Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

Chris locked eyes with each man in his unit, taking stock of their emotional state as they sat in the back of the truck plotting. He couldn't count on himself to lead right now, and he hoped another's mental state fared better. The single glance at the four men with him proved Chris wrong.

Bash had gone into his head when they got in the truck. He'd barely said two words after trying to attack them all when Emma was gone, and his gaze was utterly unfocused. Chris understood after what he witnessed the days the bomb went off with Bash, but had he not retreated into himself, his shots may have taken Marcus down.

William's usual cheery gaze was replaced by a stern darkness Chris had never seen in William's blue eyes. The youngest of the group had finally shown his colors, and Chris felt horrible for it.

Alex was stoic, which was worse than fury. The usual playful banter as they went to do something dangerous wasn't coming. He stewed. Alex was the one who they looked to when the situation was too tense to go into, and now, he was the one who needed someone to shake him free of the tension .

Liam was the worst of them all. Chris had never seen his second so filled with fury. Even Ranger had stayed away from Liam, possibly sensing the hair-trigger before Liam would explode. He didn't need to say it for Chris to know he blamed himself for losing Emma as much as Bash did.

They'd lost thirty minutes to repair the tire. Another nineteen minutes tracking her down. Chris wanted to waste as little time additional time as possible. He didn't know Marcus, but if he sought revenge, there was a good chance he'd already tried to harm Emma . . . or worse.

"Listen up," Chris growled, his deep voice disguising the fear coursing through him, not for himself or the unit, but for Emma. "We don't have much time. Emma is just a few blocks away, and we need to move fast but stay stealthy. We've beaten Marcus once, on his home territory, we can do it again."

"And when we find him?" William hissed.

Chris shut his eyes for a moment, not liking the only part of a plan he'd come up with while racing after the tracking device.

After Emma.

"We're going to bring the whole fucking motel down. Six charges. One detonator. Once we're out, Liam, you're going to hit the button. I don't care if we're wearing the same uniform. Those men are not U.S. Armed Forces."

Liam nodded, his lips pressed in a thin line. "I want Ranger in the truck. I want it locked. The last thing we need to do is let something happen to him." He sucked in a deep breath. "We owe Emma that much."

"Locking the truck will make it harder for us to get in, dumbass." Bash snarled, finally speaking up.

"Don't push me right now, Bash. You and me, we're not on the best terms because we both fucked up thinking we were able to chit-chat on the walk. "

Chris braced, waiting for the thrown punch from Bash. It never came.

"While I am going to remind you one last time before we start who's in charge, I do agree with Liam. I also want to note that we can't leave a go driver. Not this time."

"Good," Alex cracked.

"Which means we're going to have to be deadly quiet and inhumanly accurate once we get Emma and get out. Liam how's that floor plan?"

"I checked the database once we located her. There are no uploaded scans of the motel, just an aerial view which is barely more useful than what we saw when you swung around."

"So, we're flying blind." Anger threatened to rise up, but Chris shoved it down. He was the one who needed to remain in control most of all.

"Are we splitting up then?" William spoke abruptly.

"That's going to depend on how we plan on going about this. Which is what we're going to figure out now." Chris continued, his eyes hardening as he thought of her. "We don't know what condition she'll be in, so be prepared for anything. We've got thirty minutes till the trade window closes. Our window is tight, but we've been in tighter spots before."

Chris watched to ensure four heads nodded. When they did, he let out a slow breath. Everything had been a blur, and for the first time in many years, he wished he wasn't the one pulling the strings. He was too close to the target.

To Emma.

"Once we have Emma, we're booking it away with her," he continued, his voice cold and unyielding. "No heroics, no deviating from the plan. Our lives depend on it. They'll get what's coming for their behavior when we detonate."

He glanced at each man in turn, his gaze lingering for a moment longer on the faces that had become like brothers to him over the years. They shared a silent understanding, a bond forged in blood and fire. They'd seen too much—lost too much—to back down now.

Liam opened his mouth, closed it, and then cleaned his glasses.

"If you have a plan, now's the time to speak up." Chris worried what it was that Liam would keep quiet.

Liam set his glasses back on before glancing at Alex. "We're going to need a diversion. I know separating isn't a great idea—and this person will be a mile in the opposite direction with forces coming at them."

