Chapter 1
The cool breeze gave Scott "Link"Lynch some relief. His full pack not only weighed a lot, but when you added in his body armor, plus the full length of his shirt sleeves and pants, it was heat city.
He and his Delta Force buddies were prepared for anything, but deep down, he hoped this mission would be problem-free. They’d been going hard for months, and they deserved a break. But missions rarely gave them breaks. The world seemed to be on fire, and tensions kept popping off. That’s why they were here.
“Don’t move,” Chase whispered over coms.
Link froze, his gaze scanning the area. Then he saw what had made Chase issue his warning. One guy had stepped out of the building they were surveilling, and it looked like he was lighting a cigarette. Yep, the idiot was lighting a cigarette, broadcasting his location to everyone watching.
Had the guy rolled it himself while he stood guard over the group of Marines they’d captured a few days ago? Was this jerk so sure of himself that he didn’t think the US military wouldsend someone to rescue the Marines? If that idiot knew they were out here, he certainly wouldn’t be acting so nonchalant.
The fourteen Marines had stumbled into a trap set by some terrorists who wanted to negotiate with the US government. The government had chosen to send in Delta Force operatives instead of negotiators.
He would be lying to say he didn't like this part of the job. Training was great, but actually going in and doing something that made a difference was awesome. This group of terrorists didn't know what they were in for by taking US military personnel captive. There was information out there, but because of the way Delta operated, the terrorists probably thought the rumors were just tall tales and not the truth.
The group that had taken the Marines wasn’t too well known to military intelligence. Honestly, their involvement was a surprise to everyone. Before capturing the Marines, they’d been fairly mild, going after small targets in obscure places, but they’d upgraded big time with this attack.
The dude finished his cigarette and headed inside. Chase gave the signal, and they made their way closer, moving in the deadly silent way they operated.
Link relaxed his shoulders as he moved toward the door his team would breach. Excitement bubbled, and he held it in check. There would be time later to celebrate.
Funny enough, military intelligence had been trying to pin down who had been hitting soft targets in the Mediterranean, and now they were certain it was this group. If they hadn’t taken the Marines hostage, they would have flown under the radar for at least another year or so. Now, all eyes were on them.
Link closed the distance and placed two small explosive devices on the door before he moved six feet away. With his back plastered against the wall, he counted the seconds until the charges blew.
His ear protection meant he heard only a small pop when the door flew open. It was game on, and he couldn’t wait to extract some punishing revenge.
Ansley lostconsciousness at some point after they’d been attacked. She woke disoriented and angry that they’d been placed in this position. They were in a small room, and she was awake. A part of her wished she could still be lost in oblivion.
Their attackers had taken one of their guys, Russ, from their group and were doing something to him that made him howl and scream. She could only imagine what those assholes were doing to her buddy.
She'd joined up three years and seven months ago. This was her last tour overseas. They were headed home in a few days. She guessed that the timeline would change. Hopefully, she would make it home. Dying over here wasn't on her list of things she wanted to happen.
The Marines had changed her, made her harder, but also stronger. She wasn’t the lost kid she’d been at nineteen when she’d arrived at Parris Island. Back then, she’d thought she had it all figured out. Now she knew she had no clue what life would bring.
Russ screamed again, and she clenched her muscles, sending a shock of pain sliding down her leg. Of course, she’d been injured. It was so close to her getting out. She’d thought about signing up for another four years, but she hadn’t inked the dotted line. This experience was making her glad she’d decided to leave.
She knew from the training they’d received that the captors would probably turn to sexual violence next. A shiver raced down her spine, even making her legs shake. Pain erupted in her ankle, and she winced.
“Ansley, are you good?”
She turned to her left and blinked, trying to make out the guy next to her. Was it Holt? It sounded like Holt. Her bell had been rung during the attack, and her vision was still a little messed up, plus it was dark in here.
“Holt?”
“Yeah. Are you okay?”
She wasn’t sure how to answer that question. “Probably.”
“We need to do something.”
She peered into the darkness, only making out six other lumps of the fourteen of them who'd been out on patrol. She wasn't sure if anyone had gotten free and run off to find help. With Russ in the other room, that meant only eight of them were there. Did that mean the other six from their group were dead, or were they being held in another room?
Fighting back wouldn't be impossible, but their odds weren't good. They needed more people to manage a counterattack. Plus, they had no weapons. How would they take down the jerks holding them?
Another scream from Russ shook her. She cringed as the painful screams continued. Worry about him blossomed. Russ might not survive either.
“What do you have in mind?” she asked Holt, hoping he had some grand plan because she was in no shape to come up with anything. Thinking about their current situation drained her and made her head ache.
