FIRE (Elite Forces Series Book 2) by Hilary Storm, Kathy Coopmans Read Free Book Online Page B

stitched on the upper side of his arm.  I damn near combust internally.  If there is one single American who has anything to do with this at all, they will pray to the god above that they were born anywhere except the United States by the time I’m done with them. 
    “Motherfucker,” Harris hisses.  His voice is pained with the realization of what's happening.
    “What?”  I'm instantly horrified by his response.  I aim my scope and watch their every move as they lead me right to my worst nightmare. 
    “No.”  I shake my head.  My entire body goes into tremors when I see the lonely figure hanging from a large limb of a tree just like Ricardo said.
    “What the hell have they done to him?”  Harris continues to whisper in a voice filled with a similar hatred to my own.
    It’s Kaleb.  I know it.  His head is hung low and his arms are pulled tight by a rope above his head.  This is the first time looking through my scope that I wish I wasn’t seeing the sight before me.  The night they took him comes rushing back to me.  Even though I barely understood the words they were saying, there was no way to misread the anger and hatred they had for Kaleb.  We left him to this fate.  I will never forgive myself for this.
    They have beaten the hell out of him.  He’s naked.  The man I love is fucking naked and hanging from a tree. 
    The sight before me makes me sick.  Yes, for the exact reason that it’s the man I love.  He's the man I’m here to bring home with me and so very far away from this shit I'm seeing today. 
    “Harris.  Please tell me he’s breathing.  I’m sorry.  I’m losing it here,” I whisper the truth.  I'm fucking losing it.  Everything I’ve learned ceases to exist right now.  I need to know.  And yet, I can't look.  Seeing him like this is ripping my heart out.  This marks the second time in my short-lived life that I’ve had my heart traumatized.  I can't breathe.  The first was when my brother died, and now this.  Seeing a man so strong hanging there, lifeless, all bloodied and abused.    How could they do this?
    I focus on pulling my shit together.  Then I focus through the scope and set a target directly on the chest of the man closest to Kaleb.  There are three men, and I know I could take them all within a few seconds.  I just need the clear.  We need to know what’s inside that house and in the surrounding area.  I get how Kase wants to make sure this all goes down like it’s supposed to, but if one of these fuckers touches him, I’m shooting.  I’ll blow their fucking head right off their disgusting body and enjoy every minute of it.
    They all seem to be talking and laughing like this is a joke.  I watch them all walk up to Kaleb and keep watching as each one of them pull out their dicks like they’re going to take a piss, all of them aiming at him.  This is it.  I'm fucking done, and I don't give two shits what anyone says. They are done torturing him. Their lives are over. I lower my scope and fire hitting him straight in the dick.  Then I do it again.  Before I can hit the third one, he turns away, so I hit him in his ass before he has the chance to take a step.  They fall to the ground, and I hear pissed-off voices in my headphones as they scream for everyone to move now.  Fucking finally.
    I put the strap of my rifle over my shoulder and pull it tight against my body before I run straight for Kaleb.  The others will have my back even though I hear them calling my name through my earpiece.  I will not stand by and watch anyone piss on one of my guys, especially my guy. 
    As I get closer, I see our American flag spread across the ground below him, but my eyes are searching for movement from Kaleb.  He’s just hanging there, and my heart is screaming at his hopefully beating heart to show me he’s alive.  Give me a sign, Kaleb.  Give me a fucking sign.  Inhale, exhale.  Scream in pain.  Anything to let me know you're still