Carter nodded. “Let’s run through this one more time before we roll out.” He pointed to Jack. “You’re driving the bait vehicle. Griffin and one of Camila’s guys are handling the first pursuit team. If another pursuit team is dispatched, I’ll handle that with Camila.” He looked to Sydney. “And you said the boy was in the room over the garage?”
Sydney thought back to that morning when she’d followed Beckett’s gaze as he’d stood on the driveway. “Yeah, I think it’s safe to assume that’s where Miles is living right now.”
“Then he’s your target,” Carter told Liam. “Get Miles out of there. Don’t worry about anything else.”
“Roger that,” Liam confirmed.
“Sydney will disable the security cameras. Then, Sydney, A.J., and Gray will infil the home. First mission is to find Beckett and Jesse.” Carter let go of a deep breath, seeming reluctant to say the next part. “Save Cora and Ivy too.”
The ones who got them into this mess. But yeah, Sydney would do what she could. “Once Beckett and Jesse are safe, we’ll alert you to advance.”
“We should get going,” Camila abruptly announced. “They’re running out of time.”
“And don’t go down the tunnel when you’re inside,” Elaina yelled out, startling Sydney.
Liam turned toward his daughter in the doorway. “What tunnel?”
“That bad man has a tunnel. Just don’t go in,” Elaina said in a steady voice, her eyes wide as if she were seeing events unfold in real time. It was so beyond Sydney’s comprehension, but she was grateful for anything that’d help rescue Beckett and Jesse.
“A billionaire obsessed with Al Capone having tunnels is not surprising,” Mya joined the conversation. “Capone had a bootleg tunnel he used at his home in Chicago. I did my research on him this week.”
“Just don’t go in,” Elaina whispered.
“Okay,” Sydney responded with a firm nod, letting her know she understood.
“Dad.” Elaina turned to Liam and launched herself into his arms.
Liam stroked her back. “I’ll be okay.”
“I know.” Elaina pulled away. “That’s my thank you for saving my best friend’s brother.” She chewed on her lip. “I know it hasn’t happened yet, but it will.”
Sydney adjusted the wireless comm in her ear and waited for Carter’s green light, her heart beating faster than during previous ops. Out of range of Jorge’s perimeter security cameras, she prepped her urban assault CarbonLite ladder kit, designed for special operations to aid in combat situations.
Once she had the go-ahead, she’d use the app on her phone, which was highly advanced software her family’s company had created and had yet to sell to the U.S. government, to scramble Jorge’s security cameras. At that point, she’d head to the twelve-foot security wall and scale it with her assault ladder as planned.
“This is Alpha Four,” Jack announced over the radio. He was too far away to be on comms with her and the rest of Bravo Team, which also consisted of A.J., Liam, and Gray. The others would join the line once they arrived on-site. Sydney dialed down the radio to keep Jack’s voice low as he added, “They’re hot on my tail. The bait worked. Two vehicles en route to Alpha Three’s position.”
“This is Alpha Three. That’s a good copy,” Griffin piped up. Two minutes later, he said, “I have visual. Preparing to engage in three, two, one.”
Thankfully, Griffin’s designated “kill zone” was far enough away that no one at Jorge’s estate would feel the vibrations.
“Both vehicles down,” Griffin shared. “What’s your status, Bravo One?”
“Four more men just exited the gates in one vehicle,” Gray informed them over the radio.
A few minutes later, Carter announced, “This is Alpha One. Target vehicle down. Bravo Team, you’re a go. Disable cameras and move in.”
“Roger that,” Sydney responded, then opened her app and quickly handled the cameras. “Surveillance cams are now down inside and outside the property. We’re clear to infil,” she alerted the team. “Advancing now.”
“That’s a good copy,” Gray said, and Sydney pocketed her phone, grabbed the assembled ladder, and hurried for her target location.
Within seconds, the ladder was up, and Sydney scaled the wall. Once at the top, she stayed low and peeked over the ledge, finding an armed tango ten meters away with his back to her.
She was moving in from the east side of the property. A.J. and Liam were taking the entrance, which was closest to Miles. And Gray was entering from the west. The place was too big to mount an offensive from the back, and they didn’t have enough of them to cover the ground, so they’d have to make do.
Sydney anchored herself to the wall and reached for the Glock, suppressor already attached. She wouldn’t be able to send an arrow from her position, which she would’ve preferred to do.
She quickly fired two shots. Bullets weren’t truly “silenced” by a suppressor like in the movies, but since they were outside, she doubted anyone on Jorge’s team inside the property had heard. “One tango down.”
“This is Bravo Three. Roger that. One guard down here. I’m advancing to higher ground to get a vantage point of the garage,” Liam shared.
“This is Bravo Two,” A.J. spoke up. “Covering your movement, Bravo Three.”
Sydney silently approached the guard she’d taken down, swiped his radio, and hooked it to the side of her khaki cargo pants to keep tabs on Jorge’s team.
She remained crouched and alert as she moved, ensuring there were no snipers in the windows as she advanced.
The second-floor balcony off to the side of the home was her point of entry based on the blueprints Carter had managed to secure a few days ago. But an armed guard walked the length of the balcony, so she’d have to make a run for it.
The man spotted her as she hauled ass across the wide-open expanse of lawn and toward the house. Bullets struck the ground around her, but luckily, the man was a lousy shot.
Made it. Breathing hard, she pinned her back against the wall beneath the balcony overhang and watched as more shots tore up the grass.
“La puta. Perra. Dónde estás?” the man called out.
Bitch? Whore? Well then. She stowed her Glock and went for her bow, prepared to send this man to meet his maker in two seconds.
“This is Bravo Three,” Liam came over comms as she tried to get into a position to take down this asshole from the balcony. “I’ve secured the package. Exfiling now.”
The package. Relief overwhelmed her at the news. Miles was with Liam. Now they just needed to get the others and not die trying.
Sydney closed her eyes, said a quick prayer and pictured her son. Her light to the dark inside her. Her everything. She’d make it out alive for him.
“This is Bravo One,” Gray popped into her ear a moment later. “Alpha Team is en route to join you now.”
Sydney peeled her eyes open, readying herself to move away from the cover of the balcony to take down the shooter, but before she had a chance, the guard’s radio at her hip squawked to life. Her stomach sank at the orders barked out in Spanish. “El hombre. Mátalo, ahora.”