Page 22 of Remade

“Copy, dropping agents,” Slater replied. “We’re on our way.”

Quinn took care of the last camera, and then Coach, Crew, and I rushed forward and ran between two of the cars to reach the doors. Crew and I aimed at the hinges and fired several quick rounds, after which Coach snuck forward to open one of the doors. We stayed back just a bit, in case they had something ready to go off.

The first thing we heard was screaming and yelling, several men’s voices.

Quinn and I carefully peered inside, and then we bolted into action. There were two fucking RPGs just inside their entry area, and we shot the men scrambling to use them.

“Go, go, go, go!” I took the lead, registering concrete all over the fucking place. Floors, walls, ceiling, no furniture whatsoever yet, dim lighting, funky smell. Chemicals too. Boxes upon boxes lined the wall. Four men hurtled out from the next room, andCrew and I shot them in the forehead. “Delta, stay near the entrance. Bravo and Charlie, follow us.”

A choir of “Wilco” and “Copy” rang out.

“Smoke limited to the far back for now,” Coach reported. “Don’t go near it.”

The second room was empty, aside from more boxes, so we hurried through it. We could hear more screaming from the back.

I sucked in a breath and flew up against the nearest wall as several shots exploded through the air, and I could feel some of them hitting the other side of the wall.

“Enemy’s regrouped in the next room,” I said.

How long could they last there? The thick smoke was billowing forward right now.

I ducked down and peered out fast, and I fired three shots at a guy in the next doorway. He went down with a choked cry, causing a few others to yell out in German. I’d heard Arabic and American English too.

“Perimeter watch, Wilson here—we’ve got three vehicles comin’ in quick.”

“Motherfucker,” I cursed. So this was the plan all along? They had backup waiting outside the forest, and now they wanted us surrounded?

“Hold for orders,” I growled. With that, I pulled out a grenade, yanked the pin, and threw it into the next room. “Grenade!” I turned away from the doorway and listened to the screams right before the explosion thundered through. “New orders! Delta and Hudson from Bravo, stay behind and shoot anythin’ that moves! You can communicate on line two. Touch base every sixty seconds. Charlie and Quinn from Bravo, you’re with Alpha. Move out, move out!” I made sure to run last, pushing Crew ahead of me, and Hudson snuck by with Slaterand Green. “Perimeter watch, keep a head count—we’re not letting them get away!”

On our way out, I ended up with Leighton in front of me, and I made a vow to keep him within reach. We had no fucking clue what we were walking into, and I wasn’t having any casualties tonight.

“Stay low when you run up,” I commanded. “Perimeter watch, update on distance?”

“They’re reaching the clearing now, sir,” Wilson reported. “Two sedans, one van—at least two people in each of the sedans.”

I was more curious about the van.

I signaled for Quinn to get into position and told him to take out the tires, and I followed suit as the next best option with Hudson staying back in the bunker.

I lay down on my stomach next to Quinn, and I peered through the scope.

The problem was the van from earlier today. It blocked the path.

“Quinn, you take left, I go right.”

“Copy.”

“Coach, reach out to Hyatt,” I murmured. “I want heat signatures so we don’t lose any of them in the forest.”

“Copy,” he responded.

Finally.

The two sedans appeared on either side of the van at the same time, and I eased my finger over the trigger.

A little closer, you motherfucker.

I exhaled.

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