Page 26 of Guarded

He’d called Briar when he landed at the local airport several hours ago, and everything was still good with her. No more bleeding, baby’s heartbeat was strong. It took a huge load off his shoulders to be able to put that aside for the moment and concentrate solely on the incident at hand.

“What truth?” he said, needing to keep Harding talking.

An oily, malicious chuckle answered. “I know what happened on the op in Khost.”

Matt stilled in surprise, that day flooding back in a rush. It should still be classified. How did Harding know about it?

“Yeah, I know what happened with that warlord and the kids he had as hostages. I was on patrol in the city and heard all about it.” He paused. “You couldn’t save them. I bet that still bothers you, doesn’t it? Yeah, it would drive you fucking nuts.” Another chuckle.

Matt’s fingers tightened around the phone. He pushed aside his personal feelings for this asshole and attempted again to be the voice of reason. “Greg. I need you to let your family go and come out with your hands up.”

“I don’t think so. You couldn’t save those kids that day. And you know what? Nothing’s changed. Because even if you did make it all the way to commander of the HRT, you’ll never be a hero. Not to me.”

Matt was losing him. He didn’t know what the hell else to stay to stall for more time. “Greg—”

“You didn’t save those girls then. You had your shot to do something about it, and you didn’t. Just like you did with me. And guess what? You won’t save my girls today either.”

The line went dead.

Fuck.Matt immediately called him back as the mobile command center erupted into noise and motion.

Harding didn’t answer.

Matt spun to face the negotiator. “Keep trying him.” He stood before the bank of monitors and slipped his earpiece in so he could hear what the team was saying as they moved into position for the breach. “Tuck, he cut contact. You gotta get in there right now.”

“Understood. Stand by.”

Matt thought about Harding’s young girls. He had seen pictures of them on the flight down here. Seven and five years old, both blond with big brown eyes. He couldn’t get their faces out of his head.

Though he tried to ignore Harding’s words, they conjured up old memories as he waited, pushing against the mental barrier he’d put up. Of a time in Afghanistan when he and his spotter had been watching a wanted Taliban warlord. Two little girls had been caught up in a bad situation when the warlord had discovered he was cornered and taken five hostages to shield himself from air strikes.

Matt had the bastard in the center of his crosshairs twice, but each time rules of engagement prevented him from taking the shot that could have rid the world of another terrorist and saved innocent lives. Instead, all the hostages had died, including those two little girls before he’d finally been given clearance to take the shot.

Matt had put a 7.62 round through the back of the bastard’s head a heartbeat later, but it hadn’t erased the guilt he still carried to this day. He and his spotter had been forced to stay in their hide and watch as the lifeless bodies were carried out. Like limp ragdolls over the villagers’ shoulders before they were dumped unceremoniously on the ground to lie there until their frantic parents arrived on scene.

Harding was right. He hadn’t done everything he could to save those girls.

But he and his team were damn well going to save these ones today.

“Sitrep,” he said to Tuck.

“In position. Stand by.”

Pop, pop.

Matt’s head snapped up. “Shots fired.” A pistol.Fuck.He glanced at the other screens in front of him, which told him nothing. “Go,” he told Tuck.

Tuck gave the signal for the assault.

Matt was totally focused on the footage on the screen as the team stormed the side entrance and rushed into the basement. More shots exploded. Matt set his jaw, stood rock still as he followed the team’s progress.

Evers reached the locked door in the basement. Matt could clearly hear cries of pain in the background. High-pitched and terrified. From a child.

Get them out. Get them out,he willed his guys.He watched the footage intently, every muscle in his body drawn tight.

Harding had rigged an IED on the lock. It took Bauer and Tuck precious minutes to disable it and let Evers ram the door. It was barricaded from the inside. They had to climb over furniture on the way inside.

Tuck’s helmet cam gave Matt a perfect view of the spare bedroom, its window covered with a quilt to prevent anyone from seeing inside.

---