Page 71 of Gator

“You got it,” Maddox said, his voice sounding way too gleeful about his assignment.

“We want these guys alive,” Wolfe growled.

Hawk shook his head. “We’re getting close. What’s the plan? We can’t just roll up there in a line like a small army.”

“Kat?” Wolfe asked. She was the one who could see the surrounding area, so she would be the one with the plan.

“There’s a field just before the house that has a farm access road. You can pull in there and then cut across to the house.”

Wolfe pointed at the navigation screen. “The road’s coming up on the right.”

Hawk turned onto the small dirt road that had obviously been used for farm equipment. It wouldn’t be but a short walk to the house, but unfortunately, as was common here, there was nothing but scrub brush, so no real cover. That meant we would need to move quickly. Knox was staying with the truck, ready to move if it was necessary, but the rest of us all set out towards the house.

Wolfe’s voice crackled over the comm. “Update on the guards.”

“On the back of the property,” Kat said.

As we hurried across the yard, I took in our surroundings. There was a porch swing swaying in the breeze and empty flower boxes on the porch, making the house look as if it had once been loved. The windows were covered to keep people from seeing inside. Ofcourse the good news about that was it would also keep those on the inside from seeing out, and with so little cover, that was to our benefit.

Once we reached the house, we split. Hawk and I took the flank closest to the driveway, Axel and Maddox took the back of the house, and Wolfe, Crowe, and Tucker took the other side. Kat’s voice threaded constant updates through my ear.

“You have one seated figure just inside the door in the living room. Two more near the back door where the kitchen is. And one who appears to be pacing from room to room. Watch yourselves.”

We made it to the house without drawing any attention. Fucking amateurs. I didn’t know if that made me feel better or worse. It was always iffy when you were dealing with people who didn’t know what they were doing.

Hawk’s hand found my shoulder, a grip that spoke louder than words. He wasn’t just my business partner, he was my brother, and he would be right beside me, doing whatever needed to be done to get Julius back.

“Ready?” Hawk asked.

“Always,” I said, and I meant it. These assholes had Julius, and I was more than ready to take them out.

We closed the distance to the porch in three slow paces. My breath found a rhythm I’d practiced a hundred times in training.

Kat’s voice was low in my ear. “Isaiah’s holding high… two heat signatures still in the kitchen. One just inside the front door.”

The plan narrowed into the immediate—get inside, find Julius, and extract. But I knew better than to go without Wolfe’s nod, no matter how badly I wanted to rush in there.

We stood at the threshold, gloves on, guns ready, and the drone’s distant buzz like a heartbeat above us.

Hawk focused on me. His look asked me if I was good.

I nodded in answer.

Wolfe used hand signals to let us know what we were doing.Hold. Hold. Close in. One, Two. Three.

“Breach!” Wolfe hissed into his com so Axel and Maddox would know we were going in.

Hawk slammed his shoulder into the door, and it gave under the force. We surged through, guns raised and ready for whatever was waiting inside.

The seated figure Kat had seen with the drone’s thermal camera was our first problem, but Wolfe was on it. They heard Wolfe take him down before the guy even had a chance to reach for his gun.

Hawk and I kept moving, each of us choosing a side of the hallway that led to the kitchen. I pressed into the wall, hoping they would make it past me without seeing me. My heart was pounding, adrenaline was coursing through my veins. The guys in the back were bound to have heard the door splinter and would be coming our way any second. I used the wall as an anchor, slowed my breathing, and focused on my mission. Stay quiet, stay invisible, stay ready.

It didn’t take long before two men came barreling towards the front door, guns drawn. The second they passed us, we struck from behind. I used the wall like a fulcrum and launched myself at one, wrapped my arms around him, trapped his right arm, and pinned his gun.

I hooked his left foot with mine and used the forward momentum to take us to the ground. We landed with him facedown on the floor. The impact knocked his gun free, and it slid across the wooden floor. I quickly wrenched his arms up in the middle of his back while I planted my knee against his spine to keep him from moving. I zip-tied his hands and rolled him over.

I looked up and met Hawk’s gaze, giving him a nod.