Echoes at Dawn (KGI 5)

“Got one,” P.J. called. “Motherfucker is ball-less and singing soprano.”

“Jesus, that woman is vicious,” Joe muttered.

“That’s our girl,” Renshaw called back smugly.

“Shut the fuck up and do your job,” Steele barked. “We have a man down and I’m not losing him. We have to get him to a hospital yesterday.”

“Two down,” Cole called from his position in the far corner. He’d settled beside a small hole in the metal building and had the barrel of his rifle inserted through the opening. There was just enough room for his scope without having his vision obscured.

“Like hell you’re outdoing me,” P.J. muttered. “Number three down. Ah hell, there’s four. Seven o’clock, Cole, moving out fast. Nail his ass.”

Cole fired and then held up four fingers to signal his man was down.

“On my count,” Steele said. “Renshaw, you take right. Baker, you’re my left. Make a run for the jet and take cover. P.J., Cole, be ready. Make this count. I’m not getting my ass shot off because of you two.”

“Suck it,” P.J. snapped. “I haven’t missed my mark yet.”

Steele uttered the count and he and his men ran, ducking and rolling. Gunfire erupted from the surrounding wooded area, and P.J. and Cole were quick to get off their shots.

“I got two,” P.J. called. “Cole?”

“One. I don’t see any more.”

Swanny edged to the doorway and peered around, quietly surveying the area. In the distance, Steele and his two men had their backs to the side of the jet, guns up as they awaited word.

Swanny motioned for Ethan and Joe. “Let’s go for round two and see if they take the bait. If there are any more out there, P.J. will get them.”

“I heard that, asshole,” Cole snapped.

Swanny grinned and P.J. blew him a kiss.

“Let’s go,” Swanny said.

Ethan and Joe exchanged amused glances. “Since when does he give the orders around here? He’s the freshman in this operation,” Joe complained.

Still, he and Ethan ducked out, running balls to the wall toward the plane. Not a single shot was fired from the woods, which meant the snipers had wised up and weren’t giving up their positions, there weren’t any left, or they’d just decided to retreat and make a run for it.

Rio stood amid all the chaos, his heart numb. Breaths frozen in his chest. Blackness filling his mind. Grace was gone. Hancock had taken her. How the hell had he gotten to them so fast? How could he have anticipated their move before they ever made it? How could he have known where they were going?

None of it made sense.

Unless they had a goddamn leak. Before Browning, he would have beat the hell out of anyone who suggested anyone in the KGI organization would be capable of selling out a teammate. But now he wasn’t so sure.

Sam rose to his feet, his expression grim. “I’ve got a chopper coming for Dolphin and transport for us to the nearest hospital. Our first priority is getting him help. Then we have to regroup, consider our options and figure out our next move.”

“Our first priority is Grace,” Rio snarled.

Sam held up his hand. “I get it, man. But I have a man down. They aren’t going to kill Grace. At least not yet. They haven’t had time. Dolphin’s going to die if we don’t get him stabilized. He comes first.”

Rio closed his eyes because he knew this to be true. Team first. Never leave a man down. It was a motto they clung to as fiercely as they did anything else. But goddamn it, that had all changed for him the minute Grace had entered his life.

Nothing—no one—mattered as much as she did, and if something happened to her, he was done for.

“P.J., Cole,C;P.J., I need you guys to spread out. Do a recon of the area. Make sure it’s safe for the incoming chopper. ETA is fifteen minutes, so you have to make this fast. Rio, I need your guys to help,” Sam said.

Terrence, Diego and Decker grabbed their rifles, followed quickly by Alton, and then Garrett left Dolphin’s side and grabbed his gun. The six men followed P.J. and Cole out the back and into the dark.

Rio hurried over to where Dolphin lay. Blood soaked his entire chest. The bullet had entered at an angle, effectively going under the Kevlar vest. Hell. It was a mess, and he was bleeding like a stuck pig.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Dolphin snarled.

Rio couldn’t even believe he was still conscious.

“And tell your damn woman to get the fuck away from me. I can do this on my own. I won’t be responsible for her going down.”

