Battle It Out

by Reese Knightley

  “Listen up,” Maddox said.

  Isaac pulled on his own pack and gathered around their captain along with the rest of the unit.

  “If we leave now, we’ll reach the Chambers’ encampment just before daybreak. I figure he has sentries positioned around the perimeter. When we encounter our first resistance, we gather again and come up with a solid plan of entry once we know what we’re up against,” Maddox finished.

  “Until then, stay in pairs and let’s try to keep out of the fucking water if possible,” River grumbled.

  Maddox stared at his lover.

  “What? I hate fucking wet boots,” River grimaced.

  Isaac choked out a laugh. River was one tough son of a bitch, hating wet boots wasn’t something he ever pictured the man voicing.

  “What the fuck are you all looking at?” River snapped. “Tell me one of you clowns likes wet boots.”

  He had them there. Isaac lifted his hand.

  “What is it, Thorne?” Maddox gave him an up nod.

  “I hate wet boots, sir.”

  Oliver and Colin snickered.

  “Suck it up, buttercup,” Archer said to him, but River misunderstood.

  Their Lieutenant spun on the new recruit and as big as Archer was, Isaac almost laughed out loud when the mountain of a man stumbled back.

  “You calling me buttercup, Sergeant?” the lieutenant growled.

  “No, Sir.” Archer snapped up with his throat moving in a hard swallow.

  “Knock it off.” Maddox grabbed River by the vest and yanked him into position. “Like River said, keep to the banks and try to stay out of the deeper water. I hate fucking wet boots too.”

  Everyone agreed with the captain and River’s face was smug. Archer wasn’t sure what to do, but Ethan patted the guy on the shoulder on his way past.

  “He’s fucking with you,” Oliver whispered to Archer and tugged on the big guy’s arm to get him moving.

  Archer rubbed at his chin as a crease furrowed his brow, and Isaac felt for the guy. River could be one scary son of a bitch.

  Zane

  Belly crawling through the grass, he eased down with Isaac at his side. Through his infrared binoculars, he watched the tower in the distance.

  “Testing, testing. Oh, I like the sound on these,” Oliver said over the new microphones.

  “Yeah, just don’t forget to push it to talk, ya newbie,” Ethan huffed.

  “I’m not-”

  “Quit the chatter,” Maddox growled.

  He’d been so close. So fucking close to telling Isaac that he was bi during watch, but it was taking more courage than he currently had. How fucking stupid would he sound? Oh hey, I’m bi and I’ve been hiding it since my friend killed himself after we kissed when we were seventeen. Fucking Christ. He rubbed at his forehead.

  “Bravo team, you copy? Come in at the target on your two o’clock,” Sam’s voice came over the mic.

  “Copy,” Isaac said and pulled himself to his feet. Zane followed until they were coming in a few yards from the lookout structure.

  “He’s got to have a way to communicate with the others.” He gestured with his thumb in the direction of the main house. It wasn’t visible in the darkness, but hopefully, with the drone, they could map out its exact location once it grew lighter.

  “Granted. Let’s take him out and then find out how to get inside.”

  “Why don’t we keep him alive and he can help us communicate with the house?” He sent a glance to Isaac.

  “Wanna?” Isaac’s face brightened and the corners of his mouth curled just before he lifted his rifle, eye to the scope.

  “Yeah.”

  “Starsky and Hutch, what are you hatching?” River growled. “I can hear you two whispering.”

  “Who’s that?” Colin whispered, and Zane had to place a hand over his mouth to hold back a laugh.

  “An old cop show,” Archer hissed.

  “We have a plan, Lieutenant,” he said over Colin’s response to Archer.

  “It better be a good one,” River replied.

  Isaac rolled out their plan over the mic. “What do you think, Captain?”

  Maddox was silent for so long, Zane thought their captain wasn’t going to give them the chance. They’d lost his trust. Fuck.

  “Go for it. Pia and Blade, back them up,” Maddox said.

  “What’s the plan?” Pia asked, tucking a small microphone into her ear. Blade grabbed her weapon and joined them.

