“North side clear,” Slate announced gruffly.
Mustang followed that with a quick, “South and West are, too.”
“That’s twelve down with only five more to go. Stand by…”
The woman’s voice faded as Beckett and the others waited for her to pass along to them whatever it is she was seeing. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long.
“Okay, so three of the five targets inside just moved from their previous positions. From what I’m seeing, it appears as if one went into a bathroom upstairs, and the other two are heading straight for the kitchen.”
“That leaves two with the hostage?” Beckett checked, just in case.
“Affirmative,” Shadow confirmed. “The unmoving signature is still in the Great Room, still in the exact same spot as before.”
The guy’s definitely restrained.
“Mustang, you and your men still holding steady at the front entrance?” Digger asked the man in charge of the other team.
“Affirmative. Just waiting for the signal to breach.”
Digger looked down the line, his sharp gaze finding Falcon and Beckett before turning to check with Apollo. Seeing his men were ready to roll, the moment they’d all been waiting for finally arrived.
“Remember…” He spoke to every man there. “Shock and awe is the best chance we have at keeping Rahal alive. They hear us coming, they might cut their losses and kill him to keep him from talking. So move fast but stay quiet for as long as you can.”
“Copy that, Dig,” Mustang acknowledged on behalf of his team.
“You ready?” Beckett looked to Digger and waited.
In total mission mode, the other man gave a slight dip of his chin and repositioned his gun before rumbling a low, “Let’s do this.”
Beckett’s damp feet hit the smooth pavement surrounding the pool clearly built to entertain. Complete with a diving board, fancy slide, and a waterfall feature that probably cost more than his car, the outdoor area was just one of many signs that whoever lived here had money to burn.
Maybe if the guy toned things down a bit, he wouldn’t have made himself a prime target for dickhead pirates lurking in the waters, waiting to stumble upon their next big payday.
But Isak Rahal did make himself a target, and now those dickhead pirates were holding him captive in his own home. And it was up to Beckett and the others to see to it the billionaire made it out of this alive.
Just a few more minutes to go…
Beckett and his team stepped past the two dead guys on the way to the home’s French doors. The lights were on inside, making it easy to clear the immediate area, and when Digger saw the coast was clear, he reached for the door.
Trip wires weren’t a concern, given the men at their feet would’ve gone in and out the same way, so Dig simply turned the shiny knob and pushed open the door before crossing the threshold while using his weapon to do an automatic sweep from side to side.
Beckett followed his teammate, the other two men zippering into a single-file line, and within seconds, the entire team was inside Rahal’s house.
Chill bumps raced down his spine as he was met with a blast of cold air. As if the AC had been left running on full blast.
The glassed-in sunroom the team had just entered was a spotless display of white marble. Chic lounge furniture andseveral lush, green plants gave the space a comfortable and relaxing feel.
Beckett didn’t feel comfortable, and he sure as shit wasn’t relaxed. But he was ready to do his job and help put an end to Rahal’s terror.
“Okay, boys, listen up,” Shadow returned with some helpful intel. “Dig, if you’ll go out that door directly in front of you and take a left, there’s a hallway that will lead to the Great Room. At the moment, your path is clear. Mustang, yours, too. The targets in the kitchen are still there, but I don’t know for how long. Your fastest route is through the front door and to the right. If you get to the library, you’ll know you’ve gone too far.”
“Copy that, Shadow,” Mustang responded for his team.
Beckett and his other two teammates followed Digger the remaining distance to the door. It was already half-open, making slipping through it damn near effortless, and in no time, the men of Tac-Ops were on their way down the hall.
The sound of whispering gunshots filled their ears, and Digger’s fist flew into the air. Beckett’s entire team stopped on a dime, standing one in front of the other while they held their breaths and waited.
“Kitchen clear.”