SEAL of Approval (13 page)

Chapter Nineteen

Mike
skidded his truck to a halt outside of the team building and sprinted inside, leaving Axe in the cab. Reaching his locker he grabbed his low-profile body armor and stuffed it in a gear bag. As he turned to leave, he locked eyes with TJ who was sitting on a bench seat working on paperwork.

“Mike, you OK, brother?” asked the Chief.

For a split second he contemplated not telling TJ. But the squad was his family and if anyone knew what to do it would be TJ. “No. Some Mexicans grabbed Ali and they want an exchange in…” He checked his watch. “Forty-five minutes.”

“Exchange for what?”

Mike sighed. “Me. It has to be linked to Barbosa’s brother. This is the revenge the Lieutenant briefed us on.”

TJ pulled open his locker and grabbed his gear. “Right, and they gave you a deadline?”

“Yeah, an hour. Don’t call the cops and come alone.”

TJ slipped into his rig. “Motherfuckers don’t know who they’re messing with.”

Rick entered the room with Ernie. “Who doesn’t know?”

“No time to explain. Grab your gear and meet me at the armory.”

“We got a job on?” asked Ernie.

“Yeah, I’ll explain on the way. Mike, you got a location?”

He held up his phone. “Atlas Quarry, only ten miles away. It’s got high ground all around it.”

“Rick, you’re on the sniper rifle,” said TJ as he ducked out of the team room.

Three minutes later Mike pulled the truck in front of the armory. TJ had already unlocked the secure building. The boys grabbed their weapons and climbed into the bed of the pickup with Axe. TJ tossed in a bag of preloaded magazines they kept for contingencies and joined them, securing the cover.

“OK, let’s do this,” he broadcast over the secure radios they wore.

Mike checked his watch as they sped across the causeway that linked Coronado to the mainland. They had thirty minutes to make the timings dictated by Ali’s kidnappers. Flooring the accelerator, he sent the truck screeching around a corner.

“Steady, brother,” transmitted TJ. “I’m trying to study Google earth back here and come up with a plan.”

“We’ve got a plan,” said Mike. “We’re going to kill them all and rescue Ali.”

“Good plan. I’m keen to flesh it out a little.”

“Well you better hurry because we’ve got less than half an hour to get there.”

***

Ramirez sat smoking, watching the clock on the wall above the woman’s head. Uneasy, he switched between the clock and studying his captive. The woman still believed this was all some kind of test that her boyfriend had organized. Why he would do such a thing baffled him. “Do you still think this is a game?” he asked, exhaling a stream of smoke into her face.

She coughed as her eyes darted from the armed guard in the corner of the room to the camera set up on the tripod.

“Your boyfriend, Mike, killed someone important to my client. Someone he loved dearly. Because of that, he has asked to watch Mike lose someone close to him. Unfortunately, that someone is you.”

He watched as realization set in followed by mounting panic. “You don’t understand. He won’t come. He thinks I wanted to cheat on him.”

“He will come. I sent him your angry little message.” He laughed as she struggled against her bonds. Then, somehow she managed to tip the chair over backward. There was a loud crack as her head struck the concrete.

“Shit.” He leapt to his feet. The last thing he needed was for her to die before the target arrived. “Get her upright,” he barked at the guard.

The man grabbed the chair and yanked it onto its legs. Her head lolled forward against her chest.

Ramirez checked her vitals. She was breathing and had a strong pulse. Inspecting the back of her head he found a rapidly expanding lump. She would live, for now.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention.

“There’s a truck approaching.”

“Is it him?”

“Our snipers have confirmed there’s only one person in the vehicle.”

“Good. Let’s go out and meet him.” He turned to the guard watching over the woman. “Make sure nothing happens to her.”

On his way out of the equipment shed Ramirez drew his pistol and checked it was ready. Then he joined the four men waiting to provide him with security. The rest of his people were already in their ambush positions.