Chris raised a brow. He didn't want to leave anyone at the truck because they'd be in danger, but he trusted Liam. "It's worth considering," Chris conceded eventually. "Alright. Liam, flesh out your idea."

Liam gave a grim smile before uncapping the marker and turning to face the truck's wall. He drew the truck and the motel, and then stopped. "I'm not sure what the diversion would be. Either something loud or something to taunt Marcus." His eyes darted between Chris and Alex. "My bet is on the taunting getting Marcus out there, but I'm not certain I want that much danger on any one of us. We've got enough explosives to set off a small one. It won't draw out Marcus and his entire force, but it should be enough to get us started."

Liam paused, but Chris remained silent.

"I'm thinking here," Liam moved behind and to the left of the motel, drawing and X.

Chris glanced at him steadily before looking around them at this wasteland they now called home—a place once full of life now left empty except for packs roaming feral animals and Marauders preying on anything still living or not yet infected by the toxin sweeping across America like wildfire. He narrowed his eyes grimly before answering Liam's unspoken questions about what would make enough noise. "We could throw a grenade at an A/C unit on one of the nearby buildings. But you're right. I don't know that I want us splitting that much. Gives the person a bit of a ways back while still ensuring the distance to the distraction buys the others time."

Chris leaned against the nearest wall of the truck and closed his eyes. Whoever went would be facing a death sentence if the other team couldn't move quick enough to extract them.

"We need a second truck. Car. Anything." Alex spoke as if answeringChris's unvoiced question. "It's the safest way to ensure the other person can meet up with the rest of us if it gets dicey."

"It's me." Bash spoke gruffly. "I'm the diversion. Had I not paused, I would've gotten to her."

"It should be me," Liam added. "I'm the best shot. I stand the best chance at taking them down."

"You're all forgetting I'm the only one who can hot wire a car." Alex started moving for the back door.

"I have approved nothing." Chris spoke the words with a slow calm.

"William, you're with me getting Emma. Your keen observation skills could help if someone misses something. I want you and Bash to go ahead and scout the motel. Stay out of sight and move silently. We need to know what exactly we're up against. This is an in and out reconnaissance. Quick."

"We want to waste time checking things out?" Bash growled.

"We want to survive this." Chris snarled, knowing he needed to let Bash let off steam if they were going to safely rescue Emma. "While Bash and William are scouting, Liam and Alex, you're going to get as much ammo into the guns and packs as possible."

Chris's heart raced as he stood before his team, their expectant gazes bearing down on him like a heavy weight. They had always trusted him to make tough calls, but this time was different—a person's life hung in the balance, and it all rested on his decision. His palms began to grow slick with sweat as doubt crept into his mind, wondering if he was truly capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility.

They weren't a search and rescue unit.

They weren't even an escort unit.

But Emma needs us.

Chris swore to her she'd be safe. It was his promise that helped her make her decision to leave the safety of her basement and try for something more than a life alone with some farm animals.

"Bash, I know this isn't what you want, but you're going with the rescue. Liam, you're going as well. None of us might like this, but your connection with her was instant and palpable. I want you there to calm her."

Neither Bash nor Liam objected, but both looked as if they contemplated it.

"Alex, you're the medic. If anyone is going to be there, it's you." Chris rounded out the orders.

"That means you're creating the diversion," Liam spoke.

Chris nodded. "I'm not the best shot. I'm not the smartest or the one with the most brawn. But I am the leader. It's my job to take this on and we'll hear nothing about it. William, Bash, I need you back in an hour. Set up a few charges to the remote detonator, we only have five, so be careful."

"No one is going down. We're going to attempt to hot wire a car I saw back there. When we get back, I'll be going on ahead. Liam, I'll check with you when the explosives are in place. You'll tell me when to blow, and I'll hustle the fuck out of dodge. You lot will move the truck to get her in and out, but park it hidden."

Liam nodded. "I don't like this."

"You don't have to. I'm in charge, and I need to make sure Emma has the right team." He kept his voice as steady as he could. The reality of not being there to save her directly weighed on him. "Let's go. "

No one moved. Four pairs of eyes just watched him.

