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Mendoza was having breakfast with Jenna when Cruz came in to let him know that there still hadn’t been any sign of Radford or their missing men. He checked with every source they had, and no one knew anything.
Meanwhile, Absame had just finished questioning his other mole in the CIA. Again, coming up with nothing. Absame became so enraged that he instantly slit the man’s throat.
“Amiin, find me another source,” he demanded.
Back at the compound, Kat was frustrated to be left behind again. But, she could still only stand and walk for short distances. Ryan promised that he would bring her up to command when the time was right. As she waited, she began to remember the day Radford had recruited her. Having been in-and-out of foster homes all her life, she finally just ran away and worked odd jobs here and there to pay her own way. Carl approached her and offered her what sounded like an incredible career opportunity, with travel and paid training included. She jumped at the chance; that had been ten years ago.
Kat was happy to realize that she was getting more and more of her memories back—most of which included Carl and his family. She hoped that, this time, she belonged to something truly good, something real.
The team headed out to the runway and boarded the plane. Janie was glad to be back in action. She sat down in the cockpit and smiled, feeling truly at home. Thomas took the co-pilot’s chair and they prepared for take-off.
Jenna was finally able to make it out of bed after the latest beating. She didn’t understand why Mendoza had been so angry all the time, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to take much more of his attacks. There wasn’t a place on her body that didn’t hurt. She knew that she desperately needed help. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but something about the kindness in Sarah’s eyes when they met at dinner the other night made Jenna feel like she could trust her—like maybe she could even have a friend in her. Jenna checked the house and found that there was only one guard standing at the bottom of the stairs. She climbed into her closet and called Reece’s phone number as it was listed in the phone.
Sarah answered the undercover line. She could barely make out Jenna’s frantic words. Sarah was able to calm her down and promised to help her if she could; she just needed to sit tight for a little while longer. Jenna promised to try. She memorized Sarah’s number then deleted all record of the call. She felt like she finally had a life line.
Back at the compound, Kat had just awakened from a dream about Jake. In the dream, he was a real knight in shining armor—well, a knight in tarnished armor. The kiss he had left on her forehead was such a small thing, but she knew that it meant a lot coming from such a stoic man.
Kat had always stayed away from romance because of her career. She wasn’t sure if she was even capable of real love; she hadn’t even really thought about it before. Ryan came in just then and asked her if she was ready to head up to the command center. She couldn’t wait! Her hospital room seemed so empty without Jake, Sarah, and Janie to keep her company.
A few minutes after getting settled in command, they heard Reese’s voice come over the sound system, informing them that he, Thomas, and Sarah were in place and ready to retrieve Mrs. Radford. Jake radioed in only seconds later saying this his team—Bill, BJ, and Janie—were also in place at the child’s home.
“Any resistance at your location?” Reese asked Jake.
“We’re counting five men hanging out outside the house. I am sure they are armed, but they are still being subtle.”
“There’s two parked at my location,” Reese informed.
“Alright men, let’s move...God be with you all,” Ryan ordered. No sooner had the words left his lips that the sound of gunfire rang through the speakers. Ryan, Jako, and Kat sat quietly and waited anxiously for a report of any kind, but all that seemed to keep coming was more and more gunfire. Then, there was an eerie silence—which seemed even more frightening to Kat than the gunfire had been.
“Location clear. All family members secure. We’re safe,” the sound of Jake’s voice caused everyone to release the breath they didn’t even realize they were holding.
“Location clear here too. Mrs. Radford is safe,” Reese’s voice followed. The command center broke out into cheers and applause.
“Alright crew, the police are en route; move out,” Ryan said.
“Hey boss, one of the men at my location got away, but I made sure he was injured,” Jake told him.
“Copy that. See you when you get back. Good work team.” Kat breathed a sigh of relief. Jako asked Kat if she was ready to head back to her room. She nodded in acknowledgment. Jako was quiet on the short walk to the hospital ward. He knew that her thoughts were with the Radford family.
“Get some rest Kat. We’ll be sure to wake you when everyone gets back.”
“Thank you Jako.”