Chapter 16

Seb placed his arms under Isandro's shoulders and dragged him further into the trees along the beach. The man was dying. There was nothing they could do for him, but Alexis would refuse to leave his side. She'd be safer deeper within the trees while he took care of the motorboat.

Alexis fell to her knees as Seb placed him on the ground and pressed the blood-soaked pad against his wound.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Isandro's eyelids fluttered. He took a shallow breath. "Not your fault." It was barely a sigh.

His face twisted, and he slipped back into unconsciousness.

"The bullet would have gone through the Kevlar vest," Seb said softly, knowing she was blaming herself, believing Isandro would have survived had he been wearing the vest.

Seb removed the submachine gun from his shoulders and lay it beside her. He shifted the waterproof pouch, so it lay against his ribs. It'd be easier to crawl across the beach.

"The safety's on. I need to make sure he's no longer a threat." Seb lifted his chin toward the man lying on the beach.

Alexis nodded as he pulled out his knife from the sheath strapped to his calf. He was certain Antonio's guy was dead, but so had Isandro's man when he shot him.

Seb belly crawled across the hot white sand, warmed by the scorching sun. Time was ticking away. As soon as the motorboat changed direction, the men would spot him. The navy wetsuit would stand out against the pale backdrop, exposing him.

Flattening himself against the sand, Seb stretched out his hand and placed his fingers against the guy's neck. Nothing. He slid the knife back into the sheath and crawled back to Alexis.

The back of her wetsuit gaped open. She'd taken off her bra. Its padded cups replaced the blood-soaked, improvised pressure pad she'd tossed to the side. She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and shook her head.

There was nothing they could do for Isandro. It was only a matter of time before he bled out.

The motorboat in the distance was the priority. Seb pulled the machine gun over his head, swung it so it lay across his back, and picked up the SMAW-D. Familiar with the multipurpose assault weapon, it took only seconds to remove the locking pin, extend the inner tube and slide the front and rear sight in place. The rest would have to wait.

He glanced down at Alexis, her hands pressed down on the bra, already soaked with blood. His body tensed. It could have easily been her lying on the ground. He shut down the disturbing thought.

Focus on the job.

Once again, Seb belly crawled to Antoine's man and lay still in the sand, the SMAW-D at his side. If he was lucky, the guys on the boat would think he was as dead as the guy beside him.

The motorboat turned and worked its way slowly along the forest of Mangrove roots to the dock. The SMAW-D had an effective range of just over three hundred yards. Judging by the submachine gun lying in the sand, Antoine had outfitted his men with the best. The weapon's range matched the rocket launcher. It could end up becoming a shoot-out, Old West style.

Seb smirked as the showdown in High Noon ran through his head. The SMAW-D was a disposable weapon. He was in the same predicament as Sheriff Kane in the classic film. He only had one bullet.

Each second seemed to stretch into a minute as the boat crawled alongside the Mangroves. Seb lay motionless in the sand, watching and waiting. A Mangrove, twisted in an awkward shape, hung out over the water. It was his marker. As soon as the boat passed the tree, it'd be in range.

The sound of the motorboat grew, tugging at his nerves. Focused on the water, the men had yet to look up. Seb would only need a few seconds to open the firing cover mechanism to arm the weapon, take aim, and fire. Although, that meant nothing if they spotted him first.

He slowly breathed in and out as the boat approached the marker.

Closer. Closer.

The man at the helm looked up as Seb stood.

A line of bullets ripped up the sand a few feet in front of him as he raised the weapon onto his right shoulder.

The next line across the sand was closer. Seb didn't flinch as he armed the weapon and took aim.

The other guy on the boat raised his weapon as Seb pulled the trigger. A spray of bullets hit the sand to his right as the boat exploded.

Pieces of the boat rained down into the water. Flames engulfed what remained of the motorboat. Black, acrid smoke rose into the air.

