Drake Sisters 07 - Hidden Currents

Jonas right behind him, again facing the door opposite the one Jackson was stalking.
    Jackson stepped to the side of the door, slammed it open with his arm and dropped in. He fired twice as he went down, rol ing and coming up on one knee, tracking the room. A body dropped with a soft thud on the thick carpet, blood slowing pooling around it.
    â€œClear,†Aleksandr said and Jonas kept his eyes on the door across the hal , gun steady.
    Before they took a step, they heard a roar like a distant freight train. Then the earth shivered. Around them the vil a rocked, furniture shook, wal s cracked and the pressure vibrated through them.
    â€œDock’s down,†Matt reported in Jackson’s ear.
    â€œFuck Christmas in Greece, welcome the Fourth of July. I say liberate the bastard straight to hel ,†Kent added unnecessarily.
    â€œCrazy bomber,†Matt muttered.
    Shaking their heads, the three started down the hal way, clearing each room as they went. As Jackson nudged open a door, a shadow loomed up in front of him in an open doorway, and he dropped and rol ed, holding his fire until he was certain it wasn’t El e. A bul et spat, splintering the wal just above his shoulder, but he was already returning fire, his aim instinctive and he heard the body fal . He shot again, leaving nothing to chance.
    They had one room left. If El e wasn’t there, he was screwed. There was nowhere else for her to be. It meant they were too late and Gratsos had slipped past them, taking her with him and they’d have to start al over again. Heart tripping, Jackson approached the last room. It was built to take up one end of the entire floor, the wal facing the ocean glass.
    The door was slightly ajar as they approached and he heard movement inside. He froze, his hand cutting across his throat to signal the others. The door opened inward to the right, so they approached from the right side. Jackson waited, counting silently until they were al in position. Jonas kicked the door hard, slamming it open so that it crashed against the wal behind it and bounced.
    Jackson went in fast, crouching low, sweeping the room with his gun, left and then instantly back to center to cover the two men standing in the center of the room, hiding behind El e’s limp body.
    â€œTarget,†he spat out, his sites dead center between the eyes on the first guard—the one holding his gun to El e’s head.
    Aleksandr had come in a split second behind, moving to the right, his gun on the second guard trying to shield himself behind the woman and his partner. Jonas came in nearly at the same time, deliberately moving to his left with Aleksandr to try to keep attention away from Jackson, their best shot.
    â€œYou take a step, she dies. Put your weapons down.â€

“Put ’em down, put ’em down now!†the other guard yel ed.
    â€œStay cool,†Jonas said. “No one has to die here. Just hand us the woman and walk away.â€
    â€œDrop your fucking weapons now,†the first guard screamed, panic in his eyes.
    â€œJust shoot him,†Aleksandr encouraged in a loud, obnoxious voice. “Take the shot. She’s dead weight anyway. Do it now, take them out.â€
    The guard behind El e swore loudly.
    â€œTake them out, take them out,†Aleksandr insisted.
    â€œEverybody calm down,†Jonas said.
    â€œPut your weapons down,†the first guard said again, but now he was looking at Aleksandr, his eyes jittery.
    Jackson never spoke. Never moved. El e just hung in the man’s arms. When he touched her mind, she wasn’t there. He tamped down panic and took a breath. Let it out. Never once did his gun move from his target. He let everything recede into the distance but his target. The chaos of the shouting, swearing guards, Aleksandr prodding them, Jonas calming them, al of it disappeared until he was in that tunnel he was so familiar with. Ice cold water running in his veins, fire in his gut, his heartbeat in his ears and death in his mind.
    He wil ed the bul et from his gun to the target, replayed it over and over in his head. Al the while waiting. One moment. One split second. One mistake.
    â€œTake them out, damn it,†Aleksandr continued screaming, switching back and forth from English to Russian.
    The guards yel ed back, threatening, pul ing El e’s limp body closer. “I’l kil her, I’l kil her, drop your