Page 34 of Kyle (Gold Team #3)

“They’re loading out,” Jasmin’s voice crackled in my earpiece.

“Copy that. How many trucks?” Declan asked.

“Four. Twenty-eight girls so far,” she returned.

Fuck. We were gonna lose a truck.

“How much time we got?” Colin asked.

“Looks like a while. They’re in no hurry.”

“Mission shift, boys and girls,” Lincoln came over the comms. “Colin and Brooks, get your asses to town and find a vehicle to borrow and stay put. You’re team one. We’ll radio when your truck pulls out.”

“Copy,” Brooks answered.

“Double-time that,” Linc instructed. “Jas and Max, team two. Thad, Kyle, Dec, team three. Me and Leo, team four. We’ll take up the rear.”

After a round of acknowledgements, the others started to move into position. Since the three of us were sticking together, none of us moved from our location and waited.

“Something’s jacked,” I announced. “Fuckin’ feel it in my gut. ”

“Not the first time we’ve had to regroup in the middle of a maneuver,” Dec reminded me.

“It’s not the mission. But something’s fucked. And I don’t like that we have zero goddamn communication with HQ.”

“Zane’s aware of the problem. You know he’s working on fixing it,” Thad said, sounding just as irritated as I did.

“Not the first time we’ve been dark, either. So start explaining what feels fucked. Do we need to scrap the mission?”

Declan was a smart man, and listened to his team. We’d all been in this line of work long enough we knew not to ignore our gut. And if I told him we needed to pull back, he’d make the call. No more questions asked.

“Don’t fuckin’ know, Dec. Never felt like this. I just know down to my soul something is jacked up.”

“Nut to butt,” Dec said into his mic, instructing the team without actually saying it to stick close to their teammate and watch their backs.

“Fuck me. Who?” Leo asked, knowing one of us had a bad feeling.

“Kyle.”

“Sheee-it,” Leo mumbled. “I was hoping for an easy op.”

“Not today, brother,” Dec returned.

He killed his mic and turned back to me. “I need honesty. You think this has more to do with you knowing Anaya is questioning Monica?”

“Maybe,” I answered. “But, Dec, you know my gut’s never wrong. We need to check in as soon as we can.”

“We will. Hang tight.”

Hang tight? I had no option, but if I had, I would’ve taken it. I glanced at Thad and knew he felt it, too, he was just better at hiding it than me.

There was damn well something wrong.

Two hours later, we were finally on the road following a truck with seven girls in the cargo hold. Two men to each truck.

“We have forty minutes before we hit Lake Memphremagog,” Thad said from the back seat.

“Have you found a good location for a takedown?” I asked, turning slightly in my seat to see the map spread out over Thad’s lap.

“Still looking. Fucking sucks with no GPS and satellite images.”

“You having issues with your map reading skills?” Dec joked.

If I hadn’t had a sinking feeling in my gut and an ache in my chest, I would’ve joined in.

“Fuck no. But without satellite I don’t know where houses are. I’ll narrow it to three locations but we’re gonna have to wing it. From what I remember, eastbound on this road is mostly farmland, but there are houses scattered.”

“Yep,” I agreed. “But there are a few long stretches that would be good.”

“The first one in about seven klicks just after the vineyard,” Thad announced.

Just under four and a half miles. Normally Dec could travel that small distance in under two minutes but the truck in front of us was taking its sweet-ass time, forcing Dec to drive like a normal human being.

“Christ. Can he speed up?” There it was. Dec hated slow drivers. “Geared up.”

I glanced down at my AR between my legs, tapped my hip to confirm my sidearm was in place, then pulled my rifle up but kept it below the window opening.

Without having to look behind me, I knew Thad was doing the same. The sign for the vineyard came into view and a long, deserted stretch of road lay in front of us.

“We’re taking it,” Dec said before he slammed on the gas.

The distance between us and the car was narrowing and I hefted myself through the window to sit on the frame and lowered my rifle.

“Ready?” I called out to Thad.

“On my count,” he returned, and counted us down.

Watching the back right rear tire spinning, I waited for his signal. I heard the word ‘two’ and pulled the trigger. Both rear tires blew out. The truck careened right, then left, then back right as the driver lost control.

