Page 31 of Strike Fast

“Trip to the bar’s been cancelled. Taggart’s called us and the HRT guys in for a meeting.”

Now? It was so late. He frowned. “About what?”

Maka shrugged, his face impassive. “Dunno, but it must be something big. Everybody’s heading back inside.”

Hell. “Okay. Be there in a minute.” He waited until Maka left before turning back to Tess. Damn, he wished they could have more time together. “Sorry.”

Her lips curved upward and she gave a little shrug. “It’s okay, I know how it is.”

Yeah, she did. He took her face in his hands. “I know you do.” And that made a potential relationship between them a hell of a lot easier for them both, even with all their other challenges. With a sigh, Reid pulled her back into his arms. He loved the way she fit against him, her body soft yet firm, all her curves nestled into him.

“You be safe,” she murmured, correctly assuming that he and his team were about to be deployed somewhere. Likely sent after aVenenotarget.

“I will. I’ll call you as soon as I get a chance. See if I can get a few days off and come to Texas.”

“I’d love that.”

“Me too.” He kissed the top of her head, then she tipped her face up to his and he claimed that soft, sexy mouth once more. One last hug, and he was forced to leave her there, the feel and taste of her imprinted in his brain.

Inside the briefing room, both teams were already assembled when Reid walked in. A silent tension filled the air. Commander Taggart was up front with some guys wearing FBI windbreakers who Reid didn’t recognize.

Taking the empty seat between Lockhart and Colebrook, Reid settled in.

“Okay, let’s get to it,” Taggart said in his booming voice. “All remaining exercises that you were scheduled to participate in within Emerald Warrior have hereby been cancelled. Because we just got a viable lead on Carlos Ruiz.”

Absolute silence greeted the words, every operator riveted to what Taggart was saying.

“He’s reputed to be close, southwest of New Orleans out in the swamp someplace, which is why we’ve been tasked with executing the warrant. We’re closest, we’re ready, so we’ve got the green light.”

Ruiz’s picture came up on screen for everyone to see.

“Couple of kids were out in the woods earlier tonight, and heard a woman screaming so they went to investigate and found more than they’d bargained for. They got pictures with a phone and sent them to local cops, who contacted the FBI. The reason we’ve called the HRT to this meeting is because we have reason to believe that the missing reporter Victoria Gomez is being held hostage at this place, and recent chatter suggests Ruiz is planning to ship female hostages along with his dope. Gomez being one of them.”

Reid squeezed his hands into fists. Few things got him as riled up as people profiting off the skin trade, where women and sometimes girls not even in their teens were sold as sex slaves. As a man, it sickened him. As a father, it enraged him.

He stared up at Ruiz’s picture, jaw tensing.Fucking pathetic piece of shit.

“HRT’s Commander DeLuca is aware of the situation and monitoring it from Quantico,” Taggart continued. “Ruiz and his men like to move around a lot, never staying in one place for long, so we’re moving fast on this one. We’ll give you the intel we have, then you’ll decide how you want to do this,” he said to both teams.

Reid and the others listened carefully while Taggart and the FBI folks laid out what they knew of the suspect property, Ruiz’s enforcers, what to expect in terms of resistance, weapons, drug cache and possible other hostages as well. As soon as they wrapped up, Hamilton and the HRT team leader, Tucker, took over and organized a general plan of attack.

Once they had a general roadmap in mind, the individual team members got involved, giving feedback and suggestions. Taggart listened in, offering his opinion on a few points while HRT Commander DeLuca did the same via Skype.

In the end, they decided on a plan similar to what they had just conducted a few hours before, with certain modifications. FAST Bravo would go in support of the HRT, who would clear the buildings, eliminate any hostiles and free whatever hostages they found. Then Reid and his guys would take over the search for drugs, weapons, and question any prisoners—hopefully Ruiz himself—while the FBI and DEA support personnel and investigators finished processing the scene.

“All right, we’re looking at a tight turn around on this one,” Taggart announced to the whole room once the plan was agreed upon. “Everybody go kit up. Let’s get ready to crash Ruiz’s party.”

Chapter Nine

“Blue Team in position,” Tucker murmured through Reid’s earpiece in the darkness. “Stand by for breach.”

Reid kept watch with his teammates from their position behind some trees thirty yards from the wood-framed house ahead of them. All seven members of HRT Blue team were lined up alongside the east wall of the house, NVGs on and M4s up, ready to storm the place.

Overhead, tree branches swayed slightly in the breeze, blowing the draped moss hanging from them. The steady chirp of cicadas and crickets filled the night in a continual hum, and somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted in the darkness.

The scent of decaying vegetation and stagnant water hung in the muggy air. As far as they could tell, there was no perimeter security out here in the bayou. But without a doubt, as soon as the HRT breached the door, Ruiz and his men would come out fighting.

“Execute.”

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