God’s sergeant, Syn, and his first officer, Ro had to take cover behind their truck when they tried to get close enough to get inside Ruxs and Green’s front door. Ex aimed his weapon at the two men with black bandannas over their mouths, “What are your orders, detective?”
“Do not fire unless fired upon,” Michaels answered, his eye an inch from the scope of his Glock 22 sniper rifle.
Syn had his own handgun drawn and Ronowski was wielding a shotgun, but neither could get a decent enough shot. If it had been up to him, he would’ve thrown a grenade by now and eliminated the entire block. But detectives had protocols to follow... Ex didn’t. He sucked in a slow breath and held it for two counts before he squeezed the trigger and took out the two men who had fired on the sergeant, hitting them pointblank in the center of their chest.
“Shit,” Michaels growled, turning to glare at him. His boss must’ve asked what the fuck was going on because Michaels touched his ear and bit out, “it wasn’t me. I got one of the fucking Ravens up here with me.”
Ex didn’t bother to worry about what rules of engagement the local police had to follow as he aimed at the men on the corner and fired one shot that propelled the man back into the wall, splattering eighty percent of his brain matter onto the bricks.
“Goddamnit. Spare their lives if you can,” Michaels barked.
A couple of the thugs fell back as they tried to figure out where the shots were coming from. They took cover behind a run-down Chevy on the other side of the street and fired their illegal assault weapons at the officers as they once again tried to get out of the front door. Ruxs had the kid behind him but Green had to dive back into the house when more shots came at them.
Ex was pissed now. This should’ve been over already. He didn’t know why any of these men were still breathing. “These gangbangers will do anything to get that kid and kill him. That includes taking out members of your own team. Start shooting, Michaels.”
The sniper hit the second thug in his arm when he raised his gun at the police cruisers filing in and blocking one side of the street. A split second later he fired on three men who rounded the corner. His strategic shots along the asphalt sent them scurrying back into hiding. As more sirens could be heard close by and squad cars were piling in one behind the other, the gangbangers begin to panic and haul ass. Syn and Ronowski were doing their best to keep anyone from getting close to the front door of the warehouse, but they were most likely running out of ammunition by now.
The idling SUV finally made its move as tires squealed on asphalt, before it lurched forward, picking up speed fast. Michaels spun towards the vehicle barreling at his sergeant's truck, but Ex stopped him.
“Don’t,” was all he said.
Before the SUV reached the corner of the block Slade's black Navigator exploded out of the side alley, cutting them off. Ex watched in fascination when the back window eased down and Meridian's dark, handsome face came into view as he leaned against the butt of his T91.
The driver threw the truck into reverse as armor-piercing bullets ate up the grille as though the SUV was nothing but a Tonka toy. The ear-splitting shots had everyone taking cover. The getaway driver lost control and wrapped the back end of the truck around a lamp pole. Meridian waited a moment to see if anyone was still conscious before Slade took off.
“Dammit,” Michaels gritted.
Ex turned and saw what had the sniper clutching his weapon and practically hanging over the ledge of the building.
Fuck. Ex gripped the top of Michael's bulletproof vest and pulled him back down. “Stay calm.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Michael’s eyes welled with moisture as he gazed intensely down his scope.
“Slow your breathing down, detective,” Ex said through clenched teeth.
Ex focused on their new situation. He’d been so sure that Evan’s shooter was in that SUV, waiting on the opportunity to take off and snatch the kid, which was why he’d put Meridian on it. But he'd been wrong. Evan’s murderer—the leader of the Warlords—wasn't in that truck.
He stood in front of the warehouse with his 9mm pressed to the back of Detective Green's skull.
God flew down the street on the backside of Ruxs and Green’s block with Hart and his SWAT team following closely in their armored vehicle. When Syn had radioed five minutes ago and told him that Ex and Meridian were on the scene, he’d felt a small measure of relief that they would get Joseph out alive. But now his heart was trying to beat out of his ribcage as Free communicated to them that Big Mike had taken a hostage.