Dangerous Rescue - Linzi Baxter Page 0,32

if you sense the mission is about to go fubar, you can click this button, and we’ll extract you.”

Xavier was giving him a way out of a mess. Hudson would need to have confidence in him. Cy told him over the phone that he trusted Xavier. Commander North did as well.

His watch beeped, reminding him that it was time to leave. Hudson wasn’t looking forward to the twenty-hour trip. The first leg was on a commercial flight. After he landed in Germany, he would fly to Yemen. The report folder gave the name of the man picking him up from the airport.

“I need to catch my flight,” Hudson said.

“We’re heading out soon as well. I know I’ve never given you a reason to trust us, but everyone on my team has your back,” Xavier said.

Before leaving, Hudson stood and nodded toward the men who would be watching his back. They might not be his brothers, but he felt less nervous heading into the mission than he had before.

The moment he stepped out of the conference room, his phone buzzed. Cy’s name flashed across the screen. His heart pounded as he held his finger over his long-time friend’s name.

“Casper,” said a deep Southern voice through the phone. “I assume you were in Xavier’s building. Not very often do I admit someone is as good as me, but Lucas has some neat technology. When you didn’t answer, I tracked your phone. Lucas set up technology to make it look like you were across town and moving around when, in reality, you were in the building. I know it’s a new program he’s working on, but it also makes my job of tracking you harder.”

Hudson had never cared much about technology. He hated texting, preferring to talk on the phone.

“I’m on my way to catch my flight.” Hudson clicked the button to unlock his truck and pulled the door open. “Is Siena okay?”

He hated that she’d gone to work. A demand that she quit her job and stay home had been on the tip of his tongue before he left the house. But there was no doubt in his mind that his demand would make her angry, so he’d kept his mouth shut. Pissing her off wouldn’t get him close to her heart again.

For the past few years, Kaiden had been his only family, but after one night with Siena in his house, he didn’t know if he could ever go back to that. He sure as hell wanted her to live with him. And her duplex wasn’t safe enough, especially with her crazy ex out of jail.

“I’m not calling about Siena. Do you feel better after your meeting with Xavier?”

“I hate that I’m leaving while she’s in danger,” Hudson said.

“Gumby will watch over the house along with your team. I sent them the information about the Oaxaca Cartel. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This cartel goes for blood. They don’t take it lightly when they are crossed.”

Cy didn’t need to tell him the Oaxaca Cartel was bad. Just the name sent a chill through his body. The Oaxaca Cartel had killed his sister. For years, he worked to get intel that would prove what they’d done. He couldn’t find any. Now the same people were after Siena. He’d hoped she would be safer without him around, but that hadn’t been the case at all. She wouldn’t have dated that scumbag, Kyle, if Hudson hadn’t left her.

“This sucks.” His hands gripped the steering wheel. “Have you found anything else?”

“Yes, it took me a while, but Abida has four wives. Three are American. The team plans to bring them back. I’m not sure why they kept that part out of the mission brief.” Cy cleared his throat. “Careful. I’ll get information to you as I can. But like we said from the beginning, something doesn’t feel right.”

The last time Hudson had felt uneasy about a mission, his team went into an ambush.

11

Siena

Siena’s hands shook in front of her as she sat in the small room. The last time she’d set foot in the precinct, she told the police how she saw Kyle cooking drugs in the lab at school. They were nice to her. Gave her coffee, told her everything would be okay. Not this time.

She was still surprised that the one cop had wanted to handcuff her and walk her out of the school. Luckily, the older cop talked him out of the idea. The last thing she needed was to have