Page 64 of East (The Moral Compass 3)

The nine of us leave our base camp through separate exits at separate times. It’s all strategically planned: everyone will meet up at specific times, and when we reach the right altitude, North, Mac, and me will jump from the plane and give West the signal to go when we know the going is good.

The plane reaches ten thousand feet, and I look at North. Jumping out of a plane is not everyone’s idea of excitement. I expect to see him nervous and fidgeting. Instead, he’s checking his chute and straps and making sure everything is in place. Calmly. He catches my eye and gives me his signature wide grin. He’s up for it which makes me feel so much more confident. There is nothing worse than trying to carry someone when your own life is on the line.

At fifteen thousand feet, we all stand in line by the door. North shuffles forward first and without looking, he back-steps off the ledge. Mac goes next, and I follow on at the back.

The three of us glide through the air. It’s the most exhilarating feeling you will ever have. You’re weightless and completely free; there is nothing between you and Earth as you fly through the broken clouds.

With our targets in sight, we separate ourselves to surround the building. On my signal, we pull our cords. After a quick “go, go, go” on the radio, we see our team below move in.

Mac pulls his rifle, and we both follow his lead. Shooting a gun when you’re plummeting to the earth is not the best idea we’ve ever had, but if they spot us and shoot, we need to be able to fire back.

There are a few gunshots inside the building down below, but not as many as I expected. I thought it would be a full-on massacre.

The ground soon catches up with us, and I see the plane circling above, ready to land in a nearby field.

Only another fifteen seconds before we hit the ground.

Some more shots come from inside the building. Then, a few more follow. I’ve counted twenty-three up to now. I can’t think of who has been hit. I just need to complete the mission.

Twenty-four…

I lift my legs as the ground approaches and break into a jog as my feet touch down. There’s a flurry of shots.

Fuck.

I look around. North has landed well, and Mac is already out of his harness. We take cover and wait for instruction. We only go in when West gives the word, so we sit and wait.

There’s one more single shot. It sounds different from the others, and my blood runs cold.

I want to go in to make sure our guys are all okay, but my logical brain tells me to stick to the plan.

There are no more gunshots. I dig out my phone and send a text to East.

Zed: Is everything okay in there?

East: Yes.

Zed: Any casualties?

East: No. Kara wants to know if North is okay.

So, Kara wants to know if North is okay, butshedoesn’t ask if I am.

Zed: Yes. We all are.

Then, nothing. I know she’s not texting because we are in the field, but a little hint that she’s bothered would spur me on, to think she might want to see me after all. This would make sure I stayed alive. Come on, East, just give a little, will you?

Chapter 27

East

Theguysarefittedwith body cameras, so I can see everything they can see. I have all their feeds up on three screens. Each screen is dedicated to a team. My heart was in my throat when Zed simply walked out of that plane. It was also comforting to see North so relaxed as he, too, stepped off the edge. I was worried he might back out. It’s not his first jump, not by a long shot, but the pressure of doing this for business and not pleasure is huge.

Kara was going ballistic as she watched the screens. I had to tell her to shut it several times as I watched all three screens intently.

I keep reminding myself I have three screens to watch, not just the one where Zed stars.

Screen one is West’s team. They have gone in through the front and encountered two guards. They fired a few rounds at the team but, thankfully, they are a shit aim. West, Adam, and Paul manoeuvre around them until they are behind them. Then, with a few scuffles, both guards are put in a sleeper. They are cable tied, gagged, and dragged quickly out of the way. The team moves on further into the house.

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