Chapter 30
~Michael~
Eddie's kitchen was our base of operations for the next few hours. He had cleared off his massive kitchen counter and now it was a mess of computers, wires and a shitload of other tech gear that I wasn't tech savvy enough to know about.
He sat around the devices with Simon, who, luckily, had already been there when I had called to let him know I would be coming over. It was 3:25a.m. and only the five people I trusted enough to inform about Jason's call were standing in the room; Simon and Eddie, Nate and John, and of course, my father, the Chief.
"And you said you couldn't hear any sound in the background? Anything at all?" Simon was asking as he fiddled with his fancy computer.
I shook my head. "Nothing."
I'd thought about calling him back a million times in the last twenty-five minutes, but I was struck with terror when I thought about the many different ways in which a phone call would compromise him; like if he was hiding from his kidnappers, and the ringing cell phone announced his location to them. And that was just one of the very many possibilities that had burrowed its way into my head.
Everyone had agreed that a call could be risky.
"Got it!"
My head snapped up at Simon's words, and all of us converged around him. In the short time we had been in Eddie's kitchen, we had already learned that Jason's phone call was made from within state lines, and we had been painstakingly narrowing down the search for the exact coordinates.
My heart was doing jumping jacks in my chest as I waited anxiously for his next words.
"Grennel Wood." "Simon said. "That's where the phone is."
"What the fuck's in Grennel Wood?" Eddie questioned with a frown.
"Language." The chief, Nate and Simon, said in unison. Eddie glanced at Timmy, who was in my father's arms, sucking on his two favorite fingers, and watching us all with interest.
"Sorry." He said, and I shook my head, moving to stand behind Simon, so I could see whatever it was that he was looking at on his screen.
"I'm narrowing it down." He said, and I watched as he manipulated what looked to be Google Maps, and zoomed all the way in, until we were looking at a picture of the middle of nowhere. He slid the cursor across the screen, navigating the greenery, until he we saw the roof of a large building.
"Looks like some kind of abandoned warehouse."
"There are vehicles outside; three." Simon announced to the room.
Is that the only building in the area. Look carefully." Nate, who had also come to stand behind Simon, said.
We watched as he searched every inch of the area, the aerial view providing the perfect opportunity to scan the place without issue.
"Nothing. Just some power lines a few miles away." Simon said, then scrolled back to the warehouse. He pointed to the screen "The path here looks pretty well used."
"He could be in there." I said, more to myself that the others.
"We need to come up with a plan of action." The Chief said. "The five of us barging in there isn't a good idea. We have no idea how many people are involved in this and whether or not they have weapons. We need a team."
"We have moles in the Bureau. We can't take the chance of putting together a team using our guys." I said.
"And we can't alert any other agencies because we don't know how far the kidnappers' reach goes."
"I know a couple of guys who would be willing to help." John said. "I trust them with my life."
"Yeah, and we can trust Phillip, Cruz and Perez." Eddie added, and Simon nodded in agreement.
"Alright." I said. "And I can ask my buddy Bruno; he was special forces, and he owes me a favor." I thought briefly about my own partner and dismissed the idea all together. He had only just found out that he was going to have twins. I wouldn't involve him.
"Good. I have a few people I can tap on my end too." Nate chipped in, and stepped away to begin making calls.
"Dad, you can get in touch with your people too right?" I asked, turning to him, and he nodded, before setting Timmy onto the ground.
I watched as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, and like the others, began making calls. Timmy ran over to me and latched onto my leg. I lifted him into my arms.
"Aren't you tired buddy?" I asked, knowing full well that he was. He'd been up since 3:00 a.m. and his his eyes were red from rubbing them constantly.
"No." he said, and I didn't argue with him, because every time I tried to put him to sleep, he cried.
I picked up my phone from Eddie's cluttered table, and searched for Bruno's name in my contacts. Timmy shoved his two fingers back into his mouth and dropped his head onto my shoulder. I put the phone to my ear and listened to it ring.
"I need your help." I said the moment he answered.
..........................
I stared down at the printed photo of Jason as the Chief spoke. I remembered the exact day I had taken it. He had been in the kitchen making tea for Timmy, while his son clung to his leg whining about his Bunny. I remembered his furrowed brows as he had tried to divide his attention between the two. At the time, I had been sitting at the counter watching the adorable expressions flitting across his face.