  While Isaac filled them in on the plan, Zane loaded his non-lethal stun gun. He handed it to Blade.

  “We need him alive.”

  Blade smiled and took the gun.

  Under the cover of darkness, Pia and Blade scaled the lookout tower while he and Isaac hid below.

  Between he and Isaac, they held a net. It might not stop the guy from hitting the ground completely, but it would lessen the impact. The rest of the unit stayed out of sight waiting for their okay.

  A grunt, gasp, and then the soft snick of the stun gun followed.

  “Ready?” Pia asked, gazing over the side. She barely got the words out before Blade rolled the bad guy over the side of the structure and into the net below.

  The perp landed and when the net bowed, he hit the ground, but he remained alive. They tied and gagged him before giving the all clear.

  “Good job,” Maddox told them.

  Holden, who was known in his previous work to be an excellent interrogator, took over getting the hostage to talk. Holden had taken the place of Wolf within the unit. Wolf had been an expert at getting a person to tell them things they swore they wouldn’t, and Holden lived up to his reputation when their suspect started babbling out facts.

  Zane found a nice spot to lay hidden in the weeds and waited for Isaac to return from taking care of business.

  “Hey,” Holden said, dropping down onto his stomach next to him.

  “Nice job with the hostage,” he said.

  “Thanks. Are you and Isaac a couple?”

  He turned his head very slowly and gave Holden a dark look. “We’re partners.”

  “But not outside of work, yeah? You’re just friends, right?”

  “I thought you were seeing someone. Dillon’s friend Beckett,” he said between his teeth.

  “Nah. He doesn’t want anything to do with me.” Holden sighed and Zane almost felt for the guy, but Holden’s next words ended that feeling quickly.

  “I thought Isaac might understand that.”

  “Understand what?” he squinted.

  “Unrequited love.” A smirk tipped the side of Holden’s mouth.

  He glared at Holden, wanting to wring the man’s neck.

  “Isaac has a boyfriend.” It took everything inside him not to pound his chest and tell him to back the fuck off.

  “Ah, okay,” Holden snickered and wiggled backward before crawling over to his post next to Oliver.

  Zane felt Isaac settle at his side.

  “What did Holden want?”

  “Who the fuck knows,” he rasped under his breath. He suddenly felt like he was hyperventilating and rolled to his back, rifle clutched to his chest, as he drew in slow, deep breaths.

  “I broke up with Royce,” Isaac whispered and he glanced quickly over. Apparently, Isaac had heard the whole conversation.

  Moonlight cut a swath through the trees and in the faint light, he held Isaac’s gaze. Just having Isaac next to him filled him with a familiar calm, but beneath the surface, a fierce ache raged.

  He wanted to yank Isaac into his arms and protect him with his life. He wanted so many fucking things, he couldn’t process them all. Sucking in a deep breath, he rolled back over to line the sight of his scope at the compound.

  “Good.”

  Isaac snorted, got comfortable, and lifted his rifle to scope out the distance.

  About ten yards from them lay Oliver and Holden. The pair along with him and Isaac were tasked with holding the line waiting for the order from Maddox. The captain an
d the rest of Infinity were several yards ahead.

  The plan was set. Just before dawn, they’d breach the building in pairs, coming in from each side. Zane could see the sense in the directive. Converging in on all sides with a show of force would intimidate the enemy. The only thing they waited on was for Colin to launch the drone.

  “How’s that coming, Colin?” River was crouched next to the weapons expert. Not only was Colin an expert in weaponry, he was some kind of drone technical expert. Colin launched the drone and sent the signal back to base. The drone overhead would identify the compound’s occupancy via the latest infrared technology.

  “Base, you got eyes?” Colin asked, and they waited a few moments before a reply came through.

  “Roger, Infinity, entry is a go,” Sam replied, she was not only Infinity’s dispatch, she was their eyes in the sky tonight.

  “Let’s move,” Maddox growled.

  Zane lunged up after Isaac and stayed on his ass. They streaked through the darkness, converging on the compound. The guard at the door didn’t stand a chance and Zane took him out with one blow. The man toppled and Isaac picked up the guy’s radio after zip-tying and gagging the perp.

