Chapter 1816
Rizzo evaluated his options, a deep sense of dread settling in his gut.
A man who could infiltrate this fortress undetected was not someone to be trifled with.
He was surrounded by elite mercenaries and snipers, yet this operative moved like a phantom.
“You don’t fight like a cartel operative. Who the hell are you? Law enforcement p>
Tarquin had no time for his questions. “Call your men in. Tell them you’re transferring Eagle to a secure location to torture him privately p>
Rizzo hesitated, desperately looking for an out, but the throbbing pain in his shattered arm served as a stark reminder of his mortality. Defeated, he called for his guards.
“Bring Eagle out to the SUV. I’m moving him to a secure black site. We can’t risk a rescue op here p>
The guards didn’t question the order. They cut the chains binding Axel to the ceiling and hauled his limp body into the back of a waiting vehicle.
Tarquin pulled his tactical cap low over his face and forced Rizzo into the passenger seat before taking the wheel.
With Axel bleeding out in the backseat, they pulled out of the compound.
Since they were riding in Rizzo’s personal armored SUV, the checkpoint guards waved them through without a second glance.
They reached the riverbank where Lowell was waiting in the shadows with an extraction team. As soon as the SUV idled, Lowell rushed forward.
Tarquin gestured to the back. “He’s in the rear. Execute the plan p>
Lowell wrenched the door open. Seeing Axel mangled and soaked in his own blood, tears instantly welled in his eyes.
He choked back a sob, motioning frantically for the medics to load Axel onto the extraction boat.
Once they were safely on the water, Tarquin threw the SUV in reverse and sped back toward the cartel territory, with Rizzo still held hostage.
Rizzo looked thoroughly confused. “You think you can just float down the river? We control those waters! You’re dead men walking p>
Tarquin ignored him, his face a mask of cold focus as he navigated the dirt roads.
Ten minutes later, his comms cracked to life. Lowell’s voice came through. “We’re clear, Tarquin. Watch your back p>
A heavy weight lifted from Tarquin’s chest.
Their primary objective was complete. Axel was safe.
Exhaling a slow, steady breath, Tarquin dialed a secure frequency. “Light it up p>
Seconds later, a deafening explosion ripped through the rainforest.
Then came another, and another, a symphony of destruction echoing across the jungle.
Rizzo stared at the massive pillars of thick black smoke rising from the
cartel’s armories. He looked the
at
Tarquin in absolute horror. You
you did this p>
Tarquin kept his eyes on the road.
Suddenly, Rizzo’s phone started buzzing. It was Warrick.
Tarquin glanced at the screen, his tone freezing. “Answer it. Tell him Eagle’s crew just launched a massive offensive. tell him tagle is in your vehicle, and you’re bringing him straight to his estate p>
Rizzo’s jaw dropped as he realized the sheer insanity of the plan. “You’re using me as a Trojan horse to filtrate Warricks compound? Are you out of your mind?! He isn’t some low-level enforcer, you’ll be slaughtered p>
Tarquin shot him a withering look. “Answer the damn phone p>
Tarquin was heading straight into the lion’s den.
Axel’s cover was blown; there was no going back to the long game. If they wanted revenge, it had to be a full frontal assault.
To ensure absolute safety, every single operative they had embedded in Mariana Land was currently pulling out.
But before they left, they were going to make the cartel bleed for what they did to Axel.
Even if they couldn’t put a bullet in Warrick’s head today, Tarquin was going to make sure the man lost millions of dollars in firepower and product.
He was going to turn Warrick’s world into a living hell.
Rizzo still had no idea who the man sitting next to him was, but he knew one thing for certain: this was someone who commanded immense, terrifying power.
Anyone capable of orchestrating an airstrike-level demolition in the heart of cartel territory was practically a god.
Trembling, Rizzo answered the phone. “Warrick p>