Highlander looked around at the men and women standing around him. The best and the brightest the world had to offer in the military and law enforcement. They were also the besthuman beings on the planet, and he was grateful to call them friends and family.
“Willie, Tommy, and Jack can take point on the entrance part. They are the ones who initiate entrance in underground dwellings for their teams. It’s a new technique that was just initiated in training for the SAS,” William Sr suggested looking between Commander Hurt, General McCoy, Captain Irby, and Sheriff Phillips.
“They already started that training?” General McCoy asked in awe looking over at the elder MacLeod.
“Aye. My boys just finished it a couple of months ago. It’s been what they focused on since then. It’s effective and damn good if ye ask me.”
“Good. I know Ghost and Hammer’s teams were scheduled to be doing maneuvers with the SAS in the next couple of months. Not sure about Commander Hurt’s boys. This will be a good warm up for them.” General McCoy smirked over at Highlander, Wolf, and Ghost.
“I thought Ash was coming with?” Willie Jr looked around for his other brother.
“He’s staying back with Pattrick and Eddie’s teams to help cover the women and children. He had a bad feeling in his bones that while we were going after Laura, there would be a side attempt on Cody, Willie, Ryleigh, and Aurora,” Dominick explained to Willie Jr and the rest of the group.
“God help anyone who tries to lay a hand on those wee ones. Ash will live up to the name his comrades gave him.” Jack MacLeod shivered at the thought of someone pissing his older brother off.
“Good.” General McCoy looked around at the large group individually.
“Let’s go fuck shit up, boys!”
“Hooah.”
“Hooyah.”
The teams separated into their respected groups and proceeded on what they considered was their most important op ever. One of their own needed them and they couldn’t fail.
Once York, Speedy, and Willie Sr got into their sniper positions, Jack, Willie Jr., and Tommy led the way. Wolf and Abe spread out devices that Tex had procured for them that would block any signals from cell phones and cameras in the underground bunker from getting through.
Tommy checked the door for any trip wires and alarms that may trigger once they opened the doors. Once it was cleared, they opened the door, and the official op proceeded.
Once they had reached the bottom, one team went to the left with Tommy in the lead and another team went to the right with Willie in the lead. Jack led the rest going forward. Alpha Squad spread out among the three teams.
BANG
BANG
BANG
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Highlander’s heart went into his throat when he heard the shots ring out into the silence. His group had to hold him back from racing to where the sounds came from.
By the time the second shot rang out, his group was heading forward, weapons raised, and comms silenced. It was too quiet for his liking. Reading the body language of those around him, he wasn’t alone in his assessment.
The first room they came upon had Highlander’s whole body going numb. He saw the meat hook hanging from the ceiling and the rope laying on the ground. What made him go still was all of the blood on the ground and a few places on the walls.
“Breathe, Joe. She’s alive. If she wasn’t, they would have just left her body here. We will find her. It may not even be her blood,” Captain Irby tried to sooth Highlander as she looked around the room, seeing the same things he saw.
“There’s blood on this wall. Looks smeared as if whoever it was, was using the wall to hold them up. It’s going out of this room.” Jack pointed to the far wall.
“Let’s go hunting!” Dominick seethed through his teeth as he followed Jack out of the room, both of them following the smeared blood trail.
Highlander closed his eyes and said a quick prayer to the man upstairs that they found his heart, his soulmate, his lass alive. God help the universe if she was dead. He would raze this fucking planet to the ground to make sure he got every living motherfucker who had a hand in his wife’s death.
Weapons raised, he followed everyone out of the room, repeating his prayer that his wife was found alive. While he knew his kids needed their mum, he needed her just to be able to breathe.
When he looked up, he noticed Jack raising his fist for everyone to stop their movement and be quiet. Once all movement had stopped and no sound from the team was made, he heard the soft sound coming from the direction they were headed.
“Found her. We need medivacnow!” Ghost’s voice came through the mic a second later.