Men of Mercy: The Complete Story

by Cross, Lindsay

  Pansy.

  “Boss, sounds like she might not have had a choice,” Hunter offered quietly.

  “Really? You don’t think she could have made the choice to tell me when she first got the message? Or when she gave us the coordinates of a fake airport so that Mankel could have us killed?”

  “Maybe,” Hunter shrugged and fell silent. “She seemed pretty eager to talk to you just now.”

  Maybe? What the hell kind of answer was that? Well, it didn’t fucking matter. Nothing mattered except getting to Jack Mankel and planting a bullet between his black eyes.

  “It doesn’t matter. What matters now is we know it’s an ambush. He will have men there waiting. And he is tracking us through her cell phone. He’s been tracking us all along.”

  What Mack didn’t understand was how. He’d checked himself and Marley didn’t have a signal. There definitely weren’t any cell phone towers in the middle of the jungle.

  “Mind if I take a look?” Ethan asked.

  Mack handed off the cell phone to the tech genius and waited for him to do his magic. Ethan quickly hacked into the phone. “He’s using a satellite service through her GPS. Don’t want to admit it, but the man’s got some serious gonads with this high-tech shit. Our intel people just got this technology last year. Cutting-edge.”

  “Here’s our challenge. We have to make it look like we’re unaware of Mankel’s plan, but we still have to get to that location before his men do and set up our own welcome party.”

  Marley shifted and drew his attention. Mack narrowed his gaze at her in warning before returning it to his men. “Someone’s going to have to stay here with the GPS and then head in that direction in the morning.”

  “We’ll be traveling at night. It’s gonna be dangerous.” Hunter’s mouth thinned into a straight line.

  “Good thing we aren’t Marines, otherwise we’d get lost,” Ranger said.

  Jared Crowe, who had transferred into the unit from Marines special operations command, punched Ranger in the shoulder. “Marines can see in the dark, everybody knows that.”

  Ranger rubbed his upper arm and smiled. “You’ve got them mixed up with the Rangers.”

  Merc cut in, his deep voice silencing the group, “Everyone knows the special operations group wipes the floor with both of you.”

  Normally Mack could enjoy their banter, but right now he couldn’t enjoy a damn thing. It was all he could do not to stare at Marley. She was wound so tight, she was ready to explode.

  “I’ll stay behind,” Aaron offered.

  “Perfect. Hunter, let’s see that map.” Mack waited on Hunter to pull out his topographic map and spread it out on the ground. Ranger clicked on his flashlight and Mack crouched beside him. “Should take us about four hours to make it in the dark. Aaron, you start heading out about two hours before sunset. When you get close, toss the phone and rendezvous with me here.” Mack dragged his finger to the south side of the location. “Jared and Hoyt, I want you up in the trees. You can signal when Mankel’s group arrives.”

  “Ranger, Ethan, and I will set up on the west to lay down heat from that direction,” Hunter said. “Merc, you stick with the colonel so we can cross those suckers out without them even knowing where we are. Hoyt and Jared can pick off the stragglers from the trees and we’ll decimate Mankel’s team.”

  Hunter’s hand curled into a tight fist. This mission meant as much to his team as it did to Mack. Jack Mankel had ultimately been responsible for Shane’s death and had betrayed them all. He’d kidnapped their women, too, and now it was time for him to pay.

  “No! You can’t do that.” Marley ran to Mack’s side and gripped his shoulder, her nails digging into his arm through his T-shirt.

  Mack carefully peeled her fingers back before answering her. He couldn’t stay cold and hard when she touched him. “Why not?”

  If she was going to in some way defend the men who worked for Jack Mankel . . .

  “Because then he’ll know I tipped you off and he’ll—Maddie—” Marley cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest, the gesture defensive and self-soothing. “He will have my daughter killed.”

  Shit, he didn’t want to admit it, but she was right. If they went in with guns blazing, there’d be no way to hide the truth, especially since Mankel would be closely monitoring the situation.

