“Sorry, Kell, but you weren’t there. Didn’t see the terror on her face, hear it in her voice.”
Scrubbing a hand down his face, Kell stared at him. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. It was a shitty thing to say. If she’s safer here, we’ll do everything we can to support her move. Are you ready to go over the latest requests?”
“Sure am. Do you want me to get Dani?”
“And Jezzie.” Kell mentioned their newly hired office manager. Ex-Army, she ran the place like the MP she’d been while in active duty. As a sergeant major, she’d commanded others, been assigned around the world, and worked closely with Special Forces. Which was where she’d first met Deke.
Before they returned, Kell’s phone rang. Seeing a name he recognized, he grinned. “Wrath. I heard you found the boy.”
“Yeah. Thanks for your help, man.”
“We didn’t do much except search, the same as everyone else. I understand he found his way to Ali’s house.”
For an instant, Wrath had forgotten Kell and Deke knew her when they’d all lived in Pine Glen. When Dani transferred to the new WES offices in Liberty Lake, Ali had accepted a job at the local hospital.
“She’s the one who first caught on to him being abused. Look, I’m going to need your help.”
Looking up, he saw Deke, Dani, and Jezzie waiting in the hall and motioned for them to join him, putting his phone on speaker. “Dani and Deke are in my office.”
“Good. I’ve already got Grayson’s approval to have you and your team be part of this op.” Wrath mentioned Kell’s ex-father-in-law. A man they all respected and who still thought of Kell as a son.
“The purpose of the op?” Deke asked.
“Raider uncovered solid intel about a run going down tomorrow. The Devils are moving children.”
The op was outside WES’s normal role of providing security for prominent citizens and foreign dignitaries. But it was close to the sweet spot of their little known subsidiary, Scorpio Force Inc. SFI conducted specialized ops requiring high-level skills and utmost secrecy.
Both WES and SFI had landed several new contracts, requiring Kell to hire a number of people since relocating to Liberty Lake. For two recent assignments, he’d brought in Mitch McBride and his team to work both sides of the company. They’d even discussed merging the two companies.
Several men were out on a classified assignment for the CIA, two others providing bodyguard services. One for a celebrated sports star and another for the daughter of U.S. Senator Blackmore. Kell didn’t plan to share this information with Wrath, not wanting Fuse to learn Brittany was being protected from additional threats.
This new op would be a relatively easy job, assuming all went as planned—which it never did. They’d be available to help with the extraction. After the rescue, they’d escort the children to the valley where local law enforcement and CPS would take over. Then they’d go after the men who set up the trafficking.
Deke settled against the back of the chair. Dani and Jezzie had already left the office to handle other business. “Do you want me to lead this one, Kell?”
“We’ll do it together. Bring in Mitch and a couple of his men. Five of us should be plenty to assist Wrath and get the kids home. Dani and Jezzie will be on comms. Raider will update us on the rendezvous point at 1800 hours. We’re a go at 1900 hours.”
They had almost twenty-four hours to prepare and bring Mitch into the op. More time than some jobs they’d accepted. Something about this one put Deke’s senses on edge.
He’d felt the same on the flight back to Baltimore and during his stay at his sister’s. A sick feeling in his gut. An expectation of something going terribly wrong. He’d stayed longer than anticipated, doing his own recon and having a long, heart-to-heart with Gina’s ex. The guy was a scumbag, but also the father of his nephew, Jed.
Vince had ended up with a black eye and sore jaw. The bastard had earned both for what his gambling problem was doing to Gina. Even divorced, his habit, and the fact he’d been dumb enough to borrow from the Russian mob, put her and Jed at risk. When you pissed off the Russians, they didn’t have a bit of remorse at going after an innocent woman and her child.
Deke drummed fingers on the arm of his chair. “Wrath’s certain the transfer is going down tomorrow night?”
“You know the drill. Nothing is ever a hundred percent. Bring Mitch into the op and keep me in the loop.”
“Will do.” Standing, Deke headed to the door.
“Glad to have you back.” Kell shot him a grim smile.
