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“No one else on the main level, Captain,” one of the guys told Sorensen once we got to the bottom.
“There’s a wine cellar, Cap!” one of the guys said, rushing over.
“Let’s go.”
The four of us, along with two others headed through the massive, modern kitchen which housed two stainless steel refrigerators, two dishwashers, a large Viking stove, and gleaming white marble countertops. Another one of Sorensen’s team met us at the head of a set of stairs, leading down. He was holding a thermal imaging camera in his hands and held it out to us.
“There are six people down there, Captain,” the man said.
Sorensen nodded, eyebrows raised in question at Lincoln.
“It’s gotta be the hostages, Snow.”
“That means the others have to be guards,” Lincoln said, nodding in agreement. “I sure as hell hope one of them is Oscar Castillo.” He glanced at Mac, who nodded at him.
“Let’s go get them, Linc.”
“Hold up, Mac,” I said, grabbing his massive bicep. He stopped in his tracks. “You’ve got explosives training. Make sure you check the door for boobytraps.”
Mac flashed me a wicked grin. “I’m way ahead of you, Miguel. Thanks.”
I dropped my hand and let him take the lead, right behind Sorensen while I followed as Lincoln brought up the rear. “Someone told me you were cyber before becoming Mac’s partner, Lincoln.”
He laughed quietly. “Why on earth are you bringing that up now, Miguel?”
“I just thought about it.”
“Funny time, but okay, yeah, I used to be cyber. What’s your point?”
“Nothing.” I grinned. “Just wondered if shit like this is why you left desk work.”
“Of course, it is, Miguel, because it’s much more fun taking down the bad guys with a gun than a mouse.”
I chuckled to myself as we descended the stairs one at a time. At the bottom, the room opened to a wide landing made of inlaid bricks. In front of us was a brick archway with a fancy, carved door of sturdy oak and an iron latch. Behind it, I was certain we’d find the hostages. The tac team had been all through the rest of the property. We stood aside as the agent with the thermal imaging camera walked over. He held it up, scanning the door silently. We huddled around the small screen to get a peek at who was behind the door.
One person lay on the floor. The glow coming from the figure was dim, meaning the person was either very cold…or worse yet, dying as heat leached out of their body. Three others were seated beside the person on the floor, glowing slightly brighter. Two figures paced, one near what had to be the hostages, and another near the door, only a few feet from where we were standing. He was probably listening at the door because he knew we were coming. Unless he’d somehow been tipped off and gotten away, I could only assume Castillo was inside with the hostages. He no doubt had one of his men in there with them. Sorensen nodded at the agent and then motioned for us to walk several paces away, just around a bend in the wall, so we could have a conversation without being overheard.
“Castillo and one of his men have to be inside and it’s obvious to me that at least one of the hostages may already be dead,” Sorensen said, keeping his voice low.
I nodded, as did the others. “Chances are, Castillo is gonna kill the hostages if we breach,” I said.
“Do you see any other way of this playing out?” Lincoln remarked. “They’re going to die anyway. We don’t have a choice.”
Mac bent and pulled out a coil of det cord, handing it to Lincoln before extracting a tiny block of C-4 and a separate detonator. “I can use the det cord to blow the door, but it might not give us the surprise we want, as quick as we want. The C-4 would do the job, probably take out the sicario by the door, but with the blast, we stand the chance that it might kill or gravely wound the hostages.”
Surprisingly, Sorensen smiled. “I’ve got something better.” He bent down and pulled out two silver, cylindrical objects. They were about six by three inches and flat on one side. He handed them to Mac who was grinning as Sorensen reached into another pocket and pulled out a third.
“Mini breacher’s boots, nice,” the big man exclaimed. “I didn’t think to ask if you had access to them.”
Sorensen nodded. “Standard tactical issue. They’re packed with just enough explosive to get through a thick, wooden door and hopefully preserve life on the other side of it.”
“It’ll knock out the sicario by the door but then we’ll need to make rapid entry to take out Castillo, if he’s in there,” Lincoln added, “though, it’d be better if we can take him alive.”
“That’s what these are for,” I said, pulling out the flash bangs I had in my cargos.
“Good,” Lincoln said. “Mac, check the door for a boobytrap while Sorensen sets the breacher’s boots.”
Sorensen and Mac nodded, stepping around the wall to the door. We watched from our position with the other team members who’d come down behind us, while Mac checked for boobytraps. Sorensen peeled sticky tape off the back of the breacher’s boots, setting them on the doors. One nearest the latch and two others at the hinges, top and bottom. Once everything was in place and Mac had assured us that there’d be no secondary explosion triggered when they breached, Sorensen waved us all back into place behind the wall. Mac handed me a flash bang grenade, and I readied myself for something I hadn’t done in almost twelve years.