  They’d have to do this the old-fashioned way. “She’s right. We’ll have to go in quiet, get them alone, so they can’t alert Mankel, and then separate the leader from the pack and keep him alive.”

  Merc pulled a long black knife from the sheath strapped to his ankle and lifted the blade. The glow from the flashlight cast shadows across the blade and his face, making him look more Grim Reaper than a man.

  “That’s my kind of style.”

  Chapter 25

  Mack led his troops through the jungle in complete silence; they used minimal hand gestures to coordinate movements. With the help of the thick moss undergrowth that covered the jungle floor, their footsteps were completely undetectable. When the occasional step went wide, the rustling of the leaves was louder than they were. With their faces painted black and their gear uniforms just as dark, only the whites of their eyes were visible. Mack had even painted Marley’s face black, and she’d stood there silently, not protesting the oily grease they used for camouflage.

  Riser stayed at the back of the group just behind Marley, keeping guard on her and protecting her. Mack had put himself at the front, keeping distance between them and pretending not to check over his shoulder every few minutes.

  When they were within one klick of the location, Mack held up a fist and then flattened his palm and pushed it down toward the earth. His men stopped and crouched, their bodies completely hidden in the thick vegetation.

  The only drawback to this plan was they didn’t know how Mankel’s men would be making their approach. They’d have to rely on their senses and instincts, something they did continuously anyway, but not with tracking. Without a GPS or radio or any type of satellite imagery, they were going in completely blind. Again. And with the inky blackness still blotting out visibility within six inches from their faces, they’d have to use the tools that Mother Nature had given them.

  Mack circled his finger in the air; his men pulled in closer. Delivering his orders in a whisper, he said, “Split into two teams. Place traps. I want to know where those bastards are as soon as possible.”

  His men nodded their agreement. Then Hunter tapped Ranger, Hoyt, and Jared on their shoulders and pointed to the east.

  Mack gestured to the rest of the men and then pointed to the west. Then he made another wordless motion, telling Riser to keep Marley low and stay in place. Riser gently took her arm and drew her back to the nearest tree. Marley’s eyes latched on to Mack, pleading.

  Mack hardened himself to that look, which made him want to go to her and tell her that everything was going to be all right. She didn’t need the gentle civilian now, she needed the bloodthirsty warrior. She needed him to protect her daughter.

  They circled the location, which turned out to be nothing more than a hut in the middle of the jungle, about a ten-foot clearing all the way around. A team of assassins could easily use the location to their advantage to take out an approaching enemy. If Marley hadn’t told them about the ambush, his men could’ve easily been picked off.

  They quickly laid sticks and twigs across most of the ground circling the location so that anyone approaching would have no choice but to step on them and alert Mack and his team to their whereabouts. Once they finished that, they hunkered down on opposite sides of the hut deep in the woods and waited.

  Two hours before sunrise, Mack heard the first snap off to his left, back toward where they’d left Riser and Marley. Mack gestured for his men to follow him. He had to trust that Hunter and his team had heard it as well and were closing in the noose from the opposite direction. And, though the thought made his heart throb in his chest, he would also have to trust that
Riser would keep Marley safe from harm. After moving about fifty meters in a crouched walk, they went to the ground, pulling themselves forward on their elbows and stomachs. In order for their plan to work, they would have to completely avoid detection.

  A pair of black boots appeared about a foot in front of him and Mack froze.

  The assassins stood completely still. They definitely weren’t stupid. Only well-trained men could be so quiet and patient. They probably sensed Mack’s team but didn’t have a location on them.

  Long minutes stretched out as not a single man moved on either team.

  Then one of the assassins spoke, his voice low but easily heard in the night air. “They’re still at their camp. We better set up a perimeter and get into position.”

  There was no verbal response, but Mack could sense the current shifting around him. Silent as ghosts, the assassins began moving forward, the line of men splitting—half heading left, half heading right. They were probably setting up the exact same type of attack Mack had originally planned, lay down heavy crossfire and blow them all to hell. But that’s what you got for being one step behind. These men would never get the chance to complete their mission. Mack leaned back, glanced over his shoulder, and signaled for Merc to move first. Even though he was the biggest man on Mack’s team, he moved like a feather on the wind and killed with the accuracy of an assassin. Mack signaled for Ethan to move next, and Mack followed him.

