Page 42 of Skull

She searched his face a moment longer, then darted a look at Walker, who nodded once, calm and composed, offering reassurance. Bones let out a low whine, picking up on the tension, and Skull placed a steadying hand on the dog’s back. His heart pounded, feeling the pressure of time. The longer they lingered, the greater the chance of discovery.

Finally, Blade’s wife gave a small nod. Her voice wavered, but her decision was clear. “We’ll go.”

Relief and determination surged through Skull like a current, his instincts flaring with a sense of protective triumph. He keyed his radio. “Jackpot,” he murmured, alerting Iceman that they had Blade’s wife and children.

“Copy that,” Iceman responded. He would fight to keep this family safe, just as he’d fight for his father back home. For an instant, the guilt of not being there at his father’s bedside threatened to rise again, but he pushed it aside. Duty first. There would be time for regret later, if he survived.

Skull motioned for Walker to lead the way out. She paused near the door, meeting his eyes. The intensity of the unspoken connection between them sent a shiver through him. She was a fortress of reason, but he wanted to know every chamber of her guarded heart. He wanted that closeness, that understanding. The moment passed in silence, both of them acknowledging it without words.

Bones slipped ahead, muzzle low, checking corners. The children clung to their mother, trusting the strength of two strangers for lack of any other choice. Skull took up the rear, weapon ready but mind divided between the immediate threat of the cartel and the more personal, looming fear of losing his father. Yet as the group melted into the darkness, he forced his focus on the now.

One mission at a time. Save this family. Secure Blade’s intel. Then go home, and hope there would still be time to see his father alive.

He let the roiling emotions fuel him. Duty didn’t simply belong to a uniform or a job. It was woven into every tie that bound people together, family, teammates, and the innocent depending on him. Under the cloak of night, Skull, Walker, and a terrified family crept away from the only place they had ever known, guided by a dog’s quiet vigilance and the resolute determination of two warriors who refused to fail.

14

Skull’s heartthudded as he led the group through the tangle of darkened passageways, half-dismantled fences, and crooked tin structures. Blade’s wife clutched her two children close, her face etched with the resolve of a mother protecting her own. Walker stayed alongside them, her calm demeanor shining through in the measured way she checked around each corner. Bones, silent and alert, stuck to Skull’s flank, muzzle lifted to catch the faintest hint of danger in the humid air.

They were close to the edge of the shantytown when Bones froze, hackles bristling. The dog let out the faintest low growl. Skull didn’t need more than that to know trouble had arrived.

Up ahead, through the twisting alleys, eight men advanced with unmistakable purpose. Shadows danced around their figures as they moved, weapons held ready, eyes scanning for their target. A death squad. A cold fury ignited in his gut. Eight men to kill one woman and her children. The cartel anticipated that Blade’s disappearance linked right to the SEALs who had been sent to Colombia to rescue the very hostages she was banking on for her husband’s release and return. The same criminals Blade was ready to give up for the sake of his family.

Walker sucked in a short breath. “They’re blocking our direct exit,” she said quietly, quickly flicking her gaze to map out a detour.

Skull weighed his options, fists clenching around his weapon. Every fiber of his nature clamored for him to fight, to mow down the threat. But he knew the children wouldn’t stand a chance if bullets started flying through these cramped alleys. One stray shot could end it all. And if the firefight grew, the entire shantytown would be alerted.

He glanced at Walker. Her calm precision locked with his fierce protectiveness. Together, they understood this was not the time for a pitched battle. The prime objective was to get Blade to talk so they could save Hazard and Leigh. They would be lost if they were pinned down here. More importantly, the children’s lives were at stake.

“We run,” Skull whispered, no question in his tone. “We run, we stay low, we lose them.”

Walker nodded without hesitation. “There’s a side path,” she said, pointing to a gap between the rows of battered corrugated metal walls. “Leads behind that old warehouse. It’ll put us closer to the extraction point.”

Skull crouched by Blade’s wife. “Stay close to Hummingbird. Move as quietly and fast as you can. Don’t look back, no matter what happens. Understood?”

A tremor ran through her, but she nodded, clasping her children’s hands tightly. They, too, gave nervous, obedient nods, their eyes wide and fearful but determined to trust these strangers.

Bones let out another subdued growl, ears pinned. The death squad was moving closer. Skull looked into Walker’s eyes, an unspoken understanding passing between them. In that moment, he was acutely aware of his own fear. Fear not just for the family but also for his father back in the hospital bed. If he failed now, he’d never see the old man alive again. Duty pulled at him like a riptide, threatening to tear him apart. But there was no time to dwell on it. He squared his shoulders and gave the signal.

They slipped into the maze of side passages, staying beneath the flickering glow of makeshift lanterns. Footsteps echoed on the rusty metal scraps littering the ground, and Skull winced at every noise. The cartel soldiers were close enough that Skull could hear muttered curses in Spanish, orders to spread out. They wanted the kill. They wanted the mother and children dead, punishing Blade for any perceived betrayal.

Walker paused at a corner, leaning her head around just enough to see the path. She motioned sharply for everyone to pause. Two figures walked by, rifles cradled in their arms, faces grim and intent on carrying out their deadly task. Skull’s fists tensed, but he forced himself to wait. Conflict was not the plan. They had to make it out, or Blade’s intel and the lives of two helpless kids would be forfeit.

When the guards passed, they continued. With an agility born of countless missions, Skull slithered through the dark, guiding them between overturned crates and piles of debris. Adrenaline seared through him, fueling every sense. Bones stuck close, occasionally glancing back at the children as if personally guarding them.

Moments blurred, each alley just another tight corridor barely wide enough to navigate. Skull’s breath sounded harsh in his ears. He recalled the phone call about his father’s failing health, and panic tightened his chest. Survive this, he told himself. Get the intel and rescue your people. Then go home. That was the plan.

A sudden shout behind them snapped him back into the moment. They’d been spotted. The death squad’s pursuit drew closer, footfalls pounding against cracked pavement.

“Move!” Skull barked, taking the lead. He knew the layout from the recon Walker had shared, and just ahead was the old warehouse, and past that, a drainage culvert that fed into a nearby ravine. Perfect for slipping away unseen, if they made it in time.

As they neared the looming structure, Skull signaled Walker to take the rear, ensuring no one lagged behind. Bones bounded next to him, muscles coiled, ready to defend if needed. The children ran with surprising speed, panic lending them the strength to keep up. Their mother stumbled once, but Walker caught her, urging her forward.

Gunshots cracked the air behind them, bullets ricocheting off metal walls with sharp clangs. The cartel death squad wasn’t letting up. Skull forced himself to keep his focus forward as each second counted. They crashed through a half-broken door into the warehouse’s shadowed interior. Dust motes swirled as the group dashed between toppled shelving units and rusted machinery.

“Almost there,” Walker hissed, pointing to a gap at the far end where the wall had caved in.

Skull’s pulse hammered like thunder. Protect the kids, Blade’s wife, Walker, get them out. Everything else could wait. Rounding the final corner, he spotted the culvert, dark and foreboding. But it was freedom. And once they were away from the shantytown, they could rally with the rest of the team, secure Blade’s cooperation, and save their own. But first they had to evade the sure death that was breathing down their necks, just seconds away.

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