Chapter 3

When I steppedoff the sleek, private jet emblazoned with the Callahan family crest, my anticipation mixed with a fuck-ton of unease. Chicago’s skyline loomed ahead, and in among its towering structures stood Sanctuary’s Chicago office.

Someone had reliably informed me that it was distinct from Albany Ops, the new hub in Maine, and the hundred or so safe houses around the U.S. and up into Canada. A car was waiting to whisk me away and parked outside an imposing building full of normal offices with the top three floors labeled as Callahan Imports and Exports. I had to stifle a snort, because if that didn’t sound like a cover company, I don’t know what did.

A man approached me and extended a hand, which I shook.

“Simon Grant.”

“Ryder West,” I replied, and we did that whole nod thing where we acknowledged what we were here to do. I followed him to the elevator, and when the door closed, he placed his hand against a screen that scanned his palm and fingers. The elevator came to life, whisking us upward.

“Do I get some of that?” I asked as I poked at the screen.

Simon chuckled. “You don’t want it. Hell, we operate under so many levels of security and secrecy that sometimes I wonder if, one day, I won’t be able to get in. First day I came up here, I got shut into this glass prison thing, although to be fair, I was armed and covered in blood…” His smile widened, as if that was a fond memory. “Those were the days,” he added as the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.

I didn’t ask.

“Okay, if you can wait here,” he indicated a round mark in the tiled floor, “and stand still while it scans.”

I did as I was told—couldn’t see a scanner or anything like lasers or whatever they had going on here—then Simon tapped his ear and gestured me forward. “Follow me.”

I noted he didn’t ask me to remove my weapon, or the knife in the sheath at my waist.

He opened a door to reveal a vast expanse segmented into various low-walled spaces, like cubicles, but not. There was a general hum of activity, with people moving about briskly, focus unwavering, some acknowledging Simon, others talking into phones or earpieces.

“We have a thing happening right now in New Mexico,” Simon said with a wave around the hive of what I assumed was strategic planning and intelligence-gathering, each person likely a cog in a well-oiled machine.

A bank of computers, more advanced and expansive than anything I had seen at the ranch safe house, dominated the central area. Screens flickered with maps, data streams, and surveillance footage, painting a picture of global operations in real time, and sitting on a chair in the middle of it all was another man who stood and crossed to me.

“Welcome. I’m Cain Brodie, resident IT nerd,” he said, and we shook hands.

“And our boss,” Simon added with a hint of pride, which earned him a quirky smile from Cain.

“Ryder West, former Army Ranger and fellow IT nerd,” I said with a smile.

“Oh cool.” Cain grinned at me. “I was just researching quantum encryption.” He sounded cautious, as if he were expecting me to laugh at him.

“The uncrackable code?” I said, and Cain nodded. “It’s like something out of a sci-fi movie, but I can’t help but think about how it could revolutionize field operations.”

“I know, oh my god, imagine having comm and data that are virtually impenetrable to hacking.”

His enthusiasm was infectious. “Imagine having something that could mean the difference between a mission’s success and catastrophic failure. The ability to operate without the fear of our communications being intercepted or compromised could give us an edge we never had before.”

“Any new tech has to be foolproof and user-friendly,” I warned.

“Absolutely—”

“Guys!” Simon interrupted and rolled his eyes as both Cain and I turned to him. “Coffee?” he asked me.

“Black, please.”

Then, Simon focused on Cain. “You get the coffee, babe.” He shot me a glance. “Cain, I mean.”

Cain grumbled about boyfriends who didn’t care about the information process, but he did wander off to wherever they had coffee.

“You’re partners then?” I asked because I needed to know the people I worked with.

“Work and life,” Simon said, then tilted his chin and my gaze fell to the ring on his hand. His expression asked if I had a problem with that, and of course, I freaking didn’t.

“Hashtag rainbow army,” I deadpanned, then offered Simon a fist bump. “So, show me what I’m facing here.”

He crossed to a table and flicked a switch, and I realized the large top was actually a set of large, embedded screens.

Simon traced the sinuous path of a river on a map. “This is the operational zone of the Cooper River Cartel,” he said, his voice all business as Cain came back with coffees and handed us ours.

“No coffees on the twenty-million-dollar table please,” he muttered, and Simon ducked his head—I sensed a story there.

“It was once,” he grumbled.

“Once was enough.”

