Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

The next evening…

“Damn. That’s one helluva boat.”

Beckett followed Apollo’s dark brown gaze to the high-powered vessel their boss offered up for the mission to rescue Evie. Even in the midst of worrying himself sick for the woman he loved, he had to agree with his teammate’s assessment.

Rafe Owens was a man of taste in all of life’s finer things. Including his Outerlimits SL-36 high-performance speed boat.

“I’ll say,” Falcon agreed as the team began boarding their boss’s boat from the man’s members-only covered slip. “Staggered Mercury Racing five-twenties? This bad boy will get up to eighty, ninety miles per hour, easy.”

“I don’t care how fast you have to go.” Beckett dropped his dive bag onto one of the boat’s leather cushions and turned to Digger, who’d already taken his place behind the wheel. “As long as you get us to Evie.”

Thanks to Baker’s genius, they knew exactly where they needed to go. In Shadow’s worrisome absence, the impressive man had worked his computer magic yet again.

Last night, while Beckett and Digger had been chatting it up with Phillip Mitchell, Baker had spent the evening trying to locate Landy Granger’s yacht. Using a program Baker had personally designed, the system was able to estimate the yacht’s projected trajectory after it left the marina.

Once he had the estimated location, the computer genius accessed satellite imagery to confirm the yacht’s precise coordinates. And after that…

He put in a call to Owens.

That was hours ago, and they were just now heading out. But everyone on the team had agreed a nighttime approach was their best chance at mission success.

Including Beckett.

Despite being out of his mind with worry for Evie, the others were right in their decision to wait. Just as it had with Isak Rahal, the coastal night sky would offer the best chance for concealment as they made their approach.

And since this was Evie they were talking about, Beckett would suffer in silence for as long as it took. He’d do whatever it fucking took. As long as this thing ended with her still being alive.

“The man has a point.” Someone commented on the conversation he and Apollo had been having about the boat. “Although personally, I would have gone with the five-sixty-fives.”

Every man on the boat turned to see who it was. When Beckett spotted the two men headed in their direction, he blinked a few times, untrusting of what he was seeing.

“Aleck?”

Both Aleck and Mustang—two of the SEALs they’d recently worked with—were making their way down the wooden dock. Slung over their shoulders were what appeared to be dive bags similar to the ones Beckett and his team brought.

Between their unexpected presence, the bags, and both men’s purposeful steps, Beckett couldn’t help but assume they were planning on tagging along.

“Hey, Bones.” Aleck jutted his chin in Beckett’s direction. “Heard your girl ran into some trouble and thought you might need some extra hands on deck.” The corner of his lips curved as he looked at the group. “Get it…’cause it’s a boat, and boats have decks…”

Mustang muttered a deep curse as he and his teammate stopped just shy of boarding the boat. “What Aleck is trying to say is we’re here to help.”

“Let me guess…” Apollo spoke up next. “Owens called your commander, gave him a rundown of the situation, and your guy gave you two the green light to assist.”

“Something like that.” Mustang grinned. “Lucky for you, as soon as we landed after rescuing Isak Rahal, the two of us were voluntold to help with some training a few miles down the coast.”

“We landed with you all, then picked right back up and went south,” Aleck further explained. “Our initial orders were to be there for the next ten days, but when Command agreed to loan us to you, he made arrangements for us to be choppered in.”

A rush of emotion Beckett hadn’t been expecting left him uncharacteristically silent. Owens had called in yet another favor. For Evie.

Not just for Evie. For you, too.

“Thank you.” He finally found his voice as he and the others made room for Mustang and Aleck to board.

As he passed by Beckett, Aleck reached up and gave one of his shoulders a friendly squeeze. “No problem, brother. We’ve been where you are, so trust me when I say we get it.”

“He’s right.” Mustang adjusted the wide strap of his bag. “And just so you know, we’ll treat this mission as if your girl were our own. Whatever it takes.” He offered Beckett his fist.

Beckett blinked against the sudden stinging in his eyes. “Whatever it takes.” He bumped knuckles with the other man.

A beat later, Digger fired up the vessel’s engines.

Beckett and the others settled in, getting to work changing into their wetsuits and gear. A small cloud of white smoke billowed up from beneath the boat’s low stern, and the scent of fuel filled the cool evening air.

The deck was a bit crowded with the unexpected addition of their new friends, but he wasn’t about to complain. He’d gladly take all the help he could get on this mission.

After all, it was the most important one of his life.

“Here.” Beckett handed Aleck the two extra ear buds he kept in his bag, just in case.

“Thanks.” The other man took the small communication devices, placing one in his left ear as he handed the other to Mustang.

As soon as the rest of the team had theirs in place, Beckett reached up and activated the wireless comms. “Baker, this is Bones. You there?”

The system allowed the men to communicate with each other, as well as their borrowed eyes in the sky, over the engine’s loud roar.

