Page 10 of How Much For A Broken Heart?

“They picked this location for tactical advantage,” I muttered, my mind racing through various tactical approaches.

“Exactly.” Simon nodded, zooming out to show the surrounding terrain. “Difficult to approach without being seen. Thick underbrush, uneven ground, and a few creeks running close by.” He traced his fingers over two, one wider than the other.

I absorbed every detail, already envisioning a path through the dense forest. “This is all the aerial surveillance we have?” I asked, knowing the dense canopy would be a challenge.

“Drones can't go through the tree cover, and we're not sure what they have in there for surveillance," Simon replied, confirming my thoughts. “We’ll need ground recon for this one.”

My attention remained fixed on the screen as I noted the natural barriers and plotting potential paths. “Security setup? Cameras, guards?” I asked, anticipating the resistance we might face.

“I wish we knew, darkness is our best bet, you and maybe one or two others, keep it small, and you’ll get her.” Simon explained with confidence despite the lack of a plan.

I nodded, already thinking about the potential risks and ways to exit the situation. “Evac if things go south?” I asked, knowing full well that in operations like these, anything could happen.

“Two routes.” Simon pointed them out on the map. “One back to the main road, another to a clearing for emergency extraction. We’ll have exfil on standby.”

I felt the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. Getting Annie out safely was paramount. “And August?” I inquired, thinking about the man whose undercover life had been torn apart. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through, a client dead on his watch, a child missing, but also, how close to the ragged edge he must be.

My former captain, Ethan, had witnessed August shooting our old boss, without a blink of remorse, and while I didn’t mourn Danvers, I wondered at how ingrained into this evil system August was. He’d been under just short of two years, how much humanity did he have left?

“Once Annie’s out, he’s taking it down.” Unspoken was how he would be doing that.

“And it’s sanctioned?” I asked even though I didn’t need to because I could read Simon’s expression, underscored by the sigh he gave. This was August off-mission, loose, wanting revenge. Simon didn’t say that this was going to be stopped, but, maybe, I wasn’t cleared for that information.

I stood straighter, adrenaline surging, my fingertips tingling. “I’ll get the team ready; I want Ethan leading this, and Luca with me. We’ll do this quick, quiet, and efficient,” I stated, the resolve in my voice unwavering. I couldn’t fathom any mission without Cap at my side.

“Ethan’s locked down in Maine, no can do.”

“Then, I’ll do this with Luca alone.”

Simon was troubled. “Ryder, Sanctuary can give you an entire team?—”

“We don’t need anyone else. Luca and I will get the girl out, no one will know we’re there. Surgical.”

Simon nodded after a pause, his concern still there. “I’ll coordinate with the other units. Of course, backup will be ready if you need it.”

“I’ll contact Luca, give him the option, it’s his choice, okay? Otherwise, I go in alone.”

Simon didn’t look convinced, but Cain sighed.

“Okay,” Cain said after a pause.

As I turned to leave the room, the mission loomed large in my mind, but there was no room for doubt. “We’ll get her,” I said. “We’ll bring her home.”

The screen's glow faded, but the image of the house in the forest stayed etched in my mind. We were going to bring Annie home. No matter what it took.

* * *

Luca took the call and was heading our way within the hour, and it wasn’t that long until he arrived, a smirk on his face as he headed straight for me.

“You made it here in one piece. I’m surprised,” I said with a grin, standing to greet one of my closest friends. Through training, then war, we’d become more than just friends—more like brothers.

He chuckled, clapping me on the shoulder. “Please, you know my driving is half the reason we always got out of those hot zones.”

“Yeah, and the other half, the reason we got into them in the first place,” I shot back, the familiar banter like slipping into an old, comfortable jacket.

Luca’s laugh filled the room, easing some of the tension that had built up as Simon and I strategized, and he handed out tech as if he was offering candy. “You said a retrieval, catch me up?” He turned serious as he checked out the maps and photos spread across the table.

“There’s a kid in there we need to get out.” I tapped the map, my voice firm, leaving no room for ambiguity about our primary objective—the presence of a child in danger added a layer of urgency and gravity to the mission. “Just the two of us, in, out, done, exfil two clicks out, guards, guns, high fences electrified, cartel, danger, blah, blah.”

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