***

Mike
slowed the truck as he drove through the gates at the quarry. A battered sign read,
Atlas Resources
. He inched the truck forward, scanning the terrain for any sign of an ambush.

“Rick, you got anything?” he asked through his earpiece. They’d dropped him on a back road with access to the hill behind the quarry. He’d sprinted to get into position in time to cover their arrival with his sniper rifle.

“Negative,” he managed between breaths.

“OK, we’re going in.” He drove the truck into a clearing in front of a cluster of buildings. Stopping in line with a huge ore crusher, he opened the door and stepped out into the dust.

Dry, hot air assaulted his senses, sun reflecting off the sheer rock walls of the quarry. Through his sunglasses he spotted movement. “We’ve got five tangos pulling CPP on a single primary. Gotta have at least a sniper pair in overwatch.” His lips barely moved as the five men escorted a single, seemingly unarmed individual dressed in a suit and aviator sunglasses. As they got closer Mike identified he was Latino, they all were. There was no doubt about it. They had to be the Butcher’s men.

“Rick?”

“I’ve got eyes on one sniper, looking for others.”

Mike glanced at the high ground dominating the quarry then focused on the men. “Where’s the girl?” he yelled.

Aviators stepped forward. “She’s inside. Surrender yourself and I’ll release her.”

“Like hell!” yelled Mike. “You bring her out here and show me she’s alive. Then we’ll talk about what happens next.”

The man laughed as his security detail aimed assault rifles at him. “The way I see it, you’re coming with us, no matter what.”

“Taking down the first sniper,” reported Rick.

Mike thought he caught a glimpse of movement high on the lip of the quarry as he raised his hands. “Fine, I’m coming.”

“Target down. I’m going for number two,” said Rick.

Suddenly a shot rang out from high on the quarry wall. A bullet shattered the windshield of Mike’s truck.

“Shit, sorry guys,” said Rick. “Fucker got a round off. He’s neutralized.”

As Mike dropped to a knee, he whipped a pistol from the back of his pants. Blasting away at the group of men he saw one fall before the others returned fire. He sprinted for cover. Bullets churned the dust around him

From the back of the truck, Ernie and TJ appeared, their carbines spitting lead.

Axe leapt from the bed onto the gravel and dashed to Mike’s side as he found cover behind the gravel crusher.

“Covering,” Rick reported from the crater wall above them.

Ernie slid in next to Mike, tossing him a spare carbine and assault rig. It took him a second to throw it on then they fired in the direction of the buildings as TJ sprinted toward them.

“What the hell happened with Rick?” Mike asked as he shrugged on the rig. “Is he OK?”

“Yeah, when he nailed the sniper, the prick got a shot off,” said TJ. “We’ve got to fight through before they kill Ali.”

Ernie returned fired then yelled, “That’s going to be a problem. We’re outnumbered.” A volley of bullets clanged into the crusher sending the men ducking for cover.

“Rick, what have you got?” TJ transmitted.

“I’m taking heavy fire, guys. I’m going to have to move. We’ve taken out three guys. I think there’s at least ten more.”

More rounds hit the crusher forcing them further back. Mike searched for Axe but couldn’t find him anywhere. “Guys, have you seen Axe?”

“Negative,” responded TJ.

“He was here a second ago,” said Ernie.

For a second Mike forgot the raging gun battle and searched for the dog. He was nowhere to be seen. Clearly he was still suffering from PTSD, because despite being trained to work in a gunfight, he’d run away.

“Team,” TJ’s gruff voice snapped him back to reality. “We need to flank these fuckers. Mike, can we climb up through the crusher and over that mound of rubble?”

Mike peered up through the rusted steel beams. “Yeah, but that’s going to take us further from the buildings. That’s where they’ll be holding Ali.”

“It’s our only option, bud. If we stay here we’re going to be dead and of absolutely no use to her.”

