19
One week later…TheWarehouse, twoa.m.
“All clear. Two on the roof, looks like Rashid’s men. Got ten more inside.” Juarez had scouted ahead of the rest of the team and moved to just outside the warehouse while the rest of them stayed back waiting for the all clear. "Just like wethought."
The rest of them crouched inside an abandoned apartment building a couple of blocks over, Audra and Trigger off to the side. Reaper spread the blueprint of the warehouse out on the ground. "Agent K confirmed they are waiting a mile out for our go-ahead, Bradshaw took the bait and should be here within the next 30 minutes. We will proceed as planned, move-in secure the gold, take out Rashid's men and set up Bradshaw for thetakedown."
It was a solid mission, laid out in a sequence they’d done millions of times before, only this time Diggs would be guarding something more precious thangold.
"Audra, you and Trigger, will stay back until we've cleared the warehouse. Diggs will signal you through your hand held.” Reaper pointed to the small radio he’d given to Audra. "Is thatclear?"
"Loud and clear," Audrasaid.
Reaper nodded and the men checked their weapons, and readied their gear to move out. Diggs moved over to Audra and cupped her cheek in his palm. "It's okay. We've done this a thousand times, standard operatingprocedure."
Audra gave him a pale and shaky nod. Diggs reached out and patted Trigger. “You're in charge of her while I'mgone."
Trigger sat to attention, and Diggs would be dammed but he thought the dog understood every word he said. But he didn't have time to think about the dog anymore, "Audra you promise – stay behind until I give you the allclear."
"I promise." She wavered for a second, and then as if coming to a decision, wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear. "Please becareful."
He squeezed her back and then set her from him, getting to his feet. "I'll see you in a little bit." And with that he joined his team, focusing on the missionahead.
Reaper lead the team, opened the door, looked out and then gestured with his hand for them to move out. They fell into line, running in formation in a crouched run to the west corner of the fence surrounding the warehouse. Juarez had already cut out a whole with a small torch allowing them to enter quickly and quietly and join their teammate along the back corner of thewarehouse.
"We can enter here," Juarez indicated the broken window just overhead. “There’s a tall stack of crates that will give us camouflage until we’re inposition.”
He had already secured a rope and without hesitation began climbing, hand over hand, up and over through the window. Diggs waited until the rest of his team had gone in and followed them up, moving just asefficiently.
Once they were all inside, they crouched behind the tall, wooden crates and the metal wall of the warehouse. Juarez held up four fingers and pointed to the Southeast corner, three more in the center, two more towards the west wall, and one in the front corner behindthem.
The men communicated with hand gestures, keeping silent so that the enemy wouldn't detect their arrival or location. Reaper gestured for Hicks and Juarez to take the biggest group. Reaper would go up the center and Diggs would take out the single man closest to them before flanking around to joinReaper.
They nodded and moved out. They needed stealth for this mission, so Diggs had screwed a silencer on the end of his pistol, which he now held in front of him as he moved silently around the crates. The dark shadows inside were broken up only by intermittent round halos of dingy light from the hanging pendant style lightsoverhead.
Diggs stayed in the shadows, leaned against the crate at his back and peeked around the corner. His target stood facing away from him, an AR-15 held in his grip. The man shifted from foot to foot, as if he could sense the impending storm headed his way. Diggs cleared his perimeter, sheathed his pistol at his hip and pulled out his knife. The less gunfire thebetter.
He crept forward on the balls of his feet, knife in his dominant hand. Diggs was on him before the guard knew he was no longer alone, his hand covering the man’s mouth as his blade sliced through histhroat.
Diggs lowered the lifeless body to the ground and kept moving without thought. Killing was part of his job, one he’d never had a problem with. Not when it came toterrorists.
Another large cluster of crates blocked his path from Reaper. Diggs approached with caution, peered around the corner into darkness. He could make out Reaper taking out one of his guards with his bare hands and then moving in deeper into thewarehouse.
King and Hicks covered the other side, moving in a steady pattern across back toward Diggs, covering the flank. Diggs sheathed his knife and pulled out his pistol. He’d bring up this side and join King to complete thesweep.
He sensed the menace a second toolate.
The blow took him by surprise, slamming into his temple and knocking him to the ground. His gun flew from his hand. Pain wrapped around his skull. Dark spots danced in hisvision.
And then a man Diggs had never thought to see again stepped in front of him, holding a pistol aimed straight at hishead.
“Dawson,” Diggs breathed out, unable to believe his eyes. At that moment, it felt like a bolt of lightning had shot from the black clouds overhead and pierced his chest. “How? You were dead. I sawit.”
It was impossible. John Dawson had died on that table in the lab. His eyes had to be playing some kind of trick on him; maybe it was his subconscious way of punishing himself still for his failure to protect histeammates.
Diggs blinked and rubbed his eyes; blood smeared the back of his hand. But Dawson’s face stayed firmly in place as did the deadly gun aimed right at Diggs’chest.
“I know, you thought you’d washed your hands of me, and I wanted it that way. I’ve been waiting for this moment for months. How does it feel to be on the other end? Knowing the man you’ve regarded as a brother betrayed your trust?” Dawson’s lips twisted into a mocking grin, but his eyes were cold withhate.
