Warrior's Heart (SEAL of Fortune) (8 page)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Ronne and Corporal Londergan ride in uncomfortable silence. Ronnie is suffering from a serious case of butterflies, remembering how badly it all went horribly wrong the last time she was out of the compound to inspect a “secured” lab. Londergan isn’t nervous, but he is having impure thoughts about the stunning woman riding next to him and has to force himself to pay attention to his driving. 

“Dr. Baker? May I ask you something?” Londergan finally asks to break the silence.

“Sure. Londergan, isn’t it?”

“You can call me Jason, ma’am. The rumor is that Evans jumped off a three-story building after you were taken. Is that true?”

“I guess. There was no other way down that I know of. He jumped down to another roof, but there were no ladders or stairs that I saw. So I guess he jumped off at
least
a two-story roof to the ground. Why?”

Jason shakes his head as he grins. “Those fucking SEALs. They are the baddest of the bad asses. I saw the car he was driving when he was ambushed. That thing is beat all to shit. I have no idea how he managed to get away in that thing.”

“It wasn’t easy.”

“You were there?” Jason asks in surprise.

“Yeah.”

“No shit? What happened?”

“We were just sitting in the car when someone started shooting at us. Ryker, he used that poor car like a battering ram. He destroyed three other cars before we got away. Then, when the SUV died, we hid in a store until help arrived. I was never so scared in my life. Ryker shot a guy just as I ran out of the store to get in the SUV the embassy sent.”

Londergan looks at Ronnie with new respect. Hot as shit and tough too! “I saw him get away with you after he took out your kidnapper. What happened after that?”

“Were you one of the guys hiding behind the SUV after the bomb went off?”

“Yeah. Me and Private Vaughn. I have to tell you, I was about to shit my pants, but that fucking Evans was standing out in the open cool as a fucking cucumber. It took real balls to make that shot.”

“Which shot?”

“When he shot that guy holding you. From that distance with a service pistol? Big brass ones.”

Ronnie smiles. “You don’t know the half of it. After we ran off he shot two more guys before they could even get out of their car, then he stood down a guy that was shooting at us using his empty gun.”

“He what?”

“His gun was empty. At least I guess it was because he wasn’t shooting it any more. Anyway, this guy was shooting at us and Ryker stands up and just points his gun at him, making him duck back behind the wall.”

Jason begins to laugh. “
Big
brass ones!”

“Then he was going to run at the guy and try to take him with his bare hands I guess. Or something. I don’t know what he was going to do. All I know is that he was going to leave me at the car we were hiding behind and ‘draw his fire,’ whatever that means.”

“It means he was going to try to get the shooters attention on him so you could get away. What happened next?” Jason asks, intrigued. He knew that Ryker was a badass just because he was a SEAL, but if what Dr. Baker is saying is true, he is a
serious
badass.

“I was so scared I was about to panic. I was holding onto his arm for dear life. Before he could get me off of him the embassy car arrived.” Ronnie can feel herself begin to tear up from the memory. “Those guys saved my life. Both of our lives. I don’t even know who they were.”

“Probably CIA. They’re always late to the party.”

Ronnie snorts out a chuckle. Talking with Londergan reminds her of all that Ryker has done for her. What he was willing to do to protect her. Over the past two days she had sort of come to an equilibrium with her feeling about Ryker. But now, after talking about it with Jason and seeing how impressed he is with his actions, she can feel a flicker of feelings for him return. She is just so confused! She both wants him and hates him at the same time!

***

With the tracking car feeding them directions, it doesn’t take long for the rescue team to close the distance… especially when the bugs stops moving. They wait while the tracking car cruises past the location, only to discover the van is sitting empty. Though there is no way to know for certain, because the van is parked near a restaurant it is assumed that the driver is having lunch. After a moment’s thought Ryker has everyone go to ground and wait.

