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As soon as he entered the barn, he heard voices and followed them to their place of origin. MacGyver towered a head taller than all four of Ahmed’s cronies, who stood around him inside one of the stalls. They appeared to be taunting him and none too happy that MacGyver wasn’t taking the bait. One of the men stepped up and slammed the butt of his handgun into MacGyver’s head, knocking him down.Oh hell. That is going to be one pissed-off Navy SEAL when he gets up.
Nervous laughter went through the onlookers. The man who’d hit him pressed his gun to MacGyver’s forehead.
“Fuck this,” MacGyver growled.
Luke rushed forward and braced his handgun on the half wall of the stall. “Down on the ground!” His Arabic was limited, but at least he’d gotten their attention. “Drop your weapons!” Then again, maybe his grasp of the language was worse than he thought—no one moved. The four black-robed men simply stared
MacGyver let out a roar, bent his knee and brought it toward his chest, then slammed his foot into the leg of the man who’d knocked him down. A sickening crunch made Luke grimace as the poor guy let out a shriek and fell to the ground, clasping his shattered knee with both hands. MacGyver ripped his gun from slack fingers and quieted his screams with a punch to the jaw that nearly broke the guy’s neck.Yep—pissed-off SEAL.
The other three raised their weapons and tried to back out into the paddock. They evidently didn’t know their escape route was already blocked. Coop and Travis appeared, one from each side of the doorway, and their KA-BARs flashed briefly in the moonlight. The standard-issue knives wielded by his friends permanently silenced the two targets closest to the door. The third man started talking excitedly, his voice rising steadily. Finally, he lunged toward the door, and Travis jabbed with his knife. The man staggered back but drew his long knife as he righted himself and started forward again.
Luke pulled the trigger. A SEAL’s every shot was a kill shot, and Luke watched him fall with no emotion whatsoever…because he had to. Because this time it was for Sally. He’d learned to compartmentalize death for the sake of the battle. No fucking wonder he had nightmares every time he closed his eyes. That shit had to come out somehow. But he’d use what the Navy had taught him one more time…until the woman he loved was safe and everyone who threatened her was dead. If that made him a monster, so be it.
“MacGyver, you okay?” Luke lowered his gun and pushed through the slider into the stall.
“Right as rain,” MacGyver said. “Thanks for showing up when you did.”
Luke glanced around at the four dead or wounded men. “There were five men and Ahmed. We’re one short.”
“No, we’re not. The other one got in my way earlier. He won’t be bothering us.”
Luke extended a hand and helped the big man up. “Daniel?”
“He’s around here someplace. Tell you the truth, I kinda lost track of him, but I bet he’s not far from the blond-haired bastard who killed his brother.”
“Sally?”
“He took her out of here minutes before you arrived.”
“Is she okay?” Luke held his breath.
“She’s got a few cuts and bruises. Nothing too serious. Your angel lady turned out to be one hell of a fighter.” MacGyver shook his head. “This riffraff spent most of the day in one of the cabins with their boss. If I was a betting man, I’d say that’s where he took her.”
“Let’s go.” Luke pushed through the paddock door and his friends fell in behind him.
It wasn’t hard figuring out which cabin Ahmed had taken over. Every light in the place was on. Almost like he was advertising his presence. Luke sidled up to Coop. “What do you think?”
Travis and MacGyver joined their impromptu meeting. “Well, he’s not trying to hide. My instincts tell me he’s probably set a few booby traps. Maybe even rigged the place to blow.”
“Fuck.” Luke received no satisfaction from the fact he’d come to the same conclusion. The image of Sally inside with Ahmed made his blood boil. The idea that their attempt to rescue her might be the catalyst to her death left him numb.
“Check the doors and windows for wires. We need a way in.” As the others hurried away, Luke stopped Coop. “Once we’re in, check the attic.” That’s where the fire started in Sally’s house, so that might be Ahmed’s go-to spot. Maybe he’ll repeat himself.
A minute later, Travis returned. “The door and the windows on this side are clear. They open into a separate bedroom and bathroom. Lights are all on. Might be where he’s holding Sally.”
“Okay, I’m going in. Coop will back me up and look for bombs once we’re inside. You two cover the front and back. If we get in trouble, you’ll probably be able to tell right away. That’s your cue to come in with everything you’ve got.” Not that they had much. Three of them had handguns, and they’d lifted four more plus an AK-47 off the fallen men in the barn. It would have to be enough.
Luke and Coop approached the side of the house. Carefully, Luke peered through the bedroom window. The doors to the main part of the cabin and the bathroom were closed. Clothing was draped over the quilted comforter. Luke pushed the window open about eighteen inches, then pulled himself up to stick his head inside and double-check for hidden wires. Finding none, he shoved himself through the opening, rolling as he hit the floor. Five seconds later, Coop was beside him and closed the window behind them.
The next instant, the two heard the bathroom doorknob rattle and barely had time to flatten against the wall. Coop held a knife as they waited. Slowly, the knob turned and the door opened. Luke caught a glimpse of her in the mirror just inside the bathroom. His carefully controlled rage almost got away from him. Sally’s face and arms were bruised, cut and swollen. Clearly, she’d tried to clean some of the blood off, but one whole side of her tank top was stained red, and an angry-looking wound on her arm still bled. He forced his gaze from her image and focused on what he had to do.
Luke waited until she was halfway through the opening before he slid his arm around her, pressed his hand to her mouth and pulled her back against him. She struggled in his arms with far more strength than he’d expected. “It’s me, sunshine. Don’t be afraid. It’s me and Coop. We’re going to get you out of here.” As soon as he whispered the words next to her ear, she went still.
He released her, and she whirled, throwing her arms around him. Her head came to rest on his chest as a sob escaped. “Damn it. He was right. Matt said you wouldn’t go. We’re going to have a talk about that later, sailor.” A sob that was half laugh bubbled from her throat.
Luke tugged her closer and kissed her neck, weak with relief. “We can talk about whatever you want, babe.” He motioned for Coop to slide the window open. “You go first and catch her.”
Coop nodded, opened the window and let himself down feet first.
