It wasn’t needed because the room sat empty. But there was another door, thankfully away from the fire. But that damn fire would spread, and they couldn’t wait too long for their escape.
This time, Bean kicked the door, and Link rushed in, ready to take down the bastard. The smoke hadn't gotten here, so he had a clear shot.
He didn’t hesitate. The bastard who’d caused all of this needed to go down now.
One shot, that was all he needed. The ambassador dropped to the ground, tears rolling down his face.
Taking the idiot alive would have been better, but he had a gun to the ambassador's head, and Link didn't want to risk it. The man had killed two staff members already, and the guard at the gate. Their team went in on the assumption that the jerk would kill the ambassador.
Attacking the US Ambassador to Germany wasn’t smart. There were too many US military members stationed close by. There was no way the guy could have succeeded.
Chase came in and pulled the ambassador up, telling him the fire was coming. Scott helped Chase get the ambassador to the rear stairs.
This house was too big. Two sets of stairs, multiple bedrooms with twisting passageways, living rooms up and down, and the bathrooms. It was a shame the place would go up in flames, but they’d saved the ambassador.
Link raced down the stairs and was at the landing on the switchback when an explosion rocked the house, the force slamming him to his knees.
“Fuck!” Link grabbed for the railing, the wall dropping away as he took hold.
“It’s unstable. Get out,” Keel said over coms.
Link reached back and grabbed Stanley, who’d fallen over behind him. Smoke filled the air, making it hard to see. He feared another explosion would bring the house down around them. They had to escape or risk being burned with this house.
Once Stanley was on his feet, he was able to make it on his own. Link counted men, making sure they were all there. Lights blinded him as he escaped through the back door.
Mick had his hands on his knees, coughing. They couldn’t stop here because there could be more explosions.
Link grabbed Mick under his arm and started dragging him. “Move. We have to move away.”
He heard people yelling as lights bounced, casting sharp shadows that danced on the surrounding buildings. The scene was a horror show. Too many people, too much excitement.
Link still had hold of Mick when another explosion rocked the area, the heat of the flames smacking him in the back as the horror show expanded.
Chapter 40
Ansley couldn't takeher eyes off the screen as smoke billowed out of the building. People were running away from the house, self-preservation finally taking over.
She shook her head, thinking that those idiots had been too close in the first place. No one should have been that close to the house because it was basically a war zone.
The fire expanded, and smoke rushed out of two windows. She clasped her hands together, holding them close to her chest as she prayed that whoever was in there would make it out.
She was about to get up to get some water when an explosion rocked the camera, which was focused on the house. Her breath caught in her chest as she dropped back against the couch.
Was that real? Chaos erupted on screen, and people screamed as they raced away. For almost a minute, the camera was pointed almost at the street, with just a small section of the house being shown. Then someone adjusted the camera, and the wreckage was on screen. Part of the roof had collapsed.
Worry washed over her, bringing tears to her eyes. Link and his friends were strong and capable, but that house had exploded. Could they make it out?
People died in combat, and this was a combat situation, though it was in the middle of a modern European city. She feared the worst.
The camera zoomed out, showing a wider view of people fleeing the area. She shook her head, wondering how so many people stayed until explosions shook the area. They must not have realized how dangerous the situation was.
She couldn’t sit and watch. It was too upsetting seeing the fire spread, knowing US service men and women were inside. She stood, ready to flip the TV off when another explosion hit. She dropped to the floor, her knees hitting the carpet as all thoughts of doing anything else were forgotten.
They hadn’t announced that the ambassador was clear. Did that mean whoever had gone in to save the guy was still inside?
Where was Link? She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and counting to four before blowing it out. She needed to calm down.
Link was smart, strong, and very capable. He could get out of anything. But fire and explosions were merciless.
