Delta Force Rescue - Elle James Page 0,48
clapped a hand on Tank’s shoulder. “A little sensitive, are we?”
“It’s good to see you all,” Rafe said. “I didn’t realize just how much I missed you bunch of jerks.”
“Yeah, you’ll be back,” Bull predicted.
Rafe shook his head. “Nah. Montana is pretty amazing.”
“Montana? Or my sister?” Dash’s eyes narrowed.
Rafe’s jaw hardened. “We’re getting your sister back. I shouldn’t have let them get to her.”
Hank joined them. “You were far outnumbered. I should have provided more support.”
“We had no idea he would send so many or launch such an elaborate attack to capture Briana. He wanted Alejandra. Still does.”
“It’s how he operates.” Alejandra approached the group of Delta Force men. “If he can’t get what he wants directly, he makes certain he can negotiate for what he wants. He just has to get the right carrot to dangle.” Alejandra touched Rafe’s arm. “You couldn’t have known. I shouldn’t have taken up Briana on her offer to find me and my Bella refuge. She would never have been a target if I’d just moved on my own.”
“We can stand around swapping regrets all day, but we’re better off getting to the compound,” Hank said. “The undercover DEA agents have agreed to meet with us in a conference room inside this hanger to pass on what information they were able to gather. Let’s get this operation underway.”
The team moved into the conference room, where they met with the two agents who’d been as close as they could get to El Chefe’s compound in the jungle. They’d counted as many as thirty of the cartel leader’s men coming and going from that location. Since they’d taken Briana into the compound, she hadn’t come back out, that much they knew.
They’d been covering El Chefe’s movements for some time now, gathering information about his contacts, clients and partners.
Hank had briefed his team of Brotherhood Protectors on the way to El Salvador. They weren’t to mention anything about the book Alejandra had with all that information. He didn’t want anyone in El Salvador to know of its existence for fear Alejandra wouldn’t make it to the compound to trade for Briana.
The Deltas and the DEA didn’t need to know about the book. That was information best kept for another day.
“We have to assume El Chefe has people watching us already,” Hank said. “Hopefully, he hasn’t seen just how many people we brought with us. He’ll expect my team to bring Alejandra to the compound. Before that, we need the Deltas in place for backup and to provide cover for when Alejandra makes the trade. We can’t let them keep Briana.”
“How do we know she’s still alive?” Rafe asked, though he hated the thought that she might be otherwise.
At that moment, Hank’s burner phone buzzed. He pulled the phone from his pocket. “El Chefe just texted a video.” He brought the video up on the phone, and they waited while it buffered.
Rafe leaned in and gasped when Briana’s image came onto the screen.
“Alejandra, if you get this message, don’t come to El Salvador,” Briana said. “Seek asylum from the US government, stay in the States and raise your baby.”
Briana continued, talking faster, “You were right to leave this monster. Stay away. Don’t worry about me. I don’t have a child. You do.”
El Chefe grabbed her hair and yanked her head back. He stuck knife to her throat and looked straight at them. “If you want her to live another day, you’ll be on a plane in the next twelve hours. After that, I will start taking her apart, one piece at a time, starting with her pretty ear.” He touched the tip of the knife to Briana’s ear and pricked it, drawing blood.
Rafe’s fists clenched, rage rising in his chest.
“Twelve hours,” the cartel leader repeated. The time stamp on the message was from six hours earlier.
That gave them six hours to contact El Chefe to arrange the trade. Six hours to get the Deltas in place to support them.
The DEA guys had a hand-drawn diagram of the exterior of the compound and the likely locations of guards posted outside. They’d pulled a satellite image that gave a birds-eye view of the buildings within the compound. The main building appeared to be a large white house, and there were barracks-like buildings at the rear of the walled compound. Several smaller buildings were on either side, possibly for storage. Jungle surrounded the compound on all sides with a gravel road leading in. The trade would have to be made somewhere