“And he’ll turn the lights back on and pick us off. No change,” Jangles reminded him.
Quickly and silently, they made their way across the stretch of land that separated them from the women.
Almost there, baby.
Less than two hundred yards to go and the lights came back on. Men charged from the courtyard.
Jangles cleared his mind until there was nothing but the approaching enemy. The mission, his targets, his team. This was what they did. They were five men, but one element.
One team that moved seamlessly.
Gunfire sounded off in the distance—Trigger and his team were under fire. But Jangles didn’t think about that, either. They were waiting, drawing the enemy out into the open. His gaze slid to the building the women were in—unguarded. Though he couldn’t be sure Demir didn’t have people in there with them. The building was windowless and stone, their thermal devices wouldn’t penetrate and pick up heat signatures, leaving them blind.
“Now,” Merlin snapped, and Jangles’ gaze sliced back to the wave of insurgents and took aim.
Time slowed.
His focus narrowed.
Through his night-vision goggles, he could make out green-hued faces. But as his finger pressed the trigger, their features melted away and the men running at him became nothing more than targets.
Moving, shooting targets that stood between him and Hope.
“Bravo’s taking heavy fire,” Tex sounded over Jangles’ earpiece.
Fuck.
Jangles shifted to his right and started to move, firing his rifle with every step. He didn’t need a verbal confirmation his team was falling into formation. They’d done this countless times, each of them knew what to do, where to go, and how to eliminate the enemy with deadly precision.
Less than a hundred yards to go.
Almost, baby.
“Rocket—” Tex’s warning was cut off when Jangles’ world exploded.
Like a rag doll, Jangles’ body flew through the air. At the last second, he forced himself to relax and hit the dirt with a bone-jarring thud.
“Overshot,” Zip shouted.
“Check-in,” Merlin demanded.
Jangles heard Duff and Woof call out, then he did the same and rolled to his feet.
“You have eyes on the shooter?” Jangles asked Tex.
“Courtyard. To your ten o’clock. Three men covering him.”
“Ten o’clock,” Jangles shouted and popped off more rounds at the advancing men.
Jangles scanned the area. Ten bodies on the ground, ten more coming at them.
“How’s bravo?”
“Holding their own,” Tex sharply returned. “An airstrike—”
“We’re not falling back,” Jangles cut him off. “How many more we got?”
“Best guess, Demir brought in fifty men.”
Fuck him. Best guess.
Christ.
“An airstrike—”
Jangles cut Tex off. “No. We don’t have a visual on the women. There’s a tunnel under that house.” Jangles paused to fire on two more targets. “We didn’t get to sweep the bunker, there could be a trap door like in Demir’s office. No-go on the airstrike.”
Jangles didn’t want to think about the last time he’d been in that building. Someone had tipped off Demir that they were rescuing the hostages. They’d given Nori time to broker the deal for the doctors and nurses to be released, but the outcome of those negotiations didn’t matter. Trigger’s team had already been inserted along with Jangles, Woof, and Zip. But when shit hit the fan, their objective was to get the men and women out alive, not survey the room. Therefore, it was unknown where the tunnels under Onur’s house led.
Five more down.
A second RPG flew over their heads, this time landing far left.
Thank Christ.
“Fuck this,” Duff yelled. “Cover me.”
“Don’t—”
Merlin didn’t get his order complete before Duff shot forward, leaving his cover behind a tree and small boulder.
Fucking, fuck!
“Goddammit,” Tex growled in his ear.
Good to know Tex was watching from wherever the hell he was in real-time.
Zip and Woof followed Duff, laying cover fire, while Merlin hung back, picking off the men as they stood from behind the wall they hid behind. Jangles was moving slowly toward the bunker with one objective in mind—kill anyone who dared to stand in his way from getting to Hope.
Almost there.
Four more targets.
Jangles made his way around the bunker. The door was almost in sight when he felt searing pain slice the side of his neck. He took a deep breath and found oxygen still filled his lungs so he didn’t bother to check where he’d been hit, then swung the barrel of his rifle to the right and took aim and fired.
