Page 37 of Gray

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The rotors of the helicopter nearly drowned out everything else, thethump, thump, thumpmatching the beating of Gray’s heart. It was taking too long. They were too far away. He clicked the mic on his headset. “ETA?”

“We’re twenty minutes out,” the pilot said. “We’ll be landing at oh-four-thirty.”

Jett’s voice came over his headphones. “The Baltimore PD contacted the harbor master and Coast Guard. No ships are sailing until we arrive.”

“Thank God,” Gray muttered.

His teammates around him shifted, growing more alert as Jett continued.

“It took more time than I’m happy about to get everything in place, but we’re a go,” Jett confirmed. “You’ll land on a helo pad near the harbor. West informed me that security cameras spotted several men forcing a woman past some warehouses just over an hour ago. She was spotted again at terminal four shortly after, looking directly at a security camera.”

“It’s Lena,” Gray breathed, relief coursing through him. The men forcing her to walk with them meant she was alive. Resisting. His girl was a fighter, and he was counting on her to stay safe until he got to her.

“What’s the plan, boss?” Luke asked.

“A crane at terminal four was loading a massive container ship setting sail to China. The crew is eager to leave and unhappy with the delay. West is trying to gain access to all security cameras in the vicinity to determine exactly where Lena was stashed.”

Gray clicked his mic, eyeing his teammates. “They must’ve loaded her into a metal shipping container.”

Ford nodded, his gaze a mixture of sympathy and anger. None of the men would want their women to go through anything like this, and Lena? She was part of the team. Gray’s girl. His buddies might’ve given him shit for making out with her in the armory, but damn. She was it for him, and they fucking knew it.

“We’ll get her,” Sam said, his eyes hard. “We’re not leaving the harbor without Lena. Boone should already be in place by now. As soon as the helo lands, we’ll be a go.”

“Boss, what happened to the men from Andrews?” Luke asked.

“On their way to provide backup,” Jett confirmed. “They’ll help secure the area but are active duty. They won’t engage unless lives are at stake.”

“Lena’s life is at stake!” Gray exclaimed.

“Understood. Their orders, however, are to provide security at the scene. They’ll be working along with the Baltimore PD. Not much I can do about it unless they choose to disobey their commanding officer.”

“I don’t miss the military at all,” Nick muttered.

Ten minutes later, the Inner Harbor came into focus in the distance, the lights from the city gleaming off the water. The earliest hints of sunrise were beginning, the dawn of a new day nearly making his breath catch. Lena had been missing sinceyesterday. Time felt meaningless during the long night, but she’d been gone since yesterday afternoon. He feared what condition they’d find her in and prayed she was okay and could hold on until he got to her.

The helo landed at a heliport, Jett having already smoothed the way for their arrival. As soon as the landing skids touched the ground, the men were hopping off, ducking low under the still-spinning rotor blades and moving forward.

“The container ship is on the west side,” Luke said, pointing in the distance. “Shit. Look at all the police arriving. I hope if the tangos are still here, they don’t panic and do something drastic.”

Worry coursed through Gray. If Lena was indeed locked in a shipping container, what could they do to her now? Unless she wasn’t alone yet and still had a thug guarding her. If Gray lost her when he was this close….

“Boone’s in position,” Jett said in a clipped tone over the headsets. “I have him in a sniper’s nest above the loading zone. He’ll have a view of the entire area. Nick can get in position on the opposite side. There are vehicles parked there. If Ivan or his men attempt to escape with Lena, Nick will take them out.”

“Roger that,” Nick said as he clicked his mic.

“Can Boone hear us?” Luke asked with a frown.

“Negative. Not over the headsets. He got here quickly and has been lying in wait,” Gray said. “Jett had a hunch the cargo ship would be the likely extraction point, and the surveillance footage by the warehouse and terminal proves it. The ship is so large, nothing else is docked here, so it made sense to get him in position. Boone’s got his cell if I need to reach him.”

“Affirmative,” Jett said. “I’ve been in contact with Boone since his arrival. I’ve sent him the surveillance footage we have, as well as descriptions of the men traveling with Lena.”

Gray felt his pulse pounding, the night air washing over him. It was cold as hell with the breeze blowing off the water. He’d donned long sleeves, but that was mostly to disappear into the shadows. Ivan’s men didn’t know they were coming.

Suddenly, gunfire erupted from all around them, proving he’d been mistaken. Gray dove behind a parked vehicle, rolling on the concrete as his teammates also hit the ground. It almost felt like a goddamn ambush.

“Guess we’ve been spotted,” Sam quipped.

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