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CHAPTER NINETEEN

Hop thought they had a good handle on the actions they would take. Still, because he was watching Kevlar’s team, he wanted to make sure everything happened on schedule. The last thing he wanted was for something to go wrong.

“You ready?” Rider asked.

“Yes. Just making sure I know everything.”

Rider nodded. “I get it. Stay in the zone.”

They moved out about ten minutes later. After they set up and watched for a few hours, he kept his eyes on Kevlar and Safe as they entered the building. He could see Smiley and Preacher to his left. The other two were being watched by Bud and Zip.

Hop wanted to be in the action. Sitting back was hard when his life was about action. But this was his task for this mission. The guys had to make their way into the compound and down to the level where their target was staying. The operation would take at least thirty minutes to an hour. His job was to make sure nothing came to interrupt them.

“Clear,” Bud said.

Trip and Q gave their status update. Everything seemed quiet, as if the mission would go off without a hitch. He could stand to have an easy mission. But like most things in SEAL teams, it didn’t stay easy.

Hop saw the guy first. He was coming up behind Rider. “Rider, about fifty yards behind you. I’ve got him in my sights.”

“Well, shit,” Bud said. “Twenty yards behind Q.”

“Ambush. Prepare,” Rider said over coms. They would have to keep a path open so they could all escape.

Hop didn’t like this at all. They had combative at the back and in the building in front of them. Hopefully, Kevlar’s team could take care of the people in the building while their team stopped the people heading their way.

The first shot struck something behind Hop. It was close. He fired, taking out the man behind him. The guy near Rider was down. That’s when Hop saw two more men approaching. The enemy was coming up on them fast. An explosion rocked the ground, and for a moment, Hop worried about his buddies. Then, everyone checked in. All the guys on his team were good.

“What’s going on out there?” Kevlar asked over coms.

Rider replied. “Just a little shit storm brewing.”

“We have the HVT.”

“Can you wait a few for the dust to settle?”

“Um, not sure that’s advisable.”

“Got it.”

Hop saw the guy setting up to launch another rocket-propelled grenade. “I see the problem, and I’m taking him out.” He lined up his shot and fired, dropping the guy on the RPG. “Southeast quadrant is where most of them are.”

“That’s what I’m seeing,” Q said.

Kevlar grunted. “Get it taken care of.”

Hop took off toward the southeast area, where Q said he would meet him. They had to take everyone close to the RPG out. It would take them a few minutes to get to the building and take down the guys going in.

He saw someone pick up the RPG launcher, and he paused long enough to fire. His shot had been taken quickly, and he didn’t hit the guy holding the launcher. Instead, he hit the launcher. The explosion rocked him so hard that he had to drop to one knee.

“Shit, what was that?” Rider asked.

“Took it out,” Hop said.

Trip chuckled. “Good shot.”

“Lucky shot,” he said.

They were in the clear now, and Kevlar’s team was bringing up the HVT. Q called for the chopper. They would hit the exfil point in about ten minutes. All they had to do was get there.

He was going home. The target would be dropped in the CIA’s lap, and he would be their problem.

Kevlar’s team came out of the building with the target half walking, half being dragged. They were about ten, maybe twenty feet away when a bullet whizzed past Hop, making him drop and spin around. They were under heavy fire and would have to deal with it. More shots were fired, putting them at even more risk. He didn’t want this to be the end.