Then, when he'd looked up at me; his eyes pleading, I had snapped the picture. I remembered his annoyance when I had done it, and how he had set down the milk and the tea cup, and lifted Timmy into his arms, only to then lift him across the counter, and shove him into mine.
I remembered his annoyance that day and I missed even that. I missed everything about him; his shy smiles and enraged eyes, that subtle blush that would rise along his cheeks whenever he was embarrassed. I missed the warmth of him pressed up against my side in bed in the mornings and the huskiness if his voice when he told me goodnight after hours of lovemaking.
I missed the way he would complain every time I tried to sneak Timmy candy, and the way he used to bite his lip to prevent himself from smiling. I missed the way he would hug his son close and rock him, and the sound of his voice when he sung Timmy to sleep.
As I stared down at the picture of him, I felt regret that I hadn't savored those moments while I had had him. I vowed that when I got him back, I wouldn't take him for granted. I would treat him like a King and I would do everything in my power to make him happy.
I decided that I would take us all on a nice family vacation, because he deserved it, and I would ask him to marry me because I couldn't live without him.
"We don't know anything about the operation they're running. They might have civilians other than Jason who they're holding hostage." My dad's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I tore my gaze away from Jason's picture, took a deep breath and refocused.
Absolutely nothing could go wrong on this mission. Now that I had confirmed what I had known for so long; that Jason was alive, absolutely nothing was going to prevent me from seeing him today.
"We don't know how many of them are there, and we don't know what kind of weapons they're carrying." The Chief continued to brief us. "Earlier, we sent Phillip and Cruz, trusted agents of the Bureau, to the location to scout the area. They confirmed what Simon found. There are two exits on the building; the main exit, which will be as clear as day, and one semi concealed exit to the right side of the building.
"They've reported that there are no signs of video surveillance, other than one substandard camera by the main exit to the top left corner of the door. Regardless, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that some level of stealth is required on this mission. At least until we get through the door.
"There'll be twenty-one of you out there, and we have no idea how many of them there are in there, so act accordingly." The chief held up Jason's picture. "The mission is to find Jason. He's been missing for two weeks and we know that he's been shot. It's safe to say that we don't know what condition he'll be in.
"Furthermore, who knows if his appearance has changed since his abduction. Be reminded that we have been scouring the state for him for two weeks, and his kidnappers managed to somehow elude us. Therefore, picture this same kid in any way you want, just make sure you find him.
"Obviously we're hoping to avoid a shootout unless absolutely necessary, but if it comes down to it, be mindful that there's an innocent boy in there. Also be aware that the moment we go in, they might try to use him as a bargaining tool or a human shield. Be vigilant.
"You've worked out your teams, so trust your partners and trust your gut." The Chief pointed to the large print-out of the warehouse and its surroundings, that Simon and Eddie had taped to his kitchen wall. "Trying to get through those massive metal main doors isn't practical. Therefore, you'll be entering through the concealed entrance. And unless they've been dumb enough to leave the door unlocked, we'll be using controlled explosives to get in.
"If we'd had more time to prepare, we could have taken a stealthier approach and cut through the metal door with a thermal lance or something fancy, but clearly that's not the case, so bear with me."
The Chief tapped the photo. "Five members from Team One will remain outside during the entire operation. Simon and Eddie will guard the main exit. Phillip and Cruz can take the side exit and Jamie will report from the end of the dirt road. All five of you will provide backup on the inside if necessary. Any questions so far?"
"No sir." The Bureau agents replied, while the others simply shook their heads.
"Good. That leaves sixteen men. Team Two is taking the lead on this mission. The first eight; Michael, Nate, John, Ty, Vicky, Slater, Paul and Francisco C will enter in two-man cells, and the rest follow in the same pattern." The Chief trailed off to glance slowly around the room; his gaze taking in all the faces before him.
"You are all highly-trained, capable and trusted, and that's the reason we asked you to take this mission. We realize that you're putting your lives on the line for this, and we can't tell you how much we appreciate your help. Jason's life is in your hands now. Utilize your training, trust your gut and don't get dead." He finished.
