Hostile Ground (The Arsenal #7) - Cara Carnes Page 0,88
shots in the incoming drones,” Edge said.
“Wait! No!” Zoey’s voice sounded in the com. “Don’t!”
“Z, he’s not Arsenal anymore. He’s an enemy,” Jesse said. “We thought he’d gone to the Mandrake organization but he’s clearly with the splinter cell.”
“Either that or the splinter cell isn’t really broken off from Mandrake like they want us to believe,” Edge said.
“He’s not. Please. You have to trust me. I-I didn’t know he was there, or I would’ve told you.”
“Told us what?” Edge asked.
“He’s undercover. He got called by Mandrake after we got back from Cuba. They knew about Donovan’s surgeries. Fallon’s. Spade didn’t know how they knew so he agreed to take the job with them to work undercover for us. He told me. He didn’t want anyone knowing so they’d react without hesitation. Please. He’s one of us.”
Silence.
“Shift closer to Addy, Shep. You and she will take Spade and the other Mandrake down. Keep them breathing if possible,” Edge said. “The rest are going down.”
Shep sidestepped his way forward until he was near Addy, but the distance was still farther than Kristof liked—especially for the second Mandrake who was farther back. Spade’s eyebrows rose as his gaze swept from Addy to Shep. Amusement swept across his face in a slight smirk.
“It’s time,” Edge said. “On three, Kristof.”
Kristof focused his breathing as the countdown on the com began. He focused on his father and fired.
Addy launched herself forward as Shep attacked Spade. She jumped over the small table separating her from the Mandrake operative, whose widened gaze was on Kostya as he fell backward.
He shifted his aim at Addy as gunfire exploded around her. She landed on the other side of the table and kicked the man’s gun arm. Movement from her side drew her attention as someone impacted with him.
Maksim.
He punched the Mandrake operative and snapped his arms behind his back as he flipped him over onto his stomach. How the hell had he gotten there so fast?
Addy kept her weapon trained on the man but glanced over at her shoulder. Shep had Spade kneeling on the ground, hands behind his head.
Johnny approached. He’d dispatched one of Kostya’s men while the drones eliminated the other two.
Olaf.
Addy jumped over the table and knelt beside Kristof as he pressed his hand against his cousin’s throat. Blood oozed between his fingers. She pulled the backpack off and grabbed the medic kit. Although she wasn’t the best medic on her team, she could do a good enough patch job to get him stable.
Hopefully.
“Let me take over,” she whispered to Kristof.
“No. If I let go, he’ll die.” Pain filled his voice.
Addy swallowed the emotion in her throat as the two men looked at one another, locked within a silent conversation.
“Maksim, Shep. One of you needs to help get Kristof out of the way,” Jesse ordered.
Addy touched Kristof’s face and dragged his attention to her. He blinked. “Let me help Olaf. I need you to let go.”
“Kristof.” Maksim placed one hand on Kristof’s shoulder and reached down from behind him. He gripped his wrist and squeezed.
Pressure point.
Addy sighed her gratitude and got to work. “Tell me what I’m doing here, Jesse.”
“Okay, the blood isn’t coming from the jugular, so that’s good. You should have Combat Gauze in the kit.”
Addy rifled through the kit with one hand but stopped when Johnny crouched beside her. He pulled out the gauze and helped her apply it to Olaf’s wound. The man kept his gaze on Addy as they worked.
“You’re going to be okay,” she said.
Cuts and abrasions and bruising in varying shades of healing covered his face, arms, and exposed torso. Skin hung loosely from his emaciated frame. Burns and brandings scarred his body.
“Forgive me,” Kristof said as he took Olaf’s hand and knelt on his other side. “I should’ve found a way to get you out sooner. I’m sorry.”
Olaf tried to shake his head, but Addy and Johnny kept him held in place. “This will wait. Let us get this wound stabilized so we can move out. Okay?”
“Incoming team,” Cord said in the com. “Teams Four and Red are clear. Minimal injuries. Secondary target acquired. Third objective neutralized.”
Addy glanced over her shoulder and smiled up at Beast, Thunder, and Cracker as they halted a few feet behind her. Cracker gripped his side as Thunder knelt beside one of Kristof’s injured men.
“Is he okay?” Kristof asked.
“He’ll be fine,” Thunder said. “Our man here took one to the leg and saved Beast in the process.”