Bad Boy Christmas: Box Set (11 page)

She was one of the best of the best at what she did, as were the four men ahead of her. She never allowed doubt to enter her thoughts. Doubt could get you killed.

And there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that they
would
get the kid home in time for Christmas. Holiday postcard scenes of snow, sleighs, Christmas trees, and carolers flashed through her mind. That was something she’d never had and she wanted to make sure Brandon did.

Through her night vision goggles, everything glowed green-yellow, the goggles assisting her in slipping among the dense foliage, through complete darkness. She easily blended with the night in her black fatigues, her blond hair stuffed under a cap, black paint streaking her face.

She eased under a rubber plant’s thick, low hanging leaves, her booted feet silent on the sodden jungle floor as she made her way toward their target.

Somewhere not too far ahead of her, Brick moved as easily and quietly as she did despite his intimidating size. She was so angry with him that her blood felt like lava in her veins. And she was so furious at herself because she was still unbelievably aware of the potent sexuality of his presence even though she couldn’t see him, couldn’t hear him. He was probably a good two hundred yards ahead of her.

Despite the distance, Janie could almost swear she felt his magnetism beside her. She imagined catching his scent and her belly flipped as she remembered the way he’d felt inside her.

The conflicting emotions were driving her out of her mind. She’d driven him out of his mind enough to fuck her up against a tree to get her “out of his system.” She wondered if he had. Unfortunately he wasn’t out of hers.

She elbowed vines aside while she held back a smirk at the fact the asshole now had a black eye and had walked with a limp for the rest of the day. He seemed fine now, at least where the limp was concerned, which was a good thing considering what they were doing.

The jungle’s humidity caused perspiration to break out on Janie’s skin and droplets of sweat rolled down the sides of her face.

At the last moment, she avoided stepping into a depression in the rich earth beside a banana tree and her heart bounced in her chest. Damn. She caught her breath and gritted her teeth. What the hell was the matter with her? What was she doing thinking about Brick when her focus on the mission needed to be complete? Damn, she would get herself or someone else killed if she didn’t get it together.

She shook her head then easily brought her thoughts to where they needed to be and continued being part of the liquid machinery of the team.

Lights winked in and out of the foliage in the distance. “Compound in sight,” came Brick’s voice.

“In view,” Janie almost said but managed to bite her tongue. She checked the GPS enabled watch on her arm as the others reported their positions.

Within moments Thunder, “Casper,” and “Spit” gave their coordinates. They were far enough away from the compound that she could still use the goggles. Casper would do his thing and take out the generators, enabling the team to take over the compound more easily in what would soon likely be chaos amongst every bastard in the place.

The team had done extensive recon for the past couple of days, which would help make this op go like clockwork. The guys hadn’t even been aware that she’d followed them each day.

When she reached the fringe of the jungle, Janie crouched behind a cover of cecropia trees. The compound’s lights became too bright and she had to push her night vision goggles up and on top of her head.

Surrounded by twenty foot high fencing, several buildings stood in the middle of a massive clearing. Stars winked above the area devoid of jungle vegetation. One of the buildings was huge, the main house where they were sure the kid was being held.

Janie gritted her teeth. The kid could be a needle in a haystack. While they’d watched the compound, it included determining the most likely part of the building the boy was being held in. Over the comm, she’d learned that Brick was certain he’d spotted the kid through a window on the northern side of the building. Janie had thought she caught a glimpse of blond hair through the same window one day, too.

Around the building were the two sets of thick-linked fences with rolls of barbed wire along the inner and outer ten-foot high fencing. At each corner of fencing that formed a square around the compound were tall metal outposts, each with two armed sentries.

“In thirty,” came Casper’s low, casual drawl. Anyone who knew him would have no idea that he was about to wreak havoc on the compound big time.

Janie shielded her eyes with her hand and slowly counted down the seconds. At the exact moment she ticked off thirty in her mind, an explosion rocked the compound.

The entire compound went dark.