I glanced at the faces around us; some familiar, some not. These were the men who had answered our calls and had come running without a moment's thought. These were the men who I would be trusting with not only Jason's life, but my own. These were the men I would also need to keep safe.
When the mission ended, I would be indebted to every face in the room, and I had no issues with that. The moment we stepped foot out of this house, the twenty men, some friends, some strangers, would become my brothers in arms. I sent up a silent prayer that they all made it out of this alive.
Team One
Simon
Eddie
Bruno
Phillip
Perez
Cruz
Anthony
Chan
Tank
Jamie
Team Two
Michael
Nate
John
Ty
Vicky
Slater
Paul
Alex
Carpenter
David
Francisco C
We all turned to the Eddie's massive kitchen counter, which had once again been cleared; this time for weapons. Simon, who was charged with giving us the breakdown, rubbed his hands together in glee, as his eyes took in all the gear my father had somehow managed to get his hands on in the two and a half hours since Jason's call.
"Okay, gather 'round ladies." He said. When all were facing him, he began. "We've got our standard gear; a little bit of the usual Bureau stuff, mixed with some military grade equipment. Thank you Chief." Simon saluted, and beside him Eddie rolled his eyes.
"Over here we've got our tactical vests, helmets, combat knives, radios, flashlights, earpieces, goggles, battering ram, flexi cuffs (a.k.a our heavy duty zip ties) and the ghillie suits, which I've always wanted to wear to be honest." He said, then took a step to the side and gestured to the next row of items.
"Next, we've got our side arms. I'm sure we all recognize the HK 45 pistols, so just a quick refresher. These are semi automatic, .45 calliber with, not the usual eight this time, but fifteen round magazines—"
"Speed this up Grayson." The Chief barked, and Simon's sighed.
"Then we have our Glock 20, Beretta M9 and the Colt M1911, which I'm sure our military guys will appreciate. Then over here, our submachine guns; the MP5SD, UMP45, some with red dot sights, some with reflex sights and others with EOTech Holographic sight. And of course, we have our carbines and rifles; the M4 Carbine with ACOG scope, which as you military people may know, is a medium range magnification scope with a four time zoom. Emphasis on medium range.
"We also have the Scar-H, M16A4, tear gas grenade canisters, stun grenades and our riot shields." He pointed to the next item on the counter. "This is a modified Alford Strip, which as you know, is a polycarbonet frame filled with gel explosives. And of course, it comes with a reel of Breacher's tape.
"Oh, and there's only one shotgun 870 MCS, so have fun fighting over that." Simon surveyed the table again. "And yeah, that's it."
"What about this?" Eddie asked as he picked up a square blob of play dough.
Simon immediately pulled it from his hands, placed it into a small pouch, drew the strings together and tucked it away into his pocket. "That's mine." He said. "Semtex explosive." He shrugged.
"Dig in guys." The Chief announced, and a moment later, we were all suiting up.
It took us ten minutes to gather our gear and put ourselves together. As the guys made their way outside, I swept Timmy off the floor and hugged him close, before planting a kiss on his plump cheek.
"I'll be back. Okay babe?" I said. "I want you to be good for Poppy while I'm gone."
Timmy nodded. I felt torn as I handed him off to my father, who wouldn't be playing an active field role in the operation.
"Mom's coming to get him, right?" I asked my dad, and he nodded.
"Be careful out there Michael. Watch your six."
"I will."
I looked at Timmy again, and I wished I could tell him that I was leaving to get his daddy, but the fear inside me held the words back. As much as I was determined to bring Jason home, making promises like that to a hurting two year old felt irresponsible. I didn't want to cause him any more grief.
So, I said the words in my head, feeling devastated that I would be leaving Timmy behind; even if just for a few hours. I leaned in and kissed his forehead. "I love you buddy." I told him. "I'll see you soon."
With one last long look at him, I secured my weapons, and headed out the door. There were three utility vans lingering in Eddie's driveway. I hopped into the first one and pulled the sliding door closed. The van jerked forward, and a moment later we were off.
I closed my eyes and cleared my mind of everything but the mission, as I always did before a big field operation. I pictured the warehouse and replayed our plan in my mind over and over again. I also created different scenarios and carefully worked out how to approach each.