Mike clenched his fists in frustration. “I’ll lead.”

Chapter Twenty

Ali’s heart raced as
the sound of gunfire echoed through the flimsy walls of the storeroom. She fought the tape that held her arms to the chair. By wriggling her fingers she’d managed to loosen the bonds, ever so slightly. Thankfully, the boss with the sunglasses hadn’t replaced the hood and she could see, albeit barely. The blow to the back of her head had left her with blurred vision and a splitting headache.

Suddenly, bullets punched through the thin sheet metal to her left. She screamed, toppling the chair over and onto her side. Her heart felt like it would explode as she fought her mounting panic.

The door opened. A blurry figure entered. She assumed it was the guard. She felt his hands grab her shoulders and push her back upright. “Don’t move, bitch.”

At that moment, she spotted a second, smaller shape at the doorway. A shape she knew well. His low guttural growl filled Ali with hope.

“Axe, it’s you?”

She flinched as he leapt toward her. The guard screamed as Axe slammed into him. His weapon clattered to the ground. He fought back but Axe’s attack was brutal. As Ali’s vision finally cleared she saw the guard dash from the room, his mauled arm dangling uselessly.

“Good boy, Axe.”

The dog nuzzled her then sat next to her, watching the door like a hawk.

Ali worked her taped wrists back and forth, managing to loosen them enough to free one hand. Then she pulled the tape from the other. Gunfire still raged outside as she stripped the tape from her legs, wincing as it tore her skin.

Barefoot, and still wearing her dress from the night before, she padded across to the door and peered out. No sign of her guard, she spotted a number of gunmen firing out toward the quarry. There was an enormous front-end loader parked in the shed, obscuring the others.

“Where do we go, Axe?”

The dog led her out through a back door and away from the gunfight. He followed the shed before stopping at a corner. Ali made her way cautiously over the gravel and stopped alongside him. “Hey, we need to get out of here, buddy.”

Axe whined as he stared intently in the direction of a rusted ore crusher. Ali spotted Mike’s shattered pickup a short distance away.

“He’s out there, isn’t he?”

Axe’s eyes never left the crusher.

“If we go out there we’re dead, Axe. But, there might be another way. Come on, boy. Let’s see what we can do.”

***

“
RPG
!” yelled Mike when he spotted a plume of smoke spiraling out from the enemy position. The rocket screamed toward them and slammed into the pile of concrete drainage pipes they were using as cover. It exploded, showering them in dust and shrapnel. He felt a searing burn on his upper arm as hot steel sliced through his shirt.

“Everyone good?” bellowed TJ as he jumped to his feet and returned fire.

Mike checked his wound. “I’m good.”

“I can’t see shit,” reported Ernie.

Mike registered the sound of another rocket launching. It streaked away from the equipment sheds and detonated high up on the cliffs. “Rick, you OK, buddy? That was a bit too close for comfort.”

“Guys,” Rick’s voice was weak. “I’ve been hit. I’ve taken some shrapnel to the leg. Bleeding badly. Gonna try to get a tourniquet over it.”

Mike turned to TJ and took in his grim expression. “We better call 9-1-1. We can’t do this alone.”

“Agree. We’re pinned here. Without backup they’re going to–” Another rocket exploded against the cement pipes. “-Pick us off one by one.” He pulled out his phone and made the call.

Without Rick’s covering fire the barrage hitting their position intensified. Mike tried to get a shot off but nearly lost his head as bullets snapped past inches away.

“TJ, Mike, Rick, I want you to know that it’s been an honor serving with you. You’re my brothers. And if we go down here, I’m proud it’s with you,” said Ernie.

“Fuck that,” yelled Mike. “We’re not going out like this.” He leaned out from the pipes and fired full automatic in the direction of the sheds. “We can make a break for the office buildings.”

“Negative, Mike,” yelled TJ. “We wouldn’t make it ten yards. We sit tight and wait for the cops.”