Rio stared down at Dolphin, sure he hadn’t heard right. “What the fuck? What the hell are you talking about, Dolphin? Are you out of your head? Quit talking shit.”

“She’s here,” Dolphin gasped out. “I can feel her. She’s fixing shit. I’m a mess, man. Couldn’t breathe for shit. I tried to fight her and she told me to stop being a goddamn baby and take it like a man.”

Rio reached out, sharp and probing, like an arrow aimed at the very heart of their connection. Goddamn it, Grace, you stop it! Do you hear me! We’ve got this situation under control. You have to save your strength because you have no idea what they’re going to make you do.

Her answer was faint, barely discernible, almost as if she wasn’t fully conscious herself.

I couldn’t let him die because of me.

Rio swore viciously. He balled his fist, wanting to destroy something.

“Save it, man. She said to tell you to chill out. She’s only sticking a Band-Aid on me until they can get me to the hospital. She actually apologized for not being able to do more. Son of a bitch.”

dquo;Got one,” P.J. called. “Motherfucker is ball-less and singing soprano.”

“Jesus, that woman is vicious,” Joe muttered.

“That’s our girl,” Renshaw called back smugly.

“Shut the fuck up and do your job,” Steele barked. “We have a man down and I’m not losing him. We have to get him to a hospital yesterday.”

“Two down,” Cole called from his position in the far corner. He’d settled beside a small hole in the metal building and had the barrel of his rifle inserted through the opening. There was just enough room for his scope without having his vision obscured.

“Like hell you’re outdoing me,” P.J. muttered. “Number three down. Ah hell, there’s four. Seven o’clock, Cole, moving out fast. Nail his ass.”

Cole fired and then held up four fingers to signal his man was down.

“On my count,” Steele said. “Renshaw, you take right. Baker, you’re my left. Make a run for the jet and take cover. P.J., Cole, be ready. Make this count. I’m not getting my ass shot off because of you two.”

“Suck it,” P.J. snapped. “I haven’t missed my mark yet.”

Steele uttered the count and he and his men ran, ducking and rolling. Gunfire erupted from the surrounding wooded area, and P.J. and Cole were quick to get off their shots.

“I got two,” P.J. called. “Cole?”

“One. I don’t see any more.”

Swanny edged to the doorway and peered around, quietly surveying the area. In the distance, Steele and his two men had their backs to the side of the jet, guns up as they awaited word.

Swanny motioned for Ethan and Joe. “Let’s go for round two and see if they take the bait. If there are any more out there, P.J. will get them.”

“I heard that, asshole,” Cole snapped.

Swanny grinned and P.J. blew him a kiss.

“Let’s go,” Swanny said.

Ethan and Joe exchanged amused glances. “Since when does he give the orders around here? He’s the freshman in this operation,” Joe complained.

Still, he and Ethan ducked out, running balls to the wall toward the plane. Not a single shot was fired from the woods, which meant the snipers had wised up and weren’t giving up their positions, there weren’t any left, or they’d just decided to retreat and make a run for it.

Rio stood amid all the chaos, his heart numb. Breaths frozen in his chest. Blackness filling his mind. Grace was gone. Hancock had taken her. How the hell had he gotten to them so fast? How could he have anticipated their move before they ever made it? How could he have known where they were going?

None of it made sense.

Unless they had a goddamn leak. Before Browning, he would have beat the hell out of anyone who suggested anyone in the KGI organization would be capable of selling out a teammate. But now he wasn’t so sure.

Sam rose to his feet, his expression grim. “I’ve got a chopper coming for Dolphin and transport for us to the nearest hospital. Our first priority is getting him help. Then we have to regroup, consider our options and figure out our next move.”

“Our first priority is Grace,” Rio snarled.

Sam held up his hand. “I get it, man. But I have a man down. They aren’t going to kill Grace. At least not yet. They haven’t had time. Dolphin’s going to die if we don’t get him stabilized. He comes first.”

Rio closed his eyes because he knew this to be true. Team first. Never leave a man down. It was a motto they clung to as fiercely as they did anything else. But goddamn it, that had all changed for him the minute Grace had entered his life.

