Page 136 of Specter Bred

Hayes looked at me.

I smiled, wide and wicked.

He immediately turned back to Graves. “Yeah, I think I’d rather not find out what she does to men who won’t cooperate, sir.”

“Then I’d move, soldier.” Graves swung his pack over his shoulder. “Silently.”

Hayes fell into step without another word, and I followed as Graves disappeared into the trees ahead of us.

And just like that, the jokes were over.

It was time to hunt.

Chapter 18: Sammy Hayes

I lay prone on a forest ridgeline, my rifle trained on the mouth of the old mine below.

It hadn’t taken us long to figure out which tunnel Mathias Claybourne was using. Most of the old mine entrances had either collapsed decades ago or been boarded shut, leaving only one that showed any sign of recent activity.

It sat at the bottom of a shallow valley, partially hidden by the surrounding brush, but whoever was using it hadn’t bothered covering their tracks. The entrance had been cleared of cobwebs and debris, and a well-worn trail led straight into the darkness.

Fresh boot prints covered the ground outside, overlapping one another before disappearing into the mine. Judging by the number of tracks and the different sizes and tread patterns among them, Mathias wasn’t down there alone.

There were a hell of a lot of men inside with him.

My scope drifted across the valley to the opposite ridgeline, where Grizzly and Archer lay concealed beneath thick brush. Even knowing exactly where they were, I could barely make out the shapes of their bodies against the terrain.

Our plan itself was straightforward. We’d wait for Claybourne to emerge and confirm his identity. If he stepped outside alone, I’d let him walk far enough from the mine for Grizzly and Archer to intercept him. If he brought company, my orders were to eliminate whoever came with him, then keep the entrance covered to prevent Claybourne from retreating underground while the other two closed in.

Simple.

On paper, anyway.

In reality, there were too many unknowns. We had no idea how many men were waiting underground or what kind of weapons they had access to, and the mine gave them both cover and a defensible position. The first crack of my rifle would announce exactly where I was and could bring every armed asshole inside spilling into the valley before Grizzly and Archer had Claybourne secured.

I’d pointed all of that out before we separated, along with a few other ways the plan could go spectacularly to shit.

Grizzly hadn’t seemed particularly concerned.

"Hayes," he'd said, "I'm not counting on the plan."

He'd adjusted the sling on my rifle before meeting my eyes.

"I'm counting on you."

I'd frowned.

"Sir?"

"If shit hits the fan, adapt. Make the right call, kid." A faint grin had tugged at one corner of his mouth. "That's what Specters do."

Now from my perch, I watched as Mathias Claybourne finally emerged from the mine. Unfortunately, he wasn't alone.

Five of his men followed him into the daylight, instinctively fanning out into a loose security perimeter. They moved with the quiet confidence of men who'd spent years protecting valuable cargo, and more importantly, the man who supplied it. Most looked like former soldiers, considering their weapons were clean, their gear well maintained, and their eyes never stopped moving.

One enforcer lingered near the mine entrance while another leaned back into the darkness, exchanging a few quiet words with someone who remained concealed inside the tunnel. My grip tightened around the rifle.

So there were more men inside.