PROLOGUE
Seth Knight, also
known as Dark Knight, stared through the rain scattered window of the Humvee.
He attempted to block out the conversation in the backseat between Lieutenant Scarborough
and Sargent Lafferty. They were bickering over which breed of dog was fiercer,
Boxers or German Shepherds. Seth used his binoculars to watch the door of the dilapidated
building where terrorist, Josef Torsev was huddled up in hiding. Drones
operated by government surveillance agencies had tracked the Syrian guerilla to
this location two days ago, and special ops were called in to capture the man
who was on the top most-wanted list. The team had Torsev in their target and they
waited patiently for the most favorable moment to move in. One impulsive act,
one slip, and things could go downhill fast. The Syrian had slipped through the
fingers of several special ops missions, but this was where his luck ended.
Seth was certain.
The clock ticked.
His thoughts drifted.
After this assignment, he planned to visit home, Landing Knight, his own
hideaway in the Tennessee hills where he always found solace. When his father
passed away, he left Seth two-hundred acres of secluded land set between two mountains.
The property was scattered with a handful of cabins that the previous owner had
let go and they needed renovated. He’d wanted to fix up the place and the
buildings, turning it into a resort again, but when Theodore had died the plans
for renovating stopped.
Seth had been on
one mission after another for the last two years, and felt guilty that he
hadn’t tried to see his father’s plans take shape.
He looked forward
to seeing his siblings. Years had passed since they’d sat down and spent time
catching up. Video chat just wasn’t the same as face-to-face. Hell, things
probably wouldn’t be the same when he got back. His sister, Angelina, was recently
diagnosed with cancer. He wasn’t an emotional man, but when it came to her and the
fucking disease, he felt like a knife had been plunged into his chest. He was a
man who could eradicate the enemy, but he couldn’t help his sister.
Some time with his
family would do him good, yet he’d miss his Ranger brothers, ‘Scar’, ‘Laff’,
and Hanson, who never talked much. He sat quietly in the driver’s seat
thrumming his fingers on the steering wheel. His patience faded. Restless
energy could be a bitch. The four of them had been together on so many covert missions
that Seth had lost count. They’d saved each other’s back. Been there on the close
calls. He owed his life to each of them.
The door of the
ransacked building opened and Seth kept the binoculars on mark, watching for any
movement. Two men stepped out, their heads were wrapped in keffiyeh headdress and they both wore traditional kaftans, but the red bands tied around
their wrists exposed their identity as Torsev’s men. “Looks like we have
movement, boys. We take them down and find our target, dead or alive. Got it?”
Responses were
heard in unison from the three soldiers.
A tense silence fell
over them as they waited for Seth’s command. Known for his level-headedness and
skill at getting in and out without anyone being the wiser made him one of the
most used and dangerous operatives in the Rangers. No soldier had to wonder if
‘Dark Knight’ would get them out alive. He never left a man behind. Ever.
He was calm and
collected. There was always an adrenaline rush before they moved out, but he’d
learned how to control his breathing, heart rate and thinking. Many people
accused him of not having emotions because he’d gotten so good at not showing
his thoughts or feelings.
Something
unexpected happened…
A tall wiry man
stepped from the open doorway, joining the others. The long, peppered hair
hanging down from his headdress nearly reached his waist. This, along with his
braided beard and the red bands were identifiers of Torsev.
“What the fuck?”
Seth muttered.
“Problem,
Lieutenant?”
“Slight change of
plans, boys. It appears our target is on the move.”
“Shit!” Scar muttered. “He knows we’re here. He has
plans to scoot again.”
Seth knew the
risks, but he stayed on point.
“We have a visual.
We still take him down.” Seth dropped the binoculars. “Move out.”
They each had been
briefed on their role in today’s mission. They were experienced and trained in capturing
some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. Torsev was a danger to
everyone in his path, including his own people. He’d killed thousands through
his evil acts, but his time was quickly coming to an end. For months now his
followers were in disarray and disorganized…fleeing or dead. For the last week,
American troops pounded the surrounding Syrian cities, helping to bring peace.
If all went without
a hitch, Seth would be on a plane back to the States by midnight.
They filed out of
the Humvee, rifles in hand, taking their positions along an adjacent abandoned
building close to their target’s location.
He motioned for
Laff to take cover behind a partially broken wall, while pointing Hanson toward
a spot behind a rusted-out vehicle. Seth crouched low, slowly moving closer to
his target, undetected by the threesome who were leaning in, talking in rushed,
excited words.
Using his
binoculars, he focused on Torsev. Were the men arguing?
With his
binoculars, he searched the man’s face. Something wasn’t right. Then it struck
Seth that this man didn’t have the small triangle tattoo on his forehead.
Lifting a hand to
signal for Hanson, Seth paused as the sun’s bright rays glinted off something
from three buildings down. His full attention was on the rooftop. He tried to
get a better look, but saw nothing. Yet, something pinged in his gut that he
couldn’t shake. Lifting his M4 rifle, he set his sights on the spot where he’d
seen the reflection and waited…his finger steady on the trigger.
And then he
spotted the rifle aimed straight for Scar.
Fuck!
Seth pressed the
button on his hand-held radio. “Enemy spotted. No go. I repeat, no go. Back the
fuck up!”
He wanted to shift
his body to watch his men, but he was taught to stay on track, no matter how
serious the situation. He could only hope his unit had pulled back.
The shooter on the
rooftop moved, but Seth didn’t have a clear shot. His breath seemed loud in his
ears, the beating of his heart pounded his chest, reminding him of the dull
thuds of explosions in the distance. He had to take the adversary out.
Known for his
steady hand and sharp shooting skills, he slowed his breathing as he evaluated
the variables of wind speed, wind direction, and temperature, that determined
the accuracy of the shot. He had one chance.
Then he had the
shot.
He pulled the assault
weapon’s trigger and watched the vapor trail, a second later the rooftop sniper’s
head split and blood splattered. He was dead on impact.
All hell broke
loose…
Enemy fire buzzed
over his head as he dropped to his stomach. He slowly shifted, finding the
source of the shots and took out another shooter. He registered men yelling,
but he didn’t have time to dissect where, or who, it was coming from.
He crawled on his
elbows to get a better look around him. Smoke puffed up in thick clouds, making
it hard for Seth to see anything beyond ten feet. Finally, the fog dissipated
enough that he could get a visual, but the three men were gone.
The sounds of
yelling echoed throughout the quiet streets of the abandoned city, and the
target was getting away.
Seth scanned the
crumbled buildings and shadowed corners, feeling his heart racing in his chest,
then saw a silhouette in the distance coming toward the chaos. He couldn’t
believe what he was seeing. A woman wearing a long, white robe ambled up the
street, a bundle of blankets in her arms. As she drew closer, he could see she
carried what appeared to be a baby.
Seth gritted his
teeth.
Hanson met Seth’s
gaze in question across the crumbled concrete.
Torsev’s men rushed
from the building, guns in hand, shooting a wave of bullets through the
courtyard, including hitting the woman who was thrown onto her back. Seth could
see the large patch of red puddling around her. The bundle slipped out of her
arms and tumbled to the ground.
Rising to his
feet, he raced to the baby, knowing his men had his back.
He wasn’t sure if
he heard the explosion or saw material flying first, but that was the day that
changed his life forever.
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