Shane’s team was there to effect her release without giving the enemy a damn thing.
Shane and River made it to the back of the building, where they had good reason to believe that the young girl was being held. They stayed hidden behind a pile of industrial crates while they discussed their next maneuver.
“Shit!” Shane exclaimed when he saw about ten men all packing weapons with the girl tied to a chair in the corner — behind them, and looking terrified.
“You go right. I’ll distract them,” River said. Shane nodded, and River got into position, popping up and shooting the man up on a catwalk overlooking the warehouse floor.
The men in the back of the room erupted as they began firing their weapons toward River and the crates he was using as protection. River kept moving, staying under cover as he shot. Soon, the radicals were running around, not paying attention where they were firing, and one of them killed one of his own men.
Good; let them take each other out, Shane thought.
Rushing forward, he kept behind a wall as he aimed and began picking them off, one by one, careful not to hit the sobbing girl. A round from one of the enemy guns hit the wall two feet above her head, making Shane’s heart race. She was in a dangerous position right now, and he needed to get to her.
“River, you need to get them to chase you so I can extract her,” he said into his mic.
River showed himself, and the remaining four men tried to surround him, leaving the girl unattended.
Shane bolted toward her, slicing through the ropes holding her to the chair, then grabbing her without saying a word, flinging her over his shoulder and rushing toward safety.
The men turned just as he reached the wall, and a bullet shattered the wood just above his head. Sweat broke out on his brow. That was too damn close. But wasn’t it always?
“Please let me go,” the girl sobbed as she pounded against his back.
“We’re the good guys. Just trying to get you out of here alive,” Shane said, not taking any more time than that to explain. If she resisted, he’d have no choice but to knock her out. It was either that or let her be killed.
Hell, they could still all be killed. That was a part of their job.
River, after taking out the last four men, joined Shane as he and the girl were making their way back to the front of the warehouse. There, more of the enemy group was still exchanging gunfire with the rescue team.
Now the difficult part was going to be getting through the enemy and back to his men. It would have been much easier without carrying a girl over his shoulder — even a small one.
“I’ll cover you; make a run to the men,” River said.
Shane took a deep breath, alerted his men through his coms that he was coming, then took off, saying a quick prayer that he made it with no bullet holes in him or the girl.
He felt the heat of the gunfire as he wove his way back to the men, knowing River would cover his back. When he reached the men, he said a silent but fervent thank-you to them and to the powers above, then left the girl with his men as he got into position to help cover River.
Once River returned to their unit, they could get the hell out of there and have a cold beer to celebrate their success. Nothing had ever sounded so great.
“We’ve got you,” Shane said into his mouthpiece.
River popped up, and began the treacherous journey through the front parking lot, diving behind whatever he could find to take cover as he wove toward them. This mission had turned out to be easier than others, making Shane a happy man.
Of course, he knew not to think that until they completely were in the clear. It was just bad luck.
“Easy as usual…” River said as he turned the corner and began to kneel down with his team while they got into formation for their exit. That’s when their smooth mission went from easy to instant hell.
Before River could finish his sentence, blood spattered from his mouth as a bullet went through the back of his head.
“No!” Shane screamed, jumping up and firing in the direction the bullet had come from, wiping out the shooter, who had just rounded the corner of the warehouse.
“Shit! Where did he come from?” Doug yelled as he jumped up to look around, shooting down another man running from the same direction.
“We need to go now!” Shane yelled, gathering the girl.
But it was too late.
River was dead.
Their mission had just failed in all their eyes, even if they did get the girl to safety. They’d let down one of their own and Shane took the full burden on his own shoulders. It was his team — his mission to keep that team safe.
The men grabbed their fallen brother, who lay at their feet, his eyes empty. Doug threw him over his shoulder and they made their escape to the booming sound of gunfire. Three of their guys covered their backs, returning fire as they exited the industrial area.
Once they were all out of the danger zone, it was a solemn journey back out of the field as they carted the girl away. Yes, they’d completed their objective, but they’d lost one of their own.
There was no victory for them today.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“YOU DID WHAT?”
Adriane stood frozen as his mother berated him, making him feel like a child once again, a child who had just been caught undoing the straps on the guards’ horses for the third time. It had been amusing to watch the men fall off their steeds in front of the king when they’d been so determined to look and act worthy of guarding the royal family.
His mother, Queen Octavia, hadn’t been amused back then.
And she wasn’t too thrilled with him now, though he didn’t understand exactly why.
“I told her we would be wed — that there was no other way,” he said again. Maybe his mother had misunderstood him. Surely she could understand and support his refusal to let Rachel go. After all, Rachel carried the royal heir, his mother’s first grandchild.
“Oh, son. Where exactly did I go wrong in raising you?” she asked, shaking her head in disapproval and bafflement.
“I don’t understand why you are upset. Rachel cannot leave. Surely you can see that,” he said, raising his voice just the slightest in his frustration.
The withering look his mother sent him calmed him immediately. He was speaking disrespectfully not only to his mother, but also to Corythia’s queen. “I’m sorry,” he said softly.
“Hmm, if you are talking to me this way, I shudder to think how you have been speaking to poor Rachel. No wonder she is less than enthusiastic about your proposal,” his mother told him.