He ignored the blood he felt dripping down his neck, likely soaking the front of his vest, and kept moving.
Rapid gunfire rang out all around him—quick bursts, then long volleys. The sound was relentless. The last twenty minutes felt like a lifetime.
“Door’s clear,” Tex unnecessarily told him. “Bravo has entered the main house.”
Jangles didn’t bother to alert the rest of the team, not that they needed him to. They had direct communication. Jangles was the only one who’d been cut off from intrateam communication.
“Copy.”
Hang in there, Hope. Just one more minute, honey.
“Can you run in those shoes?” Nori whispered, and Hope assumed she was asking Destiny considering Hope was barefoot.
“Yeah, but I already took them off. I’ll be faster without them.”
Hope heard Nori’s heels clatter, then a hand wrapped around her bicep.
“Who’s this? Hope?” Gwen asked and squeezed.
“Yeah. Where’s Ivy?”
“Here. I have Gwen’s other hand.”
“Destiny, make your way to us and we’ll move together to the wall.” Hope reached out and found Nori’s hand mid-air as she blindly waved trying to find Hope. “That’s me, Nori.”
“Good. Hope’s right. We need to stick close and get our backs to the wall farthest from the door. In case—”
Nori went silent. Her hand in Hope’s squeezed so tight, pain shot up her arm.
“Is that…” Gwen started but trailed off as the unmistakable sound of gunfire vibrated all around them.
Hope’s breath caught, panic seized her lungs, fear swirled in her belly as the reality of her situation slammed into her. Over the hours they’d been locked in the bunker, unharmed, left alone, she’d been able to go long stretches of time where she could pretend they weren’t being held captive by a man who wanted to kill Beau, his team, and possibly them. They filled the time getting to know each other, each of them doing her part to keep the group calm.
But now it was real, there was no more pretending.
“Move,” Nori barked, and Hope started to shuffle in the direction she was being pulled.
“I can feel the wall,” Ivy said. She must’ve yanked Gwen in that direction because suddenly Gwen was pulling Hope. She’d barely regained her balance when the lights came back on.
“Ladies.” A male voice filled the room.
Hope’s heart lurched as she spun around and saw a man standing near the makeshift bathroom.
“Eleanor Bonham,” the man sneered.
“Onur,” Nori returned, using the same unfriendly tone.
Behind her, Hope heard someone whimper but she didn’t dare turn and look.
There was something about Onur that went beyond evil, cruelty she’d never seen before shone on his face. Hope was surprised to find the man spoke perfect English, and even though his hair was long, it was clean and tidy, the same as his beard. But it was the deep set of his eyes that captivated her, the determination she saw. He wasn’t angry, and that scared the shit out of Hope.
The man looked resigned.
“I just need one of you,” Onu
r said and raised the pistol in his hand.
Before anyone could ask, the building shook and the gunfire sounded louder, closer, the rapid succession neverending.
Please, God, don’t let Beau get hurt.
“Yes, one of you will do.” Onur smiled. “Any volunteers, or shall I choose?”
Hope felt Nori start to move, and in a split-second decision, Hope jolted forward.
“Me. I volunteer.”
“Hope Mitchell. Now, this is a surprise. Though it shouldn’t have been. You’re not very smart.”
Hope ignored Onur’s comment and shrugged off Nori’s hand as it curled around her shoulder trying to pull her back.
“That’s me, the stupid one,” Hope remarked, and stopped halfway between the women at her back and Onur.
“Shame, I thought Eleanor would come forward.” Onur looked beyond Hope and narrowed his eyes. “Though, I’m sure you haven’t forgotten me, have you, Nori? I was surprised to hear you were alive.”
“No more than I was to hear the unfortunate news of your survival.”
Onur smiled and Hope flinched. “Yes, your government is so easily fooled. Come.” Onur looked back at Hope. “We’re almost out of time.”
