Unconditional Surrender by Desiree Holt Read Free Book Online

move away from the rotor wash. Seconds after that, the bird lifted away and they hoofed it to the nearest cover they could find, which in this case was a large outcropping of rock.
    Once the helo was away, Slade took stock of everyone, checking to make sure there were no minor injuries incurred during the landing. Then he rose carefully to his feet, readjusting his pack.
    “Okay.” His voice was barely a whisper. Sound carried in the mountains and they had to make sure they weren’t detected. He pulled out the map they’d all studied until their eyes blurred and went over everything with them one more time.
    “Remember,” he said to his team, “this is definitely a ‘kill’ mission. This guy has been responsible for too many deaths, both our own soldiers and the Afghanis who are friendly to us. That’s our first choice. Beau? It’s up to you and Trey, but you know we’re your backup.”
    Beau snorted almost soundlessly into his tiny mic. “Good to remember that but, just like always, when he sticks his head out, we’ll be ready to blast it clean off.”
    Slade shot a glance at Marc. “And the recon is up to you, as usual. So. Here’s where we’re going.” He pulled out another map from one of his pockets, this one hand drawn, and pointed to a spot marked with an X and circled in red. “Lead on. We’ve got your back.”
    Progress was very slow going. The moon dipped in and out of shredded clouds, shining like a flashlight when it was fully exposed and forcing the men to stop and find cover behind giant boulders or the scrubby pines that were indigenous to these mountains. They moved slowly, with Marc in front scouting the area, watching for an ambush or a stray shepherd. When Slade checked his watch again, he discovered it had taken them two hours to move two miles.
    Okay by him. They had to be soundless and invisible. One dislodged pebble in the stillness of the night, one crunch of rock beneath someone’s foot and they’d be toast.
    Eventually they reached the cave that Mansoor was currently using for his base of operations. The men were always amazed at the rough surroundings these people chose to establish as their headquarters. For all the money they took in from the poppy trade and other sources, he would have thought they’d want something more elaborate. Slade knew there were some places, especially in Helmand Province, where tribal warlords lived like kings. But apparently the terrorists in this war-torn country considered it a badge of honour to disdain any luxuries.
    Of course, he thought to himself, it could also have something to do with the need for stealth and concealment.
    One click in his ear bud told him Marc had taken a good look at the situation and would give him a count any minute. The next thing he heard was a series of seven clicks. Okay. Seven guards visible and certainly more inside the cave. Too many of them, two few of the Delta team. He knew Marc had reconned the entire area and given him the best possible count, but they were always prepared for what they couldn’t see. He clicked his lip mic three times…one, a pause, then two—the signal that the mission to kill the target and get the hell out of there was under control and a go. Now came the tedious part of the mission—waiting for the target to appear so they could take him out.
    They would rotate on watch, two on and two off. He’d do the first one with Marc. Beau as the sniper and Trey as his spotter would need to be well rested. Hopefully this asshole would show himself sometime before morning, Beau could do his thing and they could get the fuck out of there.
    He slipped off his pack and set it on the ground, dropping down beside it. He checked that a bullet was chambered in his handgun and made sure his rifle was ready to go, placing both of them in his lap—the handgun held loosely but firmly in his fingers. Leaning against a large boulder, he closed his eyes and let himself drift into a power nap. He’d