Page 28 of A Ballad of Blackbirds and Betrayal (Dynamis Security #4)
Chapter Fourteen
The security convoy moved along the private access road, three armored SUVs in formation like predators hunting as a pack.
Inside the lead vehicle, Reynolds—Mitchell’s head of security—watched the demonstration site materialize through bulletproof glass.
The central compound sprawled across fifty acres of isolated terrain, surrounded by outbuildings and a small landing pad where two helicopters sat with rotors still.
The afternoon air shimmered with heat, the scorching Texas summer unforgiving.
Fifty miles away, Senator Warren Mitchell adjusted the massive display screens in his private study, each one showing different angles of the demonstration site.
His fingers tapped impatiently against the mahogany desk as he watched his vision becoming reality—all while maintaining perfect deniability through his physical absence.
Half a mile from the compound, concealed behind natural terrain and specialized camouflage, Sabrina counted at least fifteen vehicles already on site—sleek European sedans and armored SUVs that screamed wealth and power. Mitchell’s buyers had arrived in force.
“They’re not even trying to be discreet,” Nate murmured, lowering his tactical binoculars. “International arms dealers, gathered in broad daylight.”
“They don’t need discretion when they have Mitchell’s protection,” Atticus replied, his voice tight with focused anger.
Eight years of hunting had led to this moment—the culmination of a quest that had consumed his life since Jane’s murder.
“And they’re on private property, miles from any witnesses. ”
“Local law enforcement status?” Nate asked.
“Contained,” Cal confirmed through comms. “Captain Rivera at Dallas PD has three units maintaining a perimeter at the county line with a hazmat training exercise cover story. Sheriff’s department is on standby for civilian evacuation assistance only—Director Hargrove owes Max a favor from the Caracas operation.
They’ve both been fed selective intel—enough to keep their people clear without compromising our operation. ”
“Having friends in the right places,” Nate commented with a slight smile.
“Dynamis doesn’t have friends,” Atticus corrected, though without heat. “We have tactical alliances with people smart enough to recognize when to look the other way.”
Cal’s voice came through their comms, the background hum of Dynamis command center audible beneath his words.
“Satellite thermal imaging shows twenty-eight heat signatures in the main building, another twelve spread across the grounds. Heavy security presence at all access points. Mitchell’s security chief Reynolds must have called in reinforcements after the airfield. ”
“Or this was always the plan,” Eden countered, checking her weapon. “An event this high-profile would have contingency teams ready regardless.”
Sabrina scanned the compound through the specialized optics Atticus had provided.
The central building—a converted ranch house with modern additions—featured floor-to-ceiling windows along one side, offering occupants a clear view of what appeared to be a demonstration area.
A raised platform stood one hundred yards from the building, surrounded by scientific equipment and what looked disturbingly like medical monitoring stations.
“The deployment system,” she said, pointing to a metallic apparatus at the center of the platform. “Designed for aerosol dispersal. Similar to what we saw in the decoy transport.” Her stomach clenched at the implications. “They’re planning to demonstrate on live subjects.”
Atticus followed her gaze, his expression hardening into something cold and lethal. “Hostages?”
“More likely unwitting test subjects,” she replied grimly. “The community that was in the evacuation zone—have they all been accounted for?”
“The evacuation teams reported twelve residents still unaccounted for,” Cal confirmed. “Local sheriff’s department is conducting door-to-door verification, but they’re stretched thin with our cover story about the chemical spill.”
Atticus’s jaw tightened, muscle jumping beneath skin tanned by years of field operations. “They’re going to use civilians to demonstrate the weapon’s effectiveness. Maximum impact for potential buyers.”
The brutal calculus made Sabrina’s blood run cold. She’d spent her entire career saving lives, and the thought of people being used as disposable test subjects for a weapon of mass destruction violated everything she believed in.
“I count four guards on the west approach,” Jade reported through comms, her voice steady despite the dire circumstances. “Standard patrol pattern, ninety-second intervals between checkpoints.”
