Page 75 of The Broker

Once Jared reached the door, he threw his back against the cold surface of the wall and listened.

Silence.

Whoever had run into this room was hiding. Hoping to remain hidden… and alive.

Not on Jared’s watch.

Matteo finally caught up to Jared, red-faced and furious that he had separated from the team.

Jared shot a look over at his boss, raising a finger to his lips, signaling for him to be quiet. The last thing he needed was for Matteo to give away their location and get them both killed.

Angry, Matteo nodded and pressed his back against the wall next to Jared’s.

The guy looked like a badass Italian James Bond, all dressed up in his fancy-ass suit and holding an assault rifle against his chest. Now,thatwas a movie he would definitely check out.

They both jumped when Ares appeared next to them; his eyes blazed with the fury of a thousand suns.

“You’re both fucking idiots,” he snarled, keeping his voice low and barely audible.

Two of his A-team death squad members materialized beside them as well. Given the masks they wore, Jared had no idea which members they were.

Taking a breath to reset his mind, Jared peeked around the corner.

From this vantage point, he really couldn’t see much—only a few counters covered with linens and medical supplies.

The man could be hiding anywhere. Did he take his time and risk the man getting away? How much longer before their presence was discovered and Isaac’s life was put at risk?

They didn’t have time to waste.

Fuck this.

Jared whipped around the corner, angry and ready to kill anything that moved. He needed to find Isaac and make sure he was safe. So what if he got nicked in the arm by a stray bullet? He was one of the best shooters the army had back in his day. He knew how to dodge bullets and crazy-ass knife-wielding women. Yes, in war, both men and women tried to kill you. Even sweet-faced children. They were the worst. It broke his heart to see a child’s innocence taken away from them and replaced withhatred, propaganda, and lies. A gun should never be in the hands of a child.

His mouth dropped when he saw what was on the other side of the door. Bed after bed of pregnant women, hands tied to the sides of their beds.

Each of their heads popped up, glancing in their direction, startled by the sudden intruders invading their space.

“Oh my God,” Jared whispered under his breath.

They knew what Isaac’s brother was up to, but seeing the reality of the act was much more horrifying. Nothing could have prepared him for this.

They all looked so… terrified. Helpless. Weak. Like all the hope had been drained from their faces and replaced with fear and desperation.

Jared stood there for a moment, frozen by the horrifying scene on display.

This was yet another example of human degradation. The things people are willing to do to one another, all in the name of money, power, and influence.

People are disgusting.

As Jared tried to process the nightmare before him, he noticed one of the women glance to his left.

Instincts kicked in, and Jared whipped around, firing his weapon at the man standing behind a filing cabinet.

Blood exploded from the man’s head as Jared’s kill shot penetrated his forehead. He had found his man.

Beside him, Matteo jumped. “Fuck.Where did he come from?”

“Don’t care. He’s dead now,” Jared said through gritted teeth.

---