“Not as glad as I am to be here.” He hesitated a moment. “I’m concerned about Gina and Jed.”
“We have additional security at her home. At least we don’t have to watch an offsite office.” Kell knew Gina worked from home as an independent contractor, handling sports marketing for several teams and manufacturers. It meant she could work from anywhere, even Liberty Lake.
An unexpected shudder blew through him. As Deke’s best friend, Kell had met Gina several times. His attraction to her had been immediate. Not so with her tendency toward drama, quick temper, and high emotions. The complete opposite of her brother.
Deke had tried more than once to convince Kell her change in temperament happened after repeated threats against her and Jed from Vince and his associates. Prior to meeting and falling in love with the worthless piece of shit, she’d always been calm, decisive, able to work through every obstacle she faced. Gina had been sucked in by his charm, good looks, and secure job as a financial analyst.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Deke gave a slow shake of his head. “She’s so damn stubborn. Adding the upgraded security system and a man outside her door twenty-four seven was all she’d accept. The bodyguard stayed because I refused to leave Baltimore until she agreed.
“Enough about my sister. I’ll bring Mitch up to speed, then head home for a couple hours of sleep. Call if you need me.”
“Sleep fast.”
“Always do.” Deke chuckled, closing the door behind him.
Wrath closed the door of the old warehouse a mile from the Sonoran Saloon in Blanco. Inside, talking among themselves, the Posse reviewed their responsibilities. They were the original members of Eternal Brethren, the men he trusted most. All were dressed in full tactical gear. They wouldn’t be riding their bikes for this mission. Instead, Wrath had arranged for three vans to approach from different directions to form a perimeter around the transport vehicles.
His youngest brother, Wrangler, stood with their other brother, Ethan, and Geoff. The sheriff and police chief were to play a critical role in bringing their op to a successful close and arresting those involved.
A few feet away, Kell, Deke, Mitch, and two of his men spoke in quiet tones about the mission.
“Gentlemen. Please form a circle for the final briefing before we deploy.” Wrath went through each segment of the rescue, impressing on the men the importance of protecting the children. As was his habit when they deployed from DEVGRU, he reminded them of what they all knew.
“The key to the success of any mission is to deliver targeted violence with stealth under the shield of surprise. The final goal is everyone in this room returns whole after securing the target.”
Wrath’s gaze moved between them. “Nothing’s changed, gentlemen. Attack, acquire, secure, and return. Good luck.”
Raider climbed aboard the same van as Fuse, Gunner, Rock, Wrangler, and Fargo. Wrath, Ghost, Tracker, and Moses tried to make themselves comfortable in the second, while Ethan, Geoff, and the deputies and officers they trusted most pulled out in their own vehicles.
Riding sweep in their own van were Kell and his team. The FBI was MIA, a fact which wasn’t lost on any of the men. Grayson still didn’t trust their intel, preferring what his group in Coronado and Wrath’s people unmasked. Under Raider’s lead, they’d put together enough data to assemble the op going down tonight.
“Where are Ali and Timmy hanging out?” Gunner shifted on the metal bench,
leaning against the inside of the van and closing his eyes. They’d all developed their own methods of dealing with upcoming ops. Gunner would simply fall asleep.
“They’re at Ghost’s with Dani and two of Mitch McBride’s men. If the intel is correct, I expect Mario won’t order anyone to go after them tonight.”
Fuse blew out a chuckle. “That sonofabitch never could multitask worth shit.”
“Comms check.” Wrath’s voice came through their earpieces, calm and strong as always. Once everyone responded, the men checked their gear, waiting on his command.
Settling their helmets over their heads, they checked the helmet-mounted night vision goggles. When they hit the ground, the NVGs would expose a scene of dull green neon, allowing them to outmaneuver the Devils and members of MS-13.
Raider tried to relax, get in the zone, but his thoughts continued to return to Ali. He told himself she and Timmy were safe at Ghost’s. But the worry held on. Never had he felt this way about any woman, thinking about her while on an op.
