“Yeah, yeah,” Adrian cut the man off as he retrieved his weapons from the dead man’s hands, putting them back in their rightful place. “Not like I’m poppin’ my cherry here, Ryker.”
“Make sure it’s not.”
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” He checked his immediate area for threats and found none.
“Just that this op is different than your others because it’s personal. Just want to make sure you keep your head in the game.”
“My head’s right where it needs to be, dickhead.” Adrian entered a huge, open space.
“Walker’s right,” Gabe spoke up with a surprising show of support. “The guy knows what the hell he’s doing, Jason. Let him focus, yeah?”
The silence that followed was the only agreement they’d get from the Homeland agent. Shaking it off, Adrian recentered his thoughts and made his way across the factory’s main area.
Earlier while on the plane, they’d been briefed on the layout of the building, so they’d know what to expect. Looking around, he saw exactly what he thought he would.
Windows lined all sides of the main floor. Most were broken or altogether missing.
The floor was cracked and covered in inches of dead and decaying leaves. The ceiling, which also appeared to be made of concrete, was being supported by several thick, stone pillars running from one end to the other along the center of the open space.
Definitely something out of an end-of-the-world movie.
A cockroach scattered across Adrian’s path, giving him an idea.
During their ride from the plane to the van, he’d overheard Ghost’s teammate commenting on how he hoped there weren’t a lot of bugs out this time of day. Apparently, the guy fucking hated them.
So naturally he couldn’t resist.
“Hey, Beatle,” he whispered softly. “You’re gonna love it in here. Lots of huge, juicy bugs.”
“Not cool, man,” Beatle grumbled. “Not fucking cool.”
The others chuckled in Adrian’s ear, but he was too busy crouching down to avoid being seen by the guards at the back of the building to join in.
“Heads up. Just spotted the two guards walking along the east wall. I repeat, two targets confirmed along the east wall.”
“Copy that,” Gabe let him know he’d received the message.
Adrian looked up ahead, spotting exactly what he hoped he would. “I have visual of the lower staircase. Heading there, now.”
Waiting to make sure he was in the clear, he stood and quickly made his way over to the top of the staircase. His heart pounded beneath his shirt as he thought of seeing Jenna again.
With each step, he had to force himself not to wonder what condition she’d be in once he located her. With every beat of his racing pulse, he had to push away the fear and dread threatening to consume him.
And above it all, Adrian had to refrain from feeling the hope he knew he shouldn’t have that she’d somehow find a way to forgive him for all of this.
Stay focused, Walker. For Jenna. She needs you now, more than ever.
The voice in his head sounded a lot like Ryker’s. Nevertheless, it was right.
Shaking his personal shit off, Adrian regrouped and kept his head clear as he moved. His gut told him he was on the right path, and he’d find her—and hopefully that bastard, Ortiz—soon.
They’d studied the picture Ortiz sent of Jenna with a fine-tooth comb. Other than the light from the flash, there appeared to be little to no natural light in the place where she was being held.
That, along with the echoing voices he’d noticed as he spoke with Ortiz, led them to believe she was being held on the building’s lower level.
In the basement.
“Approaching the stairs, now,” he relayed to the other men. “No sign of Ortiz.”