Harrison scanned the area as he moved toward a building beside the airfield.Although the U.S.no longer had military installations in Panama, they used Panamanian facilities.This time, however, he was here alone.His friend at State had greased the wheels before Harrison’s arrival, and their military counterparts in Panama were willing to assist in a rescue operation.While he was ready and willing to move in alone, he knew it would be easier with a military team at his back.
He rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension in his muscles from the long flight.It had been years since he deployed on a mission, but Harrison trained as hard as any of his men and kept his skills sharp.That didn’t mean he’d come with the blessing of his higher-ups.He’d already gotten a scathing message from the admiral while he was over international waters.Although Harrison had essentially defied orders by flying to Central America, he was too strait-laced to leave things completely FUBAR at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.Harrison had left his subordinate in charge to ensure his job and responsibilities were covered in his absence and had notified another commander that he’d be taking unscheduled leave.Considering he never took a personal day, it wasn’t like he didn’t have the time owed to him.Aside from that, Harrison noted with a smirk, the admiral had said he couldn’t send in his SEAL team.
He’d gotten around that order by flying to Central America alone.
Harrison nodded to the soldiers stationed at the door and moved inside, all business once again.Whatever the repercussions from his actions today were, he’d deal with them when he returned.His focus at the present was on one thing alone.The woman he’d failed to save so long ago in another hostage situation still hung like a dark cloud over his head.This time, he had a second chance.His team may have rescued Avery, saving her from a living hell, but he’d damn well rescue Luciana, too.
Harrison’s thoughts churned.Rescuing her from captivity was only one part of the equation.No doubt it would be unsafe for her to remain in Panama City.The cartel would be looking for her and would likely kill her the moment she was found.If she had even the smallest piece of intel on their operations, she’d be a threat to them.It was a risk they wouldn’t take, and although he had ideas of what needed to happen next, he’d take things one step at a time.
Harrison was greeted by several military officials as he entered the lobby.“Commander Madden.It’s good to meet you,” the first officer said, shaking his hand.He was dressed in uniform, around Harrison’s age, and flocked by other servicemembers and officers.
“Likewise.I appreciate you making this happen on short notice.”
“It will be a relief to many when Ms.Rodriguez is rescued,” the official admitted.“The local Doctors Without Borders team received quite a shock when their own staff were kidnapped.Unfortunately, there is little the police can do when it comes to the cartels.We do not usually step in, but the circumstances in this situation are slightly different with the prior involvement of your Navy SEAL team.”
“Understood,” Harrison said.“And as I said, I appreciate your willingness to do a joint operation.”
After further introductions were made, the men moved down the hallway to a well-equipped conference room.Harrison was eager to roll into action, but the two countries needed to share intelligence to formulate a final plan.He hoped like hell nothing had changed since he’d stepped foot on that airplane in Oahu.While he’d been in contact with his counterparts, they didn’t have eyes on Luciana.It would gut him to have come all this way and have her slip right through his fingers.Despite the fact that he was used to commanding operations all over the world, this particular mission felt personal.
Surprisingly so.
Harrison briefed the others, and the Panamanians agreed with his assessment as to which home Luciana was likely being held in.While it burned him up that she was being held captive at all, it was a lucky break that she hadn’t been sold off to an anonymous, faceless person.
Victims in instances such as that were oftentimes untraceable.
He huffed out a breath, listening to the proposed timeline to move in, adrenaline coursing through his veins.Harrison heard another plane landing outside, and officials were hurrying down the hallway, preparing for the new arrivals.His gaze swept back to the materials spread across the table and on the laptop screens There was a multitude of background information on the cartel—their numbers, weapons cache, maps of the properties, and dossiers on the leaders.His eyes narrowed as he stared at a photo of Santiago Garcia.The man was relatively unremarkable in appearance, but Harrison could see the hate in his eyes.Aside from his ruthlessness, Garcia was known to be cocky and arrogant.Demanding.Proud.He wouldn’t be happy when Harrison took one of his prizes.
A brief shot of worry coursed through him.What horrors was Luciana enduring as a captive in Garcia’s home?She’d been able to walk around the outskirts of Panama City with several cartel members, so she wasn’t being kept as heavily drugged as Avery had been.Luciana was likely all too aware of what was happening—for better or worse.
“We agree that Santiago Garcia’s main property is most likely where Luciana Rodriguez is being held,” one of the military officers said.“Garcia is proud of his ‘possessions.’His servants are essentially prisoners in his own home.They are free to leave, allegedly, but they would no doubt be hunted down and killed due to their intimate knowledge of his operations.That is perhaps why Doctors Without Borders did so little to track their missing nurse.They don’t have the resources to conduct such a rescue operation, but involving themselves too deeply in the search could put their staff in further danger.”
Harrison clenched a fist.“They should’ve had better security in place to begin with.I can’t believe they didn’t thoroughly vet the doctor who kidnapped the two women.”
“That is a problem for another day,” the officer said.“Let us focus on the present mission.You’ll have a team with you to stage the rescue.I will send additional troops to the other known addresses of Garcia in the event we are wrong.They can surveil the properties and conduct searches of the other homes if Ms.Rodriguez is not found where we suspect her to be.I should warn you, however, that there was an additional sighting of your woman last night.She’s probably being closed guarded.”
Harrison’s sharp gaze swept toward him.
“Si.This time she was spotted at a nightclub in Panama City.Another woman was kidnapped last night—or reported missing, at any rate.She entered the nightclub shortly before Luciana arrived with several known cartel members at twenty-one hundred local time.None of them were seen leaving through the front door.”
“Fucking hell,” Harrison muttered.“Do you have photographs?Additional intel?”
“Negative, but I’ll find out more.I just received this latest intelligence shortly before you landed.The missing woman is already all over the local news.Her father is a wealthy business man, and he is not happy that she’s disappeared.The cartel may have picked the wrong victim.The situation seems to be escalating.”
“Which means we could be running out of time.”
The man nodded.“I’ve requested surveillance footage from the nightclub via the local police.I only saw a clip, which is how I spotted your Luciana.”
“She’s not mine,” he ground out.
“That is neither here nor there.You are searching for her, no?”
Harrison glared at him but was distracted by the sound of voices outside the conference room.Familiar voices.He could hear a group moving down the hallway, and his eyes widened as the door swung open and his SEAL team strode in, looking ready to roll into battle.Wyatt crossed the room and headed straight toward him, the others lining up silently by the door.
“I told you to stand down,” Harrison said angrily, although different reactions warred within him.His appreciation at having his own SEAL team here was in contrast to the complete and utter shock he felt at seeing them.
“We defied your orders, sir,” Wyatt said, facing him without fear.“The mission wasn’t complete.We rescued Avery but left a hostage behind.We’re not leaving Panama until we finish what we started.”
Shaking his head, Harrison let out a frustrated sigh, then eyed the rest of his team.“And all of you were in agreement on this?”
