Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Awakening Aubrey (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Jack 'Em Up Book 7) by Shauna Allen

crisis. But that did nothing to help Aubrey or the other hostages.
    The thought of losing her was ripping my insides to shreds, but I couldn’t afford to go there. Not now. I had to focus.
    I swiped the sweat from my brow and kept doing my job. Fletch kept shooting me glances as if making sure I still had my shit together, but I wouldn’t let them see me break.
    There was a sudden burst of activity as someone radioed that Rhodes was on the move toward his weapons stock.
    “We’ve got to go in,” Creed said. “We can’t let him loose on those weapons with all those hostages as sitting ducks.”
    Ghost, who’d taken lead on the Op, studied the store front, then flicked a glance at the floorplans, then faced Creed. “I think you’re right. We’ve waited long enough.” He faced his men. “Blade, Hollywood, you’re up. Take the front. Coach, Truck and I will take the back. Fletch, I want you and Beatle to watch our flanks then come in when it’s clear. We should have Rhodes contained by then.” He turned back to Creed. “Can you keep a watch on the intel that’s coming from the inside? Radio us with any changes.”
    “Sure thing.”
    Fletch met my eye and nodded in acknowledgement. God, if only I was already a Ranger, I could help. Do more than watch and wait.
    “You know they can’t let you help, right?” Creed joined me and spoke as if he read my thoughts. “Even if you were on the team, they’d make you sit this one out. Can’t risk your heart clouding your mind.”
    I snapped to attention, hating him for speaking those words, and equally hating that he was right.
    He clasped a hand on my shoulder. “But, no matter what, any one of those men would be smart enough to back away if they thought for one second their judgment was affected. For any reason. It’s the only way to take care of your fellow soldiers.”
    I nodded. He was right. I had to know my limits, even if I hated them.
    We waited several long minutes together as the rain finally passed, leaving a thick cloak of humidity. The collective stress hovered and built over all of us the longer we heard nothing from our guys.
    Creed kept his attention focused on the intel trickling in at a snail’s pace, relaying anything I needed to pass on to the MPs. Ambulances, firetrucks, and EOD were all on site and primed for action.
    MSgt Creed narrowed his eyes, focusing on the small screens showing what the remote cameras captured. His body language tensed and coiled as he radioed in. “Watch your six, the Tango is on the move, I repeat, he’s on the move—” His words cut off as something else flashed on the screen. Suddenly, he tossed off his headset and sprinted toward the doors as he pulled his Sig from his holster and slammed his way inside.
    Within seconds, those of us on the outside had scrambled to ready positions and Col. Remington took over Creed’s position, barking into the headset. I fought to hear what the hell was going on over the radio as adrenalin spiked my bloodstream, chaos and static filling the line.
    Screams.
    Yells.
    The unmistakable boom of shots fired.
    “Fletch, he’s right on you!” Remington screamed into the radio. Then, “Hostage down! Hollywood, you’re closest, female hostage down at twelve o’ clock, about one hundred feet from you. You’re clear to move.”
    Blood shot from my heart like machine gun fire, so hard I felt the ricochet in my temples. Bile surged up my throat, tasting like panic as I pictured curly red hair pooled in blood.
    God.
    I began to pace behind Remington, trying to see what was on those fucking screens, but his large body blocked my view.
    “Creed!” He barked. “God damn it!”
    The air suddenly filled with rapid fire as multiple shots were fired, too many to count. The entire force behind the perimeter stilled, their focus fiercely absolute. One way or another, Ghost and his crew would finish this now.
    Then it was still.
    Silent.
    In a flurry, Remington directed backup inside,