about a dozen buildings, with very little fortifications of any kind beyond those stacked rock walls. If they could get to those walls without being seen, they could use them for cover as they took out the hybrids one by one. Of course, if the hybrids saw them at any point, this was going to turn into a nasty house-to-house battle. With just the number of hybrids Angelo could already see below, that didn’t seem like something they wanted to do.
Out of the corner of his eye, Angelo caught sight of Ivy leading the guys over the ridgeline. Tate sprinted over the moment he saw them.
“Any sign of Declan or Kendra?” he asked as he fought to slow his breathing.
“Nothing yet,” Landon told him. “But that shifter led us here for a reason. If we’re careful, we’ll be able to work ourselves into a good position to see what’s going on down there. Once we figure out where Declan and Kendra are, we’ll pull back and come up with a plan to get them.”
Tate’s mouth tightened, but he nodded. “Okay. Man, you have no idea how hard it is for me to say this, but direct assaults and hostage rescue aren’t what my team is trained to handle. So I’m going to trust you to make this happen, Landon. I know I’ve been bitching at you since you hit the ground, but I’m counting on you to get Declan and Kendra out of there alive.”
“If they’re still alive, we’ll get them out,” Landon promised.
“They’re alive,” Tate said firmly.
Angelo hoped so.
Landon waited for Ivy and the rest of the guys to gather around, then started laying out the team assignments and how each of them would approach the compound. He hadn’t gotten more than ten words out of his mouth when the sound of automatic weapons filled the valley. A split second later, a loud roar echoed in the jungle.
“What the hell was that?” Carter asked.
Tate grinned. “Declan.”
“Are you sure?” Landon asked. “I’ve never heard him roar that loud before.”
Tate craned his neck, trying to see down into the valley. “Me either. But I know his roar anywhere. And there’s only one thing I can think of that’d piss him off enough to make that kind of noise.”
“Kendra’s in trouble,” Ivy said.
“Yup.” Tate looked at Landon. “What now?”
Landon sighed. “So much for a plan.”
Angelo couldn’t help smiling. His former captain hated planning on the fly, but nobody did it better.
“We keep it simple,” Landon said. “Angelo, you have Tanner, Butler, Carter, Derek, and Ivy with you. Get your team to that rock wall on the left side of the compound and hit them hard and fast. Make it noisy, too. I want you to draw everyone in that compound over to where you are. I’ll come in with Tate, Brent, Gavin, and Clayne from your right. I’ll delay until you’re fully engaged, then come in and hit them from behind while they’re focused on you. If we’re lucky, we’ll pick up Declan and Kendra as we’re moving through the compound. Watch your sectors of fire along your right flank—that’s where we’ll be coming from. ID your targets. We don’t know if there are any other friendlies in there besides Declan and Kendra. Radio silence until contact.” He looked around. “Any questions?”
Angelo shook his head. Around him, everyone else did the same.
“All right then,” Landon said. “Let’s go get Declan and Kendra.”
As they started running down the narrow cliff trail, Angelo saw Landon quickly reach out and touch hands with Ivy. Just one touch, then his wife was sprinting ahead of them down the slope at a pace most of the others couldn’t match.
Landon threw a meaningful glance Angelo’s way. That simple look said everything his former captain couldn’t put into words in front of the other men. I put Ivy on your team because you’re going to need her, but you’d better keep her safe.
Angelo gave him a nod, then sprinted down the slope to catch up with Ivy. He, Ivy, and the guys with them would bear the brunt of the hybrid’s initial onslaught, which meant they’d have to hold their own until Landon figured out how to hit the bastards from behind. People who’d never led troops into a fight wouldn’t understand it, but Landon was sending his best friend and his wife in at the tip of the spear because he knew they were the best assets he had to get the job done. Soldiers understood those kinds