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“Why can’t you just come out to us?” I ask, looking around the area. There were a lot of bushes and ways to screw this up.
“Fifty west. One hundred north.” The line went dead, and I swore under my breath.
“Alright, guys. Stay fifteen feet behind me, but follow my lead.” I state, before checking the perimeter, scouting for movement or a sign of men lurking. We’d cleared the front of the house, but that didn’t mean more weren’t on their way. I motioned with my hands for everybody to stay alert.
Following her directions, we arrived at the bushes, and I looked them over. They were staggered. Frustrated that she’d hung up, I’d forgotten which bush she’d said. I stood up straight, facing them, and noticed the third one over was positioned back the furthest. I squatted down, looking underneath, seeing that all the bristles covering the bottom were removable. When I cleared it, I found a latch. When I lifted it, the bush stayed attached to the door, making it heavy to lift. Once I got it fully opened, we followed the steps down into a darkened, stale-smelling cellar. Flashlights were on. We stayed armed as we all cleared the tunnel. A light shone from underneath the door. I motioned for my team to stay ready, and when we entered the room, a woman stood there with a gun pointed at us.
“Password?” She asked quickly.
“Midori.” I waited. She had fifteen seconds, or I’d have to shoot.
She slowly lowered the gun to the floor and stepped away from it. She was covered from head to toe in white garb that only exposed her eyes.
“Where is Ronald?” I asked while looking around the room.
She pointed to the corner where an unknown heap was draped with a heavy rug. I motioned for Hawkings to go check it out. Earhart covered him, and as soon as he lifted the dingy, mildew-repugnant rug, a scent that seemed to cover everything in this place got bolder. Death.
“Several shot wounds. There’s no way it came from that shotgun she was holding. He’s dead, though.”
No shit.
“Elizabeth, where’s the device?” I asked her.
“I have it. The agreement was that you’d get us to safety first. My… Ronald goes with us.”
I squinted, not missing her pause. “Remove your hijab.”
“No,” she firmly said. “Lee promised that we’d be able to go. He needs to be buried on his home soil. No man left behind, right?”
“Cadell, get out of there. Men are approaching from the west. You’ve got about seven minutes before it becomes a problem.” Simpson said through the comm.
Fuck. Time to haul ass.
“Hawkings, Earhart, and Warner, get him into that rug quickly. Barrett and Curie, you’re with me. Move!”
The team scrambled, and I looked at Elizabeth Hartwell. “Let’s go.”
She grabbed a black bag that reminded me of an older laptop or office bag. She moved toward the door, looking back over her shoulder to make sure we had grabbed him. The guys lifted him up, placing his body between two men, and we set in motion. Going to the top of the steps before Elizabeth, I checked for movement. Seeing nothing, I opened it fully, and we exited.
“Remember the path,” Elizabeth said from behind me.
I did. When we cleared the landmine, Simpson was back on the comm.
“Move!” He ordered.
“Pick it up!” I shouted behind me.
We ran toward the Ground Mobility Vehicle, and that’s when I saw the vehicles arriving that Simpson mentioned. I got Elizabeth inside before the men piled in. The body went on the floor in the back row so the men could still sit. Just as Warner was getting in, shots rang out.
“We’re under fire!” Simpson said as he put the truck in motion.
Warner barely got the door closed before we were in motion. Simpson drove quickly, but shots were still coming our way. In the front passenger seat, Curie opened the window and fired back. The other fellas joined in until a bullet hit the tire of the attacker’s car, making them spin. Another shot hit the driver, making them coast in the wrong direction.
I searched the surrounding area, looking for more threats, but none came. I looked over at the woman, who I hoped was worth the ambush. We needed that intel she had, and if she failed to deliver, she didn’t want to see the repercussions of her actions. We were taking her in, but my gut told me this would not be the end of this mission. Somehow I feared that it had just become even more complicated.
Healing Berets Series, Book 1
He's her protector.