“East side has a blind spot between the equipment shed and the tree line,” Max added. “Gives us a narrow window, but it’s viable.”
Atticus absorbed the information with the focused intensity of a commander weighing tactical options against time constraints.
Dawn’s light worked against them, eliminating the cover of darkness, but waiting for nightfall wasn’t an option—not with lives at stake and Mitchell’s demonstration already underway.
“Merlin’s aerial team is in position,” Cal reported. “Five minutes out, awaiting your signal.”
“Hold them in reserve,” Atticus decided.
“We’ll use them for extraction and containment.
I want primary infiltration to maintain stealth as long as possible.
” He turned to his core team, expression resolute.
“Priority one is neutralizing the bioweapon deployment system. Priority two is securing any additional samples. Priority three is taking Mitchell’s operation intact with evidence connecting him to everything. ”
“And the hostages?” Sabrina asked, though she already knew his answer.
“Above all else,” he confirmed, his gaze meeting hers with an intensity that spoke of shared values despite their different paths to this moment. “No acceptable losses.”
He outlined the infiltration plan with the directness of someone who’d orchestrated hundreds of tactical operations.
Nate and Eden would approach from the east, using the blind spot Max had identified to gain access to the main building.
Max and Jade would take western positions, providing sniper coverage and creating a diversion when needed.
Griffin’s aerial team would maintain holding patterns just beyond detection range, ready to deploy the moment stealth was compromised.
“Doc and I will target the deployment platform directly,” Atticus concluded. “Her expertise with the bioweapon is our best chance of neutralizing it safely.”
The assignment surprised her—not the task itself, which made tactical sense, but Atticus’s apparent acceptance of her presence in the most dangerous role. Their eyes met, a silent communication passing between them that acknowledged both professional respect and something far more personal.
“The aerosol countermeasure?” she asked, shifting focus to the mission parameters.
“Here,” Nate said, passing her a reinforced container. “Synthesized according to your specifications. Untested, but it’s the best we’ve got.”
She nodded, accepting the weight of both the container and the responsibility it represented. “It should work in theory. The molecular structure is designed to bind with the bioweapon before it can attach to human tissue.”
“Theory is about to become practice,” Eden observed, checking her watch. “According to Reynolds’s intel, the demonstration is scheduled for 1400 hours.”
“Then we move now,” Atticus said. “All teams, final comms check and sync tactical displays.”
The Dynamis team moved with seamless coordination, each operator configuring equipment, checking weapons, and synchronizing communications. Sabrina found herself at the center of this lethal choreography, her medical background an unexpected complement to their tactical expertise.
Atticus approached as she adjusted her tactical vest, his expression softening slightly as he helped secure a strap she’d missed. The brief contact sent awareness cascading through her system despite the life-or-death circumstances awaiting them.
“Stay close to me,” he said, his voice pitched low enough that only she could hear. “These aren’t hospital corridors or research labs.”
“I know,” she replied, meeting his gaze directly. “They’re more like the combat zones where I served. I won’t slow you down.”
Something flickered in his eyes—respect, concern, and beneath it all, the banked fire of attraction neither of them had time to explore. His fingers lingered at her shoulder a moment longer than necessary before dropping away.
“I know you won’t,” he acknowledged, his voice rough with emotions he kept carefully leashed. “Just remember?—”
“Your orders aren’t suggestions,” she finished, the ghost of a smile touching her lips despite the tension thrumming through her. “I remember.”
The moment stretched between them, charged with possibilities neither could afford to consider. Then Atticus was stepping back, the commander reasserting control over the man, his expression shifting to tactical assessment.
“Let’s move,” he said, addressing the team. “Comms discipline from this point forward. Mission clock starts now.”
They separated into their assigned teams, Nate and Eden disappearing into the tree line with the silent grace of predators hunting in their natural environment.
Max and Jade moved toward their sniper positions, carrying specialized equipment that would allow them to neutralize threats from extraordinary distances if necessary.