As hoped, forty-five minutes later, the tracking car reports the bugs are moving again. They take a circuitous route through the city; the driver of the van obviously wandering about in a misguided attempt to throw off any would be tails. Because the embassy cars stick out like a sore thumb, the strike teams stay well back and out of sight.

When the van stops again, this time in the
Roumieh Main Road Industrial Zone, Ryker is certain they have arrived at their final destination. The Industrial Zone is on the north-east side of Beirut, well away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. That works to their advantage in that they won’t have to worry overmuch about civilian casualties, but it will make sneaking in a lot more difficult.

The tracker car, a well-worn FIAT that won’t rate a second glance, waits twenty minutes then oozes past the van. The driver of the FIAT, the CIA agent that worked with Ryker to locate the supplier of the equipment, parks the car in a space beside the van and steps into the office on the pretense of trying to sell them a copier.

The idea is to gather what intelligence he can, but he learns nothing, not even if the equipment was delivered to this exact facility. The bug works out to a couple of miles, but it can be located only to within a couple of hundred feet, which means the equipment could be located in any one of four units.

While Ryker and the rest of the strike team wait, the two agents in the tracking car find hit a few more offices in the park, both for recon and to make the copier salesman scam more believable, before finding an out of the way place to park and settle in to watch the van. They don’t have long to wait before two men exit the building nearest the van, climb into the vehicle, and drive away. The men in the FIAT wait, seeing what else they might learn, reporting a steady stream of intel back to Ryker and the rest of the team.

***

Ronnie is about to jump out of her skin. While Corporal Londergan seems cool, only his eyes moving, she can’t sit still, her heel tapping a fast staccato on the floor of the SUV. She can hear the steady commentary from the two men in close, but no one else says anything and Ronnie wants to scream into the silence. How can these men be so calm?

“Nervous?” Londergan asks without so much as a glance at her.

She smiles. “Can you tell?”

Londergan stops scanning the area long enough to smile back at her. “Yeah. The whole truck is vibrating.”

Ronnie stills her leg with a conscious effort, but it is soon starts up again. “When is something going to happen?”

“When Evans says go. Until then, we wait,”
Londergan says, his eyes once again scanning for any possible threat.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Ryker is waiting. He hates going in blind like this. They don’t even know, for sure, if Ronnie’s father is inside. He assumes he is. His presence is probably required to set up the machines, but there is no way to know. He mulls his options.

This is by far their best chance to extract Julian Baker, but only if he is inside! The facility is large enough to hold the lab and a small area where a couple of people could be made comfortable. It is unlikely that they would ever let Dr. Baker out of the lab so there is no point in waiting. If they are going to go, now is the time, while everyone is distracted with the arrival of the new gene sequencers.

“Recon… I’m going in. Hold your position. Fire teams, wait for my signal.”

***

Ronnie feels her breath hitch in her throat at Ryker’s words. She looks at Jason as he reaches down and starts the SUV. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere. But the shit is going to start happening fast now and we need to be ready to move.”

She can hear the sounds of Ryker moving about in this vehicle, then the pinging of the door chime as he opens the door with the keys still in the ignition. A few minutes later Ryker’s voice, laced with a heavy southern accent, comes in her ear.

“Hey, man, do you speak English? I’m so lost. I’m looking for FAST Auto Transport. Man, I can’t read shit around here. I’m supposed to see some guy there about a car.”

“Do you have an address?” another voice asks with a slight Lebanese accent.

“Yeah. It’s, uh… what the hell is this?
Nahr el Mot—Roumieh Main Road? Which is what this is, right? But there is no street number or nothing! I thought I could find it, but I’ve finally given up. I don’t know how you guys find anything.”

“I am unfamiliar with this business. Wait here a moment.”

Ronnie waits, her heart in her throat as the silence lengthens. Finally the Lebanese voice comes back. “It is just down the road. Go back to
Roumieh and turn left. Stay on Rourmieh for 12 kilometers. It will be on your left.”

“Thanks man. I really appreciate it,” Ryker says. “Could I ask another favor? I really need to take a leak.”

