The closer they flew to Isla Esperanza, the faster Essie’s heart seemed to beat.Everything is going to be okay.Although she kept repeating the mantra, worry consumed her. She laid a handover her necklace, where Xander had attached the tiny tracker to the back of her cross, and sent up a quick prayer to her parents, Miguel and whoever else might be listening. God knew, they needed all the help they could get. Before long, the men stood and she gripped the edge of her seat.
It was time to put their plan into motion.
Anxiety rolled through her as five of the men slid parachutes onto their backs and triple-checked weapons. Since they couldn’t all land on the island together—which would ruin the element of surprise—only Xander and Lex would accompany her to the swap. The others would hopefully arrive undetected, sneaking in right under José’s nose.
Brand, Wes, Chaz, Corey and Jayson prepared to jump as they approached the far side of the island. They would swim to shore and work their way over to the house, where it was presumed José would take Essie and hold her until she could be handed over to Manuel and Joaquín Cardenas. While Xander and Lex got Tomás safely to the plane, Brand and the others would extract her. But, in case José had other ideas, the team had discussed all options and were ready to switch things up if necessary.
“Never heard of Isla Esperanza before,” Wes commented while prepping his prosthetic leg for the jump. It amazed Essie how he kept up with the others with such ease. Weston Murphy was like the Bionic Man. A true superhero. Completely unstoppable.
“Guess your geography is rusty, Murph,” Chaz teased.
“Gimme a break,” Wes fired back with a grin. “Aren’t you the one who thought Greenland was a continent?”
“That was a stupid-ass game. And no one could name all seven continents.”
“Not true,” Corey said with a proud smile. “Sera knew.”
“My father named it after my mother. Esperanza means hope, and we used to spend our summers there,” Essie said in a quietvoice laced with sadness. They all looked at her. “They died in a car bombing orchestrated by the Villarreals.”
“Was your dad part of the Lazaro Cartel?” Xander asked.
“Never. He loathed the cartels and tried to keep José away from Fernando Lazaro, but my brother was seduced by the money and power. My parents and Miguel ended up paying for it with their lives.” Her face screwed up in a fierce scowl. “That’s why I have to protect Tomás and keep him far away. I can’t let him fall victim—or prey—to the cartels, too.”
“We’ll get Tomás,” Xander assured her.
She released a breath and glanced out the window at the ocean below. “You should know the water is teeming with hammerheads and bull sharks. They give birth this time of year.”
Xander paled. “Fucking great.”
“You’re not the one going in the water, Hawke.” Wes slapped him on the back. “Leave that to the SEALs.” He and Corey let out a simultaneous, “Hooyah!”
Brand, Chaz and Jayson didn’t look overly thrilled with her news.
“Some of us were Delta,” Chaz grumbled.
“Yeah, and we’re not used to getting our feet wet,” Brand added.
“Same with Rangers,” Jayson commented. “Give me boots over fins any day.”
“Well, get your fins ready, kids, because we’re swimming with the sharks today,” Wes announced, looking practically gleeful. “Just remember, if one comes at you, redirect with the nose.”
“Yeah, like it’s that easy,” Chaz grumbled.
“If that doesn’t work, punch it in the gills,” Wes said.
“Or poke it in the eyes,” Corey added.
“Christ.” Xander swiped a hand over his face. “I fucking hate sharks.”
“Good thing you’re staying on dry land then,” Wes said.
Essie enjoyed listening to the way they devised and discussed their plans—detailed but with enough fluidity that nothing was set in stone. It amazed her how they possessed the ability to go from deadly serious to teasing side banter and then straight back into mission mode. They were men of action, very experienced when it came to this sort of rescue operation, and that boosted her confidence and hope.
Despite all that, a nervous energy gnawed at her. So many things could go wrong. She briefly squeezed her eyes shut then stood up to see the men off. When she approached, Xander reached for her hand, forcing her to unclench her fist, and tugged her into their circle. His action spoke louder than any words, and his teammates all watched as he laced his fingers through hers and pressed the back of her hand against his thigh. A couple of them exchanged looks, but no one appeared overly surprised.
“Twenty seconds to the DZ!” Lex called, closing in on their drop zone fast.
“We’ll see you soon, Essie,” Brandon said, then motioned for Chaz, Wes, Corey and Jayson to line up for the jump. He opened the plane’s door, and a gush of wind blew inside.