  Mack barely heard the gurgle as Merc sliced his blade across the enemy’s throat. Ethan and Mack pulled up parallel with the other two and rose at the same time to take them out.

  Mack buried his blade in his man’s throat and ripped forward, severing the man’s esophagus and carotid artery with one stab. The assassin didn’t even make a sound, just went limp in his arms. Mack lowered him to the ground, laying his body out underneath some heavy foliage before circling his finger—giving the order for his men to move in on the team leader. He had to trust that Hunter had already dispatched the men who’d come his way.

  There was no time to waste. They had to get the team leader and completely disarm and disable him without killing him.

  Feeling the rush of cold adrenaline from the kill, he shrugged on more of his old self. The killer who had no emotions except hate and a thirst for revenge. This man didn’t have room in his heart for love. He didn’t have room for anyone but the team.

  He spotted the lead assassin a few feet ahead still silently creeping through the woods. Mack grinned. This was going to be fun.

  Chapter 26

  It took every single ounce of Marley’s willpower to remain silent. She wanted so badly to touch Riser and ask him what he thought was going on. Was Mack safe? What about his teammates? The man this Jack Mankel had sent to kill them had to be deadly. At least he would be if this Mankel had one iota of a brain cell in his evil head. Marley had already known Mack’s team was efficient and deadly, but they seemed to move like deadly ghouls through the night. She couldn’t imagine anyone surviving a coordinated attack by these men.

  And thank God for that. Maddie’s life depended on them.

  Marley shivered, her fear a real-live monster eating at her insides. She couldn’t think about her daughter now. The threat to Maddie stole her breath and her ability to think. Marley needed her wits about her; she would need to be aware in case their ambush failed and they were attacked.

  Whether Mack liked it or not, she’d be going in to help if she sensed they were failing.

  Riser put his hand on her forearm and Marley jumped, biting her tongue to keep from crying out in surprise. She had dug so deep into her own thoughts—dark thoughts about Mack coming to harm, about someone hurting Maddie—she’d lost touch with reality. Riser gave her a questioning thumbs-up, asking her if she was okay.

  Marley nodded and hugged her knees tighter to her chest. Of course, she wasn’t okay. Maybe she’d never be.

  What she wouldn’t give to go back twenty-four hours and redo her decision to keep the threat from Mack. She should’ve told him about the text immediately. She should have told him everything.

  And she had. Only she’d been a day too late. Men like Mack Grey didn’t forgive betrayals like that. Ever. They certainly didn’t forgive people who risked the lives of their men.

  Did that mean she should just give up? Mack was her first chance at a happy relationship in years. He had a child of his own; he should have a little compassion and understanding for her plight. Jack Mankel threatened her daughter’s life. How could Mack not understand her confusion and terror?

  The fact that Marley had even considered leading them blindly into a trap made her stomach churn, but part of her had known all along that she would ultimately wind up telling him the truth.

  There was a brushing sound, and Marley lifted her head to see Mack—as if she’d summoned him. Only he was dragging a man out of a nearby bush. He shoved him toward the same tree trunk Marley had been leaning on and she quickly scrambled out of the way.

  There was a feral gleam in Mack’s eyes as he held his knife to the man’s throat. And she thought he was cold before? Now Mack appeared to be more deadly than any other living, breathing human being. The other man was close enough that they were practically touching. She saw a line of blood trickle from his neck as Mack pressed his blade closer to his skin. Marley shivered.

  The sweet, caring man she’d come to know was gone and a surge of guilt mixed in with her fear because she knew part of it was her fault.

  “You’re going to tell me exactly where that bastard is hiding.” Every single muscle down Mack’s arm popped; another trickle of blood escaped from beneath the blade. The man’s eyes widened fractionally, but he kept his lips firmly closed.

