Whatever It Takes (Code of Honor #5) - Reese Knightley Page 0,1
had started a week ago of an Embassy take over. And after the 2019 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, the Secretary of Defense hadn’t taken any chances.
The hostiles had already infiltrated the building by the time his unit had arrived, but the perps hadn’t been inside long enough to kill anyone.
The Secretary of Defense sent in the best of the best, his Special Forces unit known as Infinity.
“Get in, get out, bring the staff home,” the S.O.D. had ordered.
Infinity did what they did best and would get the job done.
A loud siren filled the air, and on the north side of the house, lights flashed.
“Cat’s out of the bag,” he grunted and lunged upward. Snatching his rifle, he jumped down the steep incline with River on his ass. They raced through the dark trees toward the team.
Gunfire erupted, and perps started shouting. Dillon ran faster, blood pumping, his eyes peeled for anything in his way that could possibly stop him from reaching their unit. Ahead of them was the tail end of his team. Blade always took up the rear when she was covering their asses from afar, otherwise, that was his job. He had no doubt that if something were to happen to him, she’d get the job done. She was one badass motherfucker and a hell of a soldier.
“Base, we may need reinforcements,” Maddox grunted into the mic.
“Roger that, Alpha team,” Sam’s calm voice came over the mic.
A shadow lunged out and Blade ducked, coming up with her knife, but the guy had a gun.
Dillon put two in the fucker’s chest and then leaped over the dead body. It was all done without stopping and the three of them ran to close the widening gap between them and the team.
Captain Maddox Stone set a brutal pace, but River easily caught up to the guy. River made it his mission to watch Maddox’s flank like he owned it. Which he did, because they were a couple.
Dillon spun and took up the rear, and Blade hurried to help one of the hostages pick up the pace. She wrapped her arm around the woman’s waist and half carried her forward.
They moved silently except for the hostages. There was no way to keep them quiet.
In another minute, the chopper came into view, but the noise on their six was growing, and Dillon knew it was only a matter of time before the perps would reach them. The unit started lifting people into the rescue Hawk.
Dillon turned and faced the way they’d come and dropped to one knee. He lifted his weapon to his shoulder and aimed the scope at the line of trees.
He put one into the first perp that stepped into the clearing brandishing a rifle. Five more followed, but then there were too many to count. Bullets hit the dirt and grass flew into the air nearby.
He settled his breathing as he continued firing at the edge of the trees. He’d take out as many of them as possible before he left this earth.
“Dillon, fall back,” Maddox snapped out the order.
He didn’t hesitate. He sent several more rounds toward the trees and lunged to his feet. Racing toward the chopper, he kept firing. Ethan and Blade stepped up to provide him cover.
The enemy kept coming out of the trees.
Suddenly, the roar of a R.A.H. Comanche helo lifted above their heads and sent a barrage of gunfire into the perps and tree line. He hadn’t even heard the fucking thing approaching.
Trees splintered under the impact of the helo’s weapon and the enemy fell.
Dillon leaped into the rescue chopper and grabbed a strap. The rescue Hawk lifted into the air as the Comanche provided cover fire. Dillon watched the scene below them for as long as he could before the bird was up and lunging away.
Once they were at a safe distance, he sat back with a hard thud and jerked down his infrared goggles and unsnapped the strap of his helmet. Resting his head against metal, he drew his sleeve across the sweat dripping down his face.
In front of him sat Blade, who gave him a crooked smile and mouthed, “Close one.”
His silent agreement was a thumbs up.
“Thanks for the extra fire power, Sam,” Maddox’s voice came over the mic.
“It was the colonel’s call,” she informed them, but they all heard the relief in her voice. There was a brief moment of silence, and then Colonel Liam Cobalt came on the mic.