Page 49 of Perfect Chaos

“Can we see the video?” Her eyes are pleading with Ramos, even though I am not sure why she is asking.

“I don’t-”

She cuts him off before he can finish his sentence. “Please, Ramos. I need to see him getting out of that car and being taken alive. I need to see him alive.”

Fuck. I rub the ache in my chest at her request because now it makes sense. She is hurting but knows this mission is only worth doing if there is a chance he is still alive. The entire room remains silent while Ramos pulls the video up onto the main computer screen behind him. We intently watch the scene play out. The video starts just as Gavin’s car is hit from behind, being pinned between the guard rail and the car that hit him. Airbags deploy and block our view of Gavin. Two men with handguns exit their car, approaching the driver's side of Gavin’s. The video doesn’t have audio but you can tell they are screaming something. They pull the car door open, push the airbags out of the way, and pull Gavin from the car. They hold him at gunpoint, restraining him with zip ties before dragging him to their car.

“Thank you, please continue with the plans.” Her words lack any of the warmth that I am used to hearing from her.

Ramos nods before turning off the video and begins talking again. “We believe he is being held at a warehouse off of Walnut Ave. We were able to track traffic cameras, tracing the getaway car back to this vicinity. I dug through public records and pulled a blueprint of the compound.” Ramos points at the map of the building layout in front of him before continuing. “A few years ago, Vin had it converted to be more of a house on the inside. We assume he'll be held in one of two places. There's a guest room situated by itself in the right wing of the building and a bunker-style room in the middle.” He points to the two red circles drawn over the area.

Another man steps forward, then glances over Atlas and me before he begins talking. “We don't want to ambush with a full team if we don’t have to. We think the smartest idea will be to try to get in and out with as little gunfight as possible. The entire compound has four exits. We think we'll be most successful if we split up and breach the two exits here and here.” He indicates the exits by circling them with a yellow marker. “The original plan was to go in with only five, but since Maizyn is tagging along, we'll go on with six. Ramos, Atlas, and Maizyn will be a team. We will be another. You three will breach the west entrance closest to the center location. We will breach through the south entrance and head towards the room on the right wing of the compound. This is supposed to be a stealth operation. So don't go in guns blazing. If you have to eliminate someone, try to opt for a quieter option before firing your weapon. We move out as soon as it's dark. That gives us about two hours to finalize plan B and plan C, so we have backup plans in place in case we need them. Any questions?”

I grunt no while Maizyn simply shakes her head. She plops down into a chair in the corner and pulls out her knife, fidgeting with it. Trailing her fingers down the open blade. I want to be there for her, but it’s hard to give her my undivided attention and focus on all the commotion around me. We've gone over the plan. More times than I can count. It's ingrained in my head at this point; this will be an easy rescue mission as long as things go according to plan.

Maizyn

As soon as it becomes dark, we load up the SUVs. Guns, gear, water, and any supplies that we could possibly need are loaded into the trunks. Once they double-check all of the gear, we begin climbing inside our designated vehicle. The taller masked man stops me before I climb inside.

“Once you climb into the SUV, there is no backing out. You understand what you're getting into, right?”

“I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I am not some weak girl who is in over her head. I know what to expect.”

“As long as you are aware. But take this with you.” He hands me a small rectangular box, no bigger than my palm. I flip it over in my hand, inspecting it. But other than one single button, there's nothing to it.

“What is this?”

“Think of it like a pinning button. If things go bad, once you're inside, if one of you gets captured or in a situation you can’t get yourselves out of, press the button.”

“What happens when I press it?”

“It will alert the backup team to move in and give us your location. So we can track you and evacuate you.”

“Can't I just radio for help?”

“No. With Ramos jamming the cameras and Wi-Fi, there's too big a risk of interference on your side.

“Okay, I got it. Anything else?”

“Nope, just be careful, and we will see you on the other side.”

I slip the device into my pocket and then climb into the SUV, taking a seat next to Atlas. Ramos goes over the plan again as we make our way to the compound. We discuss a few backup plans as well, just in case but my nerves still take over. You can't plan for the unsuspected, no matter how hard you try.

We come to a stop a quarter mile from the compound. We have to travel the rest of the way on foot to limit the risk of being seen. The driver throws the car into park, then we all climb out of the vehicle before circling to the trunk. Ramos opens the hatch, revealing several rifles and pistols. The other team grabs one of each before splitting off to head to their entry point. They have a further walk than we do. I stare at the guns as the reality of the situation settles in. I reach for the Glock when Ramos grabs my arms, stopping me.

“You do know how to use that, right?”

I shoot him daggers, yanking my arm free from his hold. “Yes, dumb ass. I know how to shoot a gun.”

Atlas laughs as Ramos holds his hands up and mocks surrender. “Okay, okay. Sorry I asked.”

I holster the Glock as Atlas and Ramos each grab a pistol along with some of the extra ammo. Ramos also grabs a shotgun while Atlas opts for a rifle. I make sure to slip a few extra mags into my pocket too, just in case, then double-check I still have my knife on me. Once everyone is geared up, Ramos grabs a weird-shaped device, slamming the trunk closed before we begin our trek to our own entry point. We move in complete silence, Atlas leading with Ramos, taking up the rear. Once the warehouse comes into view, Ramos pulls the device out of his pocket, fiddling with the controls.

“What is that?” I whisper, making sure to keep my voice quiet.

“It's a portable jammer. If it works like it's meant to, then it should block us from getting on cameras and scramble their line of communications.”

I don't know how to respond to that, so I just nod my head and continue walking. We need to put masks on before we enter. As I pull my mask from my pocket, Atlas yanks me to him by my vest. His forehead rests against mine. “I love you, Chaos. No matter what happens in there. Never forget that.”