“And what about, Ali?”

“Mike, if she’s still alive, us running out there and getting killed, isn’t going to help.”

“She’s alive, TJ.”

“I don’t doubt that, bud.”

Mike fired another burst. He heard yelling coming from the gunmen.

“Ammo check!” yelled TJ.

“Two mags,” replied Mike. “And, I think they’re forming up for an assault.”

“I’ve got two and a half,” said Ernie.

“I’ve got two and Rick’s out of the fight,” confirmed TJ.

Mike didn’t need him to outline exactly how dire the situation was. Their only hope was that the police arrived in time to turn the tide of the battle.

***

Ramirez
knew he had the SEALs on the ropes. With their sniper down the rest were pinned behind a stack of concrete piping. He’d moved up with his men and was using a cluster of shipping containers to command the assault.

“Bring up the remaining rockets,” he commanded Eduardo. “Have three of the men fire on them from here. The others will assault from the right flank. We need to move quickly before the authorities arrive.”

Men dashed forward to their new positions. Then Ramirez waved them on with his pistol. The men providing covering fire unleashed a hail of bullets and rockets that smashed into the concrete piping. Ramirez grinned as he pictured the SEALs cowering, while his assault force leap frogged from cover to cover on the flank. In a matter of minutes, they would be on top of the Americans.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he checked the screen; it was Barbosa.

“I’ve been sitting in front of this computer for ten minutes!” the Butcher screamed.

“There’s been a change of plans. The SEAL brought friends,” Ramirez yelled over the gunfire.

“You better kill them all or you’re dead!”

Ramirez gritted his teeth. “For all of them the price has tripled.” Barbosa didn’t need to know that he had every intention of killing them for free.

“Fine, but I want evidence. I want photos of them and the woman too.”

The girl, Ramirez had forgotten all about the girl. “It’ll be done.” He terminated the call and turned to his fixer. “Eduardo, kill the girl. Get photos.”

“Yes, boss.”

He turned his attention back to the battle. His men were less than a hundred yards from the Americans now. Soon it would be over. He’d abandon the team and slip away before the police arrived.

“Boss!”

At Eduardo’s panicked scream, he glanced back at the equipment sheds. He heard a rumble and froze. The massive front-end loader plowed through a cloud of diesel smoke. A second later the mechanical monster gained speed and swung toward them. “Shit!” It was the woman behind the controls. As he raised his pistol the bucket lifted, blocking his shots. Diving to one side, he managed to avoid the wheels as it rumbled past.

The men firing on the SEALs were fixated and didn’t see it in time. The blade lowered smashing them into the shipping containers, crushing them. Then the tractor backed off the wreckage and turned toward his assault force.

Ramirez fired his pistol into the back of the cockpit to no effect as it trundled forward. Screaming with rage, he ran after it, ducked between the wheels, grabbed the ladder to the cab, and started climbing.

***

“
You
hear that?” Mike yelled. The rate of fire from the cartel gunmen slackened as the rumble of a powerful diesel engine echoed off the quarry walls.

He peered around the crumbled concrete pipes but couldn’t identify the source of the noise.

TJ and Ernie joined him as he spotted a group of gunmen forming an assault line. “They’re trying to flank us,” he said firing the last of his ammo at the men. The Mexicans dove for cover as two of their force were hit.

Mike dropped his carbine and snatched his pistol from its holster. “I’m out.”

“Me too,” added Ernie.

The gunmen retaliated, unleashing a hail of gunfire. Then, sprinting forward in pairs, they began assaulting, using piles of gravel for cover. Mike fired his pistol, to no effect. Just when he thought it was over, the diesel engine’s noise intensified. A huge front-end loader smashed through the rubble, sending the gunmen scattering in all directions.

As the earthmover turned toward him, he spotted Ali at the wheel. She was handling the twenty-ton juggernaut like a seasoned pro. He spotted a figure at the top of the access ladder; it was the aviators wearing boss. Raising his pistol, he took aim. “Damn.” He couldn’t get a clear shot.

