Page 2 of Fury

Rafkin growled over the comms. “No joy,” he hissed.

Laurel and Hardy disappeared inside with five personal security as gate guards returned to their posts—and two lit cigarettes. Clearly not expecting trouble.

Happy to disappoint, gents.

Davis glanced sideways at Fury.

The lug met him eye to eye, eager for the signal to work.

Time dragged by as they waited for Shaw to make the call. The hills around them turned purple-gray and finally disappeared into the night.

Still, they waited. It was above Davis’s pay grade to know the ins and outs of why. All he and Fury were there for was to ensure mission success.

Compound lights winked out.

“Go, go, go.” Shaw’s voice broke the extended quiet.

Sliding backward to avoid silhouetting himself above the horizon, Davis pushed off the dirt and trekked stealthily toward the compound. Fury padded at his side, his NVGs breaking up the moonlit outline of his head. Davis paused at the expanse between the hills and building. Crouched, M4 tucked to his shoulder, he hid behind a cluster of scrub bushes ten yards from the gate to his right. Grasped Fury’s harness. He didn’t need to look around to know the rest of his team had moved into position as well.

Crack!

The sound from Rafkin’s sniper rifle rippled through the night a few seconds after the bullet’s impact threw one of the guards back. Davis took out the second gate guard even as the guy’s startled companions brought up their weapons, looking around.

Crack! Crack!

Stalking forward, Shaw and Niles took out the remaining guards.

“Gate clear!” Luke shouted.

“Moving.” Davis crouch-ran for the gate. “Fury, let’s go.” The green cast from his NVGs gave him a haphazard line of sight as he hustled forward. Slipped past the iron entry, attention trained on his highly skilled MWD. Over fifty-thousand dollars had gone into training this four-legged warrior, and Davis had learned to trust the dog.

Fury slightly ahead and sniffing, Davis also depended on the team to do their jobs, which allowed the MWD handlers to focus on the dogs. Luke and Reza swept the left side of the area.

Gaze locked down the barrel of his weapon, Davis continued his visual sweep along the left wall. The courtyard was empty from what he could see. Tail up, Fury continued to seek. Didn’t alert to the presence of any explosives. Guess they wouldn’t be blown to kingdom come just yet.

Skirting around the north edge, they came up to the front door. Luke gave him a thumbs-up.

“Courtyard clear,” Davis affirmed.

Like water through a sieve, the team filtered past the iron entrance.

The first level of the building still sat dark and quiet in the ominous night. “Fury,fuss.” Suspicious, nerves buzzing, he waited, weapon trained on the metal door the warlord and buyer had disappeared behind hours earlier.

No response fire greeted them. He hustled back a few steps with Fury to take cover as Niles picked the lock. Luke and Reza stood ready opposite him. They’d search for the USB containing missile codes after he and Fury cleared the rooms for any explosives. Reza wasn’t cross-trained for that.

Fury jerked like he was trying to go behind Davis. “Easy,” he hissed in a whisper, firmly gripping the handle on the dog’s tac vest. Fury always got amped up before a search. His one downfall. “Stay.”

The MWD whined but complied.

“On your six.” His squad leader’s low words over the comms warned him before the man melted from the shadows, M4 at the ready.

Niles shoved the unlocked door open, and Shaw breached first, quickly dispatching two tangos with brutal efficiency. The house was silent as Davis slipped inside, pulse thrumming, eyes out.

“Fury, seek-seek!”Muscles tense, finger against the trigger well, Davis stalked forward with his MWD into the combined dining and lounge area.

No alerts, nothing out of the ordinary. Various other rooms, all clear. No bedrooms on the lower level.

Clicking his tongue, Davis drew Fury toward the stairs. M4 firmed, he carefully ascended the rickety steps. Sweat trickled down his back under his personal protective equipment as he continued, breathing a sigh of relief when Fury reached the top, glanced around without alerting. Shadows hung on every inch of the walls, the air heavy with the stagnant smell of body odor and old smoke. But he saw no one through his NVGs.

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