was ready.
“You can’t go out emptyhanded.” Agent Collins passed me a handgun with three clips. It bothered me that he’d overheard my conversation with Brick, but I was thankful for the weapon.
“Thank you.” I gave a curt nod and glanced at Brick. He still looked pissed, and it was obvious he didn’t like being so close to the FBI agent. “Will you be here for long?”
“No,” Collins checked the time, “we’re following a subject who’s now on the move again.” He signaled for his men to stand. “Good luck, Black.”
“Same to you.” I watched them leave the diner and turned back to Brick. “Happy?”
“I’d be happier if you got me a drink and a lighter.”
I tucked the gun away and stored the extra mags in my pocket. I leaned down and took one last look at Brick’s leg.
“Why were you in Mexico?”
“I told you—”
“I don’t want your bullshit answer.”
His gaze shifted, and his expression was pissed again.
I wanted to beat it out of him, but I was losing time. “Logan and Irons have been good to you,” I held up a hand to stop him from interrupting, “and you’ve been good to us. I just want to make sure you aren’t involved in something that will hurt this operation.”
“It wasn’t me who screwed up your operation. Mine was completely unrelated.” His gaze returned to mine, and I saw he was being honest.
“Okay.” I stood and checked the time.
Shit, I’d wasted eighteen minutes.
“Irons should be here soon, but keep watch in case those sons-of-bitches show up. You good? I don’t like it you don’t have a weapon. Keep your head down.”
“Yeah, no shit. Me either, but,” he smacked his leg, “I’ll be just dandy.” Then his expression changed, and his smile turned genuine. “Thanks for the help out there.”
“Same to you. Stay alive.” With that, I left and scoped out the area before I slipped into the tall weeds that would be my protection as I raced back toward the last location I’d known my team had been.
Nightfall came just as I reached the top of the cliff Brick and I had been on earlier. The man I had slipped the tracking device on was gone. I knew wherever they were, they still could be close by. My fingers inched across the rock to get a strong hold before I lifted myself up and twisted to sit on a high peak.
I had a solid nine hours before my team came to retrieve me. Now I would sit and listen to who came and went. My gut told me there was much more to this story than we knew.
Once the sun peeked above the horizon and the stars faded away, I started my descent from the cliff to the next checkpoint. Sadly, nothing was spotted, and I needed to move on. It wasn’t long before my watch vibrated to get my attention. It was time to haul ass.
A single loud bang echoed through the air, and the sound waves traveled through my chest. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to follow that sound.
Moving as quietly as I could, I struggled not to let my mind think it was one of my brothers. I saw the body lying face down. He was stripped of all his clothes except his boxers. A signature move of the cartel, along with a single bullet to the back of the head.
I dropped to my knees and rolled over his badly beaten body. I recognized the poor rookie. He was only twenty-two, fresh out of school, and was our target to find. Someone had helped him get a hookup to join North Rock, and against all of Frank’s protests, he was overruled from somewhere higher up. I remembered his anger over it when he had to let the boy in when we all knew he wasn’t ready.
The no brother left behind mantra kept racing through my mind.
I wrapped his arm around my shoulder and slipped him over my back to carry him to the checkpoint.
The chopper blades beat the trees, and as it lowered into a secured area, I stepped out and caught Chamness’s horrified face. I raced across to the chopper and handed the kid to him.
“Who is it?” Mark asked as he grabbed for my arm.
“Nick Stewart.”
“The rookie operator?” I nodded before he asked, “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head in spite of his raised eyebrow at the blood seeping from the hole in my side and settled into the seat next to him.