“Said I would be, didn’t I?”

“Baker?” Mustang tilted his head with a grin. “Rawlins, is that you?”

“The one and only.”

“Well, damn. Guess I should’ve known you had a hand in this one, as fast as it was thrown together.”

Beckett’s gaze swung across the boat’s open cockpit to where Mustang and Aleck were sitting. “Wait, you know Baker Rawlins?”

“Duh.” Aleck shot him an incredulous look. “Everyone who’s anyone in this biz knows Baker.”

After one last check to make sure the final ropes had been freed from the dock’s metal cleats, Digger gave them the signal he was ready to roll.

“Hang on boys.” Digger slowly reversed the expensive boat from its covered slip. “Water’s a little rough tonight, so we’re in for a bumpy ride.”

And a bumpy ride, it was.

For seven miles, they were bounced and jostled as they cut through the water’s choppy waves. It wasn’t storming, thank fuck, but the wind had picked up. Making the ride to their destination anything but smooth.

With nothing else to do as they traversed across the wide-open sea, a few of the men carried on side conversations. Not Beckett, though. No, his mind was on Evie. His thoughts consumed with worry that they may already be too late.

He looked out into the low-lit abyss the night sky and dark waters created. A shimmering streak of silver danced on the ocean’s surface, the moon’s reflection offering sailors whatever light it could.

His focus lifted to the million stars shining high from up above. The brilliant, cloudless scene visible as far as the eye could see, and all Beckett could think was?—

Is Evie looking at these same stars, too?

The memory of finding her in that cave shot to the forefront of his mind. She may not be in an Afghani desert, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t suffering.

Please, let her be okay. She has to be okay.

“Okay, boys.” Baker’s voice pulled Beckett’s attention back into focus. “Lights from the yacht should become visible due east of your current location right about…now.”

Every man on the boat looked up ahead, their trained eyes spotting their target almost instantly.

“Got it,” Digger confirmed, bringing the boat to a slow-rolling stop.

With the engine cut, the scene grew quiet. The ocean’s current created a soft, steady beat as its waters splashed against the boat’s sleek hull. Baker continued giving them helpful intel while Beckett and the others listened closely.

“Current sig count is six,” he referred to the heat signatures his program was picking up. “We’ve got two on deck, two at the helm, and two more down below. Best bet, your girl’s being kept in one of the cabins, but that’s only a guess.”

It also made the most sense.

“All right, gentlemen, listen up!” Digger took charge. “We use the same, non-regulated approach through the water, using the buddy system to stay safe. You know the drill. You have an issue or need to come up for air, alert your dive buddy, they’ll get the next guy’s attention, and so on.”

“We board the yacht, the first thing will be to clear the deck,” Apollo reminded them all. “Once that area is secured, Dig, Bones, and I will take the first level down. Falcon, you, Mustang, and Aleck will handle any sigs still at the helm.”

Picking things back up, Digger added, “From there, we’ll all make our way through the rest of the yacht until every target is accounted for, and the hostage is safe.”

“Evie’s top priority,” Beckett reminded the entire group. “She’s the whole reason we’re here. If we can bring Granger in alive to face charges for what he’s done, great. But finding Evie and ensuring her safety is our number one goal.”

“Understood, Bones.” Aleck dipped his neoprene hooded head. “Like I said, we get it.”

“There’s something else,” Baker spoke up again.

“Can it wait?” Beckett’s tone did little to hide his growing frustration. “Evie’s two miles away, which means we still have about an eighty-minute swim to get to her.”

A lot could happen in eighty minutes, and he wasn’t about to waste a minute more standing around shootin’ the shit.

“This is important, Bones. I figured out Granger’s motive for kidnapping Evie.”

While he could appreciate the other man’s tenacity and willingness to help, right now, motive was the last thing on Beckett’s mind.

“No offense, Baker, but I really don’t give a shit about why Granger did what he did. All I care about is getting our asses on that fucking yacht.”

“Normally, I would agree with you. But I think you’re going to want to know what else I uncovered before you put even one of your ten little piggies on that boat.”

Beckett filled his lungs with air before releasing it out into the passing ocean breeze. “Fine. But make it quick.”

Less than a handful of minutes later, Beckett had to admit, the man was right. One of the first rules of war was to learn everything you could about your enemy.

And if Landy Granger hadn’t already put himself in the center of Beckett’s sights, the crooked son of a bitch would most definitely be there now.

I’ll fucking kill him.

The deadly mantra pushed him through the frigid waters as he and the team made their way to their floating target. As if playing on a silent loop, Beckett used the unspoken words as his own personal battle cry. Each push of his fins matched with a piece of the ominous vow…

I’ll. Kick. Fucking. Kick. Kill. Kick. Him. Kick.

In his mind, he saw the scene play out like the most satisfying ending to a harrowing action movie. His team would board the yacht. Neutralize those stupid enough to get in bed with a man like Granger. And then…

I’ll. Fucking. Kill. Him.