“A what?”

“A leak. A pee. I need to go to the bathroom. I’ve been looking for this place for an hour. If I miss it again, I’m not sure I can hold it. Do you mind if I use your restroom?”

Ronnie hears a pause, then Ryker’s voice returns.

“Come on man. Please. I can’t negotiate for this car while having to piss, or with a wet stain on the front of my pants.”  

There is another long silence but finally, the man agrees. “Follow me.”

***

Ryker follows the man into the back. He wasn’t sure the man was going to let him go, and he didn’t want to start shooting people until he was sure of his target. Shooting an innocent man would really ruin his day.

As the door from the front office closes behind him Ryker makes a quick survey of the large room using only his eyes.

To his left is a wall, formed by a small interior office space, the wall creating a short hall. To the right is a tiny room jutting out from the concrete wall… probably the restroom. As he steps from behind the office wall, he takes a quick count of the men.

There are nine men there, counting his guide. Six of the men are busy uncrating and setting up equipment… and one of them is Dr. Julian Baker. Two more men are lounging on a couch against the far wall, watching the other six work, their assault rifles near to hand. In the far corner of the room is another small room with a large window. One of these two interior rooms is probably where Dr. Baker sleeps.

“Here,” the heavy set man says, pointing to the door of the tiny room.

Ryker smiles. “Thanks man! You’re a life saver!” Ryker steps in the bathroom and closes the door before he urinates so the man he is certain is listening at the door can hear it. He then flushes and turns the water on in the sink.

As the water runs Ryker pulls up his pant leg and removes his weapon from his ankle holster, doing the same on the other leg for the suppressor, and quickly screws the two together. He pulls a couple of paper towels from the dispenser as he tucks his weapon to the small of his back out of sight.

He takes a quick look in the mirror to make sure that he looks normal then opens the door tossing the paper towels into the trash after the door opens enough for the man standing outside to see him do it. 

“Whew! Better. Thank you.”

The man relaxes slightly and backs off. “You’re…”

He never gets to finish his sentence as Ryker quickly pulls his weapon and fires one shot into the man’s chest at point blank range. The suppressor keeps the noise low, but it is not nearly as whisper quiet as Hollywood would have you believe.

The other men in the room whirl at the woofing report of the gun. Ryker’s weapon quickly tracks right and he is squeezing off four more rounds, two into the chest of each of the men on the couch as he perceives them to be the greatest threat.

By now the room is in bedlam. Dr. Baker stands in mute shock as Ryker deals death around the room but the other five men that were working with him are a bit more action-oriented. Ryker moves one step forward and takes out another man with double-tap to center of mass, then retreats three steps to the left toward the front of the building to put the office wall between him and the remaining four gunmen as they bring their weapons to bear.

Ryker knows that, also unlike in the movies, sheetrock walls won’t stop bullets, so he drops to the ground, peeking around the corner from his stomach. As expected, the men begin to riddle the interior office wall with bullets well above his head.

Ryker pulls the trigger three more times, dropping another one of the men. He has six rounds left, but he take the brief lull in the action to eject the magazine, letting it fall with a clatter to the floor while pulling a fresh one from his back pocket. Slapping the magazine into the butt of his weapon Ryker waits to pick his next target. Sixteen rounds and three bandits to go. 

One of the men begins to move for a better sight line around the corner. The moment he steps clear of the blocking table, Ryker drops him with two shots to the chest. Two bandits left. As the man falls the remaining two men begin to spray and pray. Ryker squints against the flying debris as the men destroy the wall with a long sustained burst of gunfire.

Ryker doesn’t speak Lebanese well, but he knows enough to know that one of the remaining men is calling for backup. “Marines! Listen up!” Ryker says quietly. “I need you to move in, but do not, I repeat, do
not
enter facility. Bandits are calling for backup. I want them to have a nice surprise when they get here.” he pauses for just a moment. “Fuck! I’m shot!” he says loudly.

