Chapter 22

Ryderand I were up and ready for the two a.m. departure, and we were joined by the rest of the team in the large hallway of the safe house, Kai and Zach heading down the stairs in the middle of an argument.

“… so, fuck you and the horse you rode in on,” Kai snapped.

“He’s my brother?—”

“And that’s your son!”

“I’m not having this discussion with you.” Zach’s voice was more of a grumble than actual words, and with Ethan waiting, arms crossed over his chest, they stopped.

“Asshole,” Kai muttered.

“Asshole,” Zach repeated under his breath, just as low.

One raised eyebrow from Ethan, and we all fell silent. “Sunrise zero-five-thirty, I want us in place. Comm check.” I answered the voice in my ear—Sierra five firm and in control—and then, we split up and headed out.

Ryder and I were quiet, each step placed to avoid any unnecessary noise. We wore black tactical clothing that blended with the darkness, and our night vision goggles allowed us to navigate the terrain with clarity despite the moonlight casting elongated shadows. The terrain was challenging, with rocks and dense wooded areas requiring us to scramble and maneuver with caution.

We kept a close eye on our surroundings, scanning for any signs of surveillance. Aria’s voice would break the silence every thirty minutes, a reassuring reminder that we weren’t alone. The air had a chill to it, a reminder that it was May in Montana, and the nights could be unforgiving.

As we moved through the landscape, the sounds of nocturnal creatures surrounded us—crickets chirping, the occasional hoot of an owl, and rustling in the underbrush that made us alert. Overhead, clouds scudded across the moon, plunging us into moments of complete darkness.

Our destination lay about a mile north of the collection of buildings we were surveilling, well outside the perimeter fence. We reached our marker just after four in the morning.

We took up our positions, alternating our roles to provide feedback to Aria at the safe house. The night was alive with movement in and around the buildings, even at this late hour. The darkness provided cover, but we caught glimpses of activity.

“There,” I whispered to Ryder, pointing to the lone floodlight with two bulbs out. It cast uneven light on the area, creating pockets of shadows we could use to our advantage.

As we observed, a large truck arrived, parking behind the largest of the structures we’d called the barn, and a few minutes later, another one departed, its headlights briefly illuminating our surroundings. I tracked its path as it headed toward the main road. What was on there?

Guns? Drugs? People?

Maybe all of the above?

“Sierra Base confirms, Sanctuary has the container truck,” Aria’s voice crackled over the radio. “Waiting on your signal to intercept, Sierra one.”

“Hold Sierra Base,” Ethan’s tone was calm. “Teams call in.”

We reported in sequentially. “Sierra five in position,” I confirmed when it was my turn.

“Send them in, Sierra Base, eyes sharp,” Ethan said.

“North Team, Sierra four and five, it’s a go,” Aria instructed, then did the same for the Zach and Kai team. Ryder and I exchanged a determined glance, a soft fist bump, and I wanted to grab him and kiss him one last time before we headed into fuck knows what. The way he looked at me was almost enough for me to forget my training—at least for a millisecond—but then it was all business. We kept low to the ground, cautious, our fingers wrapped firmly around the cold, textured grips of our weapons. The night was eerily silent, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves underfoot as we descended the hill. Each step was deliberate, ensuring minimal noise and maximum concealment, and we fell into a rhythm where one moved and the other covered, and all too soon we were down behind the barn, outside the security fence and no more than twenty feet from the second truck that had arrived. We slithered closer, bolt cutters enough to make a hole for us to work our way through and no sign of surveillance, exactly as Yaz had suggested. Seemed to me that whatever Amos had going on here wasn’t as high-tech as the compound or some of the other places I’d visited with the crews. The whole place had the air of something that had been here a long time, but security was lax, and that was to our advantage.

As we approached the barn, we could hear faint murmurs coming from inside, people discussing matters unknown to us. The structure itself was weathered and worn, its wooden planks creaking in the occasional breeze. We maintained our proximity to the ground, crouching and moving in silence, taking advantage of the natural cover provided by the terrain. The barn’s shadow offered some concealment, and we positioned ourselves, ready to observe and act when the time was right.

Ryder raised his closed fist to shoulder height, then extended his index finger, pointing in the direction I needed to head, and I acknowledged it with a single, subtle nod. I stepped into position and observed the scene unfolding inside the barn, my heart pounding. “Four, two armed,” I murmured into my mic.

“Copy Sierra five.”

“Perimeter, south side, three, all armed,” I heard Zach confirm. “Make that two.”

“Copy Sierra two.”

I assumed either Zach or Kai had taken out one of the guards.

“Sierra Base, clear,” Kai acknowledged. “Moving forward.” That was all three guards down.

A small group of people had congregated in the center of the barn, and that was my focus, them amidst crates and boxes. Among them, one man stood out—a tall, overweight figure struggling to contain his bulk in a suit that seemed a size too small. He held a clipboard, appearing to be in charge.

Two imposing guards, built like fortresses and clad in combat gear, flanked the group, their vigilant eyes scanning the surroundings.