  Zane used the key hanging from the guard’s belt on the side door and went in low.

  “Bravo team is inside,” he said as he touched the mic in his ear and moved into a lowly lit hallway several feet and then stopped when he came to two doorways.

  “Copy that, Bravo team,” Sam responded.

  Zane touched a hand to Isaac’s shoulder and took the left room. Isaac went right. The room had two beds, one empty and one occupied. A soft snick followed by a grunt came from the room across the hall, but he didn’t have time to worry about it when the sleeping figure on the bed lunged up.

  The butt of his weapon knocked the guy out cold, and he gagged and zip-tied the suspect. Stalking back out the doorway, he met Isaac in the hall.

  “Teams, confirm your positions,” Sam said.

  “Bravo clear,” Isaac whispered.

  “Charlie team clear, we’re coming down through the skylight in the kitchen,” Pia responded.

  There were a few tense moments without any response from their captain. It went on too long for dispatch.

  “Alpha team?” Sam called.

  “Alpha’s breached the front entrance,” Maddox grunted a moment later.

  “Roger that,” Sam answered with a rushing sigh.

  “Three heat signatures in the room to your left, Captain,” Sam advised.

  “There’s no door,” River growled.

  “There are bodies in there. One of them is armed,” came Sam’s calm reply.

  Isaac kept moving down the hallway until he reached a set of stairs that went downward. Zane stayed close and when Isaac stopped, he touched the man’s shoulder, letting him know he was ready. Goggles in place, the green gave off an eerie glow as he moved down the stairs into the darkness.

  A retort from a gun cracked and a bullet hit the railing of the stairs, sending sparks flying. He ducked and returned fire. When the suspect ran, he lunged down the stairs after the guy.

  Gunfire broke out in the rest of the compound. The Chambers brothers had to know they were there.

  The jig was up.

  Isaac

  Tat, tat, tat.

  Gunfire swept through the building followed by cursing and shouting.

  Zane put one in the guy firing at them and the guy dropped.

  He jumped down the stairs and leaped over the dead suspect, dodging into the large room at the bottom with Zane on his six. The rickety wood floor creaked and groaned beneath their feet.

  “There’s probably a lower level somewhere,” he gritted out, flipping on his light to find his way.

  Bullets suddenly pinged the door. He turned his head as wood chips flew and he grimaced.

  “Move!” Zane growled and shoved him forward.

  “I can’t, there’s nowhere to go!”

  “This way.” Zane took off around a stack of boxes

  He flipped off his light as he followed Zane, cutting in and around large boxes and stacked crates.

  Several pair of feet pounded down the stairs and when he peeked back the way they’d come, several dark figures spilled into the far side of the room. It was too far for him to hear the conversation, but there was no missing the weapons they held.

  They were way out numbered. Well, shit.

  “Alpha, you copy?” Zane whispered.

  “Copy, Bravo, what’s your position?” Maddox’s breath came quickly, as if he were running.

  “Down the stairs on the west side. Looks to be about ten to fifteen suspects down here.”

  “Can you find your way out and meet us?”

  “No,” Zane whispered.

  “Wait a minute, I found a way,” Isaac hissed, pulling the cover off an old grain chute. What the hell it was used for here, he didn’t know, but he was glad for it. The sloping chute was big enough to fit a man even Zane’s size.

  Hefting his rifle over one shoulder, he climbed up on the edge.

  “What are you doing?” Zane hissed at him.

  “I’m finding a way out so we can meet up with Maddox.”

  “I’m not getting in there.” Zane scowled at the chute.

  “Just get in.” Isaac climbed in.

  “No.”

  “Get in!” he hissed.

  “Damn it,” Zane grumbled, then he climbed over the edge of the rickety chute and swung his legs around so he was laying on his back.

  Isaac didn’t give Zane time to think but instead, pushed him and followed him down.

  “Ack!”

  Isaac cackled when Zane went flying down the chute, arms waving. The slide to the bottom was quick and he landed on top of Zane, who was sprawled out on a wooden platform.

