Page 78 of Tag (The Golden Team #9)

Tag

B y the time we hit the operations room, the screens were already lit with satellite images and tactical overlays. Gideon stood at the center table, pointing at a grainy feed of a dirt road flanked by scrub brush and rusting storage tanks.

“Convoy was here when they were hit. Three hostages, all military contractors. Captors are in this warehouse—east side of Black Mesa.”

I studied the image, jaw tight. “And they’re demanding a trade for Aponi?”

Gideon nodded. “They gave us four hours to deliver, or they start killing people on camera.”

Aponi stepped up beside me, arms crossed. “They know we won’t give them me. This is about pulling the team in—making us move on their ground.”

“Exactly,” I said. “Which means it’s a trap. But we’re not walking in blind.”

Callahan tapped at her laptop. “I’ve got a drone inbound. It’ll give us a thermal readout in fifteen minutes.”

“Too long,” I said. “We move in ten.”

Aponi turned to me. “We?”

I didn’t blink. “You’re staying here.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Tag—”

“Non-negotiable.” I glanced at her, letting her see I meant it. “If Graves wants you this bad, he’s going to have backup plans inside his backup plans. I need you safe until we find them all.”

The muscle in her jaw worked, but she didn’t argue—not out loud.

Gideon slid a communication set across the table. “We’ll go in two teams. I’ll take the west wall with Cyclone. You and Vance breach east. Keep it surgical—hostages first, then we sweep for any of Graves’ people we can bag.”

I strapped on my vest, the weight familiar, grounding. “If they’re here for leverage, we turn it on them. No survivors.”

No one argued. We’d all seen what Graves’ men were capable of.

I slung my rifle and headed for the door. Before I stepped out, I glanced back at Aponi. She stood in the corner, arms folded, her eyes locked on me—not afraid, but fierce.

“Bring them back,” she said.

I gave her a short nod. “Count on it.”

Faron stopped walking and walked up to her. “I’ll bring him back,” he said hugging her.