So that was the plan. They’d locate the asshole, take him down, and Evie would be safe. Then, once they were back on shore, the two of them could live out the rest of their days lost in their own happily ever after.

It was the only ending he would accept. The only one he would allow. Because a world without Evie lighting it up was a world in which Beckett had no desire to live.

Time stretched on as the team plus two made their way through the ocean seemingly undetected. Finally, after what felt like the longest dive of his life, Digger indicated that they’d reached their long-awaited destination.

“Just like we planned,” Digger spoke low enough only they could hear. “We’ll clear the deck together, and then you three”—he looked to Falcon, Mustang, and Aleck—will head to the helm while the three of us take the next level down. At that time, we’ll do an all call for a quick SITREP and decide where to go from there. Questions?”

When no one spoke up, he gave a curt nod and told Baker, “Going silent upon approach. Boarding vessel now.”

Beckett and the others followed the former SEAL’s lead as they began making their way onto the yacht. Thanks to the training they’d all received on Uncle Sam’s dime—and the night sky and black wetsuits offering the perfect cover—their climb up the side of the hull and onto the impressive deck was completed with relative ease.

“Nice job, boys.” Baker’s voice filled his left ear. “I know you’re running silent, but I figured you could use a couple eyes in the sky. First on the list are two sigs standing guard on deck. One at the stern, the other at the bow.”

Using hand motions, Digger split the six operators into two separate groups. Using the same set-up as planned for the second stage of the mission, Falcon, Mustang, and Aleck went left, while Beckett and Apollo followed Digger to the right.

The wind started to pick up, but Beckett ignored the cold shivers racing down his spine. He’d walk through a fucking blizzard if it meant finding his way back to Evie.

I’m here, sweetheart. I’m here, and I am not leaving this boat without you.

Digger raised a fist, and all three men came to a sudden stop. With their guns at the ready, he and Apollo watched Dig’s hand as their team leader motioned to something up ahead.

No, not something. Someone.

Their first target stood several yards away. His back was to them, and he was looking out over the water. A long, automatic rifle was slung across his muscular chest, and from his stand, the guy looked ready to use it.

Too bad for him, he had no idea they were coming. Because by the time he heard their approaching steps and turned with the intent to shoot, he was already lying dead on the deck. Beckett’s bullet to the head having effectively eliminated the threat.

“Stern clear,” Digger quietly relayed through the comms in their ears.

“Copy that, Tac-Ops,” Baker confirmed he’d received the update. “Mustang?”

The low zip of a suppressed shot being taken filled the mics a beat before the SEAL responded with, “Bow’s clear, too.”

A deadly satisfaction began seeping into Beckett’s veins. Two down, three to go, and this whole thing would finally be over.

“Heading to the helm, now,” Falcon whispered his group’s update.

“Copy that, Falcon,” Digger acknowledged. “There’s a door back here that leads inside. Making our way in, now.”

He opened the aforementioned door, holding it wide for Beckett and Apollo to make their way through. Moving in a single-file line, the three teammates stayed within a step of each other. Keeping their guns up and their eyes ready for any threat that may come their way.

“Digger, I’m picking up a sig heading toward the interior door six feet up and to your right,” Baker gave them a heads-up.

Since Beckett was still first in line, he held up a fist, stopping to center the door in his crosshairs…

The door opened. A man carrying a rifle crossed the threshold and entered the hall. He looked their way, his eyes growing wide as saucers. But like the man up on deck, this one never stood a chance.

Beckett pulled his trigger, the zip of his bullet leaving the chamber simultaneous to his target’s body jerking. The man was dead before his body ever hit the floor.

“Got ’em,” he confirmed as he and the other two resumed their steps.

“Nice job, but don’t celebrate too soon,” Baker warned. “Remember the two heat sigs I told you about that were down below? Well, they’re moving directly below you right now. It looks like they’re headed to a staircase not far from where you are now.”

“Take us there,” Digger ordered.

The man in their ears did just that. Following Baker’s directions, Beckett and his teammates used hurried steps to get to the other end of the hall before their two targets reached the top of the stairs.

“Go north,” Baker instructed as the wall to their right came to an end.

As Beckett entered to the floor’s main entertainment area, he did what their temporary overwatch suggested and swung his body—and the barrel of his MP5—around the corner toward the opening to the stairs.

He stopped a safe distance away as Digger and Apollo flanked each of his sides. All three men held their weapons at the ready.

Beckett watched and waited, his right index finger precariously close to his trigger. He could hear his own heartbeat as it pounded through his ears. But he pushed his nerves back and remained focused on his one and only goal.

Save Evie.

It was the only reason he was here. She was the only reason. And as he and his teammates waited for whoever was about to come up those stairs, Beckett prepared himself to kill again.