Chapter 97 The Assault
JASON'S POV
The moment Rourke gave the signal I kicked my bike into gear and led the crew straight toward the Hayes compound. Tommy was right beside me with the rest of the guys fanned out behind us. The sound of twenty motorcycles roaring through the night was deafening.
"Remember the plan," I yelled into my helmet mic. "We hit the front gate hard. Draw as many guards as possible. Give the tactical team time to breach from the back."
"Got it," Tommy said. "We are ready."
We pulled up to the front gate and I could see guards scrambling. They had not expected this. Had not expected us to come right to the front door.
"What do you want?" one of the guards yelled. He had his gun out but he looked nervous.
"We want Hayes," I yelled back. "And we want the woman he is holding hostage."
"I do not know what you are talking about," the guard said.
"Yes you do," I said. "Now open the gate or we are coming through it."
"You are not getting in here," the guard said. He raised his gun and pointed it at me.
That was when the shooting started. One of Hayes' men fired first and then everyone was firing. Bullets were flying everywhere and I dove off my bike and took cover behind it.
"Return fire," I yelled to the crew.
Tommy and the guys opened up. The sound was overwhelming. Glass breaking. Metal pinging. People yelling. It was chaos.
I pulled my gun and started firing at the guards. Hit one in the leg and he went down. Another one ducked behind the gatehouse. A third one ran back toward the main building.
"They are calling for backup," Tommy yelled. "We need to move."
"Not yet," I said. "We need to give Rourke more time."
My shoulder was killing me. The wound from when Hayes shot me had not fully healed and all this movement was making it bleed again. I could feel blood soaking through my shirt. But I did not care. All that mattered was getting to Caitlyn.
More guards poured out of the main building. At least ten of them. All armed. All shooting.
"We are outnumbered," one of my guys yelled.
"I do not care," I yelled back. "Keep shooting. Keep them focused on us."
A bullet whizzed past my head and hit the gate behind me. Too close. I fired back and hit another guard in the shoulder. He spun around and fell.
"Jason your shoulder," Tommy said. He was looking at the blood spreading across my shirt. "You are bleeding badly."
"I am fine," I said. Even though I was not fine. The pain was getting worse. My vision was starting to blur around the edges.
"You need to get that looked at," Tommy said.
"After we get Caitlyn," I said. "Not before."
I heard explosions from the back of the compound. Flash bangs. The tactical team was breaching. The plan was working.
"That is our signal," I said. "We go in now."
"The gate is still locked," Tommy said.
"Then we go through the wall," I said.
I got back on my bike and gunned the engine. Aimed it at the section of the wall next to the gate. It was an old brick. Probably weak.
"Are you crazy?" Tommy yelled.
"Probably," I said. "But it is going to work."
I accelerated and hit the wall going full speed. The impact was brutal. The bike crashed through and I went flying off it. Landed hard on the grass on the other side.
"Jason," Tommy yelled. He and the crew came through the hole I had made.
I got to my feet. Everything hurt. My shoulder was screaming. My ribs felt like they were broken. But I was inside the compound.
"Come on," I said. "We need to get to the main building."
We ran across the lawn toward the estate. More guards came out shooting. I fired back. Hit one. Missed another. Kept running.
Tommy was beside me firing as he ran. One of our guys went down. Hit in the leg. Two others stopped to help him.
"Leave him," I yelled. "Get him to safety then catch up."
"You heard him," Tommy said to the guys. "Move."
We made it to the front door of the estate. It was locked but Tommy kicked it in. We rushed inside and immediately came under fire.
Guards were everywhere. In the hallway. On the stairs. Behind furniture. It was a war zone.
"Spread out," I yelled. "Clear every room. Find Caitlyn."
I moved down the hallway firing at anyone who shot at me. A guard came around the corner and I shot him before he could shoot me. He went down hard.
My shoulder wound was bleeding worse now. I could feel it dripping down my arm. But I pushed through the pain. Kept moving. Kept searching.
"Caitlyn," I yelled. "Caitlyn where are you?"
No answer. Just more gunfire. More chaos.
I cleared the first floor room by room. Nothing. She was not there. I headed for the stairs but a guard blocked my way. Big guy with a shotgun.
"You are not going up there," he said.
"Watch me," I said.
I dove to the side as he fired. The blast hit the wall where I had been standing. I rolled and came up firing. Hit him twice in the chest. He dropped the shotgun and fell.
I grabbed the shotgun and started up the stairs. My legs felt weak. The blood loss was getting to me. But I could not stop. Not when Caitlyn needed me.
At the top of the stairs, I heard voices. Coming from down the hall. I moved toward them.
"Search every room," someone was yelling. It sounded like Rourke. "Find the hostage."
"Rourke," I yelled. "It is Jason. I am coming from the stairs."
"Clear," Rourke yelled back. "Come ahead."
I found him with a team of tactical officers. They were moving from room to room. Checking everywhere.
"Have you found her?" I asked.
"Not yet," Rourke said. Then he saw my shoulder. "You are bleeding bad Cross. You need medical attention."
"After we find Caitlyn," I said.
"You are going to bleed out before then," Rourke said.
"Then I bleed out," I said. "But I am not stopping until I find her."
Rourke nodded. "Okay. But at least let me wrap that shoulder."
He pulled out a bandage and quickly wrapped my shoulder. It was not much but it slowed the bleeding a little.
"Where could she be?" I asked.
"Hayes had her in the meeting room," Rourke said. "But when we breached she was not there anymore. He must have moved her."
"Where would he take her?" I asked.
"Somewhere he could defend," Rourke said. "Somewhere with only one entrance. Easy to protect."
"His office," I said. "He has a private office on this floor. Only one door. Windows are bulletproof. If he wanted to hole up that is where he would go."
"Show me," Rourke said.
I led him down the hallway to Hayes' office. The door was locked.
"Breach it," Rourke said to his team.
One of the tactical officers placed a small charge on the lock. We all stepped back.
"Breaching," the officer said.
The charge went off with a bang and the door swung open. We rushed in guns raised.
Empty. The office was empty.
"Where else?" Rourke asked.
"I do not know," I said. "I have only been in this house a few times."