Pack Security (Were Chronicles) by Crissy Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

every time.
    In the end, he hadn’t been able to keep that promise to his fellow soldiers. He might have brought Evan’s body back, but it had been under his command that the man had died.
    He closed his eyes, fighting back the memories, but they still bombarded him.
    They’d dropped inside the enemy lines in the pitch blackness of night. The coordinates that they’d been given had just been a rough estimate. It hadn’t been known whether or not the hostages were dead or alive.
    But they’d had to try. That’s what they did.
    So he’d led his small band of men deep into the jungle to complete their task.
    It had been sickening-hot. The air so thick it had been hard to breathe. Sounds they’d only heard a few times had followed them as they’d traveled farther and farther into danger.
    Even when their boots had hit the ground, he hadn’t felt good about the mission. Something, some small part of him, had known there was just something off. He’d ignored the feeling and followed orders. He would always regret that.
    They’d walked for two hours before they’d started to hear signs of life from humans instead of just the jungle animals. Max had stopped his team’s forward movement with a fist in the air. He’d been well known for his above average hearing. No one had known he was a shifter. They’d just teased him that it was his gut instinct, but they’d always followed him. Max had let them believe that.
     
    * * * *
     
    Max took point and methodically moved his men into position. They were just south of a small group of tents. One old, beat-up Jeep was parked to the side and it was filled with guns and ammo. They would need to secure that vehicle first. But that was a sure sign that the rebels were very well armed.
    A few rough-looking men sat around a fire smoking and talking. He motioned to his team to drop and wait.
    One by one their targets went into one of the sleeping areas. A large tent on the far side looked like their best bet of where to find the hostages.
    He crawled over to Evan and the youngest member Jon Banks. He gave the hand signal for them to approach, and after receiving nods of affirmation, he crept back retaking his position.
    Waiting until all was calm, he blew out a breath, and sent his unit in.
    Jose Sanchez guarded the vehicle while he and Matt Wallace covered Evan and Banks.
    The shouts from the large tent alerted not only his team but also the enemy.
    All hell broke loose, but Max had a clear view of the hostages running with Evan and Banks, so he motioned Sanchez to set the explosive and take out the extra guns and ammo they’d taken. There wasn’t enough time to secure the weapons on the bodies, but they needed to ensure that they couldn’t be turned against them.
    He and Wallace used their own rifles in the firefight and before he knew it, the huge explosion rocked the night.
    “Move! Move!” he screamed. Max kept close bringing up the rear as they disappeared into the darkness.
     
    * * * *
     
    If only things had ended there.
    Max shook himself out of his thoughts. He knew he had to let go of what had happened. It wasn’t easy. He relived that day over and over.
    Pushing himself away from the counter, his stomach was in knots. The first part of their mission had been a success. The rest had been one fuck up after another. He had to keep himself busy to prevent himself from thinking about where things had gone wrong.
    He picked up the extra coffee Alpha Shawn had brought then started down the hall.
    If Cassie was awake, he’d give it to her. If not, he would check to make sure everything was secure.
    He tapped softly on her studio door, hoping if she wasn’t awake he wouldn’t bother her. He heard movement in the room and cracked the door.
    The patio door was closed and the room was much the same as it had been the night before. Except for one thing.
    Sitting in the middle of the room on the easel was a painting. It wasn’t one of the half-finished pieces he’d seen