Page 1 of Ending the Game

PROLOGUE

Nobody warnedme what it’s like to look back with regret.

To be left wondering,What if...?

What if I’d told her sooner?

What if I hadn’t missed the signs?

It was my job to protect them... What if I hadn’t failed?

What if I’d only had a little more time?

The United Statesgovernment doesn’t negotiate with terrorists.

That’s their official stance. But when those terrorists kidnap US citizens—who happen to also be the very beautiful daughter of a US ambassador and her best friend, who’s the equally beautiful daughter of a very high-ranking FBI official, both overseas and volunteering for a peace mission—the official stance may be that we don’t negotiate with terrorists. But the reality is they send us in to do it for them because the PR nightmare of letting these women be taken and tortured or sold would be worse.

Axe and I have been sitting for hours on top of this empty house in the hills of Pakistan, just outside of an old, abandoned village, waiting for the exchange to happen about one hundred yards west of us. “Dude. What the hell’s wrong with you?” I adjust my scope and do a cursory look around, zeroing in on Ford and Linc, who are waiting outside of the first vehicle, with Trick and Rook in the second one. “You haven’t stopped fidgeting.”

Axel grabs a protein bar from his bag and throws half of it my way. “They’re thirty fucking minutes late. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” He chews his bar, then looks back out at the designated meeting zone. “Why the hell is Linc with Ford anyway? It should be Rook and Ford.”

“Ford wanted Linc today.” I don’t give anymore thought to it than that. He’s the team leader, and he makes those calls.

Through my scope, I clock movement to the east, and speak into my coms, “Get your shit together and your party hats on, boys, because the guests just showed up.”

A caravan of old military vehicles is heading down the winding dirt road toward our team, who waits to make the handoff.

I make my adjustments and settle in, while Command gives information through our coms.

Axel hunkers down in place on the other end of the roof and prepares to have the team’s back, should anything go wrong.

The fucking dirt kicks up with the dry wind that’s always present in this sand pit as two men emerge from the first vehicle, followed by two more from the second. All of them carry AK-47s strapped around their necks.

The men from the second vehicle pull two hooded women from the car and shove them out in front of them, digging the barrels of their guns into the women’s backs. But they don’t move toward Ford and Linc, leaving that instead to the other two men.

Ford holds the duffle full of money at his side but tells them he needs proof of life before he shows them the money.

“Remove the bags from their heads,” Ford’s voice filters through my earpiece.

“That’s five million dollars in Ford’s hands, Sinclair.” Axe places his eye against his scope. “You ever seen five mill in cash before?”

“Nope. And we’re not going to today either.” Not from up here. “Get your fucking head in the game.”

The potato sacks are ripped off both women, and yup, they’re the women we’re looking for. Banged up and bruised, but they appear to be in one piece. “Confirmed,” I say into my coms. “I have eyes on Saylor Reynolds and Calista Gallo.”

Ford gives the signal to confirm he heard me.

“Shit.” The guy from the first car turns, yelling something behind him. “What the fuck is he saying?” I ask anyone who can confirm.

“No clue,” Rook answers into the coms. “He’s too far away.”

“He’s moving. He’s moving,” Linc adds as the men behind the girls pull them back.

“Fuck. Something’s got them spooked.” I look into the hills but don’t see anything.

“Disable the last car” is ordered. And I don’t hesitate before taking out their tires.

“Are we taking out the others?” I ask, then look over at Axel, who’s been strangely quiet. “Axe, man. You with me?”

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