Ryden carefully returned Pascal to his tactical vest pocket just as Finch pulled the SUV up beside King’s. Everyone got out of the vehicles, being careful to remain quiet. They’d pulled in across the street from the warehouse behind another building that was part of a cluster of larger structures, possibly more warehouses, surrounded by trees and shrubbery, all of which would help provide cover.
They waited as Jack rounded the corner of the building, using the shadows and trees to disappear. One moment he was there, the next he’d completely vanished. Ryden had to give it to his Snake Eater buddies. They were damn good at staying out of sight. It was why Ace always got the drop on everyone. Annoyed the fuck out of Ryden.
It felt like a lifetime, though it was just a few minutes, and then there he was, strolling back to them like he’d never left. They huddled around Jack, watching him zoom in on the warehouse.
“We’ve got multiple security cameras on each side of the building, but I can take care of those.” Jack pointed to the tablet. “There’s a door and loading bay entrance on the south side, a loading bay entrance on the east side, and the north side has twodoors on the second floor accessible via these stairs here, and on the ground level, four loading bay entrances, two here and two here.”
“Hostiles?” King asked.
Jack tapped his tablet. “I counted six heat signatures in total, two on the north side, one on the south side, and one on the east. These two move around, obviously patrolling. This signature isn’t moving.” He lifted his gaze to Ryden. “It’s most likely Jay.”
Ryden clenched his jaw but didn’t respond. He couldn’t let himself think the worst. They took Jay and had him in that warehouse, which meant they needed him for something. They were going to go in there and bring Jay back alive.
Finch held a hand up. “Anyone else here thinking maybe this is a trap?”
They all held a hand up.
“Just checking.”
Jack handed the tablet to King, and he studied the building. A heartbeat later, King nodded. “Jack, you got something that can get us in through those doors?”
“Of course.” Jack reached into one of his pockets and pulled out four pucklike gadgets.
“Okay. Ace, you and Lucky take the door on the south. Saint and I will take the loading bay entrance. Jack and Joker, take the loading bay entrance on the east. Finch and Ry, second floor. Ry, your primary objective is getting Jay out of there. The rest of us will take care of those bastards.”
“Roger that,” they replied.
“Watch your six,” King grumbled. “We’ll reconvene back here once we get word from Ryden that he has Jay and they’re safe.”
Finch held his fist out to Ryden, who bumped it with his. “Let’s do this.”
Jack handed one person from each group a puck-shaped device, then they split off into their designated groups of two.Thankfully, the warehouse had few windows, and they were all on the second floor, none of them giving a very good view of the grounds outside the warehouse. Ryden took the lead, heading east across the street so they could use the trees for cover. Since most of the businesses were closed, there was little lighting around. It wasn’t as if this was a residential neighborhood that required numerous streetlights.
The dock might have workers here at all hours, but none were anywhere near them. A cool, salty breeze came in from the surrounding ocean, and there were few clouds in the sky. Ryden controlled his breathing, his pulse. Finch fell in beside him, rifle up, silent and focused. They moved through the shadows, ducking between buildings and shrubbery, hurrying to the warehouse. The shadows cast by the building helped conceal them.
Ryden silently hurried toward the end of the building, keeping close to the wall, Finch behind him. Listening out for any possible movement or sign they’d been spotted, Ryden motioned for Finch to follow. They hurried up the stairs, years of training and practice ensuring their boots made no sound as they advanced. At the top of the stairs, they ducked and ran to the side of the door, both straightening with their backs against the wall. The small glass window on the door was grimy as hell.
With a nod, Ryden motioned for Finch to keep a lookout while he took a peek in the window. There was enough lighting for him to see down the hallway. He indicated to Finch the number of entryways he could see. It looked like the doors were closed, but that didn’t mean they could breach without caution. Not seeing a hostile did not negate their presence.
Shifting back, Ryden nodded at Finch and removed Jack’s gadget from his pocket. Pressing the button, he stuck it on the door next to the dirty keypad. Three blue lights appeared, and when all three turned green, he heard aclick.
He had no idea what they were walking into or what these guys had planned, and if it were anyone else, they would have gone for a shock and awe approach, but they weren’t dealing with anyone else. They were dealing with a group of lethal, desperate traitors who would do anything to complete their mission.
Well, Ryden had a mission too, and if any of those assholes got in his way, they were going to regret ever having laid eyes on him. He hated that he was going up against men who should have been his brothers-in-arms, but what Walton and his men had done went against everything a Marine stood for.
It was time for them to be reminded.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Oh,God, everything hurt.What the hell?
Jay’s head throbbed, and his body protested every movement. Had he been hit by a truck? Oh, no, wait, not him. The van he’d been in had been hit by a truck. It all came back. The attack on the van, the gas choking him, and that son of a bitch slinging him over his shoulder like he wasn’t a damned human being.
Cautiously, Jay opened his eyes, jaw clenching at the pain in his wrists from the zip ties biting into his skin. His arms ached from having them bound behind his back and the awkward position he was in, on his side, his cheek pressed against the cold concrete floor. They hadn’t gagged him or tied his feet. Then again, they probably figured there was no point since he wasn’t going anywhere.
Jay blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. Where was he? Somewhere industrial, judging by the super high ceilings covered in pipes with hanging steel lamps. Scanning the area, he spotted unusual scaffolding propping up doors, some of which were partially boxed and wrapped, while others were not. There were also numerous wooden pallets with what appearedto be windows in various styles. The place was cavernous in size, with packing material everywhere.
Checking his surroundings, Jay realized he was in between two rows of steel shelving, like the kind used in home improvement stores or those big-box warehouse stores where you could get a sixty-pound tub of honey and a funeral casket under the same roof.
