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COLTON CROUCHED DOWN in the dirt near the perimeter of the camp, scanning the ground. Jacob watched him from fifteen yards away and quietly spoke into his headset. “Do you think there’s a tripwire?”
“Negative,” came Colton’s reply. “The larger compound that Ice’s team is moving in on is probably wired with explosives since the leader is there. This spot looks clean.”
“No one important is here,” Hunter said over the headset. “Just the lowlifes carrying out the dirty work. Isn’t this our lucky day.”
Jacob’s gaze swept the area through his night-vision goggles, his pulse quickening. He could see his other teammates getting into position around the camp, weapons ready. The moment before they began an op was always the most tense. As soon as they were up and moving, he’d be caught up in the action. The adrenaline.
But right now?
His heart always pounded as everything around him went silent. As his vision tunneled and senses heightened. The calm before the storm was a real thing.
And he and his teammates were ready to carry out their mission.
“Everyone in position?” Hunter asked in a low voice over the headsets.
“Roger that,” Jacob said.
“Affirmative,” came the other mix of replies.
“Mason and I will go in through the opposite end where we believe the Brit is being held. Colton and Jacob will enter from the front. Noah and Ryker, you two will be bringing up the rear and sweep the perimeter once we breach the compound. Grab anyone leaving so we can bring them in for questioning.”
“Estimated number of men?” Mason asked.
“Infrared sensors show only four. Whether that’s two terrorists and two hostages or something else waits to be seen.”
“That’s a hell of a small group,” Jacob said, frowning. “Where’s everyone else?”
“It was never meant to be a permanent holding spot. They grabbed a hostage and hunkered down here. We don’t know what caused their change in plans.”
“Let’s do this,” Ryker said.
“No one leaves camp until we search every tent for the State department official. I don’t think she’s here, but we’re not taking any chances. All right men, move in!”
Jacob ran forward, sweeping the area with the scope of his weapon. He could see the grainy image of several tents through his night-vision goggles, but there was no movement in the camp. A shot fired in the distance, and Noah’s voice came over the headset. “One man down. He charged at us.”
“We want them brought in for questioning,” Hunter said in irritation. “Take him alive. We need details on the missing woman.”
“He’s been disarmed,” Noah said. “Bleeding but still breathing.”
“Take him back to the Humvees,” Hunter commanded. “He’s coming with us.”
Jacob moved through the group of tents, on edge. It was strange to have so few men guarding a hostage—almost like the place had been abandoned. It seemed unlikely there’d be anyone here. Colton gestured to him, and they stood outside one of the tents. Weapons aimed at the front, they breached the entrance.
Jacob stopped in his tracks as he saw a body lying there in a pool of blood. Kneeling down, he felt for a pulse in the neck. There was nothing. “The hostage has been killed,” he said in a low voice over the headset. “Probably right before we arrived.”
“The Brit?” Hunter asked.
“Affirmative. Single gunshot wound.”
“Damn it,” Mason muttered. “The tents here are empty.”
“So where did the other two go?” Jacob said, emerging from the tent with Colton. He looked around as his teammates reconvened.
“The other tents are all empty,” Hunter said. “We’re taking the British soldier with us back to Kabul. Let’s retrieve the body.”
“Shit,” Ryker said, looking at the ground. “I found something.”
The rest of the group looked over as Ryker bent down to pick up a woman’s gold necklace. “She was here,” Ryker said, holding the delicate necklace in his hand. He clutched it, the fragile chain dangling from his large glove, and Jacob’s blood boiled. She’d been here—the hostage they’d been sent here for.
Now the British soldier had been killed. The American woman was missing. And they didn’t have the first clue where the hell she’d been taken.
