Page 97 of Duty Devoted
“I couldn’t get clean IDs from the street footage—baseball caps, angles were wrong,” Jace said. “But I tracked the van via satellite to a private airfield outside Chicago.” He pulled up new imagery. “That’s where things get interesting.”
The satellite footage showed the van arriving at a small private airfield. Enhanced images captured men carrying an unconscious blonde woman to a waiting plane.
“That’s definitely Lauren,” I said, my chest tightening at the sight of her limp form.
“And here’s where it gets worse.” Jace zoomed in on the men near the plane. “Multiple hits on facial recognition. All known Silva cartel members. Mid-level soldiers, mostly, but definitely Silva’s organization.”
“So it’s confirmed—the cartel has her,” Ty said, entering with Ben Garrison and Jolly at his heels. The Belgian Malinois immediately focused on me, tail twitching as he sensed the tension.
“The plane took off forty-five minutes ago,” Jace continued, pulling up flight tracking data. “Transponder went dark shortly after takeoff, but based on heading and fuel capacity, they’re going to Corazón. Should be landing in about five hours.”
My fists clenched hard enough for nails to bite into palms. “But who ordered this? Is this Diego getting revenge for his son?”
“Or…” Ty let the word hang. “What if Mateo survived? What if that boat explosion didn’t kill him after all?”
“No body was ever recovered,” Jace added quietly. “Just assumed he was vaporized in the blast.”
“Either way,” Ben said, hand resting on Jolly’s head, “Lauren’s on her way to the Silva compound. Whether it’s the son who wants her or the father who wants revenge, we need to move.”
“Which means we have a narrow window,” I said. “If they move her from there, we’ll have no idea where they take her.”
“Ethan, how are the Valentinos taking it?” I asked.
On-screen, Ethan looked exhausted.
“About what you’d expect. They’re hysterical, demanding answers, threatening to call everyone from the FBI to the president.” He rubbed his face. “I’m managing it, but Logan—they want their daughter back.”
“We’ll get her back.” The promise came from somewhere much deeper than mere positive thinking. It was a forgone conclusion in my mind. Any other option wasn’t acceptable. “Whatever it takes.”
Ethan’s expression said he understood exactly what that meant. “I’ve convinced them we’re the best shot at getting her back. I’d rather be going to extract with you, but someone needs to run interference here. Keep them from doing something that makes this worse. Consider operational leadership yours.”
I dipped my head toward him. Ethan’s trust meant everything to me.
Ty placed a tablet on the table, showing architectural plans. “This is the Silva compound. Jace pulled these from a contractorwho did work there three years ago. Main house, outbuildings, guard positions.”
I studied the blueprints. “Security?”
“Significant. We’re looking at thirty to forty armed personnel on a normal day. Could be more now.” Jace highlighted defensive positions. “Good news is they haven’t had to deal with anyone like us before.”
“And by the time it’s over, they’ll pray they never deal with anyone like us again.” A new voice entered the conversation. Andrew Volante strode in, duffel bag over one shoulder. “Got here as fast as I could. Heard we have a situation.”
I’d worked with Andrew twice before. Not only was he a solid operator, he had flight training, graduated with honors from West Point, and spoke several languages. To say he was always an asset wherever he went was putting it mildly. Employing him at Citadel had exponentially benefited everyone here.
Having him for this mission put us one big step closer to bringing Lauren home safely.
“HALO jumps, two teams,” I said, tactical mind already working through scenarios. High altitude, low opening jumps were dangerous, but our best option in this situation. “Alpha team will be me, Ty, Ben and Jolly, and Jace. We go after Lauren. Bravo team under Andrew secures the perimeter and commandeers a helicopter for extract.”
“And if their helo’s not flyable?” Andrew asked.
“Plan B—we take vehicles, get to the coast, commandeer a boat.” I met each teammate’s eyes. “One way or another, we’re getting her out as fast as fucking possible.”
“When do we leave?” Ben asked.
“Soon as we can gear up and get airborne.” I checked my watch. “That puts us over target at 0200 local time. Dead of night.”
“One problem,” Jace said. “This kind of operation, we need air assets, clearances, support we don’t have time to arrange through normal channels.”
Ethan smiled grimly on the screen. “Already handled. Called in some markers with old friends at OGA. They’re providing transportation and overhead surveillance. Officially, this mission doesn’t exist. Unofficially, they want Silva taken down as much as we do.”