With the truck up on two wheels heading for open field, I prayed we didn’t just kill all the women locked in the back. Thankfully, the universe had something else in mind when the truck tilted back down and came to a stop, still upright.

Dec didn’t have the vehicle fully stopped before I jumped out and headed to the back, while Thad was already making his way to the driver.

Two pops sounded and Declan and Thad were both at my side.

“Done,” Thad unnecessarily announced.

Not wasting a second standing behind the enclosed truck, with an armed man inside who could open fire at will, we moved.

There was always a pucker factor when you breached a structure of any sort. One with no visual, pucker factor times ten. We had no idea what the guard was doing inside or where he was.

Declan was ready with his hand on the latch to unlock the door. I was on the other, and Thad was at my nine o’clock ready to take a shot if one presented itself. We’d done this so many times it was like a well-choreographed dance. But with my unease, it felt wooden and unpracticed .

Declan gave me a nod and I shoved all thoughts out of my mind and concentrated on his movements. As soon as his door opened a sliver, I quickly unlatched my side and simultaneously we threw both doors open.

Terrified screams filled the otherwise quiet countryside, but no one made a run for it.

My eyes adjusted, taking in the dark corners of the box truck, and found the women huddled together.

The guard stood close to them with one woman pulled tight to his front, using her as a human shield, his weapon pointed at Thad.

“Get back!” the asshole yelled.

“Drop your gun and let her go,” Declan returned.

“Get back or I start shooting them.” He swung his rifle in the direction of the girls, exposing himself.

That was a grave error, one that cost him his life.

Before I could take the clear shot he’d provided me, Declan beat me to it.

A close range .223 round to the head was never pretty. The white metal wall behind where the man once stood was now painted with red.

Women screamed. Then as if the shock of the event had waned, they ran for the open door.

“Whoa.” Declan stepped forward, putting his hands up. “Everyone is safe. But you have to stay inside.”

One woman did a flying leap out of the truck.

Her feet barely touched the pavement before I grabbed her around the waist, turned her in my arms so her back was to my front, and held her there.

I had to swallow back a gag as the smell of piss and bad body odor overwhelmed me.

Her legs thrashed, her bare feet barely registering as they made contact with my shins.

“You’re safe now,” I told her. “We’re gonna get you home.”

She had no verbal response but she fought harder, wiggling and digging her fingers into my arm. I had no choice but to let the girl wear herself out, and by the energy she was putting into escaping my hold, she’d be exhausted within minutes.

She felt like a malnourished feather. The only danger her exertion posed was her hurting herself.

Declan was explaining to the others what was going to happen next, but none were listening. All eyes were on the girl struggling.

This had to end. We couldn’t stand on the side of the road for much longer.

“Enough!” I barked, but didn’t tighten my hold. “We don’t have time for this. We need to get all of you to safety and we can’t do that until you calm down.”

Her movements started to slow but her whimpers did not. Low, guttural, soul-shattering sounds that conveyed all she’d been through.

“Come on, honey. Slow down and breathe. You’re safe now. No one is gonna hurt you, but I need you to go back with your friends.”

“Don’t put me back in there. Please.” Her request broke my heart but I had no choice.

“You’re not going back in. All of you are getting in the van with us.”

“Come on, Scarlett,” one of the older girls called as Declan helped her down. “Please come over here so we can leave.”

The young woman in my arms nodded. With my arm still around her, I walked her to her friends. Scarlett was immediately engulfed into the huddle.

“In less than an hour this will all be over for you,” Dec told the girls.

None of them looked like they believed him. All of them looked broken and defeated.

Fuck Harry Landry and his band of pissants on his payroll .

“Come on, the rest of you come down.” Then to Thad, “Check the guard.”

Thad moved slowly, making sure he entered into the back of the truck as far away from the girls as he could.

“Easy,” Declan gently told the girls. “No one’s gonna hurt you.”

Scarlett’s eyes came to mine, wild and full of fear. But in that moment, all I could see was the way Anaya had looked at me when I found her chained in the hull of the boat. Same stare—haunted, scared, alone.

My gut soured and heart throbbed.

I needed to get to Anaya. I could feel it.