AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Roger that.” Kate’s competent voice came through clearly. “It’s about fifty feet from the northwest corner of the main house.”
“Can you get to it safely? We need it turned off.”
“No problemo,” Fenn responded. “Captain Hackett is in position to cover me. That is if you’re okay with protecting my very fine rear end,” he teased Kate.
“I’d rather eat dirt,” she responded, clearly not a fan of Fenn’s sense of humor.
“Don’t worry. She loves me,” Fenn said. “Here I go.”
A minute later, his report came over the comlink. “There’s no booby trap on the valve. Gas is shut off.”
“Copy that.” Tai responded first, his attention on his tablet. “We’ve got one body on the ground. It’s the preacher. No electronic devices armed, as far as I can tell, and no telltale wires hanging off the doorknobs or anything.” He caught Bridger’s eye. “Except for the gas, it looks clear. I say we’re good to go.”
Bridger nodded. Every second that ticked by lowered their chances of retrieving the pastor alive. “Let’s do this.” He activated his comlink. “Tai and I are approaching the building.”
He headed for the compound at a quick trot, using the thick shrubbery to obscure himself from view. Tai had only read one body inside, most likely the intended victim, but he had no intention of making himself—or his team—a target.
“This is gonna be tricky,” he warned. Propane ignited instantly. They could be walking into a booby trap. Even if the place wasn’t rigged to blow on entry, the tiniest spark could send the place up.
Tai followed on his heels. He outweighed Bridger by fifty pounds, but he moved just as silently. They stopped next to the front door, each flanking a side.
Bridger addressed the others over comms. “We’re heading in. Stay sharp.”
“And stay back,” Tai added. “If this thing goes, the blast zone’ll encompass your positions. Stay alert and stay down.”
Both Kate and Fenn responded with two quick bursts of static.
Bridger strode up the front steps, thankful for his rubber-soled boots. He extracted his lock pick set, poised to handle the deadbolt.
Tai grabbed his arm. “The smallest spark. You know that, right?”
“I’m aware.”
The front door sagged, but it hadn’t been blown off its hinges in the first explosion last week. He was good with locks. He’d have it open in a heartbeat. Hopefully, the workings of the deadbolt and doorknob hadn’t been too badly damaged. If he edged the door open slowly, they might be able to retrieve the victim without getting dead.
He extracted his lock picks from his pocket, careful not to let them clank against each other. Despite the need for speed, he took a second to lift a prayer.
“Dear Lord, protect my team, and the victim inside. Help me stay clear-headed.”
“And steady-handed,” Tai added from his side of the door.
Bridger grunted. Not a bad ask, given the risk.
But the Lord provided an even better solution. The door wasn’t even latched, let alone locked. He eyed Tai, who shrugged. If there was a booby trap, it wasn’t obvious. That was the best they’d get in terms of a guarantee.
And with every breath, the unconscious man inside was dying.
“Heading in,” Bridger announced over comms. He sucked in a deep breath. Even outside, the air was tinged with the nauseating stench of the sulfur compound used to give propane its awful rotten egg smell. He held his breath and pulled the door open with a slow, steady movement.
The gas rushing out made his eyes water. Cheeks bulging, and lips pressed into a tight line, Tai followed him inside. Unlike him, the big man had thought to pull on a pair of goggles.
Bridger blinked hard, trying to ignore the sting of the gas. With the door hanging open, the gas would dissipate quickly. Far less chance of ignition now. He hurried to the preacher’s side and pressed his finger to the man’s carotid artery.
He caught a pulse. Weak and thready, but clearly there. They’d made it in time. He nodded at Tai and gripped the man beneath the shoulders. Tai headed for the man’s feet, stopping to pocket a piece of paper next to Myles’ hip.
Between the two of them, they got the man outside before their lungs burst. The air barely stirred, but at least there was enough movement to help the gas drift eastward, away from the house. They set the unconscious man upwind of the open door and gasped for air.
“We’re out,” Bridger told Kate and Fenn as soon as he had enough air in his lungs to speak.
