Fort Liberty, North Carolina
Ghost finished the secure video call with Sloane and turned to face the team. They were gathered in the SCIF, everyone looking tense. Waiting for confirmation. Waiting for the plan.
"Sloane's team is wheels up in six hours. They're staging out of Erbil. Same location we'll be using." Ghost pulled up a map showing both teams' positions. "They've been analyzing the intelligence we sent. Thermal imagery. Compound layout. Everything we have on Nazari's location."
"And?" Logan asked.
"And they agree the isolated heat signature is probably Mara. Location matches what they'd expect. Nazari's pattern is to keep prisoners separated from daily operations. Easier to control. Easier to interrogate without interference." Ghost zoomed in on the compound. "Both teams will coordinate the assault. We'll hit them from two directions simultaneously."
Hawk studied the map. "What's their team composition?"
"Five operators. Sloane, Nadia, Winter, Kira, and Quinn. All trained, all experienced. Sloane's the team lead. She's worked with us before during the Steele extraction, so she knows how we operate." Ghost pulled up personnel files. "They're good. Professional. But they're not military. Different training, different protocols."
"Can they handle a direct assault?" Bulldog asked.
"They've been doing rescue operations for years. They know how to breach, how to clear rooms, how to extract under fire." Ghost met Bulldog's eyes. "They wouldn't be offering to help if they couldn't pull their weight."
Logan was studying the compound layout, his mind working through tactical scenarios. "We need a clear division of responsibility. Delta takes primary assault on the main building where Nazari's likely to be. Shadow Veil focuses on the structure where the prisoner is being held."
"Agreed," Hawk said. "But we need backup plans. If Mara's not in that building, we need to know where else she might be. If Nazari's not in the main structure, we need contingencies."
"Sloane's team will have communications equipment to coordinate in real-time," Ghost said. "We'll be on the same frequency. Can adjust on the fly based on what we find."
Risk spoke up. "Medical considerations. If Mara's been held for three days, she could be dehydrated, malnourished, possibly injured from interrogation. We need to be ready for immediate medical intervention."
"Kira's their medic. She'll be with the team that extracts Mara. But I'll have full trauma kit ready as backup." Risk pulled up his medical protocols. "Worst case scenarios are head trauma, broken bones, internal injuries. We prep for all of it."
Logan's jaw was tight listening to Risk list the injuries Mara might have sustained. Every hour she was in Nazari's hands was another hour she could be hurt. Another hour of interrogation and intimidation and whatever else Nazari did to his prisoners.
"When do we leave?" Logan asked.
"Twelve hours. We stage in Erbil, link up with Shadow Veil, do final coordination, then hit the compound at 0200 local time. Guard rotation. Lowest alert status." Hawk looked at Logan. "You good with this timeline?"
No. He wasn't good with it. Every hour of delay felt like torture. But rushing in without proper coordination would get Mara killed. Would get his whole team killed. He forced himself to think tactically.
"I'm good. But we use every minute of that twelve hours to refine the plan. I want contingencies for contingencies. I want to know every possible thing that could go wrong and have a response ready."
"Agreed," Hawk said. "Ghost, coordinate with Sloane on their capabilities and equipment. I want to know exactly what they're bringing to this operation. Bulldog, review the compound security. Find weaknesses we can exploit. Risk, prepare formedical scenarios. Joker, logistics and exfil. Make sure we have multiple routes out of there."
The team dispersed to their tasks. Logan stayed in the SCIF staring at the map. At the red marker showing Nazari's compound. At the thermal image showing the isolated heat signature that was probably Mara.
Three days. She'd been in there for three days.
Ghost came back in after coordinating with Sloane. "She wants to talk to you. Sloane. Says it's important."
Logan nodded and Ghost set up the secure video call. Sloane's face appeared on the screen. She looked tired. Worried. But her eyes were hard with determination.
"Steele," she said. "I'm sorry this is how we're meeting again."
"Don't apologize. Just help me get her back." Logan's voice was rough. "What do you need from us?"
"Honestly? Just keep doing what you're doing. You know the region. You have resources we don't have. ISR support, air assets, official authorization." Sloane paused. "But I need you to understand something. Mara is my teammate. My responsibility. I'm the one who decided to let her stay on overwatch instead of pulling her back with the rest of us. This is on me."
"This is on Nazari," Logan corrected. "He's the one who took her. He's the one who's going to pay for it."
"Agreed. But I need to know that when we go in there, you're focused on the mission. Not on revenge. Not on making Nazari suffer. Getting Mara out alive is the priority."
"I know that."