  Out of breath, he lay there. Zane was breathing hard, but made no move to get up or lift him off.

  “You did that on purpose,” Zane grumbled.

  He lifted his head and grinned. “I did.”

  “Where are we?” Zane craned his head to the side.

  The putrid aroma of rot and old food clung to the air and he tugged up the bandana he wore around his neck.

  “Gonna move?”

  Zane’s hands had moved to his hips.

  “I’m thinking about it.” He wiggled.

  Zane huffed a strangled snort when he finally rolled off and got to his feet. Stepping off the small platform, he found himself standing in two feet of garbage and pushed through it toward a door at the end of the small enclosure.

  “I don’t even want to know what this shit is.” Zane sloshed behind him.

  Isaac broke the lock on the door and eased it open. A garage with a hidden dock beneath the warehouse lay in front of them. A few boats and Jet skis sat tethered, floating in swamp water.

  Engines roared through the air, and then three men on jet skis flew out from a second section of the garage.

  “Shit!” Zane snapped, running after the perps to fire off a shot. He shot one and the suspect flew off the jet ski and landed with a splash.

  Isaac ran to the second garage, frantically searching until he spotted the open metal box near the door. Keys hung off small hooks and he grabbed one of the last two sets and took a chance. Leaping onto the nearest jet ski, he was in luck when it fired up. Curling forward, he gunned it.

  “You better stop,” Zane’s growl came through the mic.

  He grinned hearing the panic and order in Zane’s voice thinking he wouldn’t stop.

  In a spray of water, he slowed enough for Zane to jump on behind him and then he gunned it after the remaining two suspects.

  Zane’s arms came around his waist and hung on tight as he floored the jet ski through the tree and branch ladened swamp. After a moment, Zane lifted his weapon and took a shot at the jet ski closest to them. He hit a few trees, but not the suspect.

  “Dispatch!” he shouted into the mic over the wind and engine noise. “We’re after two s
uspects on jet skis.”

  “Roger, Bravo.”

  “We found the hidden door and a few suspects were apprehended,” Maddox said. “Echo team, report.”

  “Kitchen, dining room, and den are clear,” Greene responded.

  “Send the drone after Bravo,” Maddox ordered Sam.

  “Copy that, Alpha team,” dispatch replied.

  Isaac took a hard corner and Zane tightened his one-armed hold around his waist. It would be a bummer if Zane toppled off the jet ski.

  “Hang on!” he shouted when a low set of branches quickly came up. He leaned forward, and Zane lowered against his back, tightening his arms. Twisting the throttle, he gunned it beneath the low branches and out the other side. One snagged Zane’s vest, he felt the tug, but Zane’s arms clenched tight and the wood gave way. Then they were clear and he picked back up the speed he’d lost.

  Ahead, he spotted both suspects and pointed. Zane lifted his weapon and sent a round of bullets. This time, he hit one and the suspect toppled off the jet ski with a crash to the water as the jet ski smashed into a tree.

  “Dispatch, one suspect’s down,” Isaac said.

  “Roger that, Bravo. Charlie, you copy?” Dispatch said.

  “Good, Copy,” Oliver responded. “Charlie is right behind Bravo in an airboat.”

  Isaac didn’t take the time to glance around. He figured he wouldn’t be able to see Charlie team anyway because he and Zane had a good head start.

  “Bravo team,” Maddox said. “The suspects you’re pursuing have got to be the Chambers brothers.”

  Isaac slowed to go around a cypress tree and then floored it again.

  “Roger, Alpha,” Zane responded.

  Isaac combed the trees and area in front of him, slowing his jet ski.

  “Shit, I lost him,” he shouted over his shoulder, not using the mic.

  “Cut the engine, he has to be close,” Zane growled back.

  Isaac cut the engine and they floated in the sudden silence. The only sound was that of the Louisiana swamp and the slight swishing of water.

  “Alpha, this is Charlie team,” Oliver said. “We have Mike Chambers, wounded, but in custody. Half of us will go after Isaac and Zane, the rest will wait for pickup.”