He’d always been focused, relaxed, ready to hit the ground with a vision of the outcome firmly in his mind. It was unsettling to have to divide his thoughts between the mission and her image.
“Raider? You with us?”
He blinked at Fuse’s question, disgusted he’d been caught daydreaming.
“Ready to roll, man.”
The slight jostling of the cargo van indicated they were moving into position. Their vehicles were modified with a wider wheelbase, heavy duty shocks, racks holding extra munitions, vests, NVGs, comm units, and flex cuffs. More supplies were packed inside slender metal chests bolted to the floor.
Wrath’s voice came through the comms. “Target spotted. Two light duty box trucks.”
Within minutes, they’d get the signal to go, adrenaline pumping full speed through their veins.
“Two minutes to target.” Wrath’s words meant Ethan, Geoff, and their men were pulling over the box trucks, allowing the Brethren to take advantage and enter from the back.
The men straightened, picking up their UMP 45s, while others preferred M4 carbines. Both weapons were highly lethal in CQC—close quarters combat.
The van jostled, more severe than the last time, before taking a sharp turn to the right. Screeching tires and shouts came from outside. Their van came to a swift stop.
Standing, they stacked behind Rock, ready to exit on Wrath’s command.
“Execute!”
They jumped to the ground, weapons tucked into their shoulders as they ran to the back of the trucks. Ethan shouted orders at the driver of one truck while Geoff did the same at the other, deputies and officers backing them up. Continued shouts had the men in the cab jumping to the ground, hands in the air. They wore Night Devils cuts.
The Brethren formed a perimeter at the back of the truck while Fargo and Fuse set explosives, yelling for those inside to get back. Motioning for the Brethren to move farther away, the two dove to the ground seconds before two explosions broke the locks. The doors flew open, almost obscuring the sounds of approaching motorcycles.
Rock whirled around, his eyes locking on a group of headlights. “It’s the Devils!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Fuse and Fargo took a quick look inside the trucks, verifying about twenty children in each. No Night Devils. Slamming the back doors to protect the children, they turned to face the danger. Weapons trained on the approaching bikes, both dropped to prone positions, aiming at the lead bikes.
Bullets flew toward them, hitting the ground and sides of the trucks, ricocheting across the open space.
Ethan aimed his weapon at the men who’d exited the truck. “Drop to the ground, hands behind your backs.” He made quick work of securing them with flex cuffs, the military equivalent of zip ties. Geoff did the same with the men in the other truck.
Both ordered their people to spread out and take cover at the same time Wrath spoke through the comms.
“Moses. Gunner. On my go.” He didn’t need to say more. Two of his best snipers aimed, waiting as the bikes got closer.
“Tracker. Wrangler. Deploy smoke grenades on three after Moses and Gunner fire.”
“Roger that.” Tracker grabbed a concealment grenade, attaching it to his M203 grenade launcher. Yards away, Wrangler did the same.
“Moses and Gunner. Execute!” The rapid popping of two UMP 45s sounded above the noise of approaching motorcycles. Tires exploded, sending the riders skidding on the pavement.
“Tracker. Wrangler. Three…two…one. Execute!”
Gray-white smoke obscured their view of the Devils while the sounds of bikes crashing brought smiles to their faces. Moments later, bullets again flew toward them, missing their targets but keeping most of the Brethren and lawmen pinned down.
“Rock, Ghost, and Raider. Flanking positions.” Under the cover of remaining smoke, Wrath watched as Rock ran to the left, the other two right, weapons tight against their shoulders, heads level with the barrels.
When the smoke began to clear, Wrath spotted Kell’s van stop sideways on the highway fifty yards behind the Devils. The men jumped out, weapons pointed at the bikers.
“Drop your weapons and raise your hands!” Ethan’s booming voice carried all the way to Kell and his men. To his surprise, the Devils did as they were ordered. Ethan gave a terse nod at Wrath, the signal to motion Kell and his crew forward.
