章節 8: Chapter 8
Michael
It wasn't until we were high enough off the ground did I forget how much I hated flying. Cobi snickers behind me as I lean over again when the plane dips through more turbulence.
"Miss this big brother?" He chuckles, slapping me hard on my back.
"About as much as I miss getting shot at."
I had escaped the peanut gallery in hopes of getting my nausea to settle but it was no use. Being back in my old uniform, a part of my old team, going to some remote location where we will rescue a girl from captivity is unsettling to say the least.
"Well prepare yourself for a lot of that as well." Standing back up at full height, I take in my brother. His dark blonde hair, brown eyes, and laid back personality have always given him a way with the ladies, but after dad died, he wasn't as adamant about filling his bed at night.
"Taylor." Rogers, one of the guys calls out from the front of the plane. Walking over, I notice him sitting down on one of the chairs, a laptop propped on his legs, all the other guys surrounding him. "Think I might have found something."
Cobi and I make our way around and spot a man I have never seen before on the screen of the computer. He's older, late fifties maybe, and his large frame takes up most of the photo. He's tall, with short dark hair, but it's his eyes, his eyes are what sets him apart from anyone I've ever put away.
Eyes of a monster.
"Is that him?" Cobi asks from behind me. It's technically his shots on this mission, he's the team leader, but he knows me well enough to know I won't take a back seat easily.
"Tell me about him." I demand.
"Name's Phillipe Petrov. He's the leader of the Krasnyy Ubiytsy's. The exact translation for their names are the red assassins. I'll let you determine for yourselves why they're named that. His group has been operating for over thirty years under his rule, but it seems as though he's retired, leaving his ranks to his son, Marcus. His newest pleasure of evil, seems to be buying out young girls and enslaving them. Specifically girls from the ages of twelve to eighteen."
My skin crawls listening as Rogers explains this piece of shit's lifestyle. "I don't understand, why didn't the FBI make some kind of arrangements to get him?"
"Never had proof. This guys has dirt under him, that much is clear, but most of the girls come from Russia and no one even reports them missing. We've followed him for some time, based on his murder sheet, but since retired, it seems like he's on no one radar now."
"That's not true." Cobi chimes in. I turn to eye my brother watching as his anger grows to the same level as mine. "One of our agents, he went rogue years ago. Swore he was going to find out who killed his wife and daughter. Looks like he might have found him."
"If Malcom did find out who killed his wife and daughter, then Petrov must have been the one to call the order out. Why else spend so much time on this guy?" I say aloud.
"He could have just flipped. Started working where he knew his specific set of skills wouldn't go unnoticed." Art, another field agents speaks out.
Shaking my head I turn to him, giving him a stern look. "No, this guy sent us all the info we would need to find Whitney. He's got the balls to do that and not get caught for four years, he wants this guy taken out, he's not stupid enough to try it on his own."
"So what's the plan?" Roger's asks with frustration. My gaze flows towards my brother once again.
"We land and meet up with the field ops in Moscow. Put together a plan of attack within the mansion this scum resides in. They have all the maps and blueprints, but this is our mission, so no side tracking. We rescue as many girls as we can get, then bring in Petrov."
"Make it sound simple." Barley smirks from the side of me.
"Didn't say it was, but if you got another way to take that stern killing look off my brother's face, I would love to hear the idea."
Rolling my eyes as they all chuckle, I turn my gaze back to the photo of Petrov's face. This is the scum that has held Whitney and countless other's under his thumb. He's tortured them, raped them and abused them all for years. I'll get her back, if it's the last thing I do.
It takes us nearly fifteen hours to land. I was expecting the boys to rest while they could knowing we were going into the lion's den the moment we landed, but like me, none of them could get their minds off Petrov and all he's done. We have no camera's, no surveillance, no way of even knowing any of the girls are currently residing inside, but with Malcom sending a video this time, we knew this was the time to strike.
"You sure you're up for this?" Cobi asks. We had landed over an hour ago, grouped together with the intelligence team here in Moscow, then got into the cars and vans that would lead us to the estate of Phillipe Petrov. Whittaker, Cobi and the team's boss, was kind enough to get us all the necessary arrangements here.
I watch as Cobi taps lightly on his gun resting inside his shoulder holster. His fingers tap in increments of a date. I look down when I understand which date he is tapping out.
Years ago, Cobi found a small girl, not much older than the age of eight. We were in Cambodia, trying to get intel on a man known as The King hiding somewhere inside. Cobi recued the young girl, took her to a small hospital. She clutched onto him, begged him not to leave her there. Too focused on the mission, Cobi left the girl. Chopping it up to her being afraid of everything due to her conditioning. She died three days later, found inside the so called hospital that was a cover up for trafficking small children.
