few attempts with an axe and what they saw made him shudder. Fridges full of chemicals, centrifuges, syringes, glass burettes, cylinders, not to mention Hydrogen Cyanide, Methylamine, atropine and pralidoxime chloride—it was a fucking nightmare.

  “This looks like a loaded weapon.” Jack spun, his face frowning. “But it’s not enough. This could harm a hundred people, but the volumes they’ve been buying would be enough to knock out a football stadium.”

  Liam frowned. “You think we’re too late?”

  “Or too early.” Jack walked to the desk flicking through the papers. “Let’s get all this photographed for evidence and get these two assholes back to base for questioning.”

  Waggs cocked his head. “We gonna leave the drugs?”

  “For now. I don’t think this is what we’re looking for. I think this is a dummy warehouse.”

  “You mean a second base?” Mitch asked dread settling in his belly like a stone.

  “Not sure but this feels wrong.” Jack waved his hand in the air. “Let’s move. I don’t want to be here longer than necessary.”

  He wasn’t sure if it was Jack’s words or his actions, but Mitch was on edge as he took pictures of everything in the make-shift lab. Not even hearing that Alex’s team had secured Anton, Midas, and Hench made the unease leave his chest.

  They walked the two prisoners back through the farmland, the dead bodies of the other two carried between them. A clean-up crew they used would collect them and do what was needed which usually involved a faked accident in these cases.

  Eidolon never regretted the lives they took to keep the world safe, but they tried to make sure that it was more comfortable on the families if they could. These men had been nothing but paid pawns, and their families shouldn’t suffer for that.

  Tipping the dead men into the boot, they secured the other two and headed back towards the helo. They would liaise with a contact from SIS, the secret intelligence service, and then head home. Until then, they had a safehouse they could use twenty miles out from here in the middle of an industrial estate. It was an ex-trap house, disused for years, so Eidolon had bought it and made it secure.

  Once the clean-up crew had taken the bodies, Mitch checked his watch, wondering if it was too early to call Autumn. He was surprised to see it was already eight am. He knew she might be on her way to work with Aubrey. It was weird that he missed her so much after only one night apart, but it was the truth. He shot her a quick text to say good morning and tell her he and everyone w
ere safe and well and smiled when his phone rang in his hand, her name on the display.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi, is everyone really okay?”

  “Would I lie to you?”

  There was a moment of silence at his question. “No, you wouldn’t. I trust you, Mitch.”

  “Good because everyone is fine. We got some of what we needed and should be headed home in the next hour or two. How’s my girl?”

  Mitch stepped into the living room where Waggs was sleeping sitting up in the chair, his one eye opening as Mitch walked in. Jack and Alex were in the control room with Will and Liam, and Reid was guarding the two men they’d taken who were so far staying silent.

  “I assume you mean Maggie.”

  “Of course. You’re my woman, not my girl.”

  He heard the ownership in his voice and then her sigh, the pleasure in the sound evident. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of the sound of her voice. His hands itched to hold her, to kiss her to just be with her.

  “She was a little fussy last night. I think she missed you too.”

  “I’ll be home soon.”

  “Okay. Aubrey says hello.”

  “Hi, Aubrey.”

  “Oh.”

  Mitch sat straighter at her tone, the knot of apprehension curling in his gut like a snake. “What is it?”

  “There’s a car stopped in the middle of the road.”

  He heard Aubrey calling to the driver, and his instincts screamed at him. “Autumn tell Aubrey to get out of there. It’s a trap.” The room seemed to tunnel so that only her voice mattered as he strained to hear everything.

  “Aubrey. Oh my god.” Terror rang in her voice before a gunshot echoed in his ear and then a scream penetrated the air, and ice flooded his veins.

  Waggs was beside him in a second sensing his fear. “Autumn? Autumn!” he called as the commotion over the line told him his nightmare was coming true.

  The silence stretched and then Mitch heard a voice that had aged over the years but still had the familiar undercurrent of intelligence and swagger.

  “I guess you’re not as clever as you think you are, Mitch.” Linton Allen’s voice pierced his brain like a knife as his heart beat in his throat.

  “Don’t you fucking hurt her, or I swear to god I’ll rip your fucking heart out with my bare hands.” He felt the vein in his head pop as his fist clenched around the phone as if it were Linton’s neck

  The room was filling his teammates hearing his raised voice. His eyes found Will’s and they mirrored how he felt.

  “I won’t kill her. I need her. But the cop and the brat, well, no promises there.”

  The click of the line was like an explosion in his ear. Mitch raised his eyes to Will.

  “They have them. Linton has Autumn, Aubrey, and Maggie.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The sound of crying wrenched her from the darkness of unconsciousness with a jolt. Autumn fought to sit up as Maggie’s cries pierced her brain, the pain in her head making her thoughts feel as if they were wrapped in candy floss. Lifting her hand to her head, she snapped open her eyes when she felt the thick metal cuffs around her wrist and memory flooded back.

  Her breathing came fast, an onslaught of emotions hit her with the force of a truck. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she realised she was in a small cellar. The walls rough, damp concrete, the bed she was on a fold-away camping cot with a threadbare mattress. Autumn frantically looked around for Maggie, her heart beating wildly, her gut rolling with the bitter acid of bile and terror.