"Now!" he bellowed, the word echoing inside the closed truck.

Bash stood and moved as William did, both grabbing a backpack of ammo and an extra gun. Together, they looked back before William opened the door, and the pair were off.

Chris blew out a breath. "Okay, let's go back about two miles. I think the blue car we passed looked intact somehow."

Chris followed William and Bash out, shutting the door behind him and watching as they rushed out before getting back behind the wheel.

He drove aggressively, his knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel too tightly.

They reached the blue car parked by a decrepit gas station two miles later. Chris killed the engine and saw Alex jumping out the back before he had a chance to ask.

Alex moved past him, popping the hood on the car with little effort. Someone had abandoned it recently. He disappeared behind it, wasting no time getting to work.

Chris checked his watch nervously, knowing they didn't have much time left before they needed to be back at the truck to set everything else in motion. Alex was swift, Chris was just a wreck.

As Chris stood there, his mind drifted back to Emma.

He couldn't help but think about how much he missed her. Her smile, her laugh, the way she used to curl up next to him in bed. Their time together had been cut too short and he couldn't shake the guilt of not being able to save her.

As the minutes ticked by,Chris's anxiety grew. He kept glancing at his watch, praying that William and Bash would return soon with good news. They needed to move quickly if they were going to rescue Emma before it was too late. Blowing up the motel may haunt him later, but for now, those men weren't the same as him, and he was taking justice into his own hands.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was only a few minutes, Alex slammed the hoot shut and gave it a tap. "All yours, Chris." The usual snark was missing.

"You drive. I don't think Liam's head is in the right space."

"I can hear that, Chris," Liam spat, though there wasn't much venom in his voice as he looked out the back of the truck, holding Ranger in his lap.

Chris should have benched Liam. He wasn't Bash. He couldn't turn off his emotions and recklessly barrel through.

But Emma needs him more than anyone.

"Well, get yourself together then so I don't have to think about it." Chris tried to bark the words to force Liam into gear, but he didn't have the heart to. "Let's go. Every minute she's in there is a chance he's touched her in a way that will make me regret exploding this motel around him and not making him suffer slowly."

Without hesitation, they drove back toward the compound where Emma was being held captive. As they approached,Chris's heart raced faster and faster. He knew this was their only chance to save her.

They reached within a mile of the compound before Alex stopped the car behind some bushes near the main road. Chris pulled up behind him, his fingers cramped from gripping the wheel so intensely.

William and Bash were waiting, their faces set in firm lines of determination. Alex and Liam got out of the truck and moved to their side.

"All that's left is to get out myself and do what needs to be done," Chris swallowed back the fear for Emma and killed the engine so he could focus on succeeding.

"We're set," Bash said with a nod. "Looks like about three dozen heat signatures we could see through the outside."

"Jesus, how many fucking men does Marcus have?" Chris snarled, more determined than ever to bring the man down .

"My guess is anyone who was excited to carry a gun," William fixed his own weapon as he spoke.

"Okay, I'll go ahead and create a diversion," Chris grabbed his gun from his backpack in the other truck. "If I don't see you all again, it has been my honor to lead you, and it will be a pleasure knowing you are protecting Emma."

"We're not going to talk like that," Liam extended his hand.

Chris took it, pulling Liam close. "You get to her at all costs. Do not leave her behind." He spoke quietly in Liam's ear, patting his back before pulling away.

"Bash, I need your promise you'll stop blaming yourself. Whatever happens today, you'll assume second in command if I don't come back."

A quick flash of fear was all the emotion Bash gave him before wrapping him in a hug.

"You get that damn distraction and get away. That's all I'll accept."

"William, I know you're newer to this, but you've been invaluable. Never forget how many missions we've only completed because of your eagle eye."

William gave a single jerk of his head before hugging Chris.

He moved to stand before Alex and wished like hell the man would provide some cocky smart ass comment. None came, only the small downturn of his lips.

"We'll get her back and get you, too. We didn't come this far on the most important mission we've taken on to lose anyone."

Chris nodded and put his hand to his head, the others following suit in salute. A sharp motion and he squeezed his eyes shut, unwilling to continue to entertain that this might be the last time he saw his men or Emma.

"Fall out!"