Minutes later, I opened my eyes and relaxed my body enough to sway with the motion of the vehicle. Beside me, John and Nate were talking in hushed tones. Otherwise, there was silence. I reached into my pocket and turned off my cell phone, then deposited it into the compartment at the back of the seat in front of me. I watched as the others followed suit. But just before John could hit his off button, his phone rang.
He glanced down at the screen, shook his head, then put it to his ear.
"Kyle?" he answered, and despite my mood, I chuckled, as did Nate. "No. Why?"
John fell silent, and we were left to wonder just what type of craziness Kyle was spouting this time.
"I'm confused. How is that even possible?" John asked. There was a long pause, then; "Why did you do that then? You could have just—"
John sighed and beside me Nate continued to chuckle.
"Just call the plumber—no don't touch it, don't even look at it. Call the plumber."
As much as his relationship amused me, and as much as they seemed like an odd match, they somehow ended up being perfect for each other. I recalled the love-hate relationship between the two of them during our time undercover at the prison. And by love-hate, I mean that Kyle loved and John hated.
It was crazy to witness just how much they had grown since. They were a strange pair, that was for sure, but as we drove into the unknown, I found that I envied them their ability to hear each other's voices, even if it was only through bickering. John had Kyle but my future with my love was up in the air.
"Kyle if you flood out my house, I'm gonna kill you. I swear to God."
Francisco C, who sat in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, glanced back with a raised brow.
"Good." John was saying. A moment later he took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Yeah, I'll be home in a few hours." Another pause. "Yes, I'll be wearing full protective gear. Yes, Nate and Michael too, and all the others. Yes."
I glanced at John at the sound of my name.
"Yup. Love you too." John didn't hesitate after he ended the call. He quickly powered down his phone and dropped it into the compartment in front of him. Then he closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose and took another deep breath.
No one questioned him afterwards, because the prickly John was only patient when it came to his lover Kyle. And even then, his patience extended only so far.
From there on, the journey continued in silence.
It was six thirty-three a.m. when we pulled up at the end of the dirty road and jumped out. We immediately made our way toward the cover of the trees as the vans took off. Other than Jamie, who had been tasked with lookout duty at the end of the dirt road, we ran in our Teams through the sparse forestry.
I was thankful for the cover of partial darkness as we traversed the terrain. We made quick work of it. By the time we saw an opening in the trees, which gave us view of the old warehouse, ten minutes had passed.
Simon and Eddie broke away from the group, and I crouched to watch them as they quickly and quietly made their way through the trees and around to the foliage close to the massive main doors. They had already donned their ghillie suits, so, had I not been watching their progress, I would have missed them completely as they crouched there with their weapons drawn.
I stayed only long enough to watch, through squinted eyes, as Simon navigated through the bushes, ducked behind one of the three cars that were parked close to the entrance, and carefully laid the now rolled Semtex explosive a few yards in front of the main doors, but thankfully, out of range of the cheap camera on the wall.
I signaled to the others and we continued on. It was less than a minute before we met up with Phillip and Cruz, who had been sent there hours before to scope out the area. With a series of hand signals, I relayed the Chief's order that they keep watch outside the concealed entrance.
Cruz moved to the very edge of the forestry and pointed to the entrance, which was partially concealed by tall grass. Nate and I took off quietly, followed closely by the others. We moved in pairs side by side and broke off so that each of us was standing on either side of the door. When we all lined the walls on either side of the door, Nate pulled out his knife and quickly chopped away as much of the grass as he could. He quickly tried the door, which didn't budge, as expected.
I fitted the Alford Strip to the frame of the door, while Nate unreeled and cut the Breacher's tape and affixed it to each side.
Satisfied that the Strip was secured, we shifted down the wall on either side of the door, each standing at a safe distance away. I held up three fingers, then two, then one, and the moment Nate pushed the button on the remote detonator, the explosion sounded.
The metal door blew inward off its hinges. Still, we waited a moment longer. Nate and I each pulled a stun grenade from the pocket of our cargo pants. I pulled the pin and threw it into the room, then Nate followed the action in rapid succession.
They went off, and a moment later we peeled ourselves off the wall. Nate picked up the riot shield from the ground at his feet, and with the shield held firmly before him, and his side arm in his hand, he entered. I followed close behind him so that we were both covered by the shield. I propped the barrel of my weapon on to very top of his shoulder, and we walked quickly, but cautiously into the room. The others followed behind in pairs in a like fashion; two men to a shield; both with their weapons drawn.
