Ryker (Hope City #6) - Kris Michaels Page 0,66

He was going in after Brie and nothing was going to stop him. He flung the door open and stopped dead. Two SWAT vehicles were idling on the curb. Colonel Hodgkins, the man in charge of the Special Weapons and Tactics branch of HCPD, motioned to the command vehicle. “We need to know what you have.”

He glanced at Brody and then Brock. They all turned when Brie's father slammed the front door of the restaurant open. “We’re wasting time.” He marched past them. “What do you have?”

Ryker followed him. “Rubio took her. We believe she critically injured Peña because of the blood evidence left. But… I received a call about five minutes ago.” He relayed the conversation word for word.

Chauncey smoothed his mustache. “Walt, we need that area covered. Soundlessly. If that bastard sees anything, he’ll kill my girl. Ryker, you aren’t going in light. We need body armor and I want him wired, and he needs to hear us without this fucker seeing an earpiece. Can you provide that?”

“We can. I’ll have it brought to the rally point.”

“No. No rally point. If this guy is really from Peña’s crew, he’ll have eyes on the street. We need to slip in.” Ryker stopped the conversation. “We know Peña’s crew. They are going to follow the money. Sure, there will be a few faithful to Rubio and Peña, but that’s his problem if he’s going to force a coup.”

“Will he be able to organize so quickly?” the Colonel asked.

“He’ll have a backbone in place. He’d be a fool to take on those two without some support.”

“Then we move in silently. Let the men take their personal vehicles to darkened parking areas close enough to get us there and set up. We need to move now.” The Colonel looked at Chauncey. He glanced at Ryker. “Will it work?”

“Our best shot is me going in alone. If you’re not allowing that, then yes, silent from numerous points, and not one team moving from a single point would cause less suspicion.”

“Do it.” The Commissioner’s words caused a chain reaction of movement. He glanced at Ryker. “You’ve got to keep your head about you. You will be the difference between Brie coming away from this alive or not.”

“Sir, I’m the reason they brought Brie into this.”

“Bullshit.” Chauncey held up a hand. “The blame for this is firmly on Peña and Rubio.”

Brock cleared his throat. “Do you really think this new player will take out the top of the organization?”

Ryker shrugged. “At this point, I’m praying he does. He doesn’t want a war, and that’s what he’d get if something happens to Brie.”

Brody scratched his cheek. “I don’t know if he knows who she is. Do you think any of them did the research other than perhaps seeing you two together someplace?”

Ryker nodded. “There was a car in the alley. A middle-age couple. I didn’t give that vehicle a second thought. Damn it.”

“Why would you?” The Commissioner moved to take the body armor that the Colonel handed him.

“This is the latest body armor we have. Here is the earpiece. The mic attaches to the body armor and we double-checked the battery.”

“Do you have a weapon?” Chauncey tugged the loop-and-hook tape, opening the armor.

Ryker lifted his leg and removed his off-duty weapon from his ankle holster. The small nine-millimeter would not take down a tank, but it would stop someone if he was close enough.

“That will work. We’ll figure a way to lodge it in a sling, but we’ll need a cloth one, not these straps.”

“Here.” Brody peeled off his light blue long sleeve shirt, leaving him wearing a black t-shirt. “Tie the arms together. The material is dense enough they won’t be able to see the gun.”

“He’ll suspect something.” Brock helped Ryker take off the other sling.

“Yeah, that’s the idea.” Brie's father tied a knot in the sleeve, and they worked together to get his arm back into the triangle of material. “If he is focusing on Ryker, it will give us more opportunity to get our people into position.”

“Do a radio check and then get yourself to the pier at the right time.” Chauncey stopped and leveled a stare at Ryker. “I know you love her, Son, but being a hero and dying will not do her any good. I want you both out of this alive and well. Understand?”

Ryker gulped past the lump in his throat. He nodded rather than spoke. Words right now were beyond him. People caring when the chips were down.

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