Seb had aimed for the gas containers strapped to the side of the motorboat. Someone should have told Antoine the few thousand extra for the ventilated storage compartment below, designed for gas storage, was worth the expense.

He ran back to the forest and kneeled beside Alexis. She glanced at him and shook her head.

Isandro stirred, winced and looked at Seb. "I heard the explosion. You got them."

"I evened the odds." Seb laid his hands on the man's shoulder and grinned.

"Not for long."

"You'll make it, friend."

"You're a lousy liar." Isandro's voice was weak. "Leo didn't know what he was getting into when he took the first job with Antoine. After that, no was not an option. The men Antoine works for are dangerous. You've attracted their attention. Don't underestimate them. They're playing the long game and have been playing it for years."

Isandro's eyelids closed and Seb reached for his hand. Alexis continued to press down on the wound, her hands covered with the man's blood. Seb knew she wouldn't move until it was over.

"They won't let Alexis live." Isandro opened his eyes and looked at Seb. "She's threatening what they have planned. They were pressing Leo for information about Shadow Defense months before you arrived on the island. He told them nothing. He wouldn't betray you."

Isandro squeezed Seb's hand and swore. The pain had to be unbearable.

"Leo joked they had plans to take over the world." His breathing was shallow, irregular as he gasped for breath. "He may have been closer to the truth than he realized. Tread carefully, my friend, but make them pay for what they have done."

As Seb kneeled beside Isandro, an unsettling feeling ran up his back like the skittering of a spider. Everything Shadow Defense had uncovered the past few months led back to their last SEAL mission five years ago. Regan and Pavlo had stumbled into something so well hidden, every lead Javier followed led nowhere, despite knowing the players. The human trafficking ring they'd exposed in Paris had connections to a much larger organization that had effectively covered their tracks and disappeared.

Their op five years ago had been so off the books if they'd been caught, the government would have denied any involvement and abandoned them. The brass who'd sent them in would have branded them as rogue. Whoever had set them up had to have had money, resources, and people in sensitive positions.

Alexis's words came back to Seb's mind.

You're thinking too small. They could turn on and off the world's freshwater supply like a sink faucet.

"The second boat will have heard the explosion." Isandro's voice was a faint whisper, and Seb bent closer. He didn't have long. "They'll turn around to investigate. Go back to the cave and hide."

Seb had no intention of hiding. He intended to kill every one of the bastards. It was the only way to keep Alexis safe.

Tears ran down Alexis's face as Isandro looked up at her. A small chuckle escaped his lips. "I am a fortunate man. How many men have had the pleasure of seeing your breasts before they die?"

His eyes shifted to Seb's. "No offense, my friend."

"None taken," Seb grinned.

He coughed. Crimson bubbles burst out of his lips. Isandro smiled once more and died.

"You've met all of Leo's men. They're dressed the same. Black cargo pants, black t-shirt, and black Kevlar vest," Seb said, noticing Alexis flinch when he said Kevlar vest. Her hands dropped to her sides. "The men on the boat and the guy lying on the beach wore camouflage pants, matching long-sleeved shirts, and all of them had tactical belts. We can assume the rest are dressed the same."

Alexis looked at him, her eyes glazed and haunted.

Seb pointed to the weapon slung across her chest. "Take the safety off, point and shoot at anyone not dressed in black."

She nodded, still numb from watching Isandro die, but stood and pulled the automatic rifle across her shoulders over her head.

"We should hurry back to the cave. The second boat will be here any minute," Alexis said, switching off the safety on the rifle.

"That's what I'm counting on." Seb unzipped the waterproof pouch and pulled out a grenade. He adjusted the submachine gun, so it lay across his back.

"Are you crazy?" Alexis grabbed his arm, her eyes widening as she pointed her finger at the grenade. "The most you could throw that thing would be what? Twenty to thirty yards? The motorboat will be too close to the dock. Debris will damage the sailboat."

The rumble of the motorboat engine in the distance accompanied Seb's chuckle.

"Honey, I'm a SEAL. Thirty yards is minor league."