Screams and shouts from the inhabitants rent the air in some far off areas of the warehouse. The entryway was empty save for a backless, rusted metal chair that stood in one corner. We made our way through the archway and into a narrow hallway, keeping our eyes peels up ahead. We broke away and pushed open the first door we came across. There was a bed, a bookshelf and a small empty trash can. We did a quick sweep.
"Room clear." Nate breathed into his earpiece.
"Room clear." John's voice sounded in the earpiece moments later.
"One hostile disarmed and secured." Came Vicky's voice.
Back out in the hallway, we continued our sweep. We came upon an intersection, and we went left. The door we came upon was slightly ajar, and we pushed it open and stepped in quickly.
It was some sort of makeshift medical bay. There was a small narrow bed, old medical equipment and dirty cabinets filled with bottles of what I assumed to be pharmaceuticals.
I gritted my teeth when I saw the drops of dried blood on the cream colored sheets. I had to fight hard not to imagine it was Jason's.
"Hands in the air! Get down!" Carpenter's shouts could be heard down the hall. A moment later, his voice chipped in over my earpiece. "One hostile secured."
"Room clear." I said, and once again we moved out.
"No visible threats so far" Francisco C reported.
There were no more doors in the hallway, so Nate and I quickly walked along, until finally, we came upon an opening. We pressed our backs to the wall, and a heartbeat later, with his weapon aimed, Nate glanced around the corner.
A series of shots blasted the wall above his head, and he ducked back in. "Drop your weapon!" he shouted, and more shots lodged into the wall behind which we stood. I glanced toward a metal table not far from the hallway's opening, and signaled to Nate.
Ducked in his position, he swung his arm around the corner and fired off a few shots to cover me as I ran, flipped the table and ducked behind it. I peeked out over the top and spotted the boot of our shooter behind a wall at the far end of the room.
The asshole somehow hadn't spotted me yet. I flattered myself to the floor, positioned my weapon and fired. The bullet pierced his leg and the blood spilled as he dropped his gun, and fell to the ground screaming.
The moment he disappeared completely behind the wall, Nate and I took action. We kept low as we crossed the wide, open space. I spun and aimed when I saw movement to my left, then relaxed somewhat when it turned out to be two of our guys entering the space from the second hallway.
Using the side of my boot, I swept the man's gun from the floor where it had landed. Nate burst around the corner with his weapon trained on the hostile, who was still clutching at his leg, as he screamed in agony.
I waved our guys over; Anthony and Chan, I realized. "Secure him." I said. "We're moving ahead."
We left them to it, and stepped over the assailant as we continued down the new hallway. There was chaos all around us. Gun fire was being exchanged in different parts of the warehouse. There was shouting, sounds of glass shattering, and wall blasting apart from numerous bullets. There was also screaming and the pounding of boots against the concrete floors.
We kept our heads low, our weapons trained and our ears open as we navigated through the debris along the hallway. It looked as though some of our men had already passed through, judging by the bullet holes in the walls, and the overturned furniture along the hallway floors.
We couldn't be too sure though. When we broke around the corner, we found ourselves in another open area. We had made it to the center of the warehouse, evidenced by the massive metal doors at the end of the room.
I took in the papers strewn across the floor, the shattered glass along the wall, which appeared to be a gun case of sorts. There were still numerous guns hanging inside, and I took that as a good sign.
"Hostile secured." Chan reported.
"Roger that." I returned.
"Two hostiles down." John's voice chimed into my earpiece.
"Copy." Nate responded.
Based on the reports so far, at least five enemies were accounted for; three cuffed and two dead. I wondered how many were left.
"Hostile secured." Another voice, Tank, sounded in my ear.
Make that six.
"Down, down, down!" Someone shouted somewhere on the other side of the warehouse, then a moment later, an explosion sounded, and rocked the earth.
"Fuck me." Nathan cursed, as we froze. I allowed a minute to pass before I spoke.
"Roll call." I said into the earpiece. One by one, the men reported in. I nodded to myself. No casualties on our end.
"Whose explosives?" I questioned the teams.
