Page 66 of John’s Yearning

“Lock is open,” John whispered into his mic. “Grayson, what do you see on the thermal images?”

“Nothing in the front of the building. You’re good to go in.”

“And farther back?”

“Can’t reach that far. Too blurry. There’s something, but it could be just a heater. Not sure yet. I’m going in with you.”

“Wait! Benjamin, I want you to go around the building, see if you can penetrate the walls with your thermal goggles from the other side. We need to be sure.”

“I’m on it.”

The wait seemed to last forever, though it probably only took thirty seconds, until Benjamin reported back. “Only a few heat signatures in the back of the building. Northeast corner. Either two or three. Most likely adults. Can’t get a reading on the kids, though it looks like there might be another wall I can’t get through.”

“Thanks, Benjamin. Any other exits back there?”

“One door, but it looks bolted.”

“Good. Come back.”

John made a sign to Ryder. “On my mark, Grayson and I will go in. Ryder, you’ll open the gate for team two, and Benjamin will cover us.”

Ryder nodded.

“We’re going in.”

Ryder swung the door open, and John slid into the interior as soundlessly as possible, his gun ready. Grayson did the same, weapon drawn.

The warehouse was only half full with pallets of boxes and crates. Despite that fact, John couldn’t see all the way to the back of the building. But that fact also gave him an advantage: he could use the crates as cover while moving toward the area where Benjamin had detected people.

John motioned to the two hybrids, and alternately, they covered each other as they made their way toward the back of the building. When they reached the end of the crates, John peered past them. There were several doors, two to the right of him, one in the northeast corner of the building. The door there was next to a window, which allowed him a clear view into the room beyond. It appeared to be an office. He heard faint voices coming from it.

“Only heat signatures I’m getting are from that office,” Grayson whispered via the mic.

“Nothing behind the other two doors,” Benjamin confirmed to John’s right.

“Okay, I’m going into the office. Stay behind me,” John ordered and charged forward.

It was only a few steps to the door. He kicked it open with his foot, his gun aimed at the men inside. There were only two. Both jumped up from their chairs where they’d been lounging with bottles of beer in their hands. The bottles now clattered to the floor and shattered.

“Fuck!” one man yelled.

“Shit!” the other grunted and lunged for a gun that lay on the desk.

He didn’t reach it. John was faster, and in a second the nozzle of his semi-automatic was pressed into the man’s forehead. “One move, and I’ll splatter your brains all over the floor.”

The thug froze. The other man didn’t make a move either. Grayson had his gun pointed at the man’s head. From the front of the building, John heard the van enter, then the sound of the gate lowering again.

John turned his head toward the door. “We got two guys in the office,” he told his colleagues over the mic. “Check the rooms next to this one.”

He heard somebody acknowledge the order, then looked back at the two men. “Where are the girls?”

Both men’s eyes widened.

“Talk. One of you,” John ordered, his jaw clenched. When neither of the two opened their mouths, he pressed the nozzle of his gun harder against the forehead of his victim. “I’m not the police. So I don’t have to adhere to any laws regarding use of lethal force against a suspect. I could kill one of you, maybe then the other one will talk. Shall we try that?”

“Don’t shoot,” his victim begged. “I’ll talk.”

“I’ll talk, too,” the other said quickly, probably afraid that he’d be killed if he didn’t.