Chapter 349: On Duty

Nathan’s POV

The moment I stepped into the station, I knew tonight was going to be ugly.

The place was in full chaos.

Phones were ringing nonstop. Radios crackling over one another. Detectives barking for files. Uniformed officers moving at double speed.

Two suspects were being dragged through booking while one drunk idiot shouted that his uncle was a senator and everyone would lose their jobs by morning.

No one cared.

This was the Organized Crime Tactical Response Division.

My department…which is considered the most dangerous department in the force.

We handled the things regular units couldn’t.

Cartels. Arms rings. Kidnapping networks. Human trafficking cells. High-risk raids. Practically all the monsters who thought money and guns made them untouchable.

And tonight?

We had intel on a major drug movement.

Which meant blood, bullets, or both.

I strode through the noise toward the operations room. Men straightened when they saw me.

“Captain.”

“Sir.”

“Boss.”

Inside, a digital map of the city was projected across the wall. Red circles marked routes and warehouses. Photos of suspects were pinned across a board.

Sean was already there beside me, vest half-zipped, talking with two lieutenants.

He handed me a file immediately.

“Anonymous source came through twenty minutes ago,” he said. “Shipment moving through the old industrial district. Warehouse seventeen.”

“How reliable?” I asked, flipping through the file.

“Source has been clean three times.”

Good enough.

“How many bodies?”

“Minimum ten armed. Possibly more inside.”

“Vehicles?”

“Two vans confirmed. One truck.”

I kept flipping through the file, scanning names and photos.

Known traffickers. Repeat offenders. One linked to three disappearances. Another to a dead customs officer.

My jaw tightened.

“Any civilians?”

Sean hesitated.

“Possible females on site. Could be mules. Could be hostages. We are not sure about their roles.”

That settled it.

I dropped the file onto the table.

“We move now.”

I opened my locker, pulled out my shoulder holster, and slid it on. The familiar weight settled across my chest like second skin.

Checked my sidearm.

Magazine loaded. Round chambered. Safety on. Backup mag at my waist. Knife at ankle. Radio clipped.

I popped a stick of gum into my mouth just to complete the whole aura and chewed once.

“Are they ready?”

“Stacking in the garage now,” Felix said as he entered.

I nodded and turned.

Another captain from Narcotics leaned against the doorway, smirking.

“Took your sweet time tonight, Nathan. This is a big one.”

I kept walking without looking back. “I was busy spending time with my wife.”

The room froze instantly and I had to roll my eyes at their drama.

Then the grown men shouted at once, cutting through the chaos in the space already.

“WIFE?” They all screamed in unison.

I grinned.

One detective nearly dropped his coffee.

Another pointed at me. “Did your mother finally dump some young heiress on your lap?”

“Nope.” I adjusted my holster. “I dumped myself on my wife’s lap.”

The room erupted with laughter and disbelief.

“You lying bastard!”

“You got married and said nothing?”

“Who is she?”

“Guys, don’t believe him. He’s not actually married!”

“If he’s married, then I’ll become a priest!”

“When’s the wedding?”

Their responses clashed and I couldn’t help but grin as I backed toward the door.

“Relax guys. I’ll invite you all to my wedding to clear the doubt. If you survive tonight.”

That got them moving. Within minutes we were rolling out.

Three tactical SUVs. One armored van. Lights off. The sirens weren’t on because this was a silent approach.

I sat in the lead vehicle, rifle across my lap, eyes on the dark streets sliding past.

“Rules are simple,” I said into comms. “Contain first. Fire only when necessary. Watch for civilians. We take them breathing if possible.”

Static clicks answered me as we turned into the abandoned industrial district.

Warehouse seventeen sat near the river. You cannot miss it. The rusting steel, broken windows and a space big enough to hide anything.

I raised a fist and our vehicles stopped and the engines cut immediately.

Night swallowed us whole as we prepared to get into position.

“Team One, east side. Team Two rear exit. Felix, with me front breach. Sean, stay here with the rest.”

My men began moving like shadows. Their boots were silent, weapons raised and just like that, we were in position in under sixty seconds.

I counted down with my fingers.

