Page 84 of Back To Our Beginning

Simon and I kept watch. Him on the living room, me on the kitchen. We didn’t want to waste any time. This looked like an ideal time to strike.

“What do you think?” Simon’s voice came over the comm.

“I see one gun on the couch, and one gun on the coffee table,” I said. “Both of the men are occupied, one more than the other.”

“Agreed,” Simon concurred.

“I want to keep Maddie in the clear. The garage door connects to the kitchen. If I go in through the kitchen window, she should be able to slip into the garage while you and I engage Grizz and Bishop.”

“Got it. You want me coming in from the bedrooms?” Simon asked.

“Yeah. Use the rear corner bedroom window if you can, then come down the hall to the living room. Once you’re in position, I’ll breach through the kitchen, ensure Maddie made it to the garage. You take the guy eating. Neutralize him fast. I’ll cover the woman and the other one.”

“Copy that. Minimal force?”

“Only if they make us. Fast, quiet, and clean.”

We hadn’t really talked about it, but it just came about naturally that I was leading the op. Simon knew I needed to. He was a good man.

It was less than two minutes when Simon told me he was in position. I tapped on the kitchen window, where Maddie was staring out at the trees. She jerked.

I stood still, and I watched as she squinted. I wasn’t wearing night vision, since the house was lit up like a roman candle, so I knew she could make out my head, if not my face. At least not to begin with. I waited. I knew the exact moment she knew who I was.

Her relief was obvious.

I pointed down, and she immediately dropped out of sight. Damn, she was smart.

I jimmied off the window screen, then tried opening the window.

It was unlocked. Smiling, I opened it up and quickly slipped inside. I dropped down beside her.

She was trembling. Gray. Locked in place. Staring at me, her eyes huge.

Her arms were cut to hell, but from what I could see it was all superficial. I winced when I realized she was wearing one of the crop tops she loved so much. I desperately wanted to pull her into my arms. Turn her around and examine her back to see how much damage was done when she had been dragged through the glass, but we didn’t have time for any of this.

I put my mouth right to her ear.

“You good?” I whispered.

She nodded.

I pointed to the garage door six feet away. There wouldn’t be any cover when she ran from the kitchen to the garage door. “On my command, you run low to the garage. Get in there and close the door until I come for you. You got that?”

I saw her struggle to ask questions, but she didn’t, she just nodded.

“Good.” I smiled in appreciation.

“I’m in position,” Simon said through the comm.

I pointed at my ear, so that Maddie would know someone was talking to me.

“I’m ready,” I responded. “On my count.”

I mouthed to Maddie, “You ready?”

She bit her lip and nodded again.

I held up three fingers. As I counted down, I closed my fingers. “Three. Two. One. Go.”