Page 31 of Isla by Any Other Name

“Molly, it’s me. Can I come in?” Mitch asked.

She walked over to the door and opened it. “Sure, come in. Is there anything I need to know?”

“No, you already know. I’m leaving Carli and Dalton in the house with you. We have two men up on the parapets keeping watch around the house and four men in the woods. I’ll be leaving shortly for the cabin. I just wanted you to know that you’re safe and I’ll be back here as soon as I’m able.”

She couldn’t help it, her eyes stung from the tears that were threatening to fall. Before she could stop them, they were streaming down her face.

Mitch pulled her into his arms. “Hey, this will be over soon, I promise. Now I want you to try and get some sleep. I’ll come back as soon as I can.” He kissed the top of her head. He pulled himself away from her and turned toward the door. “Soon,” he said and left her standing there, wishing that he could stay. Soon.

Chapter eighteen

Mitch hated leaving Molly, but there was a job to be done. He couldn’t get distracted. He had to put what he felt for her out of his mind and concentrate. There would be time for exploring their feelings—he had to believe that.

Mitch returned to the basement. “Okay, team. Are we ready for some action? Let’s get this done. These guys are going down.”

He picked up his duffel bag, packed with his arsenal of choice, then led three armed team members out into the still, crisp night. The moon was full, which was a good thing. If it stayed that way, they would get a visual on anyone entering or exiting through the woods. It was a waiting game. Anything could happen tonight. Only time would tell. He had two men on patrol around the cabin. He would be inside with Leah. If anyone happened to get to the front door, it would look like they were a couple enjoying a quiet Thanksgiving in the woods.

Once inside, they opened their duffels and planted a few weapons around the cabin. If anyone got in, they’d have a stash of hidden weapons close by and at the ready.

The next three hours dragged. The team on stakeout duty at the motel updated him every thirty minutes. No one had moved from that location. The phone buzzed in his pocket. Mitch answered, “Larkin.”

“We have visitors. Two men just pulled up in front of the room. One of them looks like Roberto Mendez. I don’t know who the other guy is. If I can get a visual, we can send it to headquarters and maybe get facial recognition on him. They’re entering now. I’ll call if they make a move.”

Another two hours went by. It was midnight when the phone rang again. “They’re en route. We have three dark SUVs on the move in your direction. Two men in each car. This is it, friends. ETA in twenty minutes. We’ll keep eyes on them and keep you posted. We got back intel on the guy that came in with Mendez. His name is José Rodriguez—he’s a hired killer. If we get him, we save a lot of lives. He’s never been in our crosshairs before, so let’s bring him down with the rest of Hernandez’s gang.”

They hung up. “Leah, get ready. They’re on their way.” Mitch took his walkie-talkie out of his jacket pocket. “Jax, are you there? It’s a go. We have three dark-colored SUVs en route, two men in each.”

“I’m here,” Jax said. “I’ll let you know when they pass me. I’m hidden in the thicket. We’ve got your back. What do you want my team to do?”

“Stay alert and stay put. I wouldn’t put it past them to try to pull one over on us. I want all our bases covered. Let me know when you see them.”

“Will do. I’ll radio my team. Over and out.”

Adrenaline was pumping through Mitch’s veins. He called Dalton up at the compound. “Lock down. We’re about to see some action. If possible, I’ll keep you updated. Be prepared for anything.”

“Should I wake Molly?” Dalton asked.

“If I know her, she’s up worrying anyway. Fill her in and stay alert. Keep her safe.”

“Will do,” said Dalton. “Stay safe out there. Over.”

“What’s the plan, Mitch?” asked Leah.

“If by some chance they get through the door, we’ll be ready for them.” He said as he handed her a Kimber 10 millimeter and then tucked his Glock into the waistband of his jeans. He had a knife strapped to his arm and a pistol in his ankle holster. He grabbed his own weapon, an AK-47, off the table and strolled to the window. Parting the drapes, he surveyed the area and waited. Leah stood at the kitchen window and peered into the darkness. “The yard is bright. That full moon is a good thing for us. I can see pretty far into the woods.”

The seconds ticked by like they were hours. Finally, Jax called. The hitmen had just passed him on the road. All three vehicles had driven by the cabin’s driveway and were headed for the fire road one mile up. Jax would swing around, then he and his team would come from behind and keep eyes on them.

Mitch pulled out his walkie talkie and alerted his team. “They’re heading toward the fire road. Cameron and Nate, I want you coming in from the east. Cal and Drew, you’ve got the west quadrant and Jax and his team are taking up the rear. We’ll have them surrounded. There are six of them. Most likely they think they’re going to come in quiet and take us out. Let’s make this happen.”

He called the rest of his team back at the compound. “We’ve had a visual, it’s going down. Stay in position. Stay alert. This ends here at the cabin.”

The moon shone through the trees, giving Roberto Mendez a good visual as he left his SUV. His team was ready for this. They had three vehicles, armed with AK-47s. All they needed to do was walk undetected through the woods and it would all be over. It would be a bloodbath. This bitch was going down—Roberto’s own life depended on it.

Rodriguez was in charge, and he didn’t accept defeat. He wanted this done. Roberto knew that Rodriguez preferred to go in quiet. He wanted to take out everyone in the cabin and be done with it. His knife skills were exemplary. He could empty that cabin of life in two minutes, tops. But he was stuck with this entourage, at Hernandez’s orders, and Roberto could feel him judging every step they took.

Rodriguez pushed ahead of the group. Roberto ran up and put a hand on his shoulder. Rodriguez swung around to face him with his knife in his hand.

“Whoa!” Roberto said, stepping back out of Rodriguez’s reach. “Watch it!”