CHRISTOPHER'S POV
The silence in the underground pressed against my ears as Cole and I touched down. We moved like ghosts, following the GPS signal deeper into the earth.
A gun clicked, shattering the stillness. Then, more, as shadows detached from the walls, revealing armed figures. My hand instinctively moved behind my back, drawing my weapon.
"What are you two doing down here?" The SWAT captain's voice, rough and familiar, cut through the tension. He stepped forward, his men flanking him.
"Finding my wife," I said, my voice flat, ending any possibility of argument.
"Figures," he muttered, a hint of weariness in his tone. "Stay behind us. Don't get any ideas." He led the way, the SWAT team forming a wedge, Cole and I swallowed in their wake.
We took cover behind a massive crate. The scene before us was a hive of activity, a vast, sprawling operation. Men and women bustled around, loading crates with weapons and drugs. This was more than just a small gang; it was a full-blown cartel. My jaw tightened.
"No time to cut the lights," the captain said, glancing back at us. "You two know how to handle those?" He nodded toward our guns.
"Absolutely," Cole replied, his voice devoid of inflection. I mirrored the sentiment, brandishing my own weapon.
A grim smile touched the captain's lips. "Good. Stay close, shoot when necessary." He turned to his team. The soft clicks of silencers being attached to their weapons filled the air.
With a silent hand signal, he dispersed his team. They melted into the shadows.
"Now," he hissed.
The attack was swift and brutal. Before the cartel members could react, the SWAT team unleashed a storm of suppressed gunfire. Bodies dropped like puppets with cut strings, each shot precise and lethal. Twelve men down in as many seconds. I couldn't deny a grudging respect for their efficiency.
We followed the SWAT team through the carnage, checking for survivors. There were none.
"Captain, you need to see this." One of the SWAT officers stood hunched over a computer console, his voice tight with urgency.
We crowded around the screen. CCTV footage flickered, showing live feeds from every corner of the complex. I scanned the monitors, searching for Eve. Then I saw it. My blood turned to ice. Eve was being dragged towards a bed, held down by two men while Frederick watched.
My fist clenched, the knuckles bone-white. I crossed to the fallen cartel members, snatching up two weapons. The game had changed. This wasn't just about rescue anymore.
"Get out of my way," I growled, the words raw with barely contained fury as the captain stepped in front of me.
"You'll jeopardize the mission, put Eve in even more danger if you charge in guns blazing. Follow my lead, and we save everyone," The captain's voice was a steady anchor in the storm raging inside me.
I stared at him, my chest heaving, the need to tear Frederick apart clawing at me. He was right. I couldn't let my rage blind me.
"Good," he said, seeing the understanding in my eyes. He gestured, directing seven of his men to clear the remaining rooms, two to escort Cole to Stephanie and Lexi, leaving him and me to find Eve.
"Remember, we need Frederick alive. He's the most wanted man in the country," he reminded everyone before we split up.
We moved swiftly, encountering two hulking figures guarding a door, the same thugs from the CCTV footage. That had to be Eve's room.
From our cover, the captain aimed and fired with deadly precision, dropping both men with silenced shots. "Let's go," he said, and I followed him, my every muscle coiled tight.
He checked the guards, ensuring they were down before rifling through their pockets. I stood frozen, fighting to control my mounting rage.
"Here," he said, holding out a card. "Keycard for the door." He gestured toward the door. "You can go in quiet, use the key, or you can blast your way through. Choice is yours. Frederick is yours to deal with, but do not kill him. I'm going to help the others." Then, he was gone.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I reached for the card, my fingers trembling. Just as I was about to swipe it, Eve's scream ripped through the silence, piercing my soul. "Chris!"
"Eve!" I roared, adrenaline surging. All restraint snapped. I took a step back, then charged, slamming my shoulder into the door. It splintered and buckled, the hinges tearing free as it crashed inward.
Frederick's face registered shock as he scrambled off the bed, reaching for a gun. I was faster. Two shots, clean and precise, ripped through the air, hitting him in both thighs. He crumpled to the floor.
My gaze locked on Eve, tied to the bed, a livid red mark blooming on her cheek. Fear, tears, and despair clouded her eyes, turning my blood to ice. I'm going to kill him.
