Page 4 of Nails
I hope so, Riley thought to herself.She could tell that Ryan was thinking the same.
Topper pointed out two entrances—one in the front and one in the back.“There will be two teams going in.You two will be positioned by the back entrance.You will enter with the second wave behind SWAT.Do either of you have any questions?”
“No, Sir,” Ryan answered, and Riley shook her head no.
“All right, then,” Topper said, glancing at his watch.“We will be moving out in about thirty minutes.I know that I don’t have to tell you this, but be prepared.The people we are dealing with will show no mercy.Protect yourselves at all costs.”
Riley nodded.She was already running the plan through her head.She wasn’t one to get rattled, but she always respected the risks involved.
It was now approaching one-thirty in the morning.Riley crouched low as she and Ryan followed the Sheriff’s SWAT team through the last set of trees bordering the massive property.They had gotten the call that all suspects outside had been neutralized, and it was clear to advance toward the house.
She gripped her weapon tightly.Her breathing was slow and controlled.The weight of the operation pressed against her chest, but she welcomed it.This was what she lived for and what she excelled at.
Topper’s voice came through her earpiece.“All teams report back when in position.”
On the outside, Riley looked cool as a cucumber.However, her pulse thrummed in her ears as she took cover behind an old, rusted-out pick-up truck just feet from the back entrance.The darkness surrounding them felt oppressive, and the silence was deafening.Every muscle in her body was coiled and ready for the inevitable explosion of action.
“Remember, these bastards aren’t afraid to shoot,” The SWAT team lead said through the comms.
Riley nodded as her eyes locked with Ryan, who stood beside her with his gun raised.They had done this before.But something about tonight felt different, a bad kind of different.
Through her earpiece, she heard Topper’s voice give the command.She took one last deep breath as they moved into position, ready to enter the house.
“All teams, stand by.Breach in five…four…three…two…one.”
“Go!Go!Go!”
The breaching charge exploded, rattling the walls and sending wood flying in all directions.Flashbangs followed—their blinding light and deafening blasts hopefully disoriented the drug dealers inside.
The SWAT team stormed through the busted door with their rifles raised as they shouted commands.Seconds later, chaos erupted as gunfire exploded from all around.
Riley entered the house behind Ryan, and both were met with immediate gunfire as bullets ripped through the air.Riley ducked low, raising her weapon and returning fire.A scrawny guy in a stained tank top popped around a corner and lifted a shotgun, aiming it at one of the SWAT guys.She didn’t hesitate as she fired off two shots, hitting the guy in the chest.
The stench inside was unbearable.It reeked of mold, trash, sweat, and the acrid smell of chemicals.Trash and broken furniture cluttered the room, making it difficult to navigate.
Screams and shouts echoed through the house as officers pushed in.Riley joined two other officers near the big kitchen, where they were engaged in a heavy gunfire exchange with two suspects.
Suddenly, she spotted another suspect darting across the living room, heading towards the back door.Riley took off after him, shouting for him to stop.He spun around and fired a shot in her direction.
She barely had time to duck before bullets tore through the drywall behind her.She dove, taking cover behind a battered old couch.
The deafening echo of the raid raged around her.She peeked around the side of the sofa, scanning for Ryan or any of the other officers, but the chaos had swallowed everyone up.The team had moved deeper into the house, leaving her alone.
“Shit,” she muttered under her breath.She adjusted her grip and pressed her back tighter against the couch, which offered her zero protection from bullets.It was just a thin, pathetic illusion of safety.
Her heart was pounding in her chest as she peered around the edge.She spotted the one guy she had tried to stop, along with another guy.One flanked to the left, weaving past the tipped-over coffee table.The other circled toward the right.
Fuck!She was boxed in.Her training kicked in like muscle memory.She had no backup nearby.She quickly assessed the angles she had, but she didn’t have a clean shot unless she was willing to risk exposing herself.She was a damn sitting duck.
She twisted slightly, looking over her shoulder to see if there was anything she could use as a shield, when she spotted a door that was cracked open.
The basement!
Her stomach dropped.That was the last place she wanted to go.Basements were always unpredictable, as there was a high chance of no exit.If someone followed her down there, she’d be cornered with no way out.
She turned and peeked around the couch again.The men were approaching.Both were armed.
Shit!She was running out of time.She had no choice.