Nothing—no one—mattered as much as she did, and if something happened to her, he was done for.

“P.J., Cole,C;P.J., I need you guys to spread out. Do a recon of the area. Make sure it’s safe for the incoming chopper. ETA is fifteen minutes, so you have to make this fast. Rio, I need your guys to help,” Sam said.

Terrence, Diego and Decker grabbed their rifles, followed quickly by Alton, and then Garrett left Dolphin’s side and grabbed his gun. The six men followed P.J. and Cole out the back and into the dark.

Rio hurried over to where Dolphin lay. Blood soaked his entire chest. The bullet had entered at an angle, effectively going under the Kevlar vest. Hell. It was a mess, and he was bleeding like a stuck pig.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Dolphin snarled.

Rio couldn’t even believe he was still conscious.

“And tell your damn woman to get the fuck away from me. I can do this on my own. I won’t be responsible for her going down.”

Rio stared down at Dolphin, sure he hadn’t heard right. “What the fuck? What the hell are you talking about, Dolphin? Are you out of your head? Quit talking shit.”

“She’s here,” Dolphin gasped out. “I can feel her. She’s fixing shit. I’m a mess, man. Couldn’t breathe for shit. I tried to fight her and she told me to stop being a goddamn baby and take it like a man.”

Rio reached out, sharp and probing, like an arrow aimed at the very heart of their connection. Goddamn it, Grace, you stop it! Do you hear me! We’ve got this situation under control. You have to save your strength because you have no idea what they’re going to make you do.

Her answer was faint, barely discernible, almost as if she wasn’t fully conscious herself.

I couldn’t let him die because of me.

Rio swore viciously. He balled his fist, wanting to destroy something.

“Save it, man. She said to tell you to chill out. She’s only sticking a Band-Aid on me until they can get me to the hospital. She actually apologized for not being able to do more. Son of a bitch.”

Dolphin wasn’t any happier about Grace’s help than Rio was. But Rio also knew the moment Grace broke away from the other man. He lost color and slumped weakly back onto the concrete. His strength seemed to leach right out of him, but at least he wasn’t coughing up blood and his breaths were even and strong.

“I’ll be a son of a bitch,” Donovan murmured. “Damndest thing I ever saw.”

Donovan had been working diligently on a pressure bandage, trying to stop the bleeding. He was up to his elbows in bright red blood. It was all over his shirt. All over the ground. And yet now it had slowed to an ooze.

“I hear the chopper,” Steele bellowed from the runway.

The others scrambled, forming a tight line all the way to the landing pad so that Dolphin could be carried behind cover. As soon as the helo touched down, Donovan, Garrett and Sam hoisted Dolphin upward and rushed him toward the waiting stretcher.

Donovan climbed in with the other medic, and the chopper immediately took off, buzzing over the distant trees.

A few moments later, a line of SUVs roared down the runway.

“That’ll be the cavalry,” Sam said. “Fall in and let’s get the hell out of here!”

Rio didn’t question who came to get them or how Sam had arranged it so fast, but then Sam had a lot of damn connections, especially with the milita

ry. He was just grateful to get away so that they could regroup and figure out where to find Grace.

He reached out to her again, needing rea, needinssurance that she was okay.

Are you okay, honey? Do you know where they’re taking you?

There was only a faint whisper back. They drugged me, but I have to pretend it’s stronger than what it is because I don’t want them to know I can still function. I was out for a while because he hit me over the head. I don’t know anything yet. Don’t contact me. I don’t want to betray our link. I’ll reach out to you when it’s time.

I love you, he said fiercely. I’ll come for you, Grace. I’ll never leave you. Rest now and know that we’re going to get you out of this.

He felt her answering smile, so full of love and trust. Trust. It hit him like a hammer. She had absolute faith that he would indeed come for her, and like hell he was going to let her down.

CHAPTER 34

“RIO, you’re going to want to hear this,” Sam said in a grim voice.

Rio turned where he’d taken position in the hospital waiting room with the others. Dolphin had been taken to surgery a half hour before and they were likely in for a long wait.

Garrett stood next to his brother, and Steele was on Sam’s other side.

