“Where is he, D?” Trace asked through his mic.
“I’m picking up movement on the south side of the building toward that exit,” Derek answered. “Looks like Sadiq’s using the basement to make a run for it.”
“Shit.” Coop stared back at him. “He’s on the move.”
Raising a brow, Trace said, “Guess we’d better go stop him.”
Following Derek’s instructions, the four men fell in line and headed toward Sadiq.
“Where the hell does he think he’s gonna go?” Coop asked as they walked single file down the set of stairs Derek told them to take.
“Probably toward the damn trees,” Trevor assumed.
Grant released a low grunt. “He gets in the woods, we could lose him.”
“Not happening,” Trace assured them all.
They were this close to putting an end to the son of a bitch. No fucking way he was letting Sadiq get away.
Shoving the door open, Trevor cleared the immediate area before motioning for Trace and the others to continue. With a faster pace, they quickly covered the hallway’s distance, each man noticing the crude cell on their right.
Fury ignited inside Trace’s gut as he noticed the dead man lying on the dirt floor. His knife and pieces of bloody rope were on the ground beside him, leaving no doubt that this hell hole was where Emma had been kept.
He’s a dead man.
Having a renewed sense of urgency and purpose, Trace had to fight against the urge to push past the others and rush outside to take the fucker out.
Trevor opened the door to the staircase leading to the property’s south side. Trace and the others followed him up the stairs and into the clearing.
“Target is five yards away, directly in front of you,” Derek’s voice came through the coms again.
Trace spotted the man immediately.
“Sadiq Khaled!” Trevor yelled across the open area. “Drop your weapon and put your hands were I can see them!”
Naturally, the coward kept running.
Unwilling to risk letting him escape, Trace fired several warning shots, his bullets expertly hitting the ground near Sadiq’s feet.
He stopped running.
That’s what I thought, asshole.
“Well, that’s one way to do it.” Coop sent him a sideways smirk.
“Drop your weapon!” Trace ordered their target.
Surprisingly, Sadiq complied. Very slowly, he removed the strap for his automatic rifle up over his head and sat the weapon down onto the grass.
“Put your hands in the air and turn around slowly!”
Again, the man did as he was asked. In almost a painfully slow move, Sadiq turned away from the trees and faced them.
Dressed in a red and white striped, traditional kaftan, Sadiq Khaled looked like every other man you’d see walking down a Syrian street. He was a bit heavier in the belly than in the pictures Ryker had shown them, but there was no mistaking his face.
As Trace stared back at the man who’d caused Jake, his team, and Emma so much pain and grief, he couldn’t help but think about how normal a monster could look.
“With your hands where they are, I want you to start walking this way!” Trevor hollered the next order.