But there was one person, the one I couldn’t clearly see yet, his back turned to us. Could it be Amos? I could level my gun, take him and the others out in a single flurry of bullets, but that wouldn’t solve anything.

And I’d promised Ethan.

The team.

Ryder.

A hand on my shoulder let me know Ryder was by my side, holding up four fingers, then two.

“Sierra one to all teams, outer buildings clear.”

That just left the barn, the four people inside, and whatever we found in there. Ethan called out to drop weapons, clear, calm, and controlled—the armed men inside the barn seemed disoriented, uncertain of where to turn. Panic flashed in their eyes as they realized they were outnumbered and outgunned.

Zach lunged at the man closest to him, taking him down swiftly and silently. Kai followed suit, incapacitating the other guard.

That left two men standing—the one in the ill-fitting suit and the skinny individual with his back still turned. The odds were stacked against them, and our team had them surrounded.

Turn you fucker. Turn and face me.

The skinny man turned in increments; his hands raised. However, it became evident he was armed, and the situation remained volatile. Ryder, quick and decisive, disarmed him.

I wasted no time, grabbing the man with the clipboard, my voice firm as I demanded answers. “Where’s Amos?”

Frustration welled up inside me as the man in the ill-fitting suit whimpered and claimed not to know who Amos was. It seemed as if he was trying to play innocent, but I wasn’t buying it. We needed to find Amos, and we couldn’t afford any more delays.

I tightened my grip and leaned in closer, my voice low and intense. “Don’t play games.”

“I… I’m not.” The,” the man’s voice was shaky.

But I’d been taken in by this shit before—this was Amos all over again, and in a smooth move, I took him to the ground, my knee on his lower back, pushing his face in the dirt. He was wriggling and yelling, and all I could do was shout. There was chaos in my head, as I pressed his Sig against the man’s face. Someone was yanking at me, pulling me away, and I rounded on them, gun raised, only stopping when I met dark brown eyes, and Ryder holding out a hand in surrender.

My ire vanished as fast as it had arrived, as Zach and Kai zip-tied both Skinny and Suit.

“We need to clear the barn, Navy.” Ryder was right up in my face. “You with me?” He slapped a hand to my chest. “Are. You. With. Me?”

I nodded, and shoulders stiff, I snapped back into the moment. The rest of the team were clearing the space, the four people tied and dumped in a corner, Luca with a gun on them.

Ryder headed for the closest container, but I stopped him as he reached for the handle. There was no sign of a lock, no visible evidence of a booby trap, but I’d seen this kind of thing before. If there was no sign of Amos, then what was inside? Could he be in one of them? I positioned myself, weapon ready, and indicated a countdown—three, two, one—Ryder pulled the door, keeping himself to one side.

Empty.

Nothing.

“Clear,” I heard Ryder announce.

“Product,” Zach confirmed in the second containers. “Cases…”

“Weapons,” Kai added.

“They must have cleared this one out on that last truck,” Ryder suggested.

I glanced back at the truck we could all see outside, Aria shrugged. “Empty,” she announced, dumping someone I assumed was the driver, zip-tied, with the rest of them.

That was a big enough truck for two containers, and what looked to be a small amount of product. This didn’t make sense. Something compelled me to step inside the empty one, Ryder on my heels, and I shook off the memory of us stepping into that safe room and the pain after. We checked dark corners by small flashlight, but there was nothing to see.

“This isn’t right,” I announced, but didn’t have to go into an explanation about the hinky feelings I had going on, because Ryder nodded. He stalked outside, and I followed, and if I hadn’t been so tuned into this feeling of something wrong, maybe I wouldn’t have felt it, but there was a change in the sound as my boots hit the metal, and I stopped. Not an IED, I’d been in that situation before—something more innocent, a smooth square maybe two-foot square, and I gestured for Ryder to return.

“What is it?” he asked.

I ran the narrow beam of my flashlight around the square, following with my fingers, finding a notch, then indicating Ryder should cover me.

“Sierra Base, I have possible access to an area below the container.”

“Copy Sierra five; Sierra one, your call.”

I glanced up at Ethan, who was in position watching us, and he nodded. Ryder stepped back to cover me. Through my earpiece, Ethan asked Sierra Base for any information on potential underground structures beneath the barn. The reply was disappointing: nothing.

I reached for the hatch’s handle after checking everyone was in place, bracing myself for an explosion or gunfire. I’d faced worse than this, expected death on so many occasions, and on some, since James, I’d even welcomed it.

But, I hesitated, who would make sure Annie found a family if I was hurt or killed?

I wished Ryder was further back, because if this was armed, and he was close and…

Shit. I was losing my edge.

Love for a child, or a man… weakness.

Fuck.

Focus.

I counted down, giving myself time, giving Ryder and Ethan time to steady themselves, and then, I flicked the catch and lifted the cover, laying it flat on the ground. Low lighting illuminated a short ladder leading into darkness below. I couldn’t tell if it was a deep drop, or nothing more than a few feet. I extended my arm downward, palm facing the ground, with fingers outstretched and pointing towards the hatch and ladder. I’m going down.

