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As the team moved through the dense foliage, their every sense heightened. Levi could feel the sweat on his brow and the thudding of his heart in his throat that matched the dull thud in his head. He had no idea what Cash was doing, but he didn’t expect Cash to be any more composed than he was. Time was slipping away, and with each passing minute, the fear for Finley grew more palpable. It was time to switch off the fear and settle into the neutral place he went when it was mission active. A familiar calm alertness descended, and he focused on the objective: locate and secure hostage, neutralizing any barrier in his way.
They quickly swept the interior of the structure and found the building empty. The feeling of despair and unfulfilled expectations was tangible. The light was a flashlight, which means someone had been there recently. Very recently. Had they missed them? A quick walk through cleared the building of any inhabitants and any sign there had been any except for the flashlight. Strange to leave it on when it could be seen through the worn spots in the cloth covering the windows. Definitely a deliberate ploy to gain their attention.
“Fuck,” said Levi.
“It’s a sign,” said Cash. “A message.”
Mark nodded. “Yes. She wanted us to know we are close, and she is alive.”
“What?” asked Ryker. “How would she have been able to do that?”
Levi grunted. “My girl has some skill.”
Jac nodded. “She does indeed.”
“Think about it. The flashlight is facing forward, toward the front door. She wanted us to stop here.”
“You’re right,” said Cash. “We need to do some recon.”
The group made one more cursory review of the building and then exited to scope the surrounding area. “Fuck it’s dark,” said Carter.
Garrett spoke sharply. “Quiet and concentrate. Mark, has she moved?”
“Doesn’t seem to have.”
“Good, she’s here then.”
“Hold on, baby girl,” whispered Cash.
Levi murmured, “Stay alert, we’re almost there, Fin.”
“Over there!” Garrett whispered suddenly, pointing towards another dilapidated building partially concealed by overgrown vegetation.
The team sprang into action, adrenaline pumping as they rushed towards the structure. As they neared the entrance, they heard a faint grunt. Levi’s pulse raced, recognizing the sound immediately. “That’s Finley. She makes that same sound when she doesn’t win a competition and... it’s her,” he breathed, hope surging through him. The others heard it too, and their pace quickened, determination etched on their faces.
“I wished we had more toys at our disposal,” said Callie.
Sharlee was now home holding her son tight and working on what information she could get them, which was very little. Kaden was the drone person, and he was home manning the main comm system. They disbursed through hand signals and whispers into their coms about where to go. The team looked inside the structure cautiously and discovered the general layout of the building. This was less of an open equipment shed like the first building but not any less ramshackle and it seemed like a strong wind would bring it down flat to the ground.
“This isn’t structurally sound. Go with caution,” said Jac. “Pair off.”
When they were ready, each two-person team burst through the door careful to not bring down the walls, weapons at theready, only to find Finley, battered but alive, cradling her ribs and mid-section with her arms. Relief washed over the team like a tidal wave, followed by a surge of joy. Then silence.
“Finley!” said Levi with a nearly soundless cry. The group watched carefully what Finley did instead of rushing forward to embrace their friend. Cash went down on his knee to scoop Finley up in his arms, but Levi stopped him by grabbing onto his arm.
“Stop. Look at her. She’s hurt. And they’ve wired her.” Levi addressed Finley. “Baby, is this live?”
She croaked an answer. “Yes. They said my boyfriend would figure it out.”
“Fuck,” said Cash. He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Levi, can you do it?”
Levi looked at the wires and took off his outer shirt. No timer, nothing too scary, but his head still hurt and his focus wasn’t as good as it should be. “Clear the building and then get out. You too Cash.”
“Nope. I’m here with you and Finley. I’ll be the moral support. You be the fixer.”
As the men carried on with a low conversation and the others cleared the building, Finley barely seemed to notice them. She was so badly hurt and propped against the wall in the dirty corner. When Cash sat next to her and grabbed her other hand, she let out a muffled cry that told them she was hurt more than they had thought.
“Fuckers,” he said quietly.