They exchanged glances, and Cain’s serious expression slipped into a smile.

“Okay then,” Simon began. “This is the Francis Marion National Forest, South Carolina, northeast of Charleston and part of the low-country region.” The digital map on the screen showed the forest, a sprawling green mass across the state that was about to become my hunting ground.

I leaned forward, scanning the dense forest. “And this Cooper River Cartel?” I asked, a name I hadn’t come across before. “What’s their main game?”

“Narcotics, guns, trafficking, primarily,” Simon replied. “Cocaine, meth, and some marijuana cultivation.”

I frowned, processing this. The variety in their criminal portfolio meant they were adaptable. Dangerous. All of that made what they needed me to do that bit harder.

But not impossible.

Army Rangers didn’t know the meaning of the word impossible.

“And the leadership?” I probed further. “Who are we looking at here?”

“That’s the tricky part,” Simon said, shaking his head. “Their leader is a ghost. No concrete identity. We have a couple of the lieutenants who handle the day-to-day, thanks to the file that August gave us, but none of them will give up who is running this. Could be one person, but our intel suggests it could be more than one person.”

I understood the challenge we faced. A faceless enemy was always harder to combat.

“Any ideas at all?”

Cain shook his head. “Maybe it’s unique and run at lieutenant level, but no, nothing.”

“And they have terrain advantage over law enforcement, I assume?” I asked, already knowing part of the answer.

“Exactly,” Simon confirmed. “The forest itself is their fortress. The terrain is tough, full of swamps and dense woods. Makes it hard for law enforcement to make any headway, even the park rangers are holding off engaging even though there is a task force set up for the wildlife issues.”

Navigating that kind of terrain wouldn’t be easy.

“I’m more used to the desert,” I said, because they needed to know my limitations as well as my expertise.

“Afghanistan, Syria, and Africa,” Cain murmured.

“You know all that?”

Cain shrugged. “Not the redacted stuff, but the main thrust of it, yes.”

“Tell me how they haven’t worked out that Aubrey Mitchell is actually August Fox, and why they haven’t connected him to the murder of his husband?”

“There were a few key pieces of background information and deception. It wasn’t common knowledge outside of August’s black ops leader. No one knew he and James weren’t really married, it was part of his cover. A change of identity was a given, a new name and an elaborate backstory with falsified records to match.” Simon glanced at me, and from his expression, I got the feeling there was something else happening here, and I didn’t question it. He cleared his throat. “The Cooper River Cartel would have no reason to suspect August.”

“I understand that.” I gathered as much patience as I could, given my expertise with technology. I might not be on the same level as Sanctuary, but I was good enough to know not everyone could hide. “But, Cain, back me up here, no one is completely untraceable, so what are we walking into?”

Cain let Simon answer, but he shot me a look that spoke volumes, and I knew for sure, it had been him who’d created a backstory and audit trail that would stand any test.

“Don’t forget there’s been a significant time gap between the incident involving his pretend family and August’s infiltration into the cartel. The cartel targeted James Lerner as a message to the DA on a case against Colter Diaz, one of their remaining lieutenants.” Simon paused and glanced at me, because that was exactly what he’d said. “The cartel is structured into cells, and four of the seven lieutenants are gone. Three arrested on August’s intel, and one dead, throat slit, and his body dumped outside a nightclub.”

“So, the cartel is responsible for killing the girl’s father, August goes undercover to get closer, I get that, but why did the cartel take the girl in the first place?”

“We have a working idea,” Cain said, and exchanged glances with Simon.

“Go on.”

“James Lerner had intel on the Cooper River Cartel, documentation that tied the incumbent DA to some shady dealings. He was only days away from presenting a completed case to those who could deal with it.”

“Which is why he was taken out, but again, this doesn’t explain taking his daughter.”

“Whoever killed James, might have seen his daughter as nothing more than collateral, maybe not significant in their line of work. After all, it appears they targeted James as a warning to anyone digging around the DA’s office. Why the cartel is still keeping her is a mystery, but maybe she’s being groomed because she’s too young for trafficking.”

“Jesus Christ.” I felt sick.

All three of us were silent, then Simon continued. “How she ended up in this compound, at this time, we don’t know, but that is where August is, and we are now in over our heads backing him up. The intel he gave us on the cartel so far included detailed instructions about leaving him the fuck alone, his words not ours, to concentrate on getting his daughter out. End of story.”

