Page 41 of Skull

Skull nodded, his mind already turning to the logistics. “We’ll insert at a vulnerable point,” he said, speaking as if to fill in the blanks for the rest of the team. “We’ll move fast and quiet to keep a low profile, and Bones will help with both detection and security. Once we’ve got them, we head straight for the extraction point.”

“Roger that,” the commander said. “Iceman, you’ll have your team in position to move in if we lose contact. Timing’s going to be critical. Once we have Blade’s family secured, he needs to talk. Or we lose our window to save those hostages.”

A tightness settled across the group, a sense of determination tempered by resentment at the bureaucratic interference. Skull stole a glance at the guys, noting each of them looked ready to tear something apart, but they kept their cool under Iceman’s silent command. Outside, the distant hum of a passing aircraft seemed to remind everyone how close they were to real-world consequences.

Commander Bartholomew gave a curt, final nod through the screen. “Make no mistake. If something goes wrong, this whole operation doesn’t exist, and you’ll be out there on your own. Iceman, Anna, bring them all home safe. Understood?”

A chorus of yes-sirs filled the conference room. With that, the screen went dark, and the team was left in the low hum of the overhead lights, each of them bracing for the mission ahead.

Skull stoodat the edge of Lealtad, eyes scanning the dark horizon where the shantytown’s flickering lights glimmered like embers in a dying fire. Despite the tension tracing every rigid line of his posture, he held himself in check. Strekoza had done her job and done it well. She’d kept Blade’s presence alive in Lealtad until they’d gotten their approval.

He scoffed softly. Blade’s captors would be his family’s saviors.

The rest of the team waited on the outskirts, ready to whisk Blade’s family away, Walker believing that a full-scale operation would attract too much attention.

Skull agreed with her regarding the stealth approach. Charging into the heart of town with a large force would only raise the alarm and risk innocent lives. It chafed against his own instincts, his strong nature urged him to fight head-on, to dominate the enemy. Yet experience had taught him restraint. Skill over sheer force. That was Walker’s way, too, meticulous, quiet, and methodical, in line with her Shadowguard tendencies. She preferred to rely on research and observation, always one step removed, always guarding herself.

Skull felt the press of conflicting emotions. He was deeply drawn to Walker, and had been for months, though he struggled to decipher the subtle walls she built between them until they had lost it twice.

He sensed there was more going on with her than she was willing to admit. Her thoughtful, sometimes detached style intrigued him, but it also left him feeling uncertain. He wanted to tell her how he felt, that amid all this chaos, she was the calm in his storm. But a gentle fear nestled in the back of his mind. If he tried to break through her reserve too forcefully, would he push her even further away?

Adjusting the strap on his vest, Skull risked a quick glance at Bones. The Belgian Malinois waited patiently at his side, ears alert, muzzle lifting to test the air. The dog was more than a partner. He was a reminder of why Skull kept fighting. Honor, responsibility, loyalty. Bones, like the best of SEALs, would follow Skull anywhere without question.

But loyalty had another face. Family. Skull’s father was in a hospital bed back home, doctors uncertain if he would recover. The phone call from his mom weighed heavily on Skull’s heart. His father’s condition was deteriorating. Duty had always come first, but with every passing moment, he wondered if he’d made a mistake. What if he never got the chance to see his father alive again? The burden tore at him, a constant tug-of-war between a son’s responsibility to his family and a SEAL’s responsibility to the mission.

He clenched his jaw, pushing aside the wave of dread. If he could pull off this covert run, slip into the shantytown with Walker, retrieve Blade’s family, and slip out, Blade would give them the intel they needed to save Hazard and Leigh. Then Skull could race back home to his father’s bedside. That was the plan. He was determined to make it work.

Walker’s quiet footsteps approached. She placed a hand on Skull’s shoulder, her face partially illuminated by the silvery glow of the moon. In her eyes, he saw the same steely resolve he felt in his bones, the same tension that hummed beneath his skin. “Ready?” she asked, voice laced with a mixture of caution and confidence.

Skull nodded. “We keep it tight,” he said, voice low. “In and out, no alarms, no heavy firefights if we can help it. We bring Blade’s family back safe, then we bring our people home.”

He caught Walker’s nod, a quick flash of admiration in her gaze. She understood the stakes. She always did, and her recent actions told him that she was deeply committed. Thanks to her, they had a plan and a good chance of succeeding. Her calm acceptance reassured him even though he wanted to do what SEALs did best…assault. Instead, he forced himself to focus on the plan. Because deep down, Skull wanted more than just a successful mission. He wanted a future with Walker and a chance to see his father again.

They would make it work. They had to.

Ten minutes later, Skull crouched in the narrow alley, scanning the cramped structures stacked haphazardly along the shantytown’s winding paths. In the distance, a lone streetlamp flickered, casting jagged shadows that danced along corrugated steel walls. Walker’s expression was focused yet subdued. She carried herself with a composed calm, verifying the approach to Blade’s makeshift residence. Bones stayed alert by his leg, ears flicking at each distant noise.

They had slipped past the crude perimeter guards with only a hushed scuffle, nothing to raise the alarm. Now the real test loomed. They had to convince Blade’s wife to abandon everything she knew. Skull’s gut twisted. All the training and experience in the world couldn’t make this conversation any easier. He was a man who charged into conflict without flinching, but dealing with frightened civilians required him to speak in careful tones and weigh each word.

They pushed forward, slipping up to the threshold, his gaze taking in all their surroundings for any hint of danger. A dark wooden door scraped open under Skull’s hand, revealing a cramped living space lit only by a flickering lantern. Blade’s wife was there, clutching her two young children close. Their eyes were wide with fear, darting between Skull’s imposing frame, Walker’s steady presence, and Bones’s silent watchfulness.

“We’re here to help,” Skull said quietly, lifting his empty hands as a sign of peace. Though he had a protective urgency in his voice, he did his best to keep it gentle. “Your husband is in our custody. He sent us to get you and the kids out.”

Her knuckles tightened over her children’s shoulders. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” she asked, voice quivering. She was no stranger to fear, her eyes spoke of horrors endured long before tonight, and it was understandable that mistrust gleamed there, too.

Skull swallowed. “You’re not naive. If Blade’s been captured, the cartel will come after you. They’ll think he’s talking. You and the children will be targets.”

Stepping forward, Walker offered a small nod of agreement. “We can keep you safe,” she added, voice calm, almost clinical. “We have the means to give you and your children new identities and a secure future.”

The woman hesitated, glancing between them and the door. Outside lay the labyrinth of the shantytown, her home, her entire world. But it also concealed threats lurking in every alley. The bare truth glimmered in her eyes. She knew Skull was right.

“I can’t just leave,” she whispered, though her tone betrayed uncertainty. “This is all we have.”

Skull cast a quick glance at Walker. He recognized that subtle empathy she wore softened only enough to let compassion through. Stepping closer, Skull kept his voice low to avoid attracting unwanted attention. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this. The cartel will send a death squad if they suspect your husband flipped. And if you stay, you won’t have a fighting chance.”

There was a flicker of desperate courage in her gaze. She squared her shoulders and gave a protective squeeze to each child. They clutched her legs, eyes big and silent. “Where will you take us?”

“Somewhere safe,” Skull answered, gently. “Clean water, stable environment. A new life. You’ll be able to raise your children without fear. That’s what Blade wants for you.”

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