back toward the woods.”

“Hold fire!” ordered Gunner. “Maybe this will end it?”

The new set of attackers didn’t emerge from the protection of the forest, which forced their friends to crawl to safety. Their surroundings fell silent again except for the cacophony of crickets that resumed their nighttime opera.

“Sitrep!” shouted Gunner.

“No movement,” replied Cam.

“Nothing since two guys came out of the woods long enough to drag their buddies out of the clearing. I heard an engine start. Not a bike, though. More like a diesel truck.”

“Stay in position,” ordered Gunner.

He took a chance and made his way downstairs into the living area. He avoided slipping on the pools of blood as he pulled furniture out of the kitchen and piled it in front of the entry door, which was still hanging on one hinge. He added some more rubble from the explosion to create an effective deterrent to anyone attempting to rush into the house.

With the entrance sealed off, he returned upstairs and checked his portals again. Nothing could be seen. He made mental note of the time. It had been just over an hour since he’d requested the extraction and roughly ten minutes since the locals had staged their assault. He needed to find von Zwick’s research or they would’ve gone through this for nothing.

“Bear, I need you to cover my side of the house. Cam, I’m headed down to the barn. Guys, I’m gonna need to turn on the lights in there to calm the animals and search for his stash of docs. Some light will filter through the barn walls. Watch for another wave of attacks.”

“Got it!” shouted Cam.

“Your gunfire will be my signal to return to the south portals.”

“Roger. We’ve got ya!” yelled Bear.

“Ride or die, bitches!” added an exuberant Cam.

Gunner grinned and then paused for a moment. He glanced outside one last time and then made his way into the barn. The smell of manure immediately struck his nostrils, but somehow it was comforting. He’d spent many winters as a boy making money cleaning out a family friend’s stables. During the springs and summers, Gunner had cut grass to fund his baseball-card-collecting passion.

He had been an enterprising young man who understood the value of hard work and the rewards getting paid for his efforts afforded him. Now, his career had nothing to do with money. It was for love of country. Even if his job was to dig through horse and cow manure to continue their investigation into who was behind the hornet’s nest they’d kicked.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Lielvarde Air Base

Republic of Latvia

Gunner spent the next hour with the assistance of Cam to dig through every crack, crevice, and pile of hay in the barn in search of von Zwick’s research. Bear continued to monitor the building’s perimeter for the return of the Nordkreuz. After taking on heavy fire, they never reappeared, and soon their motorcycles could be heard in full retreat.

Daylight could be seen through the forest, and at the first hint of it peeking through the few cracks in the building, the animals, especially the chickens, began to stir. As the sun rose further, Gunner made the call to release the farm critters to graze outside. He had no idea what would become of them, and he planned on asking his military escort to contact the nearest law enforcement to deal with the carnage. He was sure there would be questions for his Gray Fox team, but there was no time for that.

Eventually, he and Cam found three buried German military footlockers hidden in the animals’ stalls and the chicken coops. The distinctive loud whomp-whomp of an approaching Black Hawk helicopter resulted in their search being cut short. After a quick sweep of von Zwick’s home for additional intelligence, they greeted the NATO team dispatched from the Lielvarde Air Base in the Republic of Latvia.

Gunner was unsure why the Den chose a chopper from nearly six hundred miles away to perform the extraction. He’d issued the duress code and indicated they should come in weapons hot. He intended to take the issue up with Ghost when they spoke.

In the meantime, during their three-hour flight to Latvia, the team, exhausted from the long night, managed to sleep. Not totally refreshed, but functioning, they exited the UH-60 Black Hawk, each carrying one of the trunks in addition to their weapons. They were greeted by Major Leah Curriston, who was second in command at the base.

“Welcome to Latvia,” she greeted them heartily. “I’m glad we were able to provide assistance.”

“Thank you,” said Gunner. He didn’t introduce himself, and on the ride over, he’d instructed Cam and Bear to remain tight-lipped. After the hit teams were able to engage them so quickly following the meeting with Professor Brandt, he became concerned about leaks and whom he could trust. “Would you mind if we find a quiet place to regroup before we catch a transport home?”

She gestured for them to accompany her to the command and control building. Cam and Bear followed behind. “Not at all. I’ve been asked by the U.S. Embassy chargé d’affaires, Paul Junge, to extend every courtesy to the three of you. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like.”

Bear whispered to Cam, “Do married women in Latvia wear wedding rings? She’s ridiculously beautiful.”

Cam scowled and shook her head. “That’s a ridiculous question. Besides, how should I know?”

“So do you think she’s single?” asked Bear, who was clearly enamored by the major’s beauty.

“I think you’ll remain single for life because you have no understanding of women. You need to start with the basics. I’m gonna get you that old book—Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.”

Bear shot her a dirty look. “Which one are you from?”

Cam swung the footlocker she was toting in Bear’s direction, knocking him off balance. “Hey, careful!” he said a little too loudly, drawing a disapproving glance from Gunner.

“Here we are,” announced Major Curriston. “Mr. Junge asked that I contact him once you’re settled.” They entered a large

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