A rifle blasted close to his head. He caught a glimpse of one of the shooters toppling over.

“Get your hands up!” TJ screamed at the remaining men.

Mike ignored them as he sprinted after the earthmover. Out the corner of his eye he spotted a gunman aiming at him and flinched. The man went down.

“I’ve got you, brother,” Rick said softy, over the radio.

Gaining on the front-end loader, he saw the cartel killer wrench open the door and aim his pistol. Then a flash of fur and teeth hit him, knocking him from the ladder. Man and dog plunged between the massive tires, disappearing in a maelstrom of dust and smoke.

“Axe!” Mike screamed as the earthmover came to a shuddering stop.

Heart pounding he peered under the earthmover, into the dust.

Ali appeared from the cabin. “Mike, is he there? Tell me he’s alive.”

As the dust dissipated Mike spotted a mangled and bloodied corpse. “Oh god, no.”

A whimper cut through the air. Axe appeared, bloodied, battered and covered in soil.

“Axe, buddy, are you OK?” The dog walked toward him and licked his face. Mike wrapped his arms around him. “Yeah, you did good boy, you did good.”

Tears streaming down her face, Ali stepped off the ladder and limped across to them. “Is he hurt?”

Mike turned to her. “He’s fine. How are you?”

She nodded, smearing the tears from her face with her hands. “Battered and bruised, but overall, good. Is everyone else OK?”

“Rick got hit. It’s bad.”

The wail of sirens filled the air and a helicopter roared over the quarry. Mike turned and watched as a police SWAT van skidded in the gravel. Black-uniformed officers swarmed from the vehicle, their weapons aimed at the few remaining gunmen who had already surrendered to TJ and Ernie.

“Looks like the cavalry arrived just in time.”

More police cars arrived, followed by a fire engine and an ambulance.

“Guys, if you’re not using those paramedics I could do with a hand,” transmitted Rick over the radio in a weak voice.

“I’m on it,” replied Mike.

“Negative, we’ve got this. You take care of that girl,” TJ said as he and Ernie trotted past with medics in tow.

Mike turned back to Ali. Barefoot, clad in last night’s torn and filthy dress, with diesel soot smeared across her face, she’d never looked more beautiful to him. “Do you think you could bring it upon yourself to forgive me?”

“For ditching me last night or your childish selection course?”

He grimaced. “Both.”

For a split second, her jaw clenched and he thought she would slap him.

“You know you’re an idiot, Mike Saunders?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

“You don’t have to do everything your team-mates tell you to do. Sometimes you can trust your own instincts.”

“They meant well.”

Ali glanced up at the quarry wall where TJ was overseeing the movement of Rick back to the ambulance.

“They’re good guys, Mike, and so are you.”

He grinned sheepishly. “So, does that mean you like me?”

She shook her head. “You’re such an idiot. I’ve known about your crappy test since yesterday morning. Maria called and let the cat out of the bag. I also worked out that Richard
was the Rick you blamed for the food poisoning. Oh, and you both wear the same watch. Pretty slick operation you’re running, not.” Her eyes narrowed. “When I found out I literally wanted to kill you.”

“But, now?”

The kiss surprised Mike. She stood up on her tiptoes and despite his assault rig and rifle, landed it directly on his lips.

As she pulled back, he clasped her close and deepened the kiss. Their mouths still locked he swept her off her feet and into his arms. “We need to get you checked out. You’ve been through a lot.”

She laughed. “Really? You think after your crappy selection course I’m going to be phased by a kidnapping and a gunfight?”

“No. You’re probably pretty well prepared for anything now. But this is for my peace of mind.” He carried her through the gathering crowd of vehicles to a newly arrived ambulance and sat her on a stretcher. A paramedic immediately began inspecting her for injuries.