She died January second of 2015.
Zero one, zero two, two zero, fifteen.
"Yeah. You?"
"Hell yes."
The car swerves and slows down to a stop. I look around, trying to make sense of the darkness surrounding us. Not able to see a thing. I open my car door and look around. We are on a small hill that overlooks nothing but land and some kind of electrical fencing.
"There supposed to be a mansion out here somewhere?" I ask feeling defeated. I knew this would be no walk in the park, but to come here only to be led on a wild goose chase, is not in my deck of cards.
"Hold tight boss. Just because you can't see it, don't mean it ain't there." Rogers notes kneeling beside me, pulling out a thermal device to help and locate our target. A cigarette dangles from his mouth as he hums turning the device on and turning it three hundred and sixty degrees. It beeps seconds later. "Think we got something here."
We all follow behind Rogers, the agents from Russia directly behind us. After nearly a mile, we spot a large mansion in the middle of the land. It's slate rooftop and great windows perched all around, making it seem almost like a castle than a home.
"That's it. Petrov's home. What's the plan boss?" Demi, one of the Moscow agents directs towards me.
"Let's set up a camp here. There are a total of twelve of us. Barnes, Demi, and Matthews, I want you three to go back and cover the vans, something tells me we might be coming out with something or someone firing at us. Meet us at the edge of the land, come in as close as you can. Rogers, you and Montgomery go and check out the surrounding area. Get me an entrance but be discreet. Radio when you've got something. The rest of us will wait, the second we get the all clear, we go in, grab and get the hell out."
"We still don't know where Phillipe or his men are. My machine ain't picking up shit in that house." Rogers states placing his device back in his bag.
"It's most likely due to a device inside. He's been able to live here comfortably without guards on the outside covering every inch. He's confident because he's been invisible all these years."
"So we don't know what we are getting into when we go in there. We're basing all this on a damn video phone that we hope is taken by our old teammate, that could very well be working for the enemy?" Simms states angrily.
I look around and see most of the guys have their eyes trained on me. He's right, I'm asking them to risk their lives based on nothing more than a hunch.
"Look, I know I'm not your boss anymore, but I'm not asking you to do this as your boss. I'm asking as your friend. We do this, not for the check, but for the safety return of others. Whitney Donaldson was seventeen when someone picked her up and sold her to this piece of shit. There are others just like her inside, maybe even younger. We need to stop this, no matter what."
After a few seconds Rogers shakes his head looking down to the ground. He looks back up, adjusting his hat as he does smirking in my direction. "Shit man, you had me at your friend. That was beautiful." He chuckles pretending to wipe his tears. Everyone else chuckles at the motion and just like that, we are all in.
"Alright fuckers, you've got your orders. Get out of here." Cobi shouts and everyone disperses. Demi's group go to the vans while Rogers and Montgomery disappear into the woods to head to the entrance of the home.
I sit, watching as the others who are stuck waiting, begin cleaning out their weapons and checking their ammo. Cobi walks over and sits beside me, letting out an exaggerative sigh as he does.
"So mom called me." He starts, causing me to choke on the water I was guzzling.
"Jesus, you really going to go there right now?"
"Well, I need her off my ass and onto yours. Plus, I can't stand being still on a mission you know that." He chuckles.
"I'll come by and see her." The tone around us changes. Everything becomes more solemn. I watch as my brother leans back laying his head against his backpack. His eyes shut automatically, and a small smile graces his face.
"She can be a handful, but it's her heart being broken that gives her the need to call us so often." My eyes don't leave Cobi as he continues. My heart races, listening to his genuine words as they spill out of his mouth. "She misses him Mike. Her other half is gone, the man she has known since she was a kid no older than the girls were going in there to rescue. Think the least we can do is go and spend some time with her."
Anger courses through my veins at his accusation but I ignore it, studying the small rocks beneath my boots instead. Cobi is right, I need to go and see her, it's just not always easy being in the home without my father in it.
"She doesn't blame you by the way." Rolling my eyes I look over my brother to see his eyes blaring into mine. A smirk growing on his face. "What? You know I can read people well."
"It's not that I don't want to see her Cobi, she's just hard to take at times. I don't want her to think she has to include me with things."
"Mike"
"We found an entrance." I stand as Rogers and Montgomery walk back over to us. "It's not something you're all going to like, but this fucker has all the entrances on lockdown. There is a spot where a chopper is supposed to be on the opposite side of us, but it ain't there. Not sure what that means but now is as good a time as any. It's nearly one a.m. We can go through the underground garage and do our business from there."
