Page 99 of No More Lies
“I’m just going to see if there is a first aid kit, or something to stop the bleeding. We are leaving soon. Unless you want a blood trail following us, I should clean up the wounds. Volkov said he needs Diane alive. If I don’t clean the wounds, they may get infected. I expect that could cause problems.”
The man hesitated, then nodded. Melanie entered the bathroom, returning with towels, a small first aid kit, and a washcloth.
“Not much. But let's see what we can do.”
Diane nodded, fighting back tears. In less than fifteen minutes, they would be gone. Then what would happen?
Where are you, Steve? I need you. Megan needs you.
Chapter 24
Steve sat in the back of a California Gas panel van. Donnie climbed in next to him, Ryan and Mackie opposite. Dex got in up front with Tyler who was taking the wheel. The team had spent an agonizing thirty minutes at the Farm reviewing the layout of the house. The single-family home was on a corner lot. The lots were a good size, in an older neighborhood, with landscaped yards, mature trees, and fences. Dale had arranged to evacuate the area under the pretense of a gas leak. No one had left Janssen’s house, but if Volkov was inside it was unlikely he would come out and risk the neighbors questioning who he was. With no time to sit and observe, or to wait for nightfall, they were moving forward with an assault. Lives were in danger; minutes mattered.
Raven had assaulted houses and other places with little recon more times than he could remember. It was not what they preferred but sometimes, like now, there was no alternative. They all knew what they had to do. Steve trusted his teammates. If Diane was in that house, they would get her out alive.
“You good for this?” Donnie asked quietly.
“I’m set,” Steve reassured him. His sole focus was on getting to Diane. He would love to get his hands on Volkov, but Diane came first. Raven would take care of everything else.
The van slowed and Steve glanced through the windshield. Several vehicles were driving toward them. The last of the neighbors, heading to a designated safety zone set up a short distance away. Tyler turned into the street behind Janssen’s house and parked in front of a two-story that backed onto Janssen’s yard. These houses had been evacuated, too, which gave Raven a clear path to approach the house from the rear, reducing the chance of being seen.
Steve fought the urge to bust out of the van. They had to wait for confirmation that the civilians were gone. Finally, Dex turned to face the team from up front. “Area is all clear. Let’s do this.”
As they had discussed back at the Farm, the team silently made their way down the side of the house to Janssen’s rear fence. Steve watched Donnie scale the fence, every second feeling like minutes.
“Clear,” Donnie confirmed. Steve didn’t hesitate to climb over, desperate to get inside and find his wife. The rest of the Raven followed behind him, taking cover in the trees and bushes that edged the perimeter of the yard.
Dex signaled with his hand, and they split into two groups. Ryan led Tyler and Mackie along the perimeter toward the front of the house. They would breach the front door, while Dex, Steve and Donnie would breach the back.
As they waited for Ryan to get in position, Steve scanned the house, checking all the windows, looking for any sign of movement anywhere. Nothing.
“In position. No vehicles on the driveway or out front. No movement that we can see.” Ryan came through coms.
Steve felt the first stirrings of unease. Volkov had three women, his daughter, Oleg, and probably more men. They would need more than one car. Where were the vehicles?
“Standby,” Dex said, turning his head. Steve’s gaze locked with his and he recognized the warning to not do anything stupid without words needing to be said. He nodded. Seconds later, Dex’s command came quietly through coms.