Page 114 of Deadly Betrayal

Kaden winced.Fuuuuck!The bastard hadalways had a knack for finding a man’s weakness. Hoffman raised hisbrows in question. Ignoring the fire in his ribs, Kaden shrugged,then winced again when it hurt even more. Hoffman glared at him. Hewasn’t going to let it drop. “Might have picked up a couple brokenribs.”

“That why you’re moving like an old man?”Hoffman lifted up Kaden’s shirt and quickly inspected his torso.“Jesus. Those fuckerstorturedyou!”

Ortiz crawled away from his lookout positionand joined them. “This change the nature of the mission?” Theburning building in front of him reflected in his eyes, giving thema distinctly gleeful intent.

Kaden cleared his throat. “What exactlyisthe nature of your mission?”

“Search and rescue.” Hoffman glowered at theother man. “Kill only if necessary.”

Relief welled up inside Kaden. “Hassan didn’tsay anything about you guys coming.”

Hoffman’s brows shot up. “Hassan from theANA?”

“Yeah. If he didn’t tell you I was here, whodid?”

“Reynard.”

Now it was Kaden’s turn to be surprised.“Jake’s here?” He looked around as though expecting to see himsaunter up.

Hoffman laughed. “He called and said youneeded some backup. We were more than happy to oblige.”

Kaden couldn’t believe his luck. Hassan andJake had come through for him, and now Hoffman was here with hisfully armed unit. Things were looking up. “There are five Afghancivvies here. Two women that I already got out. They’re waiting onthe other side of the fence. Hassan’s out there somewhere lookingfor an old man. Name’s Afrooz. There’s another younger man, Khalid.He works for the Minister of Mines and Petroleum. You find him,take him alive. But be careful. I don’t know which side he’son.”

After relaying the new info to the rest ofthe unit via a two-way communication headset, Hoffman spoke toKaden. “You said five.”

“There’s another woman. Don’t worry abouther, she’s my responsibility.”

He must have sounded like a possessive prickbecause Hoffman held up his hands and grinned. “Understood,Sergeant.”

“Sorry,” Kaden muttered. “It’s been a crazyweek at the office.”

Both men laughed. “Reynard told us about yourdoc,” Ortiz said.

Kaden remembered Azita’s message. “There’s atunnel under the fence two hundred yards from here on the northeastside. That’s where the women are hiding behind some rocks. Thewarlords’ men are there and blocking our passage.”

“No problem. Let’s round up the stragglers.Sergeant, get your woman. Ortiz, you go find the politician. I’lllocate Hassan and the old man. In the meantime, I’ll send theothers to clear the area near the tunnel.”

“What happens once we’re on the other side?”Kaden asked. With this many civilians, they couldn’t just hoof itout.

Hoffman’s eyes danced. “We’ve got a treat foryou.”

Kaden didn’t want the promise of a treat. Hewanted cold hard facts and a foolproof escape plan. “I hatesurprises on an op. You know that, man.”

“You’ll love this one. Trust me. See you inten, Sergeant.”

The men disappeared into the landscape of thecamp. Damn. Maybe hehadlost his touch. When they got backto St. Xavier, he’d speak with Nic about instituting regularpractice ops with the men. Jake would get a kick out of it. Helived for this shit.

Kaden’s smile fell abruptly. His friend hadsuffered from some bouts of PTSD when he’d been in Kaden’s DeltaForce unit, but it had almost driven the poor guy crazy when he’dreturned home to the states. Being in Afghanistan had alreadytriggered flashbacks for both of them. What would being in awarlord’s encampment—much like the one where he’d been held for ayear—do to Jake?

Kaden’s heart pounded. Jake shouldn’t havecome today. If the bloodlust took him back into the past, he’drevert to the unit’s old ways.

No one would be left alive.

Chapter 27

Seconds ticked by. Seconds that felt likeminutes. Minutes that felt like hours. Azita counted each one withexcruciating exactness as she waited for Kaden’s return. The risingwinds had blown away the worst of the smoke from the explosions,but still the air stank of sulfur and burnt rubber. She refused tothink about the smell of cooking meat.

Some of Khan Tariq’s men came running downthe narrow alley between her hiding spot and another building thatappeared to house a communal kitchen. Pulse spiking, Azita pressedherself into the corner of an alcove that had her facing the sameway as the men. As soon as they passed, she would switch to theother side. It was a calculated risk. Any stragglers would see herimmediately, but it was one that would offer her the best chance ofnot being seen if any of the men were to look behind them.