The roiling ball of fire shooting toward the sky as sparks jetted from the flames provided enough light to see the sudden pandemonium in the compound. Black smoke boiled from the ground along with the flames. The IED that had just taken out the compound’s main generator had obviously done its job.

Cries and screams echoed in the jungle, coming from the direction of the compound. Men shouted out orders in Spanish while others reacted with cries of chaos.

Another explosion blasted the night. More flames shot up to the sky, the sound so loud she wanted to put her hands to her ears. Instead, she maintained position, her heart pumping blood as if the fire had turned to liquid in her veins. She forced herself to breathe as she waited for Brick to give the order to the men to move in.

Janie blinked in surprise when the compound’s lights flickered—and came back on. Dimmer, but they were working.

She frowned. The second explosion should have taken out the backup generators.

Now, in the light provided by a third set of backup generators, it was easy to see men rushing to surround the perimeter of the fence, their rifles pointed toward the jungle.

Damn.
The team’s main advantage was totally gone if they couldn’t take out the lights.

“Hold on tight, kids,” came Casper’s drawl inside her ear, through the comm. “You might want to cover your ears and close your eyes.”

Janie barely had time to lower her rifle to obey before light scorched the night, lightning-bright even through her closed eyelids. Thunder from the third explosion sounded as though her hands weren’t even muffling her ears.

“Good to go,” Casper said in his usual casual voice.

Janie’s ears rang as she opened her eyes to see the compound was dark again, with the exception of more light from flames shooting toward the sky in the compound’s huge jungle clearing.

She pulled her night vision goggles down, careful to avoid looking at the flames and gripped her rifle tight again.

“Synchronize.” Brick’s powerful voice was strong over her earpiece.

Boy was he going to be pissed when she came out of the jungle with the rest of them. He was too professional to let it distract him, so she wasn’t worried about diverting his attention from the mission.

She glanced from the darkened but chaotic compound to her watch as he continued his countdown in a slow, measured tone, “Five…four…three…two…
one
.”

Janie clenched her jaw as she brought up her rifle. At the same time she pushed herself to her feet and bolted for the compound.

* * *

Rage flowed through Brick as he charged forward. He focused through his night vision goggles as he squeezed the trigger of the M-4 rifle while he took out as many of Chavez’s men as possible.

That sonofabitch, Chavez’s right hand man, was going to die for what he’d done. For daring to kidnap Brandon to draw Brick out for Flynn’s own form of retribution.

When Brick got too close to the compound for the M-4 to be effective, he slung the rifle over his shoulder. At the same time he drew his Glock.

Spit Andersen shot out of the jungle on Brick’s left. He felt no surprise as Janie drew up on his right. The depth of his feelings for her, feelings he’d refused to acknowledge, were shoved even deeper aside. Now was not the time to be thinking of Janie in that way—in any way but as a valuable member of the team.

He tried to be pissed that she hadn’t obeyed him. Truth was she’d be an asset tonight whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Brick didn’t have to look at Spit to know he was leveling a large grenade launcher at the double fences.

The hollow thumping sound of the launcher was nearly lost in the compound’s chaos.

With the next explosion, Brick squeezed his eyes shut for a mere second to avoid the glare in his goggles. He didn’t stop running. He blinked and had the satisfaction of seeing the gaping holes now through both fences thanks to the grenade launcher.

Brick gripped his Glock in both hands as he fired at two more of Chavez’s men. Since Janie was there, he knew that his back was covered as he ran through the gaping wounds in the fence straight toward the main house. He’d rarely seen anyone who could shoot as well as she could. Spit, also a superior marksman nearly as accurate as Janie, would keep things clear behind them.

Adrenaline surged through Brick and his insides felt as if his entire being was strung tight. He and his teammates fought their way through the darkness, the night-vision goggles giving them a big advantage.

When they reached the main house, Brick headed straight for his target. Sure as hell, he knew he’d caught a couple of glimpses of Brandon through the window during the torturous days of recon.

