Page 9 of Knight's Fall

“Yeah, man. Gotta admire them for sticking by their women. Meet you in the middle.”

He met the missionaries’ curious stares and realized they thought he was talking to himself. He pointed to his ear. “My team is meeting us on the west side. They think they have a bead on the women. We need to move.”

Wings froze when he heard a burst of static, his ears tuned to determine the direction of the sound. A string of foreign words crackled over the radio secured to the enforcer’s hip. The enforcer groaned at the noise but fell back unconscious almost immediately. Wings didn’t understand what was said, but his gut told him it wasn’t good.

“They know your friends are coming.”

Wings’ head jerked around until he pinned Jenson with a hard stare. “What? You understood that?”

Jenson nodded. “I learned the language to prepare for this trip. They know your friends are coming and are getting ready for a fight.”

“Shit! BB, you hear that?” When he didn’t hear a reply, he called out to his teammate again and then realized something interfered with their coms. He had no way to warn them of what was happening, and the shouts coming over the gang member’s radio only increased his dread.

He snatched the radio from the guy’s belt and tossed it to Jenson. “You monitor that for anything useful we need to know. We’ve got to move. I need to warn my team of what’s happening, but something’s interfering with our coms. We’ve got to find the women and haul ass out of here.”

Jenson adjusted the volume on the radio and held it up to his ear to listen closely. Wings let loose a string of curses in his head when he saw Jenson pale.

“What?” he barked, even though he didn’t want to know what the man heard.

“I don’t know how useful this is, but the auction is over. They’re moving the women out while someone distracts your team. They’re calling in reinforcements. We’re outnumbered.”

Adrenaline pulsed through his veins, and his mind raced. A complicated rescue mission just became impossible. If he didn’t have three hostages looking to him for answers, he might have indulged in a smile. Impossible situations were his favorites because his team always rose to the occasion. The bastard gang members were about to find out just how much ass a team of highly trained operatives could kick.

“If we encounter gunfire, then you three duck for cover and let me and my team handle it. Roy, only use the gun to protect yourselves if you need it. Otherwise, leave the fight to me and my team.”

“Copy that.”

They moved in single file heading for the closest exit. The west side of the village was a logical location for them to move the women. Based on their initial intel, that side had the best access for a quick getaway if there was an attack on the village. Wings had expected the gang to keep all of the hostages together, especially since they were all being auctioned, but now that he had an inkling on where the women were being held, he understood. The women were more valuable as sex slaves, drawing the highest price. The men would bring in money as slaves, but they were expendable, especially since they’d shown a lack of cooperation.

Wings ducked behind a wall, hoping the men followed suit, and peered around the corner at the gang members rushing out the very exit he was hoping to use. He turned to the men behind him and tried to keep his voice as low as possible while making sure the men heard him.

“Change of plans. Roy, hide the gun under your shirt. You guys pretend your hands are bound behind your back. Act like I’m one of them moving you out.” He pulled the face covering back in place and used the rifle to motion them to walk ahead of him.

The ruse seemed to work. No one questioned an enforcer moving the hostages, and they blended in at the back of the group until Wings saw the line of huts on the west side. He cleared his throat, and the three men in front of him turned their heads just enough to see his signal. One by one they dropped back from the group until they were able to slip away undetected. They ducked between two of the huts, keeping low as they ran.

Wings had yet to see his team, but he couldfeelthey were close. He still couldn’t hear anything through his coms, and he paused a beat while he tried to figure out his next move.

“We’ll stay here,” Roy spoke up, much to Wings’ surprise.

“What?” Jenson emphasized the word enough to get his point across without shouting.

“We’ve already said we’re not leaving without the women,” Milburn spoke up.

“Wings can get around with his disguise. We’re just sitting ducks. They’re trained for this, and we’re not. Not even me. Now that we’re free, we can hide in the brush while Wings meets up with his team and gets the women out.”

Roy had some sway with the other two, so Wings stood silently by until they agreed to the cop’s plan. Wings lifted his chin in respect to Roy. “Thanks. Look, stay put, and we’ll come back for you. You should be able to ID my team, but if there’s any doubt, ask for the signal.”

He balled his hand into a fist, held it out in front of him and then raised it to rest over his heart. The signal was one Jay had them learn the first time they trained as a team, and it was one they’ve used repeatedly over the years to identify each other when they were in disguise or too far away to confirm an identity by sight.

“They’ll all respond immediately as soon as you ask for it.”

Roy nodded. “Copy that. Be careful, man. These guys are…well, you already know they’re ruthless, but we’ve seen it firsthand for however long we’ve been in this hell hole.”

Wings gave a curt nod. The men turned to settle in their hiding place while Wings stood guard. Once they were safely hidden, he cleared his mind, narrowed his focus, and moved with a stealth he’d spent years perfecting.

Chapter Six

As Wings approached the rendezvous spot, he scanned the area, counting the gang members as he looked for signs of his team. If Panther, BB and the others were here, they were well concealed. His com was still radio silent. He debated his next move until he saw the women appear out of a hut in a huddle.

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