Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Four nods answer me. Good. These men are professionals, men I trust. They won’t panic. They know how to handle a hostage situation.
I swallow hard, forcing down the knot in my throat. I have to stay calm for Aubree’s sake. “Let’s go.”
The hike up the trail is slow and silent. We keep our footsteps careful, avoiding dry twigs that might snap underfoot. Garrett uses a small thermal scope to check for any heat signatures ahead, but the dense foliage limits visibility. The darkness is nearly absolute, except for thin moonlight filtering through the treetops.
After maybe fifteen minutes, Garrett raises a fist, signaling us to stop. We drop to one knee, hearts pounding. He points through a gap in the pines, and I see a faint glow—like a dim porch light or maybe the flicker of a single bulb inside a building.
“That’s gotta be it,” I whisper, inching forward to peer between branches. Sure enough, a small cabin emerges from the gloom, an old structure with a sagging roof. One window glows weakly, and there’s a battered van parked nearby—my gut twists, recognizing the white van.
Biting back a wave of anger, I motion for the men to split up. Thor and Daniels slip off to the left, rifles at the ready, vanishing into the trees. Vega and I circle right, creeping through tall grass and around the side of the cabin. My heart pounds loud enough that I worry it’ll give us away.
We converge near the cabin’s rear corner. A single broken window sits at shoulder height, boards nailed across half of it. Dim light seeps out, enough for me to see a dirty interior. I catch a glimpse of movement—someone walking across the room. Could be Earl. I can’t see Aubree yet.
I tap my earpiece. “Thor, you in position?”
His voice crackles quietly. “Yeah, we’ve got eyes on the front door. Looks like it’s barred from the inside. No direct line of sight to the occupant, though. Wait for your signal.”
I wave Vega forward, and we inch closer to the window. Carefully, I angle my head to peek through a gap in the boards. My breath catches: in the murky lamp light, I see Aubree. She’s tied to a post in the far corner, looking pale and terrified. Her wrists are bound, and a coil of rope snakes around her waist, securing her to the wooden beam. She’s shaking, tears drying on her cheeks.
Then I see Earl. He’s half-sitting on a sagging couch, a beer can in one hand, some kind of small handgun resting on the cushion beside him. My jaw clenches so hard it hurts. He looks half-drunk, flipping channels on a battered old TV. Every so often, he glances at Aubree, muttering under his breath. She doesn’t speak—just trembles, eyes darting toward the windows. Probably praying for a miracle.
Time for that miracle to arrive.
I tap my earpiece again, voice calm. “We have visual on Aubree, hostage in the south corner. Earl is inside, armed with a pistol. Looks intoxicated. We’ll breach on my mark.”
Thor responds instantly, “Roger. We’ll come in from the front, draw his attention. You get Aubree out.”
I lock eyes with Vega, who nods, gripping his rifle. “Cover me,” I whisper. We shift along the wall, finding the rear door—a flimsy wooden thing with a rusted handle. I test it gently. Locked. I expected that. But from the look of the frame, it won’t hold up to a well-placed kick.
“All teams, stand by,” I say softly. My heart jackhammers against my ribs. I picture Aubree’s face when I finally free her, the relief in her eyes. One chance to get this right. One chance to make sure no one gets hurt.
I raise my foot, bracing for the breach. “Three… two… one… breach.”
Thor and Daniels must do the same up front, because I hear a tremendous crash from the other side of the cabin. At the exact moment, I slam my boot into the door. The old wood splinters with a deafening crack, the lock giving way instantly. Vega and I rush in, rifles up, adrenaline flooding my system.
Inside, the cabin is all chaos and flickering light. Earl leaps off the couch, eyes wide, beer can clattering to the floor. He scrambles for his handgun. My finger tightens on the trigger, but I hold my fire—Aubree’s too close behind him, and I can’t risk a stray bullet.
“Freeze!” I bellow, voice echoing in the cramped space. “Drop the weapon!”
From the front, Thor and Daniels burst in, rifles aimed. Earl spins, wild-eyed, the pistol in his hand. For a split second, I think he might open fire. Then Thor rams the butt of his rifle into Earl’s wrist, knocking the gun free with a metallic clatter. Earl staggers back, howling.
“Down on the ground!” Daniels shouts, training his sights on Earl’s chest.