My body reacted before my mind caught up. I let my rifle hang on its sling as he lunged for me. Catching his wrist mid-strike, I twisted—snap—then reversed the blade into his throat, cutting deep. The gurgling choke confirmed my hit.

I retrieved my knife, stepping over the body as I called out, “Alpha Three. Four. Where are you?”

“We’re good. Clearing more rooms,” Alessandro responded, forgetting his call sign, but from the sounds of the breathy grunts, he was in the middle of CQB.

“Alpha Two, we’ve got a problem,” Gwen interjected. “Daniel and Lennon just left the house. They broke away in the chaos, but it looks like he’s taking her toward the cliffs.”

I heard my son cursing in the background.

“On it.” I relayed to Delta and Alpha Teams I was moving back out to pursue.

Delta confirmed they were close to neutralizing the mafiosi. And Sebastian didn’t need to explain what he meant by neutralizing them. Knowing they’d never be a threat again was a small comfort in the chaos.

Rushing outside, I was momentarily caught off guard by the afternoon sunlight, too bright after that smoke-filled corridor. My brain faltered for a second, recalibrating.

“Alpha Two, get down!” Hudson shouted over comms.

I dove behind a nearby statue just as rounds slammed into the plaster, sending debris flying.

“Got him. He’s down,” Hudson confirmed. “You’re clear. For now.”

“Where’s our target package?” I asked, knowing Hudson would recognize I was talking to him. “Still heading for the cliffs?”

“Yeah. He’s got a strong grip on her. I can’t get a clean shot without risking her, too,” he answered. Not what I wanted Colin to overhear.

“This is Alpha One. We’ve got you covered. Go,” Carter said before two enemies up ahead were laid out with neat and accurate headshots.

I caught sight of Lennon struggling in Daniel’s grasp and tossed one of my own smoke grenades to cut visibility from the sun as I sprang forward.

I couldn’t believe I was back to square one, chasing this motherfucker down. This time on the other side of the world from that abandoned factory.

Emerging through the cloud of smoke, I realized I was on Daniel’s ass. “Stop!”

Daniel was standing at the edge of the cliff, his grip on Lennon iron-tight with one hand, a gun pressed to her ribs in the other. I could take the shot, but there was a chance he could also get off a round. Possibly fall off the ledge, taking her with him.

“Don’t come any closer,” Daniel warned, turning just enough to force Lennon with him. “I’ll jump. And I’ll take her with me.”

I shifted my rifle to my back and raised my hands. “Come on, kid. Just put the gun down and step away from the cliff.”