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As expected, Audra sent nearly a third of her followers in attendance to see to her brother’s needs. It had to be good enough.
Mark nodded, checking the magazine on his pistol. “Be careful in there. These people are fanatics. They won’t give up Oakley or their cause without a fight.”
“I know.” Jac tapped his earpiece, connecting to the others. “We’re making our move. Be ready.”
The followers’ radios suddenly erupted in static.
“Let’s move,” Carter murmured, pushing open the warehouse door with a creak.
“Let’s go get our girl,” Jac said and started toward the warehouse flanking Carter, with Carter taking the lead and the rest of the team falling into step behind him.
They approached the warehouse under cover of darkness, weapons at the ready. Ryker signaled for them to fan out as they entered, covering each other as they advanced into the cavernous space. Their night vision goggles were useful, but if lights flooded the area, they were devastating, so Jac had each kit include a retractable attachment to their waist pack. They could throw them off without losing them. Later, if needed, they could put them back on.
Ryker bolted toward a side door of the warehouse behind Jac, his heart pounding. He never questioned Jac. Ryker knew his buddy wasn’t keen on him going with them, but they did not know what they faced when they found Oakley. He prayed they didn’t have to go back through the detox regimen again.
Jocelyn O’Connor, their company’s online therapist, agreed when Mallory painted a picture of confusion and fearful responses, total chaos just as likely as complacency. The anti-medication movement’s extremism had led them to this, but he was about to show them just how far he would go to save the woman he loved.
His instincts screamed trap, and a glance at Carter’s tense expression confirmed he sensed it, too. Audra wouldn’t leave Oakley unguarded. She knew they were coming.
Inside, shadows stretched across the cavernous space, while the distant dripping of water echoed throughout the building like a sinister metronome. They moved cautiously, weapons ready, as Ryker tried to ignore the gnawing fear in his gut. Failure wasn’t an option; he couldn’t lose Oakley, not when she meant so much to him.
“Keep your eyes peeled for any signs of Oakley or Audra’s followers,” Carter instructed his team, his voice barely audible above the eerie soundtrack of the warehouse. “And stay sharp. I have a feeling we’re walking into something big.”
As they crept deeper into the warehouse, the tension grew palpable, each member of the team acutely aware of the stakes at play and what their role was. If they couldn’t save Oakley and bring Audra to justice, who knew what havoc she would continue to wreak?
Carter held up a hand to halt the team. He passed the pack he was carrying off to Levi. Ryker screened them all out of his focus and continued to follow Jac’s lead. His mission was retrieval. His pulse raced as his mind rushed through the possibilities. Audra could have an ambush waiting inside. Bombs rigged to explode, men set in place to ambush them, or more. A dozen scenarios flickered through his thoughts, each more dangerous than the last.
But Oakley. He couldn’t leave without her.
Ryker met Callie’s gaze and saw his own fears reflected there. He drew a steadying breath and steeled himself for what was to come. This team had faced worse odds before, and he was counting on that luck and skill now.
“It’s a trap,” Mark said bluntly.
Callie’s knuckles whitened around the grip of her gun. “There’s no way she left this place unguarded. The place didn’t clear out completely.”
“I know.” Ryker’s jaw clenched as he considered their options. None were good. But only one led to Oakley, and Carter was an incredible on-the-ground strategist. Monroe was good at the overall plan A, B, and C, but Carter did the X, Y, Z, it’s all going to hell, plan. His instincts were impeccable.
Jac spoke. “We go in deep anyway. Stay sharp and watch out for each other. We get Oakley. If we can, we will stop Audra, but she is not the priority.”
Levi’s eyes glinted with determination. “We knew this wouldn’t be easy.” He hefted the bag of explosives slung over his shoulder. “But we came prepared.”
Mark’s steady presence at Ryker’s side bolstered his resolve. “We came in together. We come out together.” His tone brooked no argument.
Kaden appeared out of what seemed like thin air. “I couldn’t let you have all the fun.”
Shadows flickered and danced across the walls in the dim light from the moon outside. The air was stale, thick with the scent of oil and rust.
They lined the walls and cautiously picked their way through the debris, looking for where their enemy was and where Oakley was hidden.
A flicker of motion caught their eye. Levi said, “There!”
Figures emerged from behind towering shelves and crates, armed and armored. At least a dozen. More than they had expected after so many left with the false bomb alert.
Ryker dove behind a stack of crates as a hail of bullets peppered the spot where he’d been standing. The team returned fire. The shots echoed through the warehouse like thunder.
Callie lobbed a grenade toward the attackers, the resulting blast sending debris flying. The girl enjoyed blowing things up way too much. Mark quickly picked off two gunners, their bodies crumpling to the floor.
Jac grabbed Ryker’s arm, eyes wide. “Look!”
