Page 119 of Wrecked
Addison! Focus!This isn’t a role play… but it would make for a phenomenal one.
Breaking eye contact, she started her box-breathing as Hawk led them over to the far end of the parking lot where both ALPHA helicopters waited. A Bell 407, like the one at the training facility, and a Bell UH-1Y Venom.
Stryker fired up the lights so Hawk could start his pre-flight inspection.
“I’m flying the Venom,” he said.
The Venom was a larger, Marine helicopter that had been modified for ALPHA. Behind the cockpit sat the body of the bird, equipped with two rows of four seats that faced each other. That freed up the center section for cargo or to transport additional Operatives. The last time he’d flown this helo was when he’d been part of a mission to rescue Cooper’s niece.
They waited while Hawk did his pre-flight inspection.
Addison stood apart from the group to focus on clearing out any emotional baggage that could get in the way of her doing her job. A few minutes passed before she realized Tommy hadnotstopped running his mouth.
“Life as an undercover cop was so different,” Tommy said. “I was immersed in their gang. They trusted me with their lives.” He chuckled. “I had them fooled so bad.”
“Yo, Tommy,” Stryker said. “It’s quiet time.”
“Seriously?” Tommy asked. “What for? We’re just going to a house and taking out some dudes.”
Addison flicked her gaze to Emerson who shook her head. Each of them knew the gravity of what they were about to do. They might be walking into an ambush. They could all die, or get shot up so badly, they’d never walk again.
There wasn’t a rule preventing Operatives from talking on the way to a job, but they just didn’t. Maybe they’d learned it from one another. Maybe it had been passed down from the beginning. Addison didn’t know, but she appreciated the silence.
When no one responded to Tommy, he finally shut up.
A cell phone started ringing and Tommy pulled his from his pocket. “I’m gonna take this real quick.”
Stryker grabbed the phone, killed the call, then shut it off. “You’re gonna get us all killed.”
“Sorry, I’ll put it on silent,” Tommy said.
Hawk jogged over. “What the hell is going on?”
Stryker held up Tommy’s phone. “Tommy brought this with him and it was on.”
Hawk shook his head. “Let’s take a walk.”
“Can I have my phone?” Tommy asked.
“No. It stays here. Didn’t you fucking hear Hawk’s instructions?” On a growl, Stryker strode toward the building.
Hawk dropped an arm over Tommy’s shoulder and led him away from the group.
Tommy jerked away. “You got something to say to me, say it.”
“No personal phones on a mission,” Hawk said. “I said that foryourdamn benefit in the conference room. No phones, no IDs, no jewelry. We got two burners for emergency purposes. If something goes down, these guys cannot know who we are.”
Stryker jogged back to the team.
“Sorry, I must’ve missed that,” Tommy explained.
Hawk and Stryker exchanged glances.
“You been drinking?” Stryker asked Tommy.
“Not tonight.”
“What about earlier?” Stryker asked.