Onur didn’t wait for Hope to comply, he quickly closed the distance and grabbed Hope’s arm.
“I can walk by myself.” Hope tugged her arm but Onur’s grip was relentless.
“There’s still time for us to sit down and talk,” Nori told him. “We can work something out.”
“Always the negotiator.” Onur clucked and shook his head. “Time for talking was when I welcomed you into my home. I extended you my courtesy, and you knifed me in my back. I’m no fool, I don’t give second chances. My men have been instructed to kill only two of you. After all, I’m a reasonable man, but two of you will pay for my son and my brother. A life for a life.”
Onur pulled Hope toward an open door in the wall that they hadn’t discovered.
“Then leave Hope. You don’t need her,” Nori demanded.
Hope craned her neck and looked back at the women huddled by the wall. All the color had bleached from Gwen’s face. Ivy’s pretty features were arranged into an angry scowl. Destiny looked like she was debating whether she was going to do a running tackle or scream. But Nori looked calm, cool, and collected. As if she could talk their way out of this mess.
She couldn’t. Hope knew it, and deep down Nori did, too, but she wasn’t going to give up and Hope needed her to. Or her plan to get Onur out of the room so the others could find a way to escape would all be for naught. If there was one hidden door they’d missed, there might be more. There was a possibility they could get out or the guys would find them before it was too late. But that wouldn’t happen while Onur was there waving a gun around. Not that he’d actually waved it, he’d pointed it directly at Nori, and Hope saw the hate on his face. He’d wanted Nori to volunteer, and she would’ve if Hope hadn’t stepped forward first.
Now she needed to get Onur to take her.
Hope waited for Nori to look at her, then she smiled.
Onur yanked her through the door and slammed it closed.
The musky scent of dirt filled Hope’s nostrils and she started to plan. She had no intention of getting out of there alive. That was freeing. As long as the others got to safety and Beau was okay, she’d gladly give up her life.
But she wouldn’t be going alone—Onur Demir would die with her.
Chapter 19
The long exchanges of gunfire started to wane to short bursts and longer periods between, and by the sound, those lobs were coming from inside the house.
“At your six,” Merlin said as he approached. “Duff and Zip are right behind me.”
Jangles didn’t stop picking the lock. He’d made the decision not to blast the door because there was no way for him to tell the women to get back and he wouldn’t take the chance of injuring one of them.
The last tumbler clicked into place and he felt the lock click.
“Ready?” Jangles asked.
Merlin slapped his shoulder twice, telling him he was ready and he’d clear to the right.
Seamless.
With a nod, Jangles opened the door, kept his barrel low until the door was fully open, then he surged in, sidestepped to his right, and scanned the room.
Four women huddled with their backs to the wall. A quick glance told him they had no visible wounds.
Ivy. Gwen. Destiny. Nori.
No Hope.
“Where’s Hope?”
Nori stepped forward, lifted a shaky hand, and pointed to the far wall. “He took her into the tunnels.”
“Fuck,” Jangles snapped.
“How long?”
“Maybe three minutes ago.”
“Demir’s got Hope in the tunnels,” he told Tex.
“Bravo’s clearing the house now. We’ll find her.”
Jangles turned to find Duff running into the bunker.
“Duff?”
He’d shoved his night-vision goggles up onto his helmet. Duff had done the same, so Jangles saw it—relief mixed with extreme fury. Ivy was already running to her man. Duff had his arms out prepared to catch her and Jangles’ gut clenched.
It wasn’t jealousy as such, but his heart throbbed with an ache so fucking deep he could barely keep his feet. He needed to find Hope.
“Duff!” he repeated and waited until he had his teammate’s attention. “When you were in the tunnels, were there other exits?”
“Yes.”
“Christ.” Jangles stalked the wall Nori had pointed to and started to feel around. “Where is it?”
“I’ll show you,” Ivy said and jogged to his side, her hand going to the stones.