"Enemy." David responded.
As Nate and I progressed further into the large room, we took in other things; like the Jeep parked inside the space; a few yards from the door. I made my way over to it. I glanced in. No keys.
"Chan, Anthony, on me." I ordered. While we waited for their approach, we continued to search the room. I spun around quickly, when a blood curdling scream rose up from across the room.
"Hands up, stay on your knees." Nate said, with his weapon trained on someone across the room.
"Please don't shoot. Please." The voice of a female sobbed. My eyes shifted around the room as I tried to keep watch on the four openings.
In his corner, Nate ensured that the sobbing woman; girl really, was unarmed, then zip tied her hands to the leg of a metal table that had been bolted to the ground.
Just then, Anthony and Chan appeared around the corner. I pointed to the blue door at the far end of the room, while I opened the other door at the opposite end. The room was empty of people, but the desks were stacked high with black bags. I could hazard a guess that the bags contained some sort of controlled substance.
"Room clear." I announced, and a second later, Anthony announced the same.
"I don't want to leave a wall filled with weapons here for the taking." I told the two of them, and they nodded in understanding.
"Three hostiles down." Came Bruno's voice over the ear piece.
Finally, all sounds of shooting stopped. The next entry way was another hallway that led to a room with shower stalls. Nate and I carefully combed through each stall, then gave the clear for the area.
We then retraced our steps to the main room, and Nate pointed to the other entryway across from us. We entered cautiously. There was an empty room to the right, and one directly ahead.
We entered the one ahead first.
"Room clear." Bruno reported in my earpiece.
It was a room filled with racks upon racks of clothing. My eyes scanned the room carefully, as we did our sweep. The room itself was empty, but the rattling, in what looked to be a portable closet on wheels, gave me pause.
Nate and I exchanged a look, and with weapons trained, we slowly approached the door. Nate and I positioned ourselves on either side of the closet door, placed our hands quietly on the knobs and at the count of three, we pulled them open.
There was a shout, and the hands of the little man sitting inside, went up.
"Out." I commanded, as he all but fell out of the closet in his attempt to stand. On your knees, hands behind your head."
"Make the mistake of touching the weapon at your waist and you'll be dead before you can draw." Nate's voice was cold as we warned him.
I disarmed him, and zip-tied his hands at his back, then tied him to a metal rung protruding from the wall.
"Hostile secured." Nate reported.
"Hostile secured." Vicky's voice sounded not a second later.
I crouched next to the little man, and when my eyes met his, he flinched. "Where's Jason." I asked.
When he shook his head, I stood and aimed the weapon at his knee. "I'm not above, blasting your knee caps. So you decide." I said. "Your knees, or Jason. You've got two seconds."
"The room right there!" the man shouted, spittle flying from his mouth as he did.
"Be specific." I said, and he swallowed hard.
"It's right next to this one. That's where we keep him." He said.
"Hostile down." John's voice sounded in my earpiece.
With one last look at the cowering asshole, Nate and I took our leave. My heart was in my chest as we approached the next door. This is where they had held him, if the bastard could be believed.
We took up positions on either side of the door, but before we could attempt to open it, it swung inward. "Come out with your hands up!" Nate shouted.
We stood on either side of the doorway. A second passed and Nate repeated.
We heard a thud, then the door swung further in. "I'm on my knees. Don't shoot!"
We moved swiftly into the small room, weapons trained on one very large man, who was indeed on his knees in the center of the room.
"Hands on your head." Nate ordered, and he complied without hesitation.
The room was small and dusty and similar in every way to the other bedrooms we had cleared earlier. Except that on the bed, there were scattered photographs of me and Timmy, and I knew without a doubt, that Jason had been held here.
I watched as Nate pulled the zip ties from one of his pockets, but the moment he took a step forward, the big guy dropped his hands and reached for his something at his waist. I fired off a warning shot, which broke through the floor boards at the guy's knees, and he froze.
"Try anything again, and you're a dead man." I said.
Big guy returned his hands to his head, and this time Nate tied his hands behind his back. I watched as he checked him for weapons and found a gun at his waist and a knife in his boot.
I picked up a picture from the bed and felt a chill run up my spine when I realized that all the pictures were recent. They had been taken at Timmy's school, on different days. I could only imagine the fear that Jason had felt when he had realized that his son was being watched.
