Page 217 of Destroyer
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ALPHA-READY
SYDNEY
An hour later, she and Tank were SWAT-ready. Sydney checked her SIG and her Walther. After filling the magazines, she holstered them, strapped on her helmet, and pulled on her gloves.
Tank did a sweep of the room. “I’ve got my weapons. You all set?”
Sydney stood holding two rifle cases. “We got this.”
He took one from her. “Yes, we do.”
They left the hotel room, made their way down the hallway toward the elevator. A family with two young children were waiting.
“Are you a police?” asked the little boy.
“Yes,” Tank replied. “We are.”
“Are you going to the football game?” Sydney asked.
“Uh-huh,” answered the girl, who looked to be about seven. “Go Navy!”
The elevator doors opened and they waited for the family to enter before joining them.
“Why do you have a gun?” asked the boy.
“To keep you safe,” Sydney replied.
“Those are scary,” said the girl.
“They can be,” Sydney said. “That’s why you should never, ever touch one, right?”
The children stared up at her, their innocent faces searching hers. She offered a smile. As the elevator doors slid open, she said, “Have fun today.”
“Thanks for keeping us safe,” said the mom.
Sydney and Teddy waited for the doors to close. Alone in the elevator, he clasped her gloved hand. “We’re good.”
“I know.”
“We do our best, but this is a job, Sydney.”
The elevator doors opened in the underground parking garage. As they made their way to the ALPHA SUV, she said, “You can tell yourself that, but this mission is very important to you.”
At the vehicle, he unlocked the door, and she secured the rifle cases in the back before she rode shotgun beside him.
Once behind the wheel, he said, “You’re right, this mission does mean a lot to me, but you mean more. I need you to promise me you’ll be safe.”
Love filled her heart. “I will. Same for you.”
He started the engine, drove out. During the short ride over, Sydney pulled up a photo of the stadium. She needed to be as high as possible, but away from spectators. The stadium was open-arena style, so she didn’t have the advantage of standing on a partially-closed rooftop.
At the entrance gate, they were instructed to park in a small lot reserved for VIPs. Before they got out, she showed him the stadium photo.
“This looks like a press box on the south side of the stadium,” she said. “There’s a platform that hangs over the seating. I want to check this out.”
“Why not set up on the corner of the west side?” he asked. “It’s the highest location, plus you’ll have your back to the sun.”