I turned towards Frederick, who was writhing in pain, clutching his bleeding thighs. I grabbed him by the collar, dragging him closer, and began to unleash a torrent of punches, each blow fueled by rage and a primal need for vengeance. He lost consciousness, his face a bloody pulp, but I didn't stop. He doesn't deserve to live.
"Chris, that's enough!" Eve's voice, weak and strained, barely registered. I couldn't stop.
"Chris, that's enough! You're going to kill him!" Cole's voice, closer now, finally broke through the red haze. He shoved me off Frederick.
"I said enough!" Cole stood between me and Frederick, his jaw tight, his expression unyielding.
I stumbled away, my chest heaving, my knuckles aching. Cole was right. I was losing control.
I turned to Eve. SWAT team members were already cutting her free. As soon as her hands were unbound, I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight, burying my face in her hair.
"I'm here... you're safe, love, you're safe," I murmured, repeating the words like a mantra, trying to reassure her, even as she trembled uncontrollably in my arms.
"I thought... I thought I'd never see you again," she choked out, her voice cracking with sobs. The pain and despair in her voice felt like a knife twisting in my gut. It made me sick with rage.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through this, love," I whispered, holding her closer, my voice thick with emotion.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Stephanie and Lexi, their eyes brimming with unshed tears as they watched us.
"I told you not to kill him, Mr. Luther," the Captain said, a note of exasperation in his voice as he watched the medical team tending to Frederick.
"But I didn't kill him, even though he deserved it," I retorted, standing, Eve cradled in my arms.
"You shot him... you almost killed him!" he exclaimed.
"Almost only counts in horseshoes, my friend." With that, I carried Eve out of the room, Stephanie, Lexi, Cole, and some of the SWAT team trailing behind.
The entire underground facility was teeming with police officers, even the commissioner and Minister of Defence were present.
We exchanged a few brief words before heading for the elevator.
"I can stand, Chris," Eve said softly as soon as we were inside.
"I know you can, but I don't want you stressing yourself more," I said, smiling down at her. She simply nodded, compliant and weary.
Minutes later, the elevator doors opened onto the surface.
The scene was chaotic. Police floodlights illuminated the clearing, a helicopter circled overhead, its spotlight cutting through the darkness, and reporters were broadcasting live, capturing every detail.
"Let's get the doctors to look at her and the others," a female SWAT agent said. I obliged, gently carrying Eve to the waiting ambulance and placing her inside. I turned and pulled Lexi into a tight hug.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through this," I said. I felt her chuckle, patting me on the back before pulling away slowly.
"It's fine, and for the record, I'm so happy you hit that bastard so hard," she winked. I chuckled and nodded knowingly. I shared a brief, comforting hug with Stephanie before standing beside Eve, holding her hand, refusing to leave her side as the medical team examined her.
The elevator doors opened again, revealing the police medical team wheeling Frederick out on a gurney, the captain and the remaining members of his team following behind.
I saw that he was awake. His hands were cuffed, but I still felt a sense of unease as they wheeled him closer.
Suddenly, he moved with shocking speed. He twisted sharply on the gurney, snatched a gun from a police officer's holster, aimed, and fired directly at Eve.
"Nooo!" I screamed, throwing myself in front of her, instinctively shielding her from the bullet. I saw a flicker of satisfaction on Frederick's face as the police wrestled the gun away, but my heart sank. Had he succeeded? I saw Luca and Cole rushing towards me, shouting something, but their voices seemed distant and muffled.
Then, I felt a warm, sticky sensation trickling down my head. I raised my hand and touched it. When I pulled my hand back, it was covered in red. Blood.
A smile touched my lips. I saved Eve, I thought dimly, before my knees buckled, and I collapsed to the side, the world fading away.
I saw Eve's face hovering above me, her hands cradling my face, her tears falling on me. She was saying something, but I couldn't hear her, and that pained me more than anything. I tried to reach out and wipe away her tears, but my limbs felt heavy, unresponsive. I was drifting.
"I love you," I managed to whisper, hoping she heard me before I slipped into oblivion.