“Then, let’s get it done.” I was ready to get into the thick of it.

“We’re coordinating with local and federal agencies,” Simon began, “but this is the location we have from August’s intel,” Simon said, his voice a mix of determination and concern as he pointed to the screen. It showed a house embedded in the thick foliage of the Francis Marion National Forest.

I leaned over, studying the image, watching as Simon spread his fingers apart to zoom in, until the images pixelated.

The main building, a sprawling structure of stone, seemed to emerge from the forest itself. The fences that surveillance had picked up under the canopy were imposing, tall, shadowed by towering trees cut back to keep this space clear, giving the impression of a fortress hidden away from the world. The roof was steep and angular, and heavy blinds and bars shrouded the house’s occasional windows.

It was clear this was no ordinary residence; it had the air of a stronghold, designed for privacy and defense. I could make out the faint outlines of what appeared to be guard posts. The dense canopy of the forest provided camouflage, shielding the house from prying eyes, making it almost a part of the landscape.

“How does a place like this even exist?” I muttered, more to myself than Simon.

“Money,” he deadpanned.

“And no trail on the money to anyone bankrolling this.”

“Nothing.”

The surrounding terrain was rugged and untamed. Thick underbrush and clusters of trees created a natural barrier, while the uneven ground hinted at hidden pitfalls and treacherous footpaths. It was easy to see how approaching this place undetected would be a challenge.

But I could handle this.

Despite its isolation, there was something deliberate about its placement. Every aspect of the house and its surroundings seemed calculated for maximum security and strategic advantage. It went beyond being just a hideout; it was a command center from which operations could be overseen with an iron grip. The spider sitting at the center of the web.

And whoever it was, August told us this was where the child was.

As I studied the image, I couldn’t help but feel a grudging respect for the mind that had chosen this location. They knew what they were doing, and they’d done it well. But that only bolstered my determination. No matter how well-fortified, no stronghold was impregnable. We would find a way in. We had to. For the little girl called Annie.

“They picked this location for tactical advantage,” I muttered, my mind racing through various tactical approaches.

“Exactly.” Simon nodded, zooming out to show the surrounding terrain. “Difficult to approach without being seen. Thick underbrush, uneven ground, and a few creeks running close by.” He traced his fingers over two, one wider than the other.

I absorbed every detail, already envisioning a path through the dense forest. “This is all the aerial surveillance we have?” I asked, knowing the dense canopy would be a challenge.

“Drones can”t go through the tree cover, and we”re not sure what they have in there for surveillance,” Simon replied, confirming my thoughts. “We’ll need ground recon for this one.”

My attention remained fixed on the screen as I noted the natural barriers and plotting potential paths. “Security setup? Cameras, guards?” I asked, anticipating the resistance we might face.

“I wish we knew, darkness is our best bet, you and maybe one or two others, keep it small, and you’ll get her.” Simon explained with confidence despite the lack of a plan.

I nodded, already thinking about the potential risks and ways to exit the situation. “Evac if things go south?” I asked, knowing full well that in operations like these, anything could happen.

“Two routes.” Simon pointed them out on the map. “One back to the main road, another to a clearing for emergency extraction. We’ll have exfil on standby.”

I felt the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. Getting Annie out safely was paramount. “And August?” I inquired, thinking about the man whose undercover life had been torn apart. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through, a client dead on his watch, a child missing, but also, how close to the ragged edge he must be.

My former captain, Ethan, had witnessed August shooting our old boss, without a blink of remorse, and while I didn’t mourn Danvers, I wondered at how ingrained into this evil system August was. He’d been under just short of two years, how much humanity did he have left?

“Once Annie’s out, he’s taking it down.” Unspoken was how he would be doing that.

“And it’s sanctioned?” I asked even though I didn’t need to because I could read Simon’s expression, underscored by the sigh he gave. This was August off-mission, loose, wanting revenge. Simon didn’t say that this was going to be stopped, but, maybe, I wasn’t cleared for that information.

I stood straighter, adrenaline surging, my fingertips tingling. “I’ll get the team ready; I want Ethan leading this, and Luca with me. We’ll do this quick, quiet, and efficient,” I stated, the resolve in my voice unwavering. I couldn’t fathom any mission without Cap at my side.

“Ethan’s locked down in Maine, no can do.”

“Then, I’ll do this with Luca alone.”

