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“Wraith, Jug, our camp, NVGs.”
“Copy.” Both men moved like apparitions across the open expanse, and he watched as his men went into the tent and then checked Fleur’s tent before coming back.
He glanced at Wraith in question, and Wraith noted, “Had to make sure Al wasn’t setting us up.”
Ronan nodded. Wraith was one suspicious son of a bitch, and he was damn glad he was on his side. His men handed out the NVGs then moved using the clear zone to keep away from tents. Since the clear zone was only lit on one side, closest to the militia camp, they made fast time.
As they approached, they dropped and worked their way closer, keeping out of sight. Ronan lowered his NVGs and looked across the darkness, careful to avoid looking toward the tractor’s headlights. He could see Mathias on the tractor and Miller on his hands and knees near the front of the damn thing. What the fuck were they doing?
“You see this, Deacon?”
“Yes. Are they digging something up or burying it?”
“Don’t know. But that’s them.” He searched for Fleur but didn’t see her.
“Where’s your woman?” Deacon asked.
“I don’t know. But they do,” Ronan said. “Ready?”
“Give us five minutes to get on the other side.” Deacon motioned for his team, and from years of practiced movements and hundreds of missions, his team expanded the space between them to encircle the targets completely.
The tractor sputtered to a stop, and Mathias got down. Ronan advanced, and his team followed suit. He crawled silently, working closer as he knew Deacon’s team would be doing.
Mathias lifted the cover of the tractor, and Ronan could hear the men arguing over something. Fixated on the men, he moved closer.
“Ready.” Deacon’s voice over the comms was fucking the best thing he’d heard all day.
“Now.” Ronan launched to his feet and lifted his weapon to firing position. His team advanced at a fast walk. When Miller saw them, it was too late. The man lunged for a rifle propped on the tractor’s tire. Jug’s shot echoed, splitting the silence. The tire on the tractorthwappedas the 5.56 bullet pierced thethick rubber. Miller’s arms went up immediately. Mathias spun and swore.
“Arms up, or you’re dead.” That was Deacon.
The sound of people behind them spun both of their heads. “Son of a bitch,” Mathias said. He feigned the attempt to lift his arms but instead lunged toward the rifle. Ronan’s finger squeezed the trigger of his M-4, and Mathias grunted and dropped. Miller shrieked like a little girl and lifted his hands higher.
“You’ll join him,” Ronan growled.
Miller shook his head. “You need me.”
“For what, you fucking bastard?”
“You’ll never find her if I don’t tell you where she is.”
Ronan walked up to the man and used the butt of his weapon to hit the man in the gut. Miller groaned and dropped to his knees. Ronan lifted his knee into the man’s chin and sent him flying backward. He handed his weapon to Wraith and lifted the man. His teeth were bleeding, and he had a bloody nose. “Tell me where she is, or I’ll spend the next twenty-four hours peeling your skin from your body.”
Miller spat at him. “You won’t. She’ll die if I don’t tell you where she is.”
“Knife.” Ronan held out his hand, and thatfucking massive Interceptor 911 was placed in his palm. “What you fail to realize is I will, and if she dies, your death will be worse.” He placed the knife on the bridge of Miller’s nose and pushed down.
“Stop!” Miller squirmed, but Jug and Wraith pinned him against the tractor. Ronan lifted the blade and pulled. The skin that tore away from the man’s nose erupted in blood. Ronan cut the skin off at the tip of the nose. Miller’s scream was piercing, and people started pouring out of the camp's tents.
Ronan grabbed the man’s cheeks and shook him. “Where is she?”
Miller wasn’t listening. Ronan got his attention by pushing the knife over one ear. The man cried, “No, no, don’t. Please.”
“You have a way to stop this. Where. Is. She?” Ronan sneered. “I can keep you alive for a long, long time. This isn’t my first rodeo.” He applied pressure to the top of Miller’s ear.
“Buried. We buried her!” Miller shrieked.
“Here?” Ronan pushed the man to the dirt.