Axel lay on his belly and scooted backwards, his feet over the edge until his legs could bend at the hips. As soon as his legs dropped, someone grabbed them, almost making him jump out of his skin, and placed his feet on the stone ledge. Castello gripped his hands so he could crouch down and move to the side to enter the cave.
Castello blew out a breath as soon as Axel dropped over the ledge.
“You okay, Boss?”
“Yeah.” Castello waved Sawyer on ahead of him, keeping watch until his demolition's guy disappeared over the edge. Giving a sharp whistle, he summoned Connor Nash, the sniper he had recruited from the FBI less than a year ago. He still had a hell of a lot to learn about working in warzones OCONUS. Out of the corner of his eye, a massive pile of leaves rose from the earth. Good, the kid had finally learned to adapt his ghillie suit to use the foliage from the surrounding forest. Maybe he wouldn’t get dead after all.
With a couple of hand signals, Castello ordered his sniper to keep watch; at
Connor’s confirmation, he too dropped over the edge to the cave below.
Castello hunched over, unable to stand upright in the short tunnel. They had checked out this cave on the way back from their reconnaissance on the mining camp last night, and decided it was more secure than the location where Sage had originally set up their mobile TOC. Moving here was a pain in the ass, especially before they went into action. But it was worth it. With Connor on watch above, Sage and their sensitive equipment and data were secure here in the cave. Plus, if needed, Sage could defend his position solo as the tunnel was too narrow for more than one person to fit through at a time. With a small underground spring in the back of the cave, it made for an ideal secure location for their base camp.
“All is good?” Castello straightened as he entered the cathedral style cavern that opened up once he exited the tunnel.
“Yes, Boss.” Sage nodded to the two laptops he had open. “The Bluetooth aerial works even through this ton of rock. Did you spot it as you came in?”
“Huh?”What the fuck is he talking about?Castello crossed the cave floor to grab two bottles of water. One he tossed to Axel, the other he opened, slugging back the warm liquid.
“I’ll take that as a no then.” Sage rubbed his hands together, “Saw, your rock camo for the aerial works, even the Boss didn’t see it.”
Sawyer gulped down the water he had in his mouth and swiped his sleeve across his mouth. “Good.”
Zack had moved to the back of the cave, dropped his ass to the floor, and immediately pulled out one of his handguns. He laid it on the floor next to his knee before he started breaking down his rifle. “You gonna ask your guy what the fuck he was doing in that camp?”
“Excuse. fucking. me?” Castello spun around to stare at his second in command. Jeez, did Zack seriously think he was a fucking idiot?
“Are you going to ask him, Sir?”
Castello expected his guys to speak the fuck up when they had an idea or thought something was fucking off. But Zack, the fuckwad, didn’t even have the audacity to look remorseful at his rudeness. What the actual fuck had gotten into him now?
Axel Shaw, his guy?Castello’s dick was totally on board with that idea and twitched in his pants just to emphasize the point. Castello would have slammed his eyes shut so he could remember the feeling of Axel pressed up
against his side. His stomach did that damn flip flop shit it had done when they had looked at the man’s mugshot and police record. He wondered if Axel realized how he gravitated toward him. Even now, he was so close his hair was almost under Castello’s nose. The attraction Castello was determined to ignore, ramped up to nuclear and was making his damn dick twitch again, and jeez, here in front of the guys he couldn’t even thump it to remind it which brain was in charge. Castello glanced at his second in command, noting the folded lips and shaking shoulders. That fucking asshole knew that Axel Shaw affected him. He was going to freaking shoot Zack.
Asshole!
“He’s safe here with us, Boss.” the corner of Zack’s lip curved upward,
“you don’t need to hold onto him.”
Shit, when had he put his arm around him, and why didn’t Axel saysomething? ARGH.Castello was losing his damn mind. Or maybe someone spiked the water. What the ever-living fuck was going on?
“Ugh.” Axel jerked out of Castello’s arms, taking three massive steps backward. “Who the fuck are you people?”
“Like I said before, I’m Castello Moran.” Castello gestured with his middle finger toward his team. “We were in the area and saw the beating you were getting from the dudes in the camp. A quick search of your photo connected you to a friend of ours. That friend, Griffin St. Clare, sent us to free you.”
“How do I know you are telling the truth?”
Good he’s wary, maybe he has some brains after all.“You know his voice?”
“Yeah.”
Castello went to where his gear was stashed in one corner and pulled out his cell phone, unlocking it. “This will work?” he asked Sage.
“Gimmie,” Sage grabbed the phone, “I’ll connect you to my Sat-link.”
He fiddled with the phone for a couple of minutes before he gave it back.