"Where is he?" I asked the hostile. My voice was calm and my eyes never moved from the picture.
I got no response. I dropped the photograph on the bed, and Nate stepped away from the guy, turning so that he had eyes on the door as well as on what was happening in the room. I went to stand in front of the guy, and he glanced up at me with a wide grin.
"Let me go and I'll tell ya." He said, and I turned to look at Nate, who averted his eyes.
I crouched in front of him so that we were eye level. I was silent for a while as I took in his grimy face, his beady eyes and his weak chin.
"This isn't the FBI, this isn't the police, this isn't a governmental organization." I told him. "Which means we have no rules to follow." I let that soak in, and watched as the wide toothy grin slid from his big face.
"He growled at me like the animal he was and tried to head butt me with his meaty dome. I smashed my fist into his face and he reeled back, blood dripping from his cut lip.
I watched in disgust as he licked it away, then spat on the floor in front of me.
"He's dead." He said. "We gutted him." Then he laughed, and the blood drained from my face.
"Michael." I heard the warning in Nate's voice as he took a step closer to us, but I ignored him trying to wrap my mind around the words that had just been spoken.
"Where's Jason.?" I asked again, because there was no way he'd said what I thought he'd said. There was no way I could have heard that right. Not now. Not after everything.
"We gutted him asshole, and he screamed like a little bitch." He spat, and my next punch broke his nose. The guy laughed, even with the blood draining down his face and into his mouth, he laughed as though it were the most amusing thing in the world. A numbness settled over me.
I could feel the hard surface of the knife that was strapped to my leg. Every time I moved, it brushed against my skin, reminding me that it was there. I reached for it.
"Civilian located. He's safe and ready for evac." Bruno's voice sounded in my earpiece.
I felt the air whoosh out of me.
I stood and my eyes snapped to Nate, who looked equally surprised.
"Repeat, Repeat." I said, my voice shaking and another voice chipped in.
"We've got him Michael. Jason is safe." John responded.
My entire body flushed with heat at his words, and I pressed my hand to my heart as intense relief washed over me. I placed a hand on the wall in case my legs gave out, and when I glanced again at Nate, he was grinning. My answering smile was so wide, that my cheeks hurt.
"What's your location?" I asked the guys, blinking away the tears of relief that had come to my eyes."
"Turn right at the first intersection and follow the hallway into the main room." John spoke.
I glanced at Big guy, who was now looking at me in confusion.
"You should be lucky you're still alive, asshole." Nate said as he tied his hands to the foot of the bed, then tied his feet together as an added precaution.
At the first intersection, we had turned left, while John had gone right. We would simply need to retrace our steps. The men who had turned taken our route were still carrying out their sweep of the other rooms in our section of the warehouse, and we passed them here and there as we went in search of John and Bruno.
Despite the fact that all rooms had been already been cleared along our path, we remained vigilant as we went in search of our team. This would be the worst time to let our guard down; when it seemed we were finally close to the finish line.
Despite this though, my mind began to fill with images of Jason. I was anxious to see his face, to hold him in my arms, to taste his lips and to hear his voice. My pace quickened, and by default, so did Nate's. When we got to the second hallway that housed the makeshift medical bay, we went straight ahead, down the hallway John and the others had gone.
It was a long, winding hall, with many opened doors along the way which had already been cleared. A small explosion shook the floors again, and Nate and I fell to the ground and waited.
I heard shouts, and scrambling not far away.
We waited a beat, then we were tearing down the hallway towards the opening. We skidding to a halt when we turned the corner and saw our guys. There were four of them standing with their weapons aimed at an old bald man, who had taken someone hostage. He had a gun to the boy's head.
On the floor not far away from him, a bloodied Bruno groaned. He was clutching his side, which was stained with blood, and his head, above his right eye had been sliced open. The blood there flowed freely.
"Let him go." John's voice sounded cold and unrelenting in quiet room.
I glanced at the two again, my weapon also trained on the bald guy. It was only when I allowed myself to focus for a moment on the face of his hostage, that I realized just who it was that the guy was holding.
