Fox stared at the empty opening of the van. “Where the fuck are—”
A man appeared in a black hoodie, unarmed except for the two bottles in his hands. He tossed them at God’s front windshield. The impact caused a teeth-rattling explosion that stung the hell out of his ears. Fox clutched the side of his head, trying to breathe through the disorientation and the fumes.
Fox cursed when he saw God and Day’s windshield engulfed in bright blue and orange flames. But before he could break his cover to help them, the men inside the van opened fire.
Fox dove behind a metal MARTA bench to get clear of the bullets ricocheting off the front of God’s grill. The task force’s vehicles were bulletproof, but now it was on fire, and Fox knew they didn’t have much time. God must’ve thrown his truck in reverse to put some distance between him and the van in hope of getting around it, but he ended up slamming into the SUV behind him, making Syn dive out of the way.
Fuck! God and Day were trapped inside that torched vehicle with their enforcers. If they got out now, they’d be wide-open targets… if they weren’t burned by whatever chemical was doused on their vehicle first. Fox got to his feet fast, taking aim, as more automatic gunfire erupted around him.
“Get the fire extinguishers,” Hart hollered, staying low and making his way to God’s vehicle.
Most of the SWAT team and the patrol units that had responded were focused on getting the innocent bystanders out of harm’s way.
Dinah was behind only one shield man and was closing in, firing at the interior of the truck. Fox and Syn shot from the other side. Another of those explosive cocktails was thrown towards Dina, and her guard was able to block them from the brunt of the blast, but it still knocked them off their feet.
Syn radioed for the fire department and bomb squad assistance while he and Fox did their best to protect them. Michaels and Hart couldn’t get to God’s vehicle while still covering from return fire. Fox knew time was dwindling fast.
Fox saw two men dart from behind a ragged black Explorer and flung their arms in the direction of the van, sending multiple objects—Fox couldn’t see what—crashing through the back window. Dense, angry black smoke started to waft out of every opening of the van, making the men inside have to abandon it or suffocate to death.
Fox and Syn got ready as four men leapt out one after other, their faces unrecognizable from the soot. Orders were barked from all directions, and Fox made his own voice heard as he focused on the two with weapons still in their grasp.
“Drop your weapons! Down on the ground! On the ground, now!”
Only one hadn’t lowered his assault rifle, turning his blind aim towards them, when Syn shot him in the upper shoulder, sending him to the asphalt. As the SWAT unit hollered at the men to stay down, they quickly secured the weapons and got them handcuffed.
Hart, Mercer, and Michaels were spraying down God and Day’s vehicle, but the flames were still going. Fox ran over to help, the scent of melting rubber from the tires almost making him gag.
“It’s not working,” Hart bellowed, shielding his eyes from the heat. He clutched his hand over his ear. “Where’s the goddamn fire department, Free?”
“Here. Let me.” One of the guys who’d thrown the black smoke bombs held an aluminum canister and began to spray a heavy foam over the windshield and hood, while his partner helped with the front doors. The white substance shot out of the pressurized can in a wide arc and quenched the blue flames almost instantly.
The team covered their mouths at the putrid, metallic scent, and Fox wondered what the hell was in that bottle that had no discernible manufacturer’s label, just a bright red X.
“I’m pretty sure those guys in the van were using a mix of lithium, some sort of acetone, and water to make that kind of explosion. You need an extinguisher with a monoammonium phosphate to take that flame,” the younger man said smoothly.
The fire department’s ear-piercing horn announced their arrival as they roared onto the scene, casting red and blue patriotic colors on the buildings around them. The firemen rushed to take over, getting God and his men out of their armored car. And thank the good lord that it was. The narcotics task force was assigned those expensive vehicles for a reason.
This wasn’t the first hit on God’s and Day. And it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
Fox couldn’t get to the showers quick enough to wash that horrific scent off his skin. When he was dressed in the spare jeans and sweatshirt, his thoughts went to Bull. Was this what love was like? An all-consuming need to be with that person at all times, feeling as though his chest was empty when he was away from him? While he waited for the elevator to take him to their department on the third floor, he pulled out his cell phone and opened his texting app.