Simon was troubled. “Ryder, Sanctuary can give you an entire team?—”

“We don’t need anyone else. Luca and I will get the girl out, no one will know we’re there. Surgical.”

Simon nodded after a pause, his concern still there. “I’ll coordinate with the other units. Of course, backup will be ready if you need it.”

“I’ll contact Luca, give him the option, it’s his choice, okay? Otherwise, I go in alone.”

Simon didn’t look convinced, but Cain sighed.

“Okay,” Cain said after a pause.

As I turned to leave the room, the mission loomed large in my mind, but there was no room for doubt. “We’ll get her,” I said. “We’ll bring her home.”

The screen”s glow faded, but the image of the house in the forest stayed etched in my mind. We were going to bring Annie home. No matter what it took.

* * *

Luca tookthe call and was heading our way within the hour, and it wasn’t that long until he arrived, a smirk on his face as he headed straight for me.

“You made it here in one piece. I’m surprised,” I said with a grin, standing to greet one of my closest friends. Through training, then war, we’d become more than just friends—more like brothers.

He chuckled, clapping me on the shoulder. “Please, you know my driving is half the reason we always got out of those hot zones.”

“Yeah, and the other half, the reason we got into them in the first place,” I shot back, the familiar banter like slipping into an old, comfortable jacket.

Luca’s laugh filled the room, easing some of the tension that had built up as Simon and I strategized, and he handed out tech as if he was offering candy. “You said a retrieval, catch me up?” He turned serious as he checked out the maps and photos spread across the table.

“There’s a kid in there we need to get out.” I tapped the map, my voice firm, leaving no room for ambiguity about our primary objective—the presence of a child in danger added a layer of urgency and gravity to the mission. “Just the two of us, in, out, done, exfil two clicks out, guards, guns, high fences electrified, cartel, danger, blah, blah.”

Luca paused his flicking through paperwork, and his expression hardened as he leaned in closer, determined. I knew what he’d focused in on, and it wasn’t all the bullshit about danger.

“A kid, huh?” Luca said, his voice low. “I’m in.” Then, he glanced at me, and we exchanged nods. “I’m in.”

Simon redirected the focus of the briefing. “Our asset is on site, August Fox, undercover as Aubrey Mitchell, responsible for the intel we have so far, responsible for getting us the info to get the kids out from the trafficking. His extraction is not on the list, okay? Rescuing the child is our top priority.”

I could see the resolve in Luca’s eyes. “Okay. We get the kid out safe,” he stated, a sentiment I echoed with a nod. There was an unspoken understanding between us. We’d faced tough situations before, but the involvement of a child made this mission different, more personal.

“We’ll need to get in and out fast,” Simon continued, pointing to the satellite image. “The compound is heavily guarded, and the terrain is challenging. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

Luca was already studying the map. “Easy,” he muttered. “Cut the power. You can do that I assume?”

Simon looked to Cain, who nodded.

“Then, you just make sure we’re ready for a quick extraction,” he said, his tone all business now. “Always up for a challenge,” he added, leaning in to study the intel. “Although Cap’s gonna be missed.” We fist bumped, a gesture that mourned Ethan wouldn’t be on this one with us.

“Yeah,” I replied, the weight of his absence hanging in the air. “But he’s safe, and that’s what matters.”

“I just miss having the old team together,” Luca said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

“We all do,” I agreed, feeling the gap Ethan’s absence left in our trio.

“But hey, we’ve got a job to do,” Luca said, shaking off the somber mood. “Let’s make sure we do it so well that Ethan’s kicking himself for missing out.”

I grinned, nodding. “Just don’t get us killed with your ‘expert’ driving,” I teased.

Luca pretended to be offended. “I’ll have you know; my driving has only improved. You’re in safe hands, buddy.”

Simon cleared his throat, bringing our focus back to the task at hand. “Let’s get down to the details. We have a tight window.”

Luca rolled his neck. “So, what is the kid doing in there?”

I could answer that one. “Annie Lerner. She was kidnapped the same day that her dad, James Lerner was killed. She would have been nearly two when she was taken, so that puts her at four now. She has a permanent nanny in the compound—Clara—and that’s all we have, just the name of the woman, no facial rec matches.”

Simon threw up photos of others, in a kind of hierarchy. “People you need to know. This is Amos, and again there’s no facial rec that we can match him to, and nothing August can get to us about him. What we do know is that he’s responsible for communicating between lieutenants on the ground and whoever is running the cartel.”