  Her baby was nowhere in sight, but she could see a light which she thought was coming from a door at the top of some steps, the source of her baby’s cries. Her motherly instinct shot through her as she fell to her knees in her attempt to get to Maggie. Her legs were unbound, and she kept her cuffed hands in front of her as she traversed the darkness, her eyes taking longer than she’d like to adjust.

  The effects of whatever Allen had shot into her veins making her movements and reactions slow as she crawled up the steps on hands on knees. Her mind flew from thought to thought, not able to stay focused on her task as snapshots of memory tore into her mind’s eye.

  Allen stepping up to the car, his gun held steady in front of him. Aubrey’s scream as she tried to defend her and Maggie and then the silence as the bullet tore through her friend’s abdomen, the blood and shock on her face as she’d looked at Autumn with an apology as if she could have foreseen this. Autumn felt the tears sting the back of her throat as she remembered the horror in Mitch’s voice when he’d realised what was going on just a split second before Linton Allen had shot Aubrey.

  Finally reaching the top of the wooden steps she felt the breeze of air under the door, saw the light and realised she could no longer hear her baby crying. Anxiety tore through her as she imagined all of the reasons why her child was now silent.

  Lifting her hand, her fear for herself gone, she hammered on the door with the flat of her hand.

  “Let me out.” Her palm slapped loudly, and she heard cursing behind the door and a shadow move closer. “Allen, I swear to god if you hurt her, I’ll hunt you down.” She screamed until her voice was hoarse and the sound of Maggie crying again had her body sagging in sweet relief.

  The lock sliding open on the door had her bracing, moving slightly to the side, so she had the wall for support. Biker booted feet came into view as her gaze travelled up denim-clad legs, a muscular body covered by a white t-shirt then up to the cold, intelligent eyes of Linton Allen.

  He cradled Maggie in his arms, who was sucking a dummy that must have been in her bag. Autumn assessed her baby for any signs of injury or pain, her fists clenching with rage that this man dared to touch her. When she found nothing, she blew out the barest of tremulous breaths.

  “Stand up.” Allen raised his chin, his lip curling in a sneer as he stepped back to give her room. Autumn fought the jagged fury inside her that threatened to rob her of any self-preservation. With her hand pressed to the wall, she lifted from her knees and took a shaky step forward. He didn’t hold a gun on her as she stepped into the light, airy kitchen with cream cabinets and black marble work surfaces.

  Autumn felt disjointed as she looked around at what was essentially a family home, a large beautiful family home. “Give me my baby.” Autumn bit her bottom lip at the way her voice broke, holding her empty arms out for her baby.

  “Not yet. First, you need to do something for me.”

  Allen didn’t look like a monster, and yet she’d watched him shoot her husband in cold blood. His features were strong, high cheekbones, mesmerising brown eyes and short-cropped hair. He would’ve had the world at his feet as intelligent and handsome as he was, but he’d chosen the wrong path.

  “What do you want from me?” Her arms fell to her front, the metal of the cuffs rubbing her skin raw. Allen leaned against the counter as Maggie drifted off to sleep in his arms, totally unaware of the danger she faced.

  “The formula your husband was working on has a flaw. I need you to fix it.”

  Autumn shook her head slightly. “I can’t just pick up a formula and fix it. That kind of thing takes months of work and I’d need all his research and data analysis.”

  “You speak like you have a choice, Autumn.” The sneer in his voice was mocking and made her take a step forward. His raised eyebrow stopped her short and his mouth quirked into a grin.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Because it’s the only way to end this.” His voice shook with emotion before he took a breath.

  “End what?” Autumn had a feeling in the pit of her belly that she wasn’t seeing the entire picture.

  “First you agree to help me then I’ll tell you.”

  “Give me Maggie.” Autumn knew she was in no position to be making demands, but she had to try at least.

  Allen spun, grabbing a gun from the counter behind him and she froze, sickness forcing its way up her throat, but then he threw her a key. �
�Un cuff yourself.”

  Autumn did as he asked, making slow movements before dropping the metal shackles to the ground. Allen moved quickly, making her jump, but instead of a blow, she felt the weight of her baby in her arms. Never had it felt so good as she hugged her tightly to her body, taking in the clean scent of her child, the ache in her chest easing.

  “She’s been fed and changed.” Autumn looked at the man before her with utter confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  Allen hitched up on to the barstool at the breakfast bar. “I’m everything they say I am, Autumn. I’m a killer, I torture people and hurt them, but I didn’t kill your husband, and I’d never hurt a child, not ever,” he enunciated with venom.

  “I saw you kill Terrell.”

  “No, you saw Anton kill Terrell, except he made it look like it was me.” He shook his head slowly. “Think about it, Autumn. Who was the first person to arrive at your house after Terrell was killed?”

  Autumn thought back to that night, suddenly questioning what she’d seen. It had been dark as Terrell shoved her into the closet. She remembered Allen slamming the door open, seeing him in profile, the tattoo on his hand clearly visible, his hair and height an exact match.

  “But I saw your tattoo. It was you.”

  “Who pointed out the tattoo as being mine?”

  Anton, he’d been the one to find her, to ask if the shooter had a tattoo or any distinguishing marks.

  Autumn looked up as the sudden realisation hit. “But why?”

  “Terrell got cold feet, wanted out, but Anton needed him to finish the formula. Then he hit on the idea to involve you instead.”

  “But why frame you? You run the Onyx Cobras. He’s nothing but a soldier.”