Focus on the mission. One foot in front of the other.
Rick made the short hike to their position, Dane close behind. They reached a shadowy clearing surrounded by overgrown bushes and began to set up. Its location, on the edge of the backyard of a very regular-looking house, made it the ideal spot for recon and attack.
Dane pressed his Bluetooth. “Alpha, in position.”
“Copy.” Ben’s deep baritone came over the earpiece. “Beta will be in position in three minutes, making it… zero three sixteen.”
“Copy.” Dane answered quietly.
Neither man said a word, both perfectly still as they watched the Wallace home for signs of Quinn or her abductor. The woods surrounding the house were silent except for the chirping of crickets and cicadas. Dane lowered his night vision scope a few minutes later and whispered. “No sign of anything in the windows.”
“Beta in position. Will go in three… two… one… go!”
Rick burst from the cover of the bushes, quickly running in a crouch until he was next to the back door. Dane stayed hidden, his rifle at the ready to cover his teammate if necessary.
“Ready?”
Rick tapped his headset, “Ready.”
“On my signal.” Ben counted down again. “Go!”
Rick spun and with a booted foot, he kicked the door open, splintered wood flying everywhere. In the front of the house, Ben did the same, heading directly upstairs.
Rick flew through the downstairs, gun out and ready to use. Dane followed, and they quickly determined there was no one in any of the rooms. He pressed the button on his headset. “Clear.”
“Clear. Hostage located. Upstairs bedroom, last on right. No sign of target.” Ben’s voice sent Rick’s frantic heart into his throat, the rapid beats thundering in his ears, drowning out the rest of the transmission. He scrambled to the staircase, taking the steps three at a time.
Rick burst into the room and skidded to a halt at the side of the bed. What he saw literally brought him to his knees. He ripped off his tactical helmet, tossing it to the floor with a loud clatter as he stared at the huddled figure in front of him.
“Jesus.”
Logically, Rick knew the girl on the bed was Quinn. It had to be her. But looking at this broken, bloody person, he couldn’t find a single part of her that he recognized. The tiny, curled up figure was so bruised, so swollen, so viciously attacked, that his mind couldn’t reconcile what he was seeing with the beautiful, spirited woman he fell in love with.
When Rick spoke, his voice was rough from holding back the crushing grief and regret that swelled in his chest. “Quinn?” She didn’t flinch or make any movement that made him think he could hear him.
Behind him, Rick vaguely registered that the rest of the team had arrived and someone was calling for an ambulance. When a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, he didn’t acknowledge whoever it was. He couldn’t. Rick’s entire world had collapsed into a constricted, dark tunnel, with him on one end and Quinn out of reach at the other.
“Rick!”
The hand shook him harder, but he was paralyzed, unable to make himself respond. Rick felt as if he were watching this moment from outside his body, like a bad television drama playing out in front of him while he stood on the sidelines.
“Rick!”
This time, two hands gripped his arms and yanked him to his feet. He was able to stand, barely, but still couldn’t fully focus on the man yelling in his face.
What’s happening to me? Is she going to die? Am I dying?
Rick could feel the back of his thigh beginning to tingle, the slow burn getting stronger. Flames licked up the length of his leg, spreading out, consuming him, burning him alive. It joined the blaze in his gut that was spurring him to take revenge, to get his hands on Travis Hardy and shred him to microscopic pieces. Liquid fire surged through his veins, burning him both inside and out.
If she’s dead, take me.
“Rick!”
A large hand squeezed his jaw finally dragging him from his own personal hell. Dane came into focus, his concerned brow pulled down low and his piercing eyes staring into Rick’s. Dane was upset, shouting in his face, but Rick hadn’t heard a word he said.
“Huh?” Rick shook his head, blinking rapidly.
“You with me Rick? We have to get our shit off and into the Suburban. We can’t let the paramedics come in here and see us in our tac gear with high powered rifles strapped to our backs.”