Even as we speak, I can see shadows appear by the windows. I can’t be one hundred percent sure, but it would appear to be two. Ready and waiting, I watch the window, my focus sharp, all noise around me fading into the background.
One of the shutters opens, and a man appears, a hand clamped around the arm of someone just out of sight. He appears to be searching for something in the dark beyond the room. I watch him through the scope of my rifle, waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger.
“To confirm, according to the manager, there are twelve women in the room and according to the server who reported the incident, there were four men in the room. Two men have been found on the grounds and taken out of play, leaving us with two in the room with the women,” Digit says.
“Copy that. I might have a solution. I repeat, I might have the solution,” I murmur into my communicator.
“Copy that, Lucky. To confirm, if the solution is a go, take the shot.”
“Understood.”
Patiently, I watch, and I wait for this fucker to misstep. When he does, I’ll be right here, ready to put an end to this. And then, as if by Divine guidance, a couple of events happen simultaneously, aligning just right to give me the gap I’ve been looking for.
“I have the solution.”
“Take it,” Knight swiftly replies.
“Acknowledged and understood.”
The man has stepped to the side, widening the gap between me and the hostage whose arm he’s gripping. The space is enough to give me a clear view of what’s happening in close proximity to him while giving me the perfect shot. Without hesitation, I squeeze the trigger.
At the exact same moment, a loud clap of thunder echoes across the island covering the report of my rifle. Through my scope, I see the bullet find its target and watch as he drops from view.
“Target has been eliminated. One down, one to go.”
“Time to take the party to him then. Even though we’ve eliminated three of the four known targets, doesn’t mean there won’t be any nasty surprises, so stay sharp. Lucky, cover us. Let’s move, gentlemen.”
“I’ve got you.”
Weather conditions continue to worsen, and as I wait for the team to breach the room, a flash of lighting illuminates the garden and the rain finally begins to fall. While strong and steady, it isn’t too bad yet. Definitely not as bad as predicted to get.
“Gentlemen, the rain has started. We’re rapidly running out of time here. Weather bureau says it’s going to escalate quickly now.”
“Standby. We’re about ready to go in,” Knight acknowledges, his toneless voice barely above a whisper.
Waiting in silence has my nerves stretched to breaking. But then, through the small opening afforded by the still open shutter, I see first one, then another of my team through my rifle’s scope.
The tension is unbearable. Have they managed to capture the last hostage taker? Are there any injuries? But above all, the burning question is, is Agatha safe? For the first time in all my years as a military man, I seriously consider abandoning my post, and fuck the consequences. The woman I love is in that building.
The thought slams into me. I love Agatha.
It’s not difficult to understand why. She’s everything I’ve always wanted in a partner but never thought I’d find. And the idea of losing her today on this lump of rock in the middle of an ocean has my blood running cold. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to keep this precious woman safe.
My body stiff with tension, my eye remains fixed to my scope for any glimpse of what’s going on in the room she’s being held. The wait for news is excruciating. As the minutes tick by, I find myself praying for the first time in a lot of years.
Finally, when it feels like I’ve reached breaking point, my earpiece crackles to life, and I hear the words I’ve been waiting for. “Target neutralized; hostages are safe.”
Knight’s words bring me a modicum of comfort, but I won’t feel fully at ease until I can see Agatha, see for myself that she’s safe and unharmed.
22
AGATHA
Racing through the dark, broken only by the dimmed lights on the path through the resort’s grounds, my heart is pounding. In fact, it hasn’t stopped pounding since I realized my captor had been killed. Of all the experiences I’ve been through during my time as a journalist, I think this one has probably been the scariest.
Fear, not just for myself, but more especially for Toni and the other women in the group, holds me in an unrelenting grip. I’m just so grateful no one was seriously injured. The trauma they’ve been through is a different matter.
We reach the dock where we arrived just three short days ago, and it’s lit up like the fourth of July. Unlike the grounds we’ve just run through, the area is so bright I don’t think an ant could pass by unnoticed. A group of men in uniforms stand ready to receive us, and that’s when it really sinks in that the ordeal is over, and we’re free.
