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ELI
“Four tangos, two o’clock,” I whispered into comms.
“Three more at your nine,” Kavanaugh answered from across the room.
“I have eyes on the target,” Cash said. “Southwest corner of the room. This won’t be an easy extraction.”
I huffed at that. “When is it ever easy?”
“I could think of about ten more situations that have been easier than this,” Cash answered.
That had me curious, but I couldn’t move from my position without giving myself away. Hiding out just past the hallway that led to the elevator banks, it was the only protection offered to me at this point, and we weren’t ready to move in yet. Not until Cash gave the green light.
“IRIS, we’re going to need you on forty.”
I groaned internally. If Cash needed IRIS, that meant explosives were involved. And IRIS loved to set them off more than he liked to dismantle them. I just had to hope that he wouldn’t actually set one off when there were thirty-plus hostages on this floor alone. The rest of the building had already been evacuated, as far as we knew. The police department was sweeping the rest of the building, ensuring no one else was injured if something went wrong.
“Hold your places until we can figure out what the fuck we’re dealing with,” Cash said.
“Copy that,” I answered, hearing the same from everyone else.
Normally, we wouldn’t be in the building because of a hostage situation, but this was a special case. We were called in to protect a new client just as all hell broke loose at the very building he worked in. It took an hour of arguing with the local P.D. about who the fuck was in charge, but we finally took possession of the building and hauled ass to the fortieth floor where our guy was currently hiding out. At least, we hoped he was hiding.
“We’ve got hostages moving around in there,” I whispered, adjusting the grip on my weapon. “Where the fuck are you, IRIS?”
“Hold your dick. I’m coming. It’s not like I could take the elevator up like you lazy asses.”
I could hear his heavy breathing as he climbed the stairs, probably carrying a shit load of gear with him.
I grinned to myself as I answered. “It’s a good thing someone’s not about to blow up or anything, old man. I think Jane’s cooking has made you lazy.”
“Jane doesn’t cook. Not well, anyway. And if you tell her I said that, I’ll let that bomb explode.”
“You’re so fucking slow,” Thumper huffed. “You’re letting a man with a wooden leg beat you up the stairs.”
“That’s a bionic foot,” IRIS argued. “You’re like Iron Man or something. And you’re not carrying all the EOD gear. Thanks for that, by the way.”
“Hey, someone has to watch your six.”
“You’re in front of me!”
“Yeah, to make sure your ass doesn’t get taken out.”
“I would just like to point out that I’m in the opposite stairwell,” Slider grumbled. “And no one offered to come with me and watch my back. I’m just saying, that’s kind of shitty.”
“I’m with you,” IKE answered, sounding slightly offended.
“Yeah, but you didn’t offer. You were told to come with me.”
“Why the fuck did I say I’d come work for this company?” IKE grumbled. “I could have stuck with my current profession and wouldn’t have to work with anyone else.”
“Because apparently, Jane needed you,” IRIS snapped. “Don’t ask me why. She has me. I’m not sure what the fuck she needs you for.”
I chuckled again, refocusing on the hostages in the room. One day, I’d hopefully find someone like IRIS had. Jane was a hot mess, but she was driven and fun. That was the kind of woman I needed. Although, I could do without Jane’s love of bombs. She bonded a little too much with IRIS over that particular part of his job. And I definitely didn’t want my woman, whoever she was, to have a fascination with a man like IKE. It was just wrong.
“Alright, I’m on thirty-nine. I need a sit-rep.”
