Page 75 of Rescuing Tobias

With Rex at his side, they moved through the trees like they’d been doing this all their lives. Years of experience had taught them how to move without making much sound, and how to leave a minimal trail behind them.

Tobias couldn’t honestly say that his back was up to this, but there was also no way in hell he was staying behind. Isabella had told him that she was prepared to walk beside him whatever the future held for his injury, and he was going to believe her. Besides, spending the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair was a small price to pay to be there to hold his girl in his arms the moment they freed her. And winding up in a wheelchair was worst-case scenario anyway, there was no way to know what the future held.

Hitting the former factory during daylight hours was a risk, but a calculated one. They couldn’t write off the possibility that a delay risked every one of the nurses, doctors, and victims being killed and the guards moving out. The images of the dead left behind on the ship Ava had escaped from filled his mind as the building came into view.

There was no way to avoid this turning into a shootout, but the plan was to take out as many guards as they could silently to keep as much of the element of surprise on their side as possible.

Two armed men were smoking and laughing over by one of the vehicles, just up ahead of where he and Rex were approaching. They might not have worked more than one op together, but the two of them didn't need to communicate to get this done. Pulling out a knife, Tobias reached for one of the men while Rex did the same, and a moment later, both guards lay bleeding out on the ground.

Proceeding on, Tobias didn't even bother to consider the fact that he could kill and move on like it was nothing. This wasn't killing for fun, it was removing threats, taking out people who had hurt the woman he was falling for.

Falling quickly.

So quickly that it would have been terrifying if it wasn't also exhilarating.

Through their comms, Phantom informed them that he and Bubba had also taken out two guards. That was four dead, and they had so far not alerted anyone inside to their presence.

But that was apparently where their luck ran out.

The front door of the building opened, a man with a weapon hanging lazily over his shoulder stood half in and half out it, his eyes growing wide as he obviously caught sight of the team of special operatives bearing down on him.

He let out a startled squawk and awkwardly reached for his weapon, but it was too late.

Someone fired a shot, and the man dropped.

They’d all hoped to have taken out more guards than this before their presence was known, but in their world, you had to learn how to pivot quickly and work with the hand you were dealt.

Which was exactly what they did.

Shots came from the building as the guards inside took up positions at the windows.

Tobias and the SEALs fired back, taking cover as they did, and slowly they began to eliminate each tango. As he fired at the windows where weapons were visible, Tobias prayed that the only shots being fired from inside were coming at them and not at all the innocents in there.

Not at Isabella.

Finally, things began to quieten down, the shots fired at them lessened and then stopped altogether, and Tobias allowedhimself to take a full breath. Hopefully, that was all the tangos dead and they could go inside and free everyone. His priority was finding Isabella, and his arms ached with the need to hold her close, feel the warm brush of air against his skin, assuring him she still breathed, and press his hand to her chest to feel each beat of her heart.

There was no doubt she’d been punished for letting Trinity escape, but he was hoping against hope it had been nothing too serious.

Then just as they all started to move to breach the front door, a figure stepped through it.

Twofigures.

But only one was there by choice.

He knew that because one of the figures was Isabella, and she was being clutched tightly against the chest of a man who held a weapon to her head.

Rage clouded his vision, his body trembling with it. The need to avenge, to spill blood, to tear apart and utterly destroy anything that hurt his little firecracker was so strong that he took a step forward.

“Hold back,” Rocco’s voice ordered in his ear.

Dragging in a breath, he steadied himself, reined in his fury, and got himself under control. “No. I can do this.”

After a tense moment, Rocco spoke. “Okay, we have your back.”

Grateful that the SEAL team leader hadn't pulled rank and forced him into a position where he had to put everyone’s lives, the SEALs included, in jeopardy by doing what he had to save his girl, he forced himself to remain calm and stepped forward, weapon aimed directly at the man’s head, or what he could see of it behind Isabella’s. She was balanced precariously on her tiptoes, barely touching the ground as her tiny frame was used as a shield.

“Put the weapon down,” he ordered as he slowly made his way closer.

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