Page 108 of Betrayed

Jamie and Jay cleared the way for us, using deadly accuracy to remove the guards surrounding the building. The silencers on their rifles provided us with the tactical advantage we needed.

We took the front, while John and Doug moved to the back.

“Aurora and her father are being led upstairs, four tangos with them.”

“This is Three, copy that,” Jack said from behind me a second before John confirmed he’d also heard.

“Sierra One in place. Ready when you are.”

“Sierra Four in place. On my mark.”

“Aurora and her father are still upstairs,” Jay confirmed.

Knowing they were on the second floor meant we could go in fast and hard.

I counted down from three.

On one, we kicked in both doors and started shooting at anyone holding a gun. Which was everyone. Jack and I moved in sync, clearing the front room with lethal speed while Maxwell covered the stairs. The non-stop percussion of gunfire filled the house, only interrupted by the occasional scream or one of our snipers updating us on tango positions.

They’d fucked with the wrong family, and were paying the ultimate price. The red haze lining my vision meant I didn’t care they were just doing their jobs—their job was to harm innocent people, and it ended now.

John and Doug were just as merciless. This wasn’t a small group of dumb guys doing bad things. This was a gang of enforcers and hitmen who were putting up one hell of a fight.

“Clear,” I called out as we finished the last room.

“Clear,” John called out a few seconds later. “Coming to you.”

John and Doug joined us at the bottom of the stairs.

I signaled Maxwell to cover me. The instant she was in position, I headed up the stairs with Jack right behind me.

The two guys standing in the hall made it easy to identify what room they had Blake in. They lifted their guns.

In the space of a heartbeat, I pulled the trigger twice. So did Jack.

They fell before they could line up their sights.

I’m coming, Blake.

“I need an update.”

“No movement,” Jay answered.

John moved to the other side of the door, signaling he’d open it and watch the hall.

Doug, Jack and I would take the room, while Maxwell continued to cover the stairs. As soon as Jack squeezed up, I nodded. We were ready.

I took a deep breath and waited.

The door flew inward. We rushed in, flooding the room with light from our weapon-mounted flashlights.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, despite moving in slow motion.

When I swung around to the far corner; my heart stopped.

Blake and her father were being held at gunpoint. The guy behind Blake was squatting so he could use her as a shield. He was mostly hidden.

Mostly, but not enough to save him.

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