Sean had gone over the layout of the facility and found a way in through an underground drainage system that ran under the walls. The plan had been to go in from the inside then bring in support from the outside, effectively surrounding the culprits.
It all sounded like a great idea. But as Sean had predicted, it all went haywire.
The entire operation depended on timing, which Sean hated. He preferred to have the ability to audible out of a situation, or at least have enough flexibility to make a judgment call. British special ops wouldn’t hear of it. They’d insisted on everything being done on their timetable.
When the demolitions expert on their team, a heavily muscled guy named Vince, had trouble setting off the explosives imbedded in the floor, the whole operation was thrown off kilter. Sean had tried to radio the units outside the building and tell them to wait, but there was too much interference. With no warning, the units on the outside moved in too soon and were immediately pinned down by the snipers stationed around the building.
By the time Vince finally blew the floor out from under the terrorists, they were already in full panic mode, trying to load up and make their escape. Sean slung his grapple up quickly and hauled himself up the rope into chaos. The first thing he saw was the back of a white delivery truck’s doors being closed with a large wooden crate concealed in the back.
The explosion had drawn the attention of the terrorists who weren’t trying to get away quickly, and a hail of gunfire ensued from four men on the other side of the warehouse. Sean fired off three quick shots, taking down two of the gunmen before ducking behind a nearby steel support beam.
He pointed to several wooden boxes on the other side of the hole Vince had blown in the floor and yelled at the other three members of his team to take cover in that position when they got topside. Bullets panged off his protective barrier; a few hit the tin wall behind him. He spun around and fired his AR-15 four more times, dropping the remaining two gunmen.
Another threat appeared on the upper catwalk that encircled the warehouse. Several more men with assault rifles were firing down on his position and on the rest of his team who were coming up through the cavity in the floor. Two more appeared on the ground from behind the truck that was now starting up and trying to turn around so it could go through the large hangar doors at the end. Sean also noticed a man in a slick gray business suit with peppered gray and black hair jumping into the back of a black SUV. For a split second, Sean thought he recognized the man, but the barrage of bullets kept him focused on the immediate threats.
The SUV sped off, cutting past the delivery truck as men were still trying to get the doors locked down. Sean had to find a way to stop the truck. He laid down covering fire as his support team continued to appear through the hole in the floor. When all of them had made it to cover, he signaled for them to take out the guys on the catwalk first. He could handle the two on the ground.
Mere seconds after he’d given the order, one of the men on the catwalk fell over the railing and smacked into the floor. His support team on the left picked off the gunmen one by one in quick succession. Sean wasted no time. He pulled out his Berretta and ran towards the first of the two terrorists on the ground, squeezing of three shots as he sprinted to a concrete cylinder. The target dropped to the ground leaving one guy remaining. The delivery truck roared to life as the loan terrorist continued to fire his weapon recklessly in Sean’s direction. He gave a quick nod to Vince who was still tucked behind the crates. Vince popped up and fired twice with his AR-15.
The gunman’s assault rifle went silent as the truck started to pull away. Sean dropped his pistol and put the butt of his assault rifle against his shoulder. He would only have one chance to hit the driver as the truck made the turn to go through the door. If the vehicle reached the exit, he doubted the team on the outside would be able to stop it.
He closed one eye and breathed slowly as he watched the front edge of the truck. It swerved to the left then turned sharply to the right. The driver, a man in a black turban with a thick black mustache appeared in his scope’s crosshairs. The truck would be gone in less than three seconds. Sean let out a long, slow breath, and squeezed the trigger.
He’d received commendations for valor and leadership. But none of that mattered anymore. Taking lives was something he was good at. And he wished he wasn’t. Sean longed for a life in which he didn’t have to kill, didn’t have to hide, or worry that someone was watching him. His friend, Tommy had given him a standing offer to join the International Archaeological Agency. It was a security position, the main task of which was to secure artifacts for transport to research facilities. The pay was good. The hours were great. And the risk factors were much lower. It was exactly what Sean had been looking for. Since he had a long-time interest in ancient history, it pretty much sounded like the perfect gig.
His resignation from Axis had been difficult. He’d worked with Emily a long time. She had become one of the few people he trusted in the world. But she would be okay without him. Or so he hoped. There were a young group of recruits that looked promising for the small agency. The realization that he wouldn’t regret leaving, but he might regret staying, was the biggest influencing factor.
Emily had begged him to stay on. But too many things were telling him to get out. So, he did. And he never looked back. That wasn’t to say he ever lost touch with his former boss. They’d helped each other out several times since he left. And he imagined that cooperative exchange would continue well into the future.
“We’ll be landing in Istanbul in a few minutes,” the pilot’s voice cut through his thoughts, and he opened his eyes. Everyone was securing their seatbelts in preparation for landing.
Sean hoped this visit to the ancient city would go better than the last.
Chapter 20
The untamed scents of the eternal city filled Alexander Lindsey’s nostrils as he stepped out of his car, onto the sidewalk. The dry air outside his lavish hotel was filled with the smell of spices, herbs, roasting meat, onions, and garlic; all of it wafted in his direction from the bazaar a few blocks away. Istanbul was a wild parade for the senses. The sidewalks were a river of people dressed in a vast array of clothing from the bland to the extraordinarily colorful. Lights flashed from a thousand directions. The sounds of cars, music, and laughter filled his ears.
DeGard exited the vehicle and gazed around at the sites of Istanbul at night. The city was a cornucopia of historical significance. The city had been the economic center between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East for thousands of years. It was dead center of the famous Silk Road, and was the only connection between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Over the course of its history, Istanbul had been the capital city for four major empires. In the early 1920s, when Turkey became a republic, it was passed over as the Turkish capital in favor of Ankara. Still, the city had grown immensely during the twentieth century, boasting the second largest population within a city limit in the entire world.
Everywhere DeGard looked he could see the mingling of modern humanity, ancient architecture and design, and Islamic influences. Each time he visited, DeGard felt like he was in a cultural playground.
Lindsey didn’t seem nearly as impressed. A scowl covered his face, and he hurriedly trudged into the hotel, past the doorman in a costume that reminded him of the story of Aladdin. Inside the hotel, he was greeted by more smiling faces and a world of opulence that would appease the most particular of tastes. His scowl still prevailed.