Page 53 of Skull

“GQ, you’re on the breach team with them. Watch their backs. Once the gate is down, secure the perimeter. Check the corners for hostiles, keep their heads down.”

GQ tightened his gloved hands around his carbine. “Got it, boss,” he said quietly. Boomer offered a curt nod, his jaw clenched in a silent vow to punch through that obstacle just like he always did.

“Hummingbird, Strekoza,” Iceman continued, turning to the two Shadowguard operatives. “Flank the south wall. We need your stealth. Disable alarms, cameras—whatever gets in our way. Then find our people. It’s going to be loud at the gate, so use that to your advantage.”

Walker and Strekoza exchanged looks, both wearing the sort of unreadable confidence that seemed forged in deep-cover missions. They slipped away silently, disappearing into the shadows. Skull’s heart went with her as he allowed himself fleeting concern for her safety. She was a warrior like him, but she was his woman as well, and he couldn’t think about her without those strong emotions swamping him.

Finally, Iceman’s gaze landed on Skull. “You and Bones are on point with me. Once we’re through the gate, keep that dog on a tight leash, and sniff out any hidden threats. If we run into trouble, you let him loose.”

Skull exhaled slowly, nodding. Bones had pressed up close against Skull’s leg, sensing the tension emanating from his handler. The dog’s wiry muscles were coiled tight, the low rumble of a barely contained growl vibrating against Skull’s thigh. He patted Bones once on the shoulder, a gesture of reassurance. “You got it, boss” he whispered.

“Objectives are clear,” Iceman said, pressing a final, determined glance around the circle of men. “Phase one: push through the gate. Phase two: assault the mansion. Let’s get Hazard and Leigh out of that hellhole. No mistakes.”

They broke apart, each man shifting to his assigned position. Skull’s heart thudded as he watched Boomer and Kodiak move along the outer wall, creeping around the bright arcs of floodlight.

“Set, boss,” Breakneck’s tense voice came over the comms, followed shortly after that by Preacher’s. Their two snipers were invisible in the treetops. The tension was electric, every crackle of radio comms a jolt to remind them the clock was ticking.

At Iceman’s nod, Boomer rigged small explosive charges on the compound’s gate hinges and lock. GQ and Kodiak took positions to either side of the wrought-iron bars, weapons ready to unleash suppressed rounds at any guard unlucky enough to investigate.

In the distance, a guard emerged in one of the towering watchposts, peering through binoculars. Skull tensed, praying Breakneck or Preacher had the angle.

The guard’s head jerked back, dropping in a lifeless heap before he could sound an alarm. One suppressed shot, one silent kill. Skull allowed himself a brief flash of gratitude for Breakneck’s steady aim.

A quick hiss from Boomer. “Ready,” he mouthed into the radio.

“Send it,” Iceman said.

Boom.

The gate blew apart with a deafening crack, and sparks erupted in the darkness as metal tore like paper. Immediately following the explosion, the lights went out. Boomer and Kodiak swung out into the open, rifles spitting quiet bursts of gunfire. GQ rushed in behind them, systematically cutting down stunned sentries scrambling to respond. Overhead, muzzle flashes flickered from the towers, but Breakneck and Preacher fired with machine-like efficiency, each bullet finding its mark before the enemy could get a shot off.

“Move!” Iceman barked.

Skull and Bones bolted forward, weaving past the twisted remains of the gate. Thick smoke and dust choked the air. Bones coughed once, his muzzle twitching, but he pushed through, nose ready to detect any hidden threat. The lights along the compound’s outer walls flickered as Walker and Strekoza did their parts, disabling systems from within.

Shots rang out from deeper inside the courtyard. Skulking shapes in camouflage rushed from behind crates and vehicles. Skull pivoted on instinct, his carbine bucking in his hands, muzzle flash illuminating the contorted expressions of the attackers. Bones let out a warning bark, the dog’s posture rigid. Skull felt the weight of a bullet pinging off the cracked concrete near his boots and Bones took off, sensing the unseen danger behind a hedgerow. He leapt through the bushes, and Skull charged through.

Bones had latched onto the man’s arm, and Skull put the hostile down. Together they went back through the foliage as another hail of return fire from Boomer and Kodiak ripped across the courtyard, forcing enemy heads down.

In the chaos, the rest of the team pressed the advantage, stepping over fallen hostiles and pushing deeper into the compound. Skull’s ears rang from the explosions and rapid gunfire, but he forced himself to focus on the next objective. The mansion loomed ahead, a monolithic shape against the night sky, its textured plaster walls lit by harsh floodlights. Too close to turn back now.

“Bones, search!” Skull hissed. The dog sprang forward, sniffing the air, weaving around debris. If there were more hidden threats behind the low garden walls or flanking positions, Bones would scent them out.

A crisp voice crackled in Skull’s earpiece—Strekoza. “Western corridor secured. Meet us on the south side. Hummingbird’s cutting the security feed. You won’t believe how many cameras they had rigged in here.”

Skull’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Walker. She was a trained killer, deadly and precise, who had single-handedly taken down more threats than Skull could count. Yet as soon as he heard her name, a dart of fear pierced through the steady hum of his adrenaline. No matter how skilled she was, he couldn’t stifle the overwhelming surge of feelings that rose in his chest. In the thick of this mission, every second counted, and Walker was deep in the belly of Pincho’s fortress, taking on entire networks of cameras and fuck only knew what else. Steeling himself, Skull focused on the present, swallowing his anxieties as he tightened his grip on his rifle. Walker could handle herself, but he silently kept her in his thoughts. She was now embedded in his heart.

Iceman nodded curtly, eyes sweeping the courtyard. “We’re heading your way. Keep us updated.” Then to the rest of the squad, “Stay tight. Move on the mansion.”

Skull’s adrenaline spiked as he stepped over shards of broken concrete, inching toward the large wooden double doors that served as the mansion’s main entrance. It felt like every second stretched into eternity as they advanced. Another exchange of gunfire erupted, short and sharp. Skull watched GQ mow down two more guards who’d attempted a desperate charge.

They were close now and Hazard and Leigh had to be somewhere beyond those doors, maybe hidden away in Pincho’s labyrinth of rooms. Skull imagined them exhausted, maybe terrified. The pit in his stomach turned to raw fury at the thought, fueling each step he took.

Through the swirling dust, Iceman guided them to cover behind a toppled statue near the front stairs. The brief lull let them re-check mags and reload. Skull pressed his palm against Bones’s haunches, feeling the dog’s rapid breathing. Just minutes into the assault, and the courtyard was theirs.

“Push forward,” Iceman commanded. “On my order, we breach the mansion. Once inside, stick to your assignments. We clear room by room until we find our people.”

Skull’s chest tightened. His determination drowned out the lingering fear as he aligned behind Iceman. If Pincho’s men had any last surprises, they would face the full brunt of a SEAL team’s wrath. Hazard and Leigh’s lives were all that mattered. Skull steadied his breathing, focusing on the door that stood between him and the ones he swore he’d save.

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