He felt Duff’s presence behind him but didn’t stop feeling for any abnormality.
He vaguely heard the reunions going on behind him, Merlin barking orders, women talking. But nothing penetrated. He just needed to find Hope.
“Here.” Ivy pounded on the wall and Jangles followed her hand pointing to a tiny crack.
If you didn’t know it was there, you’d miss it.
Thank fuck for Ivy.
“I’m going in with you,” Woof said.
“No. You get Nori to—”
“He’s going with you,” Nori snapped. “She knew he wanted me. She knew and stepped forward. So shut up and take Heath with you.”
Jangles felt every muscle tighten—she’d given herself up.
“And you’re late,” Nori continued to snap. “You need a new motto. ‘On time, every time’ no longer works.”
He didn’t have it in him to find her amusing, so instead, he pulled his knife from his pocket, and with a flick of his wrist, the blade sprang free and he shoved it into the crack.
“Duff and Zip, get them out of here,” Merlin ordered. “Woof, you hit Demir’s office and drop into the tunnel from there. Jangles and I will go in from this side.”
Jangles kept at the wall, using the tip of his knife to try to find a way in.
“Princess, you stick close to Duff. I’ll be right behind you.”
“I got her,” Nori said, and there was movement behind him.
Jangles clicked on his radio. “Zip and Duff are on the move.”
“Got ‘em,” Tex returned. “They’ve got a clear path.”
“I’m gonna tan her ass,” Jangles mumbled and dug his knife in deeper.
After a few beats of silence, Merlin spoke softly. “She saved Nori’s life.”
“She gave herself up,” Jangles angrily returned. “And we don’t know if he would’ve killed Nori.”
“He would’ve and you know it. Hope saved her life. So all I’m saying is, when we find her, check that anger.”
Jangles decided to ignore Merlin and worked the wall.
“You’re quiet,” Onur said.
“What?”
“You are quiet,” Onur repeated slowly, like Hope was two and hadn’t yet learned to comprehend words.
“I’m sorry, was there something specific I was supposed to talk to you about?”
“One of the many things I hate about American women is their attitudes.”
“Is that so? Do you have experience with a vast array of American women or are you basing your opinion on what you’ve seen on the internet and TV? Or maybe it’s just Nori you don’t like since she outsmarted you.”
Hope was talking out of her ass, she had no idea what had gone on, outside of what Nori had told them while they were sitting in that stupid bunker. But to Hope, it sounded like Onur had been played by Nori and the U.S. government.
“Eleanor did no such thing. And it was she who took my bullets.”
“Right. So TV and the internet then. You know you can’t believe everything you see on the boob tube.”
“So crass, another reason American women are distasteful.”
“I’m crass and distasteful? Bud, you kidnapped me. From my bed, no less. I don’t even know you. That’s not distasteful, that’s in its own universe of fucked-up.”
“Maybe you should stop speaking and we can go back to silence,” Onur suggested.
“You’re the one that wanted to talk. I’m not exactly sure what you thought you’d get, and you haven’t begun to see my attitude yet. But if you think I’m sheepishly following you, you’re more of a fool than I thought you were. And you have to know, I thought you were pretty fucking stupid.”
Quick as lightning, Onur had Hope against the rocky tunnel wall, one hand around her neck, the muzzle of the gun pressed to her temple. He began to squeeze, making it hard for Hope to take a full breath. Her hands went up and circled his forearm but she didn’t try to remove his grip on her throat.
“Who’s the stupid one?” he shouted. Spittle hit her in the face.
That’s it, asshole, get mad.
“You are if you think you’re getting out of this alive,” she wheezed. “They’ll find you.”
“Yeah?” Onur smiled.
Ugly.
Evil.
Cruel.
His face started to turn red—he was getting angrier and angrier. She needed him enraged, blinded, thoughtless. It was her only chance.
“Oh, yeah. And they’ll kill you just like they did your brother.”
Hope's Delta (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Delta Team Three Book 5) Page 11