Nodding my head, I signal for the rest of the men to stand, and ready themselves. They surround me, circling around me like prey as they listen in to my whispered words.
"Split into two groups. One group east, one west. No more than one hour, rally as many girls as you can find. We have no idea how many are in there, and they are not going to want to go with us, so make sure your tranquilizers are on. We enter as one, exit as one. Once we have them out move out to the vans."
My eyes travel in a circle, watching as each agents nods their heads towards me. Seconds later, we all march down the hill in one group, me leading the front while Cobi and Rogers flank my sides. Heading right inside the underground garage, we enter, and separate up each set of stairs. Cobi is right behind me as I grip my flashlight and gun together.
We run through several corridors, stopping only once we see doors. The walls are tall, towering over every inch of this place. There are lights attached to the wall in a chandelier fashion, confirming my theory on this place being a lot like a castle. The walls are made of dark brick and floors made of cold cement.
Gunshots rattle off the edges of the corridor. I turn starring my brother in the eyes and lift my chin.
"Must have ran across some men. Only a matter of time now." I hear shouting and screaming, girls voices and feet pattering against the ground.
"Let's move." We split, going from room to room. I come up empty on all rooms I search but stop still at two large doors connecting to the end of the hall. Opening them I cringe when they groan.
"library." Cobi whispers from behind. Nodding my head I walk towards the door, stopping in my tracks as I spot a small frame laying on a leather armchair tucked in the corner.
"It's her."
My body stills as I take in the girl whose picture I have been starring at for the last few days. Her blonde hair is darker, and her eyes are broken but her frightened stance as she tucks herself into the small sofa, is the indication I need. It's her. She's alive.
"Whitney?" She looks confused, almost ready to pounce as I near her. I no longer see Cobi, only the small girl in front of me. "Whitney Donaldson?"
"She doesn't look well Mike, we need to grab and go." Cobi says pressing two fingers into his ear, listening to the other men on the opposite side of the mansion. "They've gotten ten so far. We need to move; the guards could be closing in on us."
"Whitney don't be afraid. I need you to come with me. Your family has been looking for you, I'm here to take you back home, my name is Michael Taylor."
Her gaze flows between me and Cobi, studying us with determination. I put my gun behind my back and raise my hands palms flat. Her expression changes to confused as she watches me with anticipation.
"Whitney, I know you're afraid, and that you've been through a lot, but I need you to follow me. We are going to get you out of here." My feet move me slowly towards her, but her stance remains guarded.
"Don't think she understands you man."
"Just give me a minute."
"We don't have a minute Mike. We need to go now."
"Give me a fucking minute Cobi." I scream turning to my brother then back over to Whitney. "I know you're afraid Whitney, but I need you to come with me baby. I need you to trust me. He isn't going to hurt you ever again; I won't allow him to. But that means I need you to come with me now. Can you do that?"
Her gaze remains fixed on me. shouting, screaming, bullets echo off the walls on the other side of us, but she ignores it all. I have her eyes, broken and guarded, but they remain on me as I reach for her and tuck her hand into mine.
"I've got you baby. I've got you." I whisper as her eyes cloud with tears.
"Who" Before she could finish the door explodes, wood files all around us as I pull her behind me, tucking her head into my chest.
Cobi and I both turn, our guns pointed out towards the debris. Smoke clears and that's when I see the frame of the man I knew years back.
Malcom.
"Malcom?" Cobi calls out but he ignores him, simply turns to the side indicating with his chin the door he just blew off the hinges.
"This way out."
Pressing into my earpiece, I call out for everyone's position.
"All outside, there is a fuckin' bloody mess out there, but we're all fine, might want to get out here soon though, doubt Petrov didn't have friends that could come after us right about now."
"Copy that." I state, then grab onto Whitney's arm, nearly dragging her out of the door. Malcom runs with us to the exit where we walk through the back doors.
"Need to stay here. All the girls are out. I'll finish it with fire. Leave no traces."
"What? No, you need to come with us." Cobi demands, but Malcom's mind is made up, I can see it in his posture, the same way I saw him quitting the force back then.
"Cobi leave him. He's right. One step back in the United States, and he would be arrested." I turn back to Malcom, squeezing onto Whitney's reluctant arm. "You need anything, you now know we can hear and see you. Stay safe, I'll find a way for you to come home in peace and bury all this once and for all."
With a nod he disappears back into the mansion.
"We've got to go Mike. Now."
I bring my gaze back down to Whitney, her face marked with exhaustion. "Let's get you home." I say but something in her expression doesn't look relieved. She looks petrified.
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