Page 5 of Missile Strike

Nathan pulled up a satellite image of the Stricklands’ rental villa. The team mapped out their entry and exit strategies.

Emily’s phone rang. Her brow furrowed as she glanced at the screen. “It’s my dad.”

She connected the call and put it on speakerphone. “I was about to call you. You need to tell Uncle G about the dinner reservations. We’re making them for early this evening.”

Code for there’s danger, and the team’s moving forward with an evac plan as soon as possible.

“I can’t get ahold of him.” Admiral Dane’s voice was terse. “He appears to have gone out of town and took a couple of fishing buddies with him.”

Shit. Danny’s heart sped up. Neither Senator Strickland nor his security detail was responding to the admiral’s attempts to reach them.

“Nathan, tell Finn to head to the senator’s villa,” Ryder said, “and have Caleb stay on Tabril’s tail.”

He gestured to Danny. “You’re with me. Nathan will run the comms.”

Snatching the duffel he’d left in the suite earlier, Danny hurried into the bathroom. He ditched the tropical shirt and shorts and donned a white T-shirt and khaki mission pants, then strapped on a tactical vest and covered it with a heather-gray, lightweight polyester hoodie. He pulled out extra magazines for his Sig, shoving them into his pants pocket, and hustled to join Ryder, who’d also suited up.

The SUV they’d rented at the Paros airport ate up the distance to the villa as fast as Danny dared without drawing the attention of the Greek traffic police. He sent up a prayer of thanks every time he whipped around a blind curve and didn’t find a pedestrian, a moped, or a goat in his path.

Ryder’s phone rang. He put it on speaker. “Finn. Report.”

“I’m at the villa.”

The hair on the back of Danny’s neck lifted at the grim note in Finn’s voice.

“The senator’s security detail is dead. Family’s missing.”

“Bloody Hell,” Ryder swore.

“I found the housekeeper cowering in the kitchen. She said four men came and took the family away in a white van.”

“They moved fast. Secure the site.” Ryder hung up with Finn and called Nathan. “The Stricklands have been taken.”

“I know,” Nathan replied. “Caleb just called. A white van pulled up to the marina and four men got out with the Stricklands. They’re boarding the yacht, along with Tabril. I’m heading to the marina. Tell Danny to get his ass back here. We’re going to have to do a hostage rescue from the water.”

“We’re on our way.”

Danny hit the brakes and reversed course on the narrow road, flooring it back to the village.

“Try not to get us killed getting there.” Ryder’s delivery was dry, in keeping with his stoic personality, but Danny picked up the concern hovering beneath the words.

He let off the gas. Just a touch. For the first time in a very long time, his heart raced. Not with the intoxicating adrenaline boost he usually got when a mission went sideways.

With fear.

Hang on, Bella.

He’d failed her once already.

He wouldn’t fail her now.

Chapter Two

“Move. If you try to draw attention, I’ll shoot you where you stand.”

Head down, Isabella Strickland peered through her lashes at the man waving a black pistol in her mother’s face. Tanned skin, black hair, and a trimmed beard. He spoke in heavily accented English.

Not Greek.