He looked to Dig, waiting for the signal to climb. The moment his leader motioned for them to move, Beckett readied himself for the ride.
His right hand slid down toward the end of his rifle’s barrel, grabbing the thick shoulder strap at the spot where it connectedto the weapon’s rail. There were about five yards separating him and the wall, which allowed for plenty of space to gather speed.
Beckett took a broad step forward, using the grip on his rifle’s strap to swing it up and over his left shoulder with ease. With it hanging behind his back and out of his way, he picked up his pace and jumped.
Arms stretched high above his head, Beckett’s upper body slammed against the concrete with an audibleoof. He curled his fingers around the wall’s upper ledge, grunting as he immediately began pulling himself up.
The rubber soles of his boots kept his feet from slipping free as he worked his body up the wall. Biceps burned, and the muscles in his thighs screamed from their efforts, but thanks to countless hours spent training, Beckett and the others cleared the crest of the wall with relative ease.
A quick glance at the ground below confirmed he was cleared to land. Not wasting any time, he pushed himself off the ledge, and for a full second and a half, he was completely airborne.
His feet hit the manicured lawn as the others dropped to the ground around him. Before they could take another step, Shadow made herself known once again.
“Excellent job, boys. Now comes the fun part.” The sound of Shadow typing resonated throughout the comms. “Everything’s still showing a go from my end.” A few more clicks. “Just watch your backs and stay alert. This thing will be over before you know it.”
Easy for you to say, sweetheart.
Using nothing but hand signals, Digger put the next stage of the mission into motion. The two teams moved together as one, like a well-oiled machine designed to kill…and protect.
With their focus on point and their rifles at the ready, the highly trained group of men spread out wide. Moving side-by-side in a long, horizontal line, they crossed the first part of the estate’s expansive backyard with ease.
Beckett scanned the area where they were headed. The home’s outdoor lighting was more than sufficient, making it easy as hell to spot their first two marks.
Two men. Both early thirties, if he had to take a guess. Dark skin, closely shaved heads, and baggy clothes that looked more than a little worn. In their hands were matching automatic rifles, but their focus was on each other and the conversation they were having, rather than where they should have been looking.
They have no idea what’s about to go down.
Their suits and weapons were black as night, helping to conceal their presence as they covered more ground. Water squished around Beckett’s toes as he walked, but as he’d done numerous times before, he ignored the uncomfortable sensation and kept on.
Digger caught their attention with a sharp wave of his left arm. With all eyes on him, he gave further instructions without ever uttering a single word.
In a methodically smooth transition, Mustang, Midas, and Pid broke away from the rest of the group. They flanked out to Beckett’s left.
Their goal was to neutralize the targets standing guard at the massive structure’s southwest corner before making their way to the assholes watching over the front door. From what Beckett had read about the badass group of sailors, he had no doubt in their ability to get the job done.
Next to cut loose from the pack were Jag, Slate, and Aleck. Taking the opposite approach, the three SEALs kept their rifles up and their steps purposeful as they moved to cover the north.
With the other team initiating coverage for those areas of the estate, Beckett, Digger, Apollo, and Falcon headed due west.Twenty yards in, Digger pointed to the left of the pool they were quickly approaching.
He gave Falcon a silent order to head that way as Digger and Beckett continued straight. As they moved, their team leader used the same sort of hand signals to send Apollo to their right.
Knowing his teammates were covering both him and Dig, Beckett’s focus lasered in on the man standing to the left of the patio door. He kept the man in his sights while moving across the freshly cut grass. Using a tree as cover, he came to a stop while Digger did the same behind a different tree several yards away.
Digger looked over to where Beckett stood, checking to make sure he was ready. A curt nod was all it took for the former SEAL to initiate their final approach.
Here goes nothin’.
On Digger’s mark, he took aim, readjusting his sights to ensure a fast, clean kill. His target came into perfect focus, the man’s attention still honed in on whatever his buddy was saying.
Beckett’s finger slid down into position, slowly curling around his rifle’s trigger as he watched and waited for Digger to make the final call. When he did, both men took their shots, and the two targets standing guard by the mansion’s back door dropped to the concrete below.
Neither Beckett nor Digger wasted time thinking about what they’d just done. Instead, the two hostage rescue specialists each rounded the trunks of their respective trees before moving swiftly toward the edge of the impressive in-ground pool.
As they did, Falcon and Apollo took care of the four targets they’d been authorized to kill, which gave their entire team a clear path to the home’s rear entrance.
“East side clear,” Digger spoke through the comms, giving everyone—including Shadow—an update on their status.
“Copy that,” Shadow came through first. “It looks like Mustang and his men are almost finished?—”