Rescuing Jenna - Anna Blakely Page 0,83

Homeland agent. Shaking it off, Adrian recentered his thoughts and made his way across the factory’s main area.

Earlier while on the plane, they’d been briefed on the layout of the building, so they’d know what to expect. Looking around, he saw exactly what he thought he would.

Windows lined all sides of the main floor. Most were broken or altogether missing.

The floor was cracked and covered in inches of dead and decaying leaves. The ceiling, which also appeared to be made of concrete, was being supported by several thick, stone pillars running from one end to the other along the center of the open space.

Definitely something out of an end-of-the-world movie.

A cockroach scattered across Adrian’s path, giving him an idea.

During their ride from the plane to the van, he’d overheard Ghost’s teammate commenting on how he hoped there weren’t a lot of bugs out this time of day. Apparently, the guy fucking hated them.

So naturally he couldn’t resist.

“Hey, Beatle,” he whispered softly. “You’re gonna love it in here. Lots of huge, juicy bugs.”

“Not cool, man,” Beatle grumbled. “Not fucking cool.”

The others chuckled in Adrian’s ear, but he was too busy crouching down to avoid being seen by the guards at the back of the building to join in.

“Heads up. Just spotted the two guards walking along the east wall. I repeat, two targets confirmed along the east wall.”

“Copy that,” Gabe let him know he’d received the message.

Adrian looked up ahead, spotting exactly what he hoped he would. “I have visual of the lower staircase. Heading there, now.”

Waiting to make sure he was in the clear, he stood and quickly made his way over to the top of the staircase. His heart pounded beneath his shirt as he thought of seeing Jenna again.

With each step, he had to force himself not to wonder what condition she’d be in once he located her. With every beat of his racing pulse, he had to push away the fear and dread threatening to consume him.

And above it all, Adrian had to refrain from feeling the hope he knew he shouldn’t have that she’d somehow find a way to forgive him for all of this.

Stay focused, Walker. For Jenna. She needs you now, more than ever.

The voice in his head sounded a lot like Ryker’s. Nevertheless, it was right.

Shaking his personal shit off, Adrian regrouped and kept his head clear as he moved. His gut told him he was on the right path, and he’d find her—and hopefully that bastard, Ortiz—soon.

They’d studied the picture Ortiz sent of Jenna with a fine-tooth comb. Other than the light from the flash, there appeared to be little to no natural light in the place where she was being held.

That, along with the echoing voices he’d noticed as he spoke with Ortiz, led them to believe she was being held on the building’s lower level.

In the basement.

“Approaching the stairs, now,” he relayed to the other men. “No sign of Ortiz.”

“Keep your eyes open, Walker,” Gabe reminded him. “We’ll be there soon, but until we get there, you’re on your own.”

“Copy that. Might lose signal once I’m down here.”

“It’s no different than any other op,” Ryker tried his hand at encouragement. “You got this.”

No different, my ass.

Still, the man was right. As long as he relied on his training, he should have no problems finding Jenna. And Ortiz.

His leg screamed with each descending step, but Adrian pushed on until he stood in front of a door located at the bottom of the stairs. Turning the handle, he blew out a silent breath of relief when he found it unlocked.

The space he walked into was almost pitch-black, so he pulled the tactical light Ryker had given him from the pocket at his thigh and pushed it on.

The LED bulb illuminated a good chunk of the area, showing a long hallway with several doors on each side.

“Well that’s not creepy as fuck,” he muttered. When he got no response, Adrian tested his coms. “Dawson? Ghost? You copy?”

He was met with silence.

Shit. Well, he was used to flying solo. Like Ryker said…it was no different than any other op.

Keep telling yourself that, buddy.

And he did. With every step he took down the terrifying hallway. With every door he opened, expecting the worst but finding nothing.

Adrian told himself the same thing over and over until he almost believed it to be true. Then he heard it.

The sound was slight and hard to place. While Adrian couldn’t be sure, he thought it was almost like someone