My jaw tightens.
The hostage collapses face-first into the dirt while another guard laughs about something in a language I don’t recognize.
Beside me, Miles mutters quietly.
“These guys are organized.”
Yeah.
Too organized.
This isn’t random kidnapping.
This is infrastructure.
Funding.
Leadership.
Discipline.
Which means whoever took Hannah had resources.
And resources make people harder to kill.
Russ lowers the binoculars slowly.
“Move.”
Everything shifts instantly.
We descend the ridge fast and silent, boots sliding through loose rock while darkness swallows us whole.
My breathing steadies automatically as we approach the western wall.
Training takes over.
Weapon up.
Angles clear.
Check corners.
Advance.
Simple.
The closer we get, the quieter my head becomes.
No fear.
No hesitation.
No distraction.
Just the mission.
Lucas reaches the wall first and crouches low near the breach point.
