Page 7 of Her Ruthless Protector

“Gotchya. I’ll join him.” With those few words, Raiden vanished.

Kane then started asking for status in a low voice. He knew he would be talking in everybody’s ear, but since three of his men would be in a tunnel, he was worried that any little bit of sound could carry.

“Zed, you got anything?” Kane asked quietly.

“Nada,” Zed whispered from outside the wall exit to the tunnel.

“Leo and Nick, you got things handled?”

“Everything’s under control in the house,” Leo’s voice was low too.

“Anybody in the tunnel, give me an update,” Kane commanded.

The three seconds it took for someone to respond seemed like an hour. “It’s like a damn rabbit warren down here. We’re not going to hit our timetable. You’ve got to hold off AQ.” Max whispered.

“Have you seen the target?” Kane asked.

“Negative. But we have to be getting close to the garage,” came Max’s answer.

“Nick,” Kane called out low and fierce.

“I’m already on my way. Leo’s got everyone under watch.”

“Good man,” Kane said quietly. With Zed watching the exit outside the wall, and Nick watching the exit in the garage, they should have Barkat al Fadi well and truly trapped.

Kane looked down at the time. They were now two minutes over. Time to see if Raiden caught up to Marty and if they had any incoming.

“Raiden, report.”

“Marty’s a machine,” he said. “There were definitely men headed towards the compound, but he’s taken out five coming in behind them. Hell, Kane, they still don’t know they’ve lost them.” Raiden’s awe was clear in his voice.

“Got to love a Marine,” Kane said before his eyes went back to Nick’s avatar. “Everything good?”

“I’m in position,” he verified. “I found the entrance to the tunnel here in the garage. I’m going to—”

“Fuck!” It was Asher.

“Damn!” Max yelled.

The muffled explosion came through the comm as Max and Asher yelled out.

“Report,” Kane demanded.

Nothing.

“Report.”

Again, he was met with deadly silence. None of his other team members said a word on the com. He knew that they were listening just as hard as he was for Asher and Max to say something. Anything.

He kept his voice even. “Talk to me, Asher. Say something, Max.” He needed to hear from his men, and panic would not help. “Tell me what happened. Cullen, where are you?”

“Fucker threw a flash bang. Can’t see.” Asher said. “Max was in front.”

Shit. With their night vision gear, a flash bang would make them temporarily blind.

“Move,” Cullen yelled. “Get behind me.”

“Be careful,” Asher warned. “He’ll do it again.”