While one of the men covers, the other begins to move toward him. Dumbass. They obviously still haven’t figured out for certain where he is. As soon as he has a clear shot, he eliminates the threat with two pulls of the trigger.

***

Ronnie’s heart nearly stops as Ryker cries out about being shot. She looks at Londergan, her eyes wide in fright.

Jason notices her expression of stark fear and smile’s. “Don’t worry. That’s the oldest trick in the book.” Moments later they hear the soft report of Ryker’s gun. “See. If he were really shot, he wouldn’t have let them know. Or at the very least, not so obviously.”

She relaxes only slightly. When Ryker said he was going to kill everyone she didn’t know he
meant
it. She only now realizes how truly dangerous Ryker is.

Ryker watches the last man wrap his arm around Dr. Baker’s throat and hold his weapon to the doctor’s head. “You fucking American! I will kill him! Do you hear me? I will kill him!”

Ryker stands and steps out from behind the remains of the wall, his weapon pointing unwaveringly toward the man. “Go ahead. I have orders to kill him anyway. Saves me the trouble. But… if you shoot him, you will be dead before he hits the floor. Your call Abdul.”

“No…” Ronnie whispers. She feels light headed and she begins to pant, trying to get her breath.

Corporal Londergan looks at Ronnie. She is pale as a ghost and her breath is coming in short gasps. “Easy there, Doc. Don’t give up on him yet.”

“Ryker said he was going to kill him,” she whispers, unable to catch her breath.

“If Evans was going to shoot him, he would be dead already. Hang tough, okay?” Jason says softly, putting his hand gently on her shoulder in silent show of support and comfort.

***

“Drop your weapon!” the man holding Dr. Baker screams, his eyes wide in fear. He has just watched his one man kill seven armed men in less than thirty seconds. 

“Not going to happen. Your only hope… your
only
hope is to drop that gun right now. Let Dr. Baker go and I won’t kill you.” Ryker knows it’s over.

The Marines outside will keep the goons off of him and he is between the man and door. Now he just needs to get Dr. Baker away from this terrified young man. “Listen to me. Drop your weapon,” he says calmly. “Drop your weapon and I will let you walk out of here.”

“You lie!”

“I’m not lying. I’ll let you walk out. But if you stay, this will end only one way. With your death. Is that what you want? Do you want to die? Here? Today?”

The man looks around wildly. This crazy American, this angel of death, is between him and the only useable door… the large roll-up door behind him, the one that allows trucks in, is locked. He could never get it open in time. But maybe, if Dr. Baker could open it… The man begins to move, edging toward the large door with Dr. Baker in front of him.

Ryker knows it’s a gamble, but squeezes off a single round, shattering one of the laptops sitting on one of the tables just a few feet from the man. “You’re not leaving here with Dr. Baker. I will kill you both first. Consider this your first and final warning.”

The man jumps as the computer explodes beside him. He looks into the American’s face and he sees the truth of his statement. His trainers always told him that the American’s are weak, afraid to fight, but not this American. Suddenly he decides that today isn’t a good day to die after all and pulls his weapon from Dr. Baker’s head, holding it up beside him, his other hand rising to join it in the universal gesture of surrender.

“Dr. Baker. Take his weapon from him,” Ryker says calmly. “Mind the trigger. Then step away.
Do not
step between myself and him.”

Dr. Julian Baker nearly sags in relief. This was even more terrifying than when the two men had shoved a gun into his ribs, put a bag over his head, and pushed him into a car outside of his home. Mindful of what the man with the pistol said, he steps beside his captor and takes the dangerous looking gun from his hand, then steps farther away from him. “Who are you?”

Ryker relaxes a little. “Petty Officer First Class Ryker Evans, U.S. Navy, at your service Dr. Baker.”

***

Ronnie feels her heart leap as Ryker identifies himself. “Does that mean dad is safe? That he got him?”

“Don’t know. But probably,” Jason says.

Ronnie can’t help it as she begins weeps into her hands in relief.