  Not good.

  Mack snarled, yanked the blade from the man’s throat, and shoved it deep into his thigh. Marley gasped with shock. She’d known denying Mack an answer was stupid, but this? The man gurgled and screamed and grabbed his leg. “Bastard!”

  With the same amount of incendiary heat as before, Mack ripped the blade from the man’s leg, pulling out another scream of pain from him, and then pressed the knife back to his throat. Teeth bared, he asked, “Where is he?”

  “Tanzania. On the south side of the big lake.”

  That’s near where the men had originally planned to drop. Mankel had been so confident he’d take out Mack’s team that he hadn’t bothered to move. For a smart man, he was really dumb. Even Marley realized Mack’s team was nearly unstoppable.

  “And the girl?” Mack’s harsh words yanked Marley back to the here and now.

  Marley scrambled, ignoring the hate that spewed in her direction from Mack as she shoved up beside the villain. “Where is she? Do you have her? You better not have hurt her, or I swear to God I’ll kill you myself.” Marley shook with the urge to do him harm, barely able to restrain herself.

  The man’s eyes darted back and forth between Mack and Marley, his eyes filling with confusion, fear, and then recognition. Oh, Christ, they did have Maddie. Bile rushed up her throat so fast she had to slap a hand over her mouth to keep from puking.

  The man licked his lips, covered in dirt and blood, and said, “The blonde? She’s subterranean. Haven’t seen her since they brought her in. We’re not allowed below first floor.”

  A dizzying wave crushed her, making the task of staying upright on her knees nearly impossible. “Subterranean?”

  For the first time in hours, Mack’s gaze softened. “He’s talking about the girl we were sent to rescue. Caroline. They have an underground bunker.”

  Relief rushed through Marley’s veins and she swayed, not caring if anyone here saw her weakness. Oh, God, did that mean Maddie was safe? What about this poor girl, Caroline? Was Mankel still taking her blood? Would he do it until she died?

  She had to ask again. “What about Maddie? What about my daughter?”

  “Don’t know anything about a kid, lady. Just here to kill grown men. Don’t do children.” The man’s words were
punctuated by an honest sincerity. Marley grabbed a hold of it and held on tight. She wanted his words to be true more than she wanted to breathe. Mack gave her a nod and she collapsed back onto her heels.

  “Now, if you want to live, you radio your boss and tell him that you got us.” Mack kept the blade pressed against the man’s neck. The assassin swallowed, and tears pricked his eyes when the blade dug into his Adam’s apple.

  Mack pulled a small handheld radio from the man’s belt and held it up for the man to speak.

  “Hawkeye, the virus has been destroyed. Over.”

  “Raven, Hawkeye received message. Over.”

  “Hawkeye, instructions for disposal needed. Over.”

  The radio crackled. “Incineration recommended. Transportation is waiting. Verification required. Over.”

  “Roger,” the man said staring hard at Mack the whole time.

  They were talking in some kind of code, but Marley had a feeling that Mack’s team was the virus.

  Mack spoke again, his lips stretched into an evil smile. “So Mankel wants to destroy all the evidence?”

  The guy’s eyes drifted shut and his features slipped into tired resignation. “Look, man, I’m just a grunt. Follow orders, get paid, that’s it. Just like you.”

  Marley hissed, her hackles rising in defense. This man was about as close to Mack and his team as a viper was to fox.

  “I’m not done with you yet. On your feet.” Mack fisted the front of the man’s shirt and yanked him to his feet with a violent jerk. Then he shoved him in Merc’s direction. Marley blinked, realizing Mack’s entire team had formed an intimidating wall behind them.

  Merc wrapped an arm the size of the tree trunk around the man’s neck and flexed his big bicep. The assassin kicked his fingers, clawing into Merc’s arm with no success. Merc had a good foot on the man, not to mention at least fifty pounds of pure muscle. Marley had the feeling that if Merc squeezed his arm tight enough, he’d snap the man’s neck.