Page 44 of Fierce Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #3)

The helicopter descended through the snowy darkness, Ronan expertly guiding it into a small clearing behind the ridge, half a mile from the abandoned lumber mill. The wind-whipped snow muffled their arrival, the sound of rotors quickly swallowed by the dense forest surrounding them.

Deke was first out, boots crunching in deep snow as he crouched low, scanning the perimeter with practiced efficiency. Izzy, Zara, Maya and Ronan followed, equipment bags slung over their shoulders, faces grim with determination.

An armored SUV waited at the edge of the clearing, its engine idling silently. Christian stepped out, dressed in full tactical cold weather gear.

“Vehicle secure?” Deke asked tersely.

Christian nodded. “Perimeter’s clear. I’ve done initial recon of the approach roads.”

They loaded quickly into the SUV, Christian behind the wheel, rolling slowly with lights off through the forest toward the lumber mill.

“What’ve we got?” Deke demanded, checking his weapon.

Christian kept his eyes on the barely visible forest road as he spoke.

“I hiked in close enough to use the infrared detector. Jade’s vehicle is parked outside the main warehouse.

Empty. There’s an SUV inside—newer model, black.

One moving heat signature inside the building plus two more stationary ones.

One heat signature outside, moving around near the back. ”

Deke’s gut knotted painfully at the mention of Jade’s empty car. Fear and fury surged through him in equal measure, threatening his focus. He clenched his jaw, fighting for control.

Zara gripped his arm. “Stay focused, Deke. They need you clear.”

He nodded, closing his eyes briefly. God, guide us. Keep Jade and DJ safe.

“We need eyes,” Ronan said, already unpacking surveillance equipment.

Zara flipped open a small case and quickly assembled a small drone in her lap, her fingers moving with practiced precision despite the tension surrounding them. “I’ll have visual confirmation in sixty seconds.”

While she worked, the others concentrated on gearing up, struggling to zip on tactical vests and rezip their parkas in the tight confines of the vehicle.

The SUV rolled to a stop behind a thick stand of trees, still out of sight of the mill. Christian killed the engine, and they moved in practiced silence, gathering around Zara’s tablet as she launched the surveillance drone.

The small device hummed imperceptibly as it rose above the tree line, camera feeding directly to Zara’s screen.

Snow fell steadily, but the thermal imaging cut through the precipitation, revealing the heat signatures Christian had detected.

While they waited, they checked weapons, ammunition and commlinks.

“There,” Zara whispered, pointing to a figure moving outside the building. “Male subject, digging in the snow near the back of the property.”

The image was unmistakable—a man with a shovel, carving a rectangular hole in the frozen ground.

“That’s Delgado,” Christian said flatly.

“He’s digging a grave.” Fury slammed into Deke’s chest. He breathed hard, wrestling with a fury hotter than any he’d ever experienced. If his son had been harmed … Or Jade …

Zara guided the second drone toward the building, this one equipped with both thermal and night vision capabilities. It slipped through a broken window, providing a clear view of the interior.

“Confirmed visual on Jade and DJ,” she reported crisply. “They look unharmed, both bound to what appears to be a workbench. Female subject is pacing nearby. It’s Sarah. She’s armed. A handgun. Could be the Glock 19 registered to Kent Wycoff.”

Deke’s pulse steadied slightly at the confirmation that Jade and DJ were alive, but anxiety spiked seeing the immediate danger they faced. The woman—Sarah—was visibly agitated, checking her watch repeatedly, gun held loosely but ready in her right hand.

“Time for tactical,” Ronan said quietly.

They huddled inside the SUV, quickly formulating a plan based on the live intel from the drones.

“Ronan, you and Maya handle Delgado,” Deke directed. “Silent approach. We can’t alert Sarah. Christian, Izzy and I will breach the old mill.”

“Flashbang?” Christian asked.

“Perfect.” Deke checked that he had several of the powerful grenades clipped to his parka. The concussion from the blast would send Sarah, and Jade and DJ, to their knees. By the time they raised their heads, he’d have the woman’s weapon and a boot digging into her back.

“You sight. I throw,” he told Christian.

“I’ll coordinate from here,” Zara confirmed, eyes fixed on her tablet. “Comms check.”

Each team member touched their earpiece, confirming clear communication.

“Rules of engagement?” Christian asked.

“Non-lethal if possible,” Deke replied. “But Jade and DJ’s safety is priority one. If there’s any threat to them ...” He didn’t need to finish the sentence.

Ronan chambered a round and slipped his Glock into the holster at his side. “Understood.”

Izzy racked the slide on her handgun. “ Yo acabo con ella ,” she muttered fiercely.

His brain clouded with fear, Deke couldn’t immediately recall the translation, but her tone spoke for itself. Every one of them would do whatever it took to protect his son.

And Jade.

They checked their gear one final time—weapons with silencers attached, flash-bangs ready, night vision active. His body screamed to blast into that lumber mill, but with Chad still outside, Jade and DJ were safe for the moment. Better that the team go in fully prepared.

“Move out,” he ordered.

Ronan and Maya slipped away first, disappearing into the snowy darkness toward the back of the property. Deke, Izzy and Christian waited, watching the drone feed as their teammates approached the male suspect.

Through his comm, Deke heard Maya’s calm voice moments later: “Male neutralized. Confirm it’s Chad Delgado. Exterior secure.”

Deke exchanged a quick glance with Christian and Izzy. “Time to move.”

They advanced toward the lumber mill, footsteps muffled by fresh snow, breath fogging in the bitter cold.

Deke focused on controlling his breathing, keeping his racing heart steady.

Years of training took over, muscle memory guiding his movements as they approached a side entrance Zara had identified as their best ingress point.

“Sarah’s getting agitated,” Zara’s urgent whisper came through his comm. “She’s moving toward Jade and DJ. You need to hurry.”

Christian positioned himself at the side door. “It’s open,” he said over comms. “I take the witch, you grab Jade and DJ?”

“Sounds good.” He wanted to flatten Sarah, body slam her harder than any quarterback he’d ever hit, but he needed to wrap his son in his arms ASAP.

Christian shifted to the side, making room for Deke. “We ready?”

Deke fingered the detonator, hooking his thumb around the ring as he positioned himself to get the best aim. He planned to land the grenade as close to Sarah’s feet as possible. “Let’s get this party started.”

He and Christian slipped their military-grade headsets over their ears, shielding themselves for the coming blast.

“Three,” Christian counted down softly, his voice audible only over the comlink now. “Two. One.”

“Flash out,” Deke warned. He tugged hard, felt the pin slide free, and counted silently.

One-one-thousand …

He tossed the grenade through the doorway, turning his head, crouching down next to Christian. They both shielded their eyes.

Two-one-thousand.

A deafening bang and blinding flash erupted on the far side of the warped door.

Deke sprang to his feet, yanking the headset off his ears. “GO! GO! GO!”