Breaking Ties by Elle James
Chapter 12
The two Deltateams surrounded the compound tucked into the hills. By coming in over the top of a ridge, they were able to study the layout and locate the guards on the perimeter before moving in.
Bull, Lance and Blade took out the guards perched in the hills. Then the rest of the team moved in.
The compound was in a state of uproar as the terrorists hurried to break camp, load trucks and people to bug out. One tent remained standing in the middle of the camp. Everything else had been torn down and loaded.
“I’m going for the back of the tent,” Dawg said.
“I’ve got your six,” Rucker responded.
“We’ve got the guards on the front,” Blade said into Dawg’s headset.
“Charlie Team will work the rest. Go get the doc and nurse,” Charlie team leader said.
As one, the teams moved in. With so much confusion, they were able to take out a number of the Boko Haram terrorists using knifes and stealth.
As Dawg and Rucker moved closer to the back of the big tent, a guard carrying an AK-47 left his position to go to the front where Blade, Bull and Lance were taking care of the guards there. Rucker went after the guy heading for the front while Dawg moved toward the back of the tent, hoping to find a doorway inside. Before he got there, a shadow moved from behind a barrel, and a figure stole up to the tent, dropped to the ground and looked beneath the edge.
His pulse picked up. The figure wasn’t one of the Boko Haram, and it had a shape unlike any man in the compound. The most telling feature was the long hair hanging down from a ponytail.
Beth.
His first instinct was to rush forward, pull her into his arms and hold her tightly. But he couldn’t risk exposing himself and her to the terrorists rushing around the compound. Instead, he eased up to where she lay on the ground, grabbed her from behind and clamped his hand over her mouth to keep her from crying out. She fought him, struggling to shake him off her back.
“Shh,” he whispered. “It’s me. Dawg.”
Immediately, she stilled.
He removed his hand from her mouth, rolled off her and onto his feet. Still hunkered low, he pointed to the edge of the compound, indicating she should escape with him.
Beth shook her head and pointed to the tent. “Jonathan,” she whispered so softly he barely heard what she said.
Shots were fired, and all hell broke loose.
“Got two of the guards,” Rucker said. “Two ducked back into the tent. Sounds like Team Charlie has made contact.”
“We have and could use some help.”
Dawg pulled his knife from the scabbard on his hip. “Make some noise so I can get into this tent,” he said into his mic.
He handed his nine millimeter pistol to Beth. “Can you?”
She nodded, flipped the safety off and held the gun in both hands.
A moment later, a loud explosion rocked the ground. At that moment, Dawg poked his knife through the canvas and ripped an opening large enough to allow him to enter. He dove inside and rolled to his feet. The guards that had entered the tent turned, weapons swinging toward him.
Dawg shot the first guy, took out the second and was turning to look for more when another shot rang out. A guard standing on the other side of a cot in the middle of the room swayed and fell to the ground.
Dawg turned to find Beth beside him, his gun held tightly in her hands.
“Drop your weapons, or I shoot the doctor,” a gravelly voice said from the cot.
The man lying there held a gun pointed at Colonel Parker’s chest. His hand shook.
Colonel Parker swung his hand upward, knocking the gun from the wounded man’s hand. It flew across the room and landed near Dawg’s feet. “Count yourself lucky. I’d have let them shoot you, but I think you might provide valuable intel.”
The sounds of gunfire continued, and truck engines revved as some of the terrorists made a run for it. Before long, the Deltas reported that they’d secured the site, and all the bad guys had been neutralized.
Black Hawk helicopters landed nearby. The wounded were loaded first, along with Colonel Parker, Beth and the Boko Haram leader, Kahbir.
Dawg didn’t want to let Beth out of his sight, but he couldn’t leave until all the Deltas could be transported out.
With their former base of operations nothing but ashes, they were flown to an airfield and out to Rota, Spain.
Dawg didn’t see Beth again. The team was headed back to the States. He hoped he’d see her soon. Until then, he’d have to wonder if she’d still want to go out with him, or if she’d patched things up with her former fiancé.