Chapter 59

Chapter Fifty-Nine

The safe house was as silent as a tomb, caged but with no bars. The team crowded in around the small table that was in the middle of the living room. On the couch, Emma was lying on it, wounds newly bandaged. Eyes sharp, she focused on the conversation swirling about her. Fiona stood at the head of the table, a map spread out before her, Julian, Kian, and Victor flanking her, eyes wary and concentrated.

"We have to expect whatever Cross is planning to do next," Fiona said in a composed voice that was just above a whisper. "We've weakened his operation, but we haven't stopped him. He's going to come at us hard."

Kian nodded, eyes scanning over the map. "My team's confirmed that Cross is regrouping. He's pulling in resources from everywhere, including some heavy hitters from out of town. We don't have much time before they converge."

Victor leaned over the table, a finger tracing a route on the map. "This is his main supply line. We cut it off, we cripple his ability to move weapons and personnel."

Now, Julian, who actually had kept silent, looked up from his tablet. "I've got eyes on his key locations. He's got men watching each point, but there's movement here," he said, pointing to a spot on the map, "and here. They're shifting their focus. He's spreading his forces thin, probably to cover more ground."

"The more exposed the road is," Fiona said, the slightest narrowing of her eyes. "But he's also dangerous,".

Emma shifted in her seat, drawing everybody's gaze. "We need to strike before he has a chance to consolidate. Hit him where it hurts, fast and hard."
 
Kian looked at Emma for long and then at the map. "Agreed. But we got to do it smart. We don't have the manpower for a full-frontal assault. We need to pick our battles."

Victor nodded; his face was grim. "We go for the heart. Take out his leadership, and the rest will crumble."

Fiona rapped a knuckle on the map and drew their attention to what had obviously been her point from the start. "Cross's headquarters. He's holed up in this estate just outside the city. It's heavy on the fortifications, but if we can get in, we can end this.

Julian frowned, fingers drumming on his tablet, the concern etched across his features. "It's a fortress. It's not going to be easy to get in, and getting out—"

"That's why we're going to need a distraction," Kian had been quick to map out, his mind already turning over the ins and outs of such a plan. "We hit him at one of the other locations first. Pull his forces to another direction, somewhere that isn't the estate. We make our move on Cross when they're off balance."

The pain and resolve in Emma's eyes flashed. "What about the warehouse where we first found him? That's a main logistics center. If we hit it, he'll be forced to shift his resources around."

Fiona ran through it in her head, considering the results. "It's dangerous, but it might just work out. We'd have to be fast, before he could recover.

Victor stiffened and drew himself up, steadied himself. "I take the lead on the warehouse assault. We'll try to draw out as many of his men as we can. The rest of you, focus on getting inside the estate."

Fiona shook her head adamantly. "No. We aren't going to split up. We walked into this together, and we are going to walk out when it's all over, all together.".

The team was temporarily silenced upon hearing her words. Kian finally looked at her and gave a slight nod of agreement before facing the group. "She's right. We go in as one, we finish this as one."

Julian looked across the table at everyone and then settled his eyes in everyone's face. Sternly, his voice uttered, "We've come this far. We can't back down now.

Emma smiled a little for that, tired as she was. "Then let's make sure Cross knows he picked the wrong fight."

Fiona's heart swelled with pride as she looked at her team. They had been through so much together and, by golly, they were on the edge of something monumental. This was their moment to put an end to Cross's reign of terror once and for all.

"Okay," Fiona answered, her voice emboldened. "So, here's the plan: we hit the warehouse first, maximum chaos-forward. While Cross's boys are occupied trying to deal with that, we move on the estate. Our aim here is to take out Cross and dismantle his operation, no loose ends."

Kian looked down at the map one more time, his mind focused. "We need to do this with precision. Timing is key."

Julian tapped out a few commands on his tablet. "I'll connect a secure comm line between our team and the others. We've got to maintain constant contact."

Victor crossed his arms with steely eyes. "Yeah, except what if Cross tries to hightail it outta here?"

"I will ensure he does not get the chance," Fiona answered back, eyes further into her head. "We take him down, no matter what."

As the last details of the mosaic were laid in, all members of the team began their preparations for the mission. Weapons were checked and double-checked, gear was distributed, and each member of the team steeled themselves for the battle ahead.

Fiona drew her team together in an open area, now with the sun easing down further into the sky, lengthening the shadows of the trees in the mid-forest, and briefed them on what was to come. So there they stood together, a circle of resolve, prepared for whatever might await them.

"This is it," Fiona said, the emotion of all they had gone through sounding up in her voice. Tonight, it ended. There was to be no more running, no more hiding. Cross had terrorized far too many people for far too long. It was time he was brought to justice."

The team nodded, their faces grim but resolute. They had gone against impossible odds before, but this really felt different. This one felt final.

"Let's go," Fiona said, bounding from the safe house to the waiting night.

The tension was palpable during the drive to the warehouse; the anticipatory silence inside the SUV was a thing he could almost feel. They all knew the stakes and took that none too lightly. The closer they came to the location, Fiona picked out a warehouse not so far from them, its looming tall structure visible in the dark.

Julian, from the back seat, spoke up. "We've got movement. Cross's men are at the perimeter, but they haven't spotted us yet."
 
Victor nodded. His eyes narrowed. "Good. We'll hit them hard and fast. No time for hesitation."

The SUV came to a stop, safe from the warehouse, and with perfect timing, the team emerged, moving further with precision and silence. The plan was simple: cause as much chaos as possible and draw Cross's men away from the estate, and then go in for the kill.

Adrenaline pumped through Fiona as they approached the warehouse. It was showtime; time for their preparations to pay off. Sure thing, she nodded to the team for one last go, then gave the signal.

The night became one of siege as they invaded the warehouse, startling the Cross men. Their guns did overtime through the night, with the clamor of alarms and warning cries bouncing off the gunfire and the sounds of detonations as key targets were picked off.

Fiona wove through the chaos. Her team was an effective swat team. They knew what they were doing and every one of them was playing a perfect part. In less than a few minutes, the warehouse was chaos, with Cross's men beginning to beat a hasty retreat.

"We've done what we came to do," crackled Victor's voice over the comms. "It's time to move on Cross.

"Done," Fiona panted as her breath caught up with her in heavy spurts from her chest, the adrenaline pounding through her body. "Meet back at the estate. Let's finish this."

As they picked their way back to the SUV, Fiona could not help but feel a sick form of satisfaction. They had really hurt the operation Cross was running. And now it really was time for him to pay the price.

But she knew better than to get complacent. Cross was still out there, and he wouldn't go down without a fight.

The SUV roared back to life, taking them through the final stretch to the last destination: Cross's estate. The tension outside could be cut like a knife, and all members of the team inside were lost in thought, preparing for what was to be.

Fiona's fingers tightened against the wheel as the estate loomed into view. This was really the final battle, all he had struggled for, everything that had been given up to this point.

"We're going in," her voice was resolved and steady. "Let's put an end to this."

With that, they proceeded toward the estate, armed to the teeth, ready to face Cross and put an end to his terror forever.