His black curls, which usually fell to the very top of his shoulders had been shorn away, and what remained of the short cropped hair on his head was dyed a dirty blond color that almost completely transformed his face. But it was him. A moment to focus on his face and it was unmistakable who was standing there. It was Jason.
The old, bald guy, held him in front of him like a shield, with his hand secured around Jason's neck. In his other hand, he held a gun, which, thankfully, was pointed our way.
I didn't hesitate. I cocked my weapon, aimed it and pulled the trigger. The asshole's body jerked with the impact as the bullet sliced through his shoulder and the gun fell from his hand. Then I aimed the weapon again, and pulled the trigger. The bullet went through his thigh this time, and finally he felt to the ground, dragging Jason down with him.
The others were quick to move, sweeping the enemy's weapon far out of his reach, and pulling Jason away from him. While the kept their weapons trained on the old guy, who was groaning on the floor in abject pain, I made my way over to Jason in three long strides and took hold of his upper arm.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" I questioned him, but he was unresponsive as he blinked up at me, eyes wide as he hyperventilated.
"Bruno's been hit. Moving out." Perez reported to the rest of the team, as he and Alex, tended as best they could to Bruno's injuries, and lifted him off the ground.
"Civilian's with me. Evac underway." I also reported to the others, and Nate took the lead as the six of us made our way back through the second hallway, down the first, through the archway, stepping carefully over the dented metal door on the ground, and finally outside into the crisp air.
We walked until we were under the cover of the trees where Phillip and Cruz had set up their lookout, and they set Bruno down in the grass. His side had been sliced open when shattered glass resulting from the explosion had fallen on him, but he'd been wrapped up nice and tight, and would be fine.
I turned to Jason, who was sitting on the ground with his knees drawn up to his chest and his hands over his ears. He was still hyperventilating, and no matter what I said to him, he failed to respond.
I put my hands on either side of his face, and forced him to look at me, then when I saw no recognition in his eyes; only fear. I realized why.
I released him, and reached up to pull off my helmet and my goggles, and let them drop onto the forest floor at my feet. I took his face into my hands again, and forced his head up.
"Jace, baby, it's me." I told him. "It's Michael."
As he watched me looking stricken, his clouded eyes finally began to clear, and his brows creased.
"Michael." He said in between gasps.
"It's me baby. I'm here."
That's when his face crumpled and he threw his arms around me as he sobbed.
"Hostile secured." John reported in my earpiece.
"Carrying out a full sweep" Ty's voice also sounded.
As the guys secured the warehouse, I held Jason's sobbing frame close to me. He was safe. He was finally in my arms, and after two weeks of whatever it was that he had gone through, I gave him his time to grieve.
The sweep lasted about fifteen minutes, and finally the 'All Clear' sounded over everyone's earpiece. I released a breath.
"All hostiles cuffed and secure for transport." Anthony reported moments later.
Beside me, Nate gave the order to the drivers to bring the vans around.
Ten minutes later, when the first van came to a stop in front of the warehouse, Perez and Alex lifted Bruno to his feet and carried him off to it. I followed close behind with Jason, who had finally quieted down, and who now clung to my arm, as though afraid that I would somehow melt away.
The guys loaded the prisoners into two other vans that the chief had sent up, and our guys loaded up into the three we had taken in. Four of our men would remain on the scene until reinforcements arrived to collect evidence, bodies and the usual.
Though Jason was given a seat beside me, he scrambled into my lap the moment the van door slid shut. I wrapped my arms around him, and chuckled as he rained down little kisses all over my face. For once he didn't seem to care that there were others around, and I was just grateful to have him back.
When he pulled away, he was looking down at me; eyes filled with wonder.
"You came for me." He said, as though he somehow couldn't wrap his mind around it.
"Always." I told him simply and honestly.
"Roll call." Nate ordered, and, one by one the men spoke their names into the earpieces.
"Michael." I said, when it was my turn, then ripped the ear piece from my head and gave Jason my full attention.
"Let's go see Timmy." I said.
"Yeah." Jason nodded, with a small smile on his face and tears rolling down his cheeks. "Let's go see Timmy."
The van jerked forward and finally, we were off. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and held him against me where he belonged. There was no way in hell I was ever letting him go again.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
NO, WE'RE NOT DONE. MORE CHAPTERS TO COME!
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-DoUbLe.A
-unedited.