Ryder acknowledged, and with one last deep breath, gripping the rungs, I descended into the unknown. I dropped the last few rungs, into a crouch, taking out my pistol to back up my rifle.

The underground passage, no more than five feet high, stretched before me in one direction, its walls rough-hewn and irregular. Scattered lights, suspended from the ceiling at uneven intervals, cast a dim and eerie glow, and the floor beneath my boots was level. I couldn’t stand upright though and went into a crouch.

“Sierra five, clear,” I announced.

Ryder dropped into the passage behind me, then Ethan. One of them cursing when I indicated I was moving further on. We headed deeper into the passage, there was a musty, damp, earthy scent, the air cool, causing a shiver to run down my spine, memories of other tunnels, IEDs, visceral in my mind, the air thick with anticipation of someone waiting just around the corner, and the weight of the unknown.

The passage widened and the ceiling height increased so all three of us could stand upright, and then, a corner led us into a large underground chamber of sorts. We’d been climbing as we walked, and I wondered how close to the surface this was.

“Sierra Base?” Ethan asked, “Sierra two?” But comms were likely blocked down here, and no one acknowledged.

The chamber was lit, but it wasn’t the crates that caught my attention, it was the soft whimper of someone in a dark corner. I held up a fist for Ryder and Ethan to stop, and then, weapon high, I followed the sound. “Come out, weapons down,” I called.

“Don’t hurt us, please,” someone whimpered—a girl’s voice. I holstered my pistol, switched to the flashlight in my empty hand, and raked the area looking for her, catching her eyes as she blinked up at me. Kids. I couldn’t count how many of them were crouched on the cold, hard floor, their small hands bound by chains and their eyes locked onto me with a mixture of desperation and hope.

In the midst of this grim scene, the young woman I assumed had spoken kneeled in front of the children. Her voice trembled as she uttered a simple plea. “No, please.”

I lost my voice; I was frozen, the team needed to know… “Sierra five to Sierra Base, there are people here, young, some kids.” I had to rely on Ethan and Ryder covering any other dark shadows.

I placed my rifle on the ground, hands up to show I meant no harm, glancing at my surroundings and dragging a light from the suspension wire so it shone around them, but tilting it so it didn’t blind them. How long had they been in here?

A door opened, wide and open to the morning sky, the space was flooded with light, and every single one of them shrank back, the crying louder. I grabbed the rifle and swung to face attackers, putting myself between the victims and guns.

“Sierra two, clear,” Zach snapped, and he stalked inside, crouching next to the kids, his weapon missing, probably with Kai, and then, he cursed under his breath. “Door opens into the barn we cleared,” he ground out. “Hidden flat like your trapdoor.”

“I want them out of here,” I ordered, and I needed to move, but it was Ryder who stepped silently past me, then found the end of the chain, helping the kids get out.

Because I was frozen.

“Sierra Base to Sierra Teams, located a radar image of tunnels and excavations, sending it to you now.”

My cell vibrated in my pants, and I snapped out of my fugue state when Ryder cursed right by me. He was talking to Ethan, things were heated, Ryder gesturing, Ethan staying calm, and I stepped between them.

“What?”

“We have an idea of how he got away.” Ryder gestured at the wall on the opposite side of the excavated space, Zach and Kai were standing by a gaping hole, sheets of metal pulled to one side.

I blinked at the victims, at the room. “Another tunnel? Where does it come out?”

“No idea?—”

“Then, we follow it. Why is no one going in?”

I hurried over to the space and stopped as soon as I reached Kai, who pointed at the box they’d revealed. “There’s an issue.”

My heart raced as I kneeled beside the improvised explosive device. The wires were a chaotic tangle around the IED, leading to a small, blinking trip light indicating it was armed and ready to go. The digital timer displayed numbers counting down from fifteen minutes, each second ticking away like a death sentence. I had time to retrieve Amos and get out of the exit—he wouldn’t leave a trap that could kill him as well.

My voice, barely above a whisper, was urgent. “Tell me we have bomb disposal on call.”

“Not gonna happen,” Zach murmured. “We don’t know what’s further down, this could be one of many, and this payload is enough to crater this whole place.”.

“Get the victims out of here,” I snapped, my gaze locked on the wires, mind racing to assess the best course of action. “Find the exit to this shit; I’m going in.”

“August!” Ryder was calling my name, but I didn’t have time to turn back, only his voice wasn’t growing more distant, in fact he was close as we were blocked by a wall of stone.

“Go back,” I snapped.

“How do we get past this?” He shouldered his weapon. “Cover me.” Instead of running back to the exit and out with the victims and the rest of the team he was feeling along the wall, but it was nothing clever like the trapdoor in the container, just a sidestep we would have seen if it wasn’t so fucking dark. I shoved through first, heard Ryder scrambling behind me, and hunched over as the tunnel roof became lower every twenty steps or so. There were no comm, and I had no fucking idea what we were going to face, or if we’d catch up to Amos.

I hoped for an exit. I hoped for daylight.

Instead, we faced another wall, and this time, a heavy metal door.

And then, it rained rock as the earth moved.