Three.

Two.

One.

The front door exploded inward.

“POLICE! DOWN!”

Chaos detonated instantly.

Men shouted in two languages as we swarmed in. Crates were overturned as gunfire cracked instantly from inside.

I fired once toward the muzzle flash. Felix dropped another shooter with a clean shoulder hit.

Two suspects bolted for the rear.

“Rear team move!”

Over comms… “Got them!”

Inside the warehouse were stacks of wrapped bricks, chemical drums, scales, burners. And girls.

Young women huddled near a wall.

Terrified.

Some crying.

Some too numb to move.

Rage burned through me.

How are these people even humans?

One cartel runner grabbed a girl by the neck and shoved a pistol to her temple.

Their leader. Antonio Moretti.

He’s tall, with a scar across his cheek and had wild eyes that didn’t hide the fact that he wouldn’t mind killing the girl just to get away.

“I SHOOT HER!” he screamed. “BACK OFF!”

Every gun in the room trained on him as they waited for my instruction.

The girl was shaking so hard she could barely stand.

I stepped forward slowly. “Easy now, Antonio,” I said. “Nobody wants that.”

“DROP WEAPONS OR I SHOOT!” He shouted again, pressing the gun further into the girl's head making her scream out in pain.

I glanced sideways and then barked loudly to my men.

“Drop your weapons. Now!”

There was a brief hesitation, but then, metal clattered around me as my men obeyed.

The leader’s eyes flicked down in triumph as he took in what happened.

I slowly lowered my own pistol too, letting it hang loose from my fingers.

“Let the girl go,” I said calmly. “You still have options.”

“What options dude? Prison? No way!”

“You won’t make it out with her. So just surrender and maybe, I can help you,” I pressed on.

He backed toward the side exit, dragging her with him. Sweat ran down his face as he moved, looking around hysterically.

Just then, my eyes caught something… His grip. It shifted. That was all I needed.

As he turned…

I snapped my pistol up from the low position and fired.

One shot.

Clean.

His leg exploded out from under him as he screamed and dropped the girl.

I lunged forward, caught her, and dragged her behind cover.

“MOVE!”

Gunfire erupted again.

More cartel men stormed in through a side loading bay. They must have called for backup.

“Contacts left!”

Rounds tore into crates.

Wood splintered.

My men returned disciplined fire.

Felix advanced with two officers, pinning them behind forklifts. One suspect tried to flee in a van and rammed straight into our barricade outside.

Another made it into the alley.

Then another.

Too many directions. Too much movement.

We grabbed who we could and cuffed them hard. Face-down on concrete. But some escaped into the night.

Including Scarface. Even with a bullet in his leg, he managed to escape.

I spat my gum to the floor in anger. This did not go the way we planned. “Damn it.”

I keyed my radio.

“Secure perimeter. Full sweep. Medical for hostages. Get statements now.”

I pointed toward the drug stacks.

“Call Evidence Recovery immediately.”

Minutes later the specialized confiscation unit arrived…white coveralls, gloves, respirators, evidence tags, sealed containers.

They moved in like surgeons. Photographing, weighing and cataloging as they bagged every brick and vial.

Felix jogged over. “Captain.”

I was still scanning the exits.

“Captain,” he called out again.

Something felt wrong.

The warehouse tilted slightly and I blinked to adjust my vision.

“Captain!” I heard Sean calling as well.

Why were they yelling? Just then, the ground shifted under me.

I reached for my shoulder where a strange numb pain had started and my fingers came away wet.

Blood.

I stared at it.

Huh.

Didn’t even feel the shot. When did that happen?

The room dipped hard as Felix rushed forward.

“CAPTAIN!”

My knees buckled but he caught me before I hit the concrete, arms locking around me.

Noise blurred as I felt their faces rushing closer.

Someone shouted for a medic and I heard hurried footsteps approaching.

I grabbed Felix by the vest weakly.

“Call...” My voice cracked.

Kayla flashed through my mind.

Angry eyes, wet hair and that permanent scowl that makes me want to kiss her until we both pass out.

I almost smiled.

“Call my wife,” I spluttered.

Then everything went black.