“Resnick was shot earlier today in his home.”

Rio’s brows went up. “Dead?”

Sam shook his head. “Critical. He was found by Kyle Phillips. He was the one who notified me. He and his team are on constant guard because they fear Resnick is still a target and someone will want to finish the job while he’s vulnerable.”

“So what’s this have to do with what’s going on here?” Rio asked impatiently.

“Because I was the last person Resnick tried to contact, and when Phillips found Resnick, his computer files were open to everything he had on KGI. Including the airfield we flew into and the locations of the majority of our safe houses. Phillips lifted fingerprints not belonging to Resnick from the keyboard, and when he ran them, they came back to a deceased former member of the Army Special Forces. Pretty coincidental, isn’t it?”

“Fuck,” Rio swore. “They got to him. Titan fucking got to him and that’s how they knew where to find us. Son of a bitch, Sam, why the hell does Resnick have that kind of information?”

Sam’s eyes narrowed. “I know you’re pissed, but you need to back the fuck off, Rio. We do a lot of damn jobs for Resnick. Hell, he’s paid for half of those facilities, from the safe houses to the airstrip we used today. In the past we’ve never had a reason not to trust him. It wasn’t until recently that he gave us a reason to second-guess that decision.”

Rio shoved the strands of hair that had come loose from his ponytail behind his ears and blew out a breath.

“I think we should go see Resnick and Phillips,” Garrett said in a low voice. “If Resnick comes around, he may be able to tell us something that helps us locate Grace.”

Rio’s nostrils flared. “How far? Where is he?”

“An hour away. We can get there quicker,” Sam said. “Let me tell the others what’s up. I want protection for Dolphin but I also want them on standby for orders if we get information that helps us from Resnick.”

“Thank you,” Rio said quietly. “I know I’ve made this personal. She’s not just a mission, Sam. She’s my fucking life.”

Sam smiled faintly. “Every mission is personal, Rio. Some are just more personal than others.”

Sam slapped him on the shoulder and then walked away to talk to Steele. Nathan came up behind Rio and nudged him over to the side.

“What’s up? Has Shea heard anything from Grace?” Rio asked anxiously.

Nathan shook his head. “Look, I just wanted to tell you or rather explain something. When Shea was taken, it was hard. A lot harder because she can’t focus her ability like Grace can. Plus they’d drugged her with something that made trying to communicate telepathically unbearable and caused her unimaginable agony. We have an advantage here because Grace is smart. She’s tough as nails. She’s a fighter. And she can talk to you. She can talk to Shea. She can pretty much damn well talk to whomever she needs to talk to, so that gives us more to go on.

“She took charge of the situation and in a lot of ways she’s calling the shots because she knows they want her alive. As soon as she has information to pass on to us, I know you’ll hear from her. Shea has a hard time maintaining a link for a long period of time. It makes her weak, and she’s still recovering from what she went through at the hands of these bastards. But she’s ready and willing to do whatever Grace needs even if it means making herself vulnerable.”

Rio put his hand on Nathan’s arm. “Thanks, man. I appreciate that. Tell Shea that I appreciate her. I also want you to tell her that I’m going to get her sister back. I don’t give a fuck what it takes. And if she hears from Grace before I do, I want to know about it. I’m going with Sam and Garrett to run down a lead, but let me know the minute you hear anything and tell Shea I’ll do the same.”

Nathan nodded. “They’re special, Rio, but then you know that. Shea and Grace are very special and they don’t deserve what’s happened to them. They just want to have a normal life and I’m going to make that happen for Shea if it takes the rest of my life.”

“Sounds like we’re on the same page,” Rio murmured.

He caught Sam’s eye from across the room and Sam flung his thumb over his shoulder to let Rio know it was time to bug out.

“I’ll catch you later, Nathan.”

Nathan slapped Rio on the back as he walked away. “Good luck, man. You know we have your back.”

RIO hated hospitals. He hated the cold, sterile smell. He always thought that hospitals reeked of the stench of death. Sam took care of getting them into the ICU wing and whatever he said must have impressed the hell out of someone, because they let all three men pass with no argument.