AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Then what’s the plan?” Callie asked, her voice low and focused.
“Alright, here’s what we know,” Mark said, stepping forward. “There are three properties that could potentially be where Oakley is being held - a secluded cabin owned by her and her brother, a warehouse, or an abandoned building in the city, both owned by members of the group. We’ll need to split up and investigate each location simultaneously.”
“Callie and I will take the warehouse,” Garrett announced, determination etched across his face. “I’ll grab a few loose cannons from Bravo Team.
“I’ll cover the cabin,” Mark said, his voice steady and resolute. “Ryker, you’re with me. Somehow I think it has more potential.”
“Then I’ll take the abandoned building,” said Carter. “I’ll grab Levi and one or two guys from the assignment board.
The act of actually moving on intel about where Oakley was likely to be nearly was his mental undoing. “Garrett, when do we go?” Ryker asked, his pulse pounding in his ears. The thought of Oakley being held against her will, scared and out of her mind, fueled him with a desperate urgency.
“Jac, you with me?” asked Mark. Typically, Jac stayed with Monroe to strategize or worked with Sharlee when the job required. Only for personal or high stakes did he enter the fray himself.
“You read my mind.” Jac wouldn’t allow Ryker to go with Mark without a buffer. He was the best buffer in this case. He knew the stakes were high, but for Ryker, there didn’t seem to be a boundary left that would stop him from rushing into the situation like a roaring lion seeking to avenge. Jac would have to be that barrier both emotionally and physically.
“Remember, we don’t know what kind of security measures they have in place, so be prepared for anything,” Sharlee warned. “I’m trying to do my best to locate anything, but so far, I’m coming up empty. It doesn’t seem quite right.”
“Alright, let’s cut the chatter and gear up,” Mark commanded. “Kaden, work with Monroe. Can we get a drone in the air?”
“We can, but unfortunately, I can only go to one spot, so pick your best guess, and I’ll go set up with that team.”
This was personal, and Ryker had suddenly become, in his own mind, mission essential. He had trained with Jac for exercise and male bonding after the military, occasionally even running simulated missions for grins and giggles, but now that it counted, he was glad he had.
As the team finalized their rescue plans, Callie approached them with a grim expression. “I just intercepted some communications from the informant to another member. Oakley’s being drugged - they’re giving her something to make her hallucinate and lose touch with reality.”
“What the fuck!” Ryker clenched his fists in frustration; desperation, anger, and fear jockeyed for primary emotional position... his gut continually churning and boiling. Sharlee furrowed her brow, her blue eyes filled with concern.
“Did you find out what exactly they’re giving her?” Mark asked, his voice tense.
“Looks like a blend of powerful antipsychotics and hallucinogens,” Callie replied, the disgust evident in her voice. “It’s designed to break her mentally so she can’t fight back or escape. And to make a point. Psychiatric medication is deadly.”
“Jesus,” Mallory muttered under her breath, horrified at the thought of what Oakley must be going through.
Ryker’s heart raced at the urgency of the situation, and he could barely contain his rage. “We need to get her out of there as soon as possible, before the effects become irreversible.”
“Agreed,” Mark said solemnly. “Let’s move out. Let’s find her.”
Jac reiterated the mission. “We get in, we locate the most likely place for Oakley, and we get out. Then we regroup and go in strong.”
With a renewed sense of urgency, the team advanced towards the building, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead in order to save Oakley from her torment.
“Let’s move out. The sooner we’re in, the sooner we’re out with the answers and ready to return to finish the job.” Mark urged, as the team gathered their gear and headed towards their designated raid building. “Sharlee will be the voice of Go because hers is distinctive, and she knows when the security and cameras are disabled. When you hear her, that is your activation but no heroics. This is a recon mission only. When we enter for real, we go in with a full complement of operatives. Let’s get this done so we can get Oakley and us home safe and sound. Get in, get out, regroup for the final rescue.”
Sharlee added. “Since you are going in simultaneously, I will disengage the buildings’ surveillance and alarm systems before giving the go. Can’t have any screw-ups.”
As each micro-team approached their respective building, each determined to find Audra’s hiding spot. The adrenaline was running so high that it took sheer willpower to not go rampaging through the building looking for whom they sought.
Sharlee gave the signal to advance, and just like finely tuned race cars, the men advanced on their site with stealth and tightly wound energy. The cabin was the smallest and easiest to breach. While it appeared someone had been there recently, if Oakley had been there, she no longer was. The three quickly cleared the surrounding area and reported their findings before retreating to their SUV and returning to Sharlee and the command center.
The next group to report in was at the abandoned building. “Fuck, this place is huge, but luckily, we have Kaden, and except for a couple of bums squatting in the place, it’s empty. We checked the rooms to make sure.”
The final building, the warehouse, seemed abandoned at first. They could see that a chain-link fence surrounded it topped with barbed wire. The terrain around the building was uneven and littered with debris–a challenging landscape to navigate without being seen or heard.
As the team drew closer, it was obvious that someone or ones occupied it, but until they made their way inside, there wasn’t going to be much verification. The grounds were littered with junk, and while it could provide cover, it also made it difficult to navigate.
Finally, they could position themselves close enough to get a clear view through some of the newly replaced windowpanes. There was an area of windows in the back corner of the building that was blocked with bits of wood from the inside. Odd because the glass was still intact.
“That’s where she is. Bet you a dozen donuts,” said Callie into her com. Garrett smiled. His girl could eat a dozen in one sitting.