“Is Amos a target?” Luca asked.

Simon shook his head. “No targets. The deal is you get in, get the kid, get out. August is staying under, feeding us intel, but he won’t make any moves until his daughter is safe. Do not burn him.”

“Just the kid. Got it.”

Simon and Luca chatted, but my thoughts were already inside that compound, with the child who needed our help. The stakes were high, and failure was not an option.

* * *

Two days later,Luca and I were in position, hunkered down in a concealed spot with a clear view of the compound. Getting to this point involved a day’s hike in from the only road into this area, and we’d been dropped a good five miles outside that on the highway. The terrain was rocky, then scrubby, then there was climbing, but we were both in good shape, and we managed to get to the compound a couple of hours before dusk. For the night and through the next day, we took turns observing and noting every detail—when everyone ate, when the compound was busiest, and when it was quiet. We had our binoculars trained on the building, scanning for any sign of the child, and we’d fallen into the quiet no-conversation we’d used when we served. I knew him so well he could glance at me, and I understood what he was trying to say.

I spotted movement in one of the windows. A young woman with long dark hair appeared, and right beside her was a child, no more than four years old, chatting animatedly and jumping on the spot. Relief washed over me—the kid was here, and from the looks of it, in good spirits.

Luca shifted beside me, staring through his binoculars, then held up five fingers, four times. Young, maybe early twenties.

He meant the woman with the girl. I shrugged. No intel.

We watched as the woman led the child across a room, her demeanor gentle, protective, and she smiled a lot. The child clung to a small toy, oblivious that she shouldn’t even be there. At her age, what would she have remembered of a previous life?

Luca glanced at me. A kid in a situation like this was a dangerous thing— more chance of panic during extraction, and he raised an eyebrow. Do we take the nanny too?

Boots on the ground decision.

He nodded. Maybe taking someone the kid trusted would keep the situation calm.

A sharp nod from me in return, then I kept my gaze fixed on the scene. It seemed the kid and the woman spent most of their time in that suite of rooms and the fenced-in yard. Easier to keep tabs on them. Our plan was to enter a little before dawn, when everyone was at their quietest. We’d already discussed getting the kid out and not returning if either of us was compromised, in order to ensure a safe rescue.

Armed guards patrolled outside the building. We noted arrivals and departures of others, the latest, arriving just before three p.m., was a Humvee, with a short, dark-haired man in jeans and a leather jacket—fuck—this was August Fox aka Aubrey Mitchell, the undercover guy. I felt Luca tense next to me—he wasn’t supposed to be here. We had no intel that he was going back into the compound.

“We have eyes on,” Simon said in my ear, and Luca’s. “No intel on this.”

Through the lenses, I watched August across the expanse separating us, and I could see him staring at something, not quite in our direction, but close. Then, his head tilted downward, a contemplative gaze suggesting he was lost in thought, maybe even carrying the weight of the world on his broad shoulders. It was a rare moment, capturing a man who, at first glance, was unaware and unguarded. I knew he was a Navy SEAL, aware he had medals, distinguished service, the whole enchilada, but what I’d seen then was a broken man, and I adjusted the focus, sharpening the image as I took in the details. There was a rawness to him, a silent intensity that made me pause. He was playing the part of a ruthless killer and a player in human trafficking, but for a moment, I swore I saw vulnerability.

I lowered the binoculars, considering the man before me. I knew men like him, had served with SEALs before, had been in the trenches with them. Like us, or anyone in the military, they were the kind of men who carried their scars on the outside with pride, but hid the internal scars well, facing demons in the silence of their own minds.

August knew James’s daughter was a short distance away in that building—it must’ve killed him to be that close to a child in danger. I continued to observe—watching, waiting, gathering intel—and I made a mental note of everything I saw of him and around him.

Luca tapped my hand, and we had a silent conversation.

He shouldn’t be here at the compound. That wasn’t the plan.

I know.

Bad timing, and comm only went one way with him, plus Simon said August’s last contact with Sanctuary had been over a week ago. We couldn’t give August a heads-up on what we were doing, but we’d deal with that when we got there.

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, we buried deeper into the undergrowth, waiting until dawn came calling. We’d use the early hours to our advantage, less activity and better cover. As night fell and the compound grew quiet, the goals of our mission were right there—we were here to bring a child to safety, and nothing was going to stop us.