Page 180 of State of Retribution

Alden brightened at that.

“Adrian, we’re all yours,” Sam said.“How do you want us?”

Sam focusedon the kids and was almost able to forget they were being photographed as she pushed swings, waited at the bottom of the slide and supervised the monkey bars.Playing with them was the most fun she’d had in ages, and the laughter brought by Skippy trying to catch the kids only added to the comedy of it all.

She couldn’t wait to see what Adrian had captured.

When they moved inside, they changed into new outfits for photos in the residence.Adrian took group shots along with individual photos of Sam with each of the kids, reading, coloring, cooking and cuddling.They’d bring in Eli and Candace for photos the next time they were home.

At one point, she smiled at something Scotty said just as he grinned up at her.She had a feeling that one might end up in a frame.Adrian also got some of Scotty and Skippy that she couldn’t wait to see.They’d be a huge hit on Skippy’s Instagram account.

Nick joined them right before lunch for family shots and a few of just the two of them in casual poses.

“Are you ready to stab someone with your rusty steak knife?”he asked her while Adrian switched lenses.

“It hasn’t been terrible.I just wish I’d hear something from Avery.”

“I was told in the morning briefing that the raid is on for today.”

“Yes, I talked to Avery earlier.”She rested her hand over her abdomen.“I have a pit in my stomach a mile wide waiting to hear that he and his team are okay, and Offenbach has been neutralized.”

“I want this over for everyone involved.”

“I feel guilty sitting in my gilded palace surrounded by security while my colleagues are in danger.”

He pulled her in closer and kissed the top of her head.“I get that, but I’m so glad you’re in the gilded palace and not out there in danger.”

“Yeah, I know.It just feels wrong to me, though.”

With every minute that went by, she became more anxious about hearing something from Avery.

Avery gavethe order at eleven eleven, hoping that would bring some kind of luck to an operation that needed all the luck it could get.

Agents stormed the perimeter of the twenty-acre property, coming in from all sides simultaneously as choppers flew overhead, tracking the location of the body heat coming from deep in the woods.

Everything was going according to plan when a frantic message came over the radio indicating the presence of hundreds of drones.“They’re everywhere,” the agent cried, “and they’re shooting at us.”

Motherfucker.

The commander in charge of the drone unit replied in a calm tone that went a long way toward reassuring Avery.“We’re on it.Shooting them down.”

Avery held his breath as the crackle of gunfire echoed loudly through the radio.

“Agent down.”

“Marshal down.”

“Holy shit.”

Fuck.

Screams.

Groans.

Sharp cries.

Nonstop gunfire.

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