Brick had wanted to rescue his nephew every time the team surveyed the compound. He knew better than to rush things and risk getting the kid killed. After their last day of recon and run-through of each and every drill, Brick had been satisfied they’d recover Brandon.

Once his nephew was safe, Brick would find that bastard, Mark Flynn. Brick would make sure Flynn never fucked with Brick’s or anyone else’s family again.

One of Chavez’s men rounded the corner of the house, his sites leveled on Brick. In the next instant Chavez’s man crumpled to the ground when Janie put a bullet into his head.

When they reached their target destination, Brick pushed up his night vision goggles on top of his head. With fire still consuming some of the outbuildings, he could see well enough as he focused on the small barred window. Flames reflected on the glass making it difficult to see inside.

Janie and Spit stood with their backs to him, covering him from all sides. Regardless of the ear-splitting chaos of the night, he identified every report of their weapons.

It took some effort to keep from worrying that something would happen to Janie. He had to acknowledge that she was just as competent, tough, intelligent, and capable as his other teammates.

Brick stuffed his Glock in its holster and unslung his rifle from his shoulder. He still couldn’t see inside. Damn. He wanted to make sure he didn’t hurt the kid.

He got as close to the window as he could and shouted, “Stand back,” hoping he could be heard. Or at least be seen.

After retreating a step, Brick gripped the rifle, raised it, and through a pair of bars slammed the butt into the window’s glass. The glass shattered—not bulletproof, thank God.

“Brandon!” he shouted through the bars, hoping to hell his nephew was in here. “It’s John.”

“Uncle John?” came the boy’s voice and relief poured through Brick. Brandon’s terrified face came into view. He sounded even more scared than he looked as he added in a stutter, “What—I can’t believe—”

Brick shot a quick glance over his shoulder before looking back at Brandon. “Are you alone?”

Brandon nodded. “Yes.”

Brick searched the room with one sweep of his gaze and spotted a bed. “Get under the bed,” Brick ordered his nephew. “Have to blow these bars and I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Brandon didn’t hesitate. He ran to a far corner of the room, dropped to the floor, and vanished beneath the bed as Brick took a small, but always effective explosive device from his belt. Unlike an IED, this device was far more accurate and controlled.

Brick didn’t bother to look over his shoulder again to see what was happening behind him. Janie and Spit were taking care of business.

“Down!” Brick shouted at the pair as he set the explosive on the windowsill and pressed the button that had a mere three-second delay.

He was a good ten feet from the house and dropped onto one knee, turning his head slightly away as the explosive blew. Then he whirled to face the window. Through remnants of smoke he saw the bars were history and the former window was nothing but a gaping hole.

Brick swung his gaze to look around them. More of Chavez’s men were to be contended with, but Janie and Spit had Brick and Brandon covered.

Brick rushed back to the house. “Get out, Brandon,” he shouted into the room when he reached it.

The boy scrambled from under the bed and ran for the window. He jumped out so fast that his weight slammed into Brick, causing him to take a step back despite being three times the size of the boy.

Brick released the boy. No time for even a small reunion. “Stay close to me and as low as possible. We’re going to get you out of here.”

Brandon gave a short nod and his features now gave a show of bravado that Brick knew was for him. “Yes, sir,” he said at the same time he crouched low beside Brick.

Sweat rolled down Brick’s face from the heat of the flames and his T-shirt clung to his skin beneath his body armor as they shot any of Chavez’s men who came into sight. Brick’s heart pounded as he aimed the handgun and pulled the trigger time after time.

Once they made it through the gaping holes in the two fences, Janie, Spit, and Brandon sprinted beside him across a barren clearing, toward the jungle.

Just before they reached cover Spit shouted and dropped. Janie came up short, like she was going to go after Spit.

“Take the boy. Head for cover.” Brick gave Brandon a slight shove toward Janie. “I’m going after Spit.”

Janie’s nod was sharp, her expression grim. The boy didn’t pause as he dashed to the jungle beside her.

Brick ran to Spit who was motionless on the ground. He put his fingers to Spit’s neck and felt the man’s strong pulse. Out cold, but alive.