While most of the deputies surrounded the Devils, ordering them prone on the ground, a couple of Geoff’s officers climbed into the truck cabs. A few of Ethan’s deputies joined the children in the back of each vehicle, offering water and calming their fears with words of encouragement.
Before they could fire up the engines, two Highway Patrol SUVs came toward them from the south. After speaking with the officers, the patrolmen took positions in front of the trucks, waited for the signal, and pulled out. Kell drove around the men and bikes, taking a position at the back of the second truck.
Wrath stood several feet from where Ethan and Geoff read the Night Devils their rights, securing their wrists behind their backs. Still on high alert, his gaze swung north, then south, searching for another group of bikers. Mario might be a sociopath, but he wasn’t naïve when it came to moving merchandise, and to him, children were nothing more than a product to be sold to the highest bidder.
Wrath saw nothing. Relieved, he helped his men provide backup for Ethan and Geoff as they loaded the Devils into one of the cargo vans. They wouldn’t be able to hold them for long before Mario ordered their attorney to show up with bail.
Before he arrived, Ethan and Geoff would do all in their power to get information. Names, dates, anything that could help put the main players behind bars. The odds weren’t good. MCs were built around loyalty to their club above all else. The consequences of betrayal were swift and deadly.
The men trafficking humans deserved nothing less.
“Someone betrayed us!” Mario slammed a hand on his desk, face red with anger. He found it hard to draw a breath at the tightness in his chest. “I want to know who did this.”
Hammer and Slider stood near the door, ready for whatever Mario ordered. Neither had been on the run, sending prospects and newly patched members to escort the trucks after accepting the transfer from Manny and his crew.
Hammer ventured a glance at Slider before speaking. “Besides the three of us, the only ones who know what’s going on are Manny’s people, Wendt, Blackmore, Coleman, and Katz.”
“They’d have nothing to gain by betraying us.” Slider took a couple steps away. He’d found it better to put distance between him and the prez when Mario was this livid.
Hammer’s brows drew together, voice grave. “Unless Wendt or Blackmore lost their nerve and decided to set us up. It would be their word against ours. Who do you think people would believe?”
Mario’s sharp gaze landed on his vice president. Wendt and Blackmore were spineless suits, in it for the money. They’d never have the guts to go against the Ni
ght Devils and MS-13. It would be a death sentence.
He shook his head. “No. They understand the consequences. It’s too steep a price for either of them.”
Mario stepped around his desk, pacing as he thought of how this had happened. He didn’t believe any of those involved would’ve set them up. Shredding fingers through his hair, his nostrils flared as he thought again of the loss of tens of thousands of dollars. He didn’t worry about his men talking. Even prospects knew the consequences of turning on the Devils.
“We need to be certain it wasn’t one of those involved, Prez.”
Mario whirled around to look at Hammer. “What are you suggesting?”
“Start with Wendt and Blackmore. We’ll take them to the warehouse and learn if they were the ones to betray us.”
Returning to his desk, Mario sat down, anger still controlling his thoughts. He couldn’t tolerate people stealing from him. It would show weakness, allow his enemies to believe him vulnerable.
“No permanent damage, and do not let them see you. You two take three others to do the interrogation so they don’t recognize your voices.”
“They’ve never seen us, Prez,” Slider said.
Mario’s jaw tightened. “We’re taking no chances. I want the others to ask the questions.”
“When do you want this to go down?” Hammer asked.
Checking the time, a feral grin curved Mario’s lips. “It’s one in the morning. No better time than now.”
Ethan stalked from the interrogation room, his features set in stone. After two hours, he’d gotten nothing. By agreement, they’d split the prisoners, half questioned by Geoff and his officers, the others by Ethan and his deputies. He hoped the police chief had better luck.
Unlike larger cities, Liberty Lake had built one large jail and justice center, handling the needs of both the city and county. Ethan hadn’t expected much, but had hoped for something. It had taken the dull stares of those arrested to understand Mario hadn’t sent any of his valued men on the run. Instead, prospects and members patched within the last few months escorted the trucks.
Exposed (Eternal Brethren Military Romantic Suspense Book 7) Page 16