Page 123 of Her Selfless Warrior (Omega Sky)
“The good news is that I had eyes on Lark and she’s alive. The bad news is that she passed out as soon as she stepped out of the vehicle.”
Kostya shut his eyes, then opened them.She’s alive. That’s what he had to focus on, she was alive.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“There’s a road that goes a little way in, with a chain across it that says no trespassing. I parked my bike behind there. I jogged back behind to the south side of the facility. It’s nothing but woods back here. In order not to be seen, you’re all going to have to hoof it. The storage unit doors are facing to the north, so they won’t see us.”
“Got it.” Kostya saw Jase’s truck coming in behind him. He turned left onto the road that Ryker had described, and Jase followed him.
They all scrambled out of their vehicles. Both Jase and Kostya pulled out identical bolt cutters that were used by fire and rescue teams. They did have different assault rifles; Jase had a MK 16 SCAR, while Kostya preferred the M4A1 Carbine. Jase tossed out one more SCAR to Nolan.
“What, none for me?” Gideon bitched.
“Here,” Kostya handed him his second Sig Sauer.
“Fuck that noise, I’ve got my own,” Gideon sniffed. “Give me the bolt cutters.”
“Shut up and start running,” Kostya said as he tossed Gideon the bolt cutters, then turned around and headed for the storage unit. He wasn’t even breathing hard by the time he met up with Ryker.
“What was wrong with her? How was she looking?” he immediately asked Ryker.
“I was looking at them from the east side. I didn’t have binoculars or a scope, so I couldn’t get a good look. One of the guys dragged her out of the SUV. She was standing on her own for a moment, then she slumped over. She would have hit the ground if he hadn’t caught her.”
Kostya grit his teeth.
“Which unit?”
“The second one from the west end.”
Jase, Nolan, and Gideon were there listening to Ryker’s report.
“I want cuts on the ends of both sides of the south fence. Then I want Jase to go in on the east side, followed by Nolan. Ryker, you’re with me on the west side.”
“And me? Am I just chopped liver?” Gideon asked.
“You’re coordinating. If you hear anything that doesn’t sound right, I want you orchestrating the action.”
Gideon nodded.
“Go.” Kostya started toward the end of the south fence that was closest to Lark’s storage unit. He had to get to her, but he had to stay sane about it.
Ryker ran around to the west fence, then came back to where Kostya was beginning to cut.
“The storage unit is open at the bottom, maybe five inches. I don’t hear a sound coming out. The Escalade is parked in front.”
Kostya nodded, continuing to cut, wincing with every snap the cutters made.
When he’d cut enough fence away, he and Ryker pulled at it so they could make their way through.
A scream rent through the glorious calm of the Southern night.
I hear nothing. Nothing.
Kostya was no longer there. He had disappeared. He was no longer human. He had one mission—to destroy. To kill.
There was an occasional buzz in his ear as he strode around the side of the storage units. He felt his man at his back. He looked up for a moment. Two others were coming at him.
“Are you all in position?” It was Gideon.
