TAMING MAX (Completed)

CHAPTER 41 - THE RESCUE

Max's POV

I picked the phone up and answered it with the speaker so that everyone could hear.

"If you want to see these lovely young ladies alive again, drop the package at a designated location at 12 midnight. We will text you the directions," a voice on the other end of the phone said before the line went dead.

I slammed the phone down on the table and walked away. Anger boiled inside of me until I feared it might explode. Hearing the voice of the person holding the woman that I loved captive, made me want to rip his heart out with my very own hands.

Chase was downing as much liquor as he could consume at once. He was sorely mistaken if he thought that would make everything go away. Part of me didn't blame him. Pain like that will make a man beg for relief in any form he can get it.

Unsure what to do, I sat back down and stared at the fire. I was trying to work something out, anything to save them. The dancing flames of the fire crackled and popped, distracting me from my thoughts and fueling my frustration. Why couldn't I figure it out? If it were me being held captive, I knew that Lillie would stop at nothing to free me.

Realizing that I was failing her miserably, I joined Chase. I grabbed a glass and filled it with bourbon, sipping it quickly and hoping it would take the edge off.

Chase sat eerily still, lost in thought. It was hard on both of us, but I was wondering if he would make it out of this with his sanity intact.

When the security lead came in, I was leaning against the fireplace mantle with my drink in hand.

"Sir, we think we have located their compound," he said, and I turned around giving him my full attention.

"What's the plan?" I demanded to know.

"We are developing it, sir, we cannot go in without something solid in place. It would only endanger them more."

He was right. If we had any hope of rescuing them, we would have to plan every detail precisely.

"Fine, but we need to take them by surprise. We need to get to them before midnight." I instructed him.

"Yes sir," he said as he hastily exited the room.

Chase and I waited a few hours more on pins and needles, hoping they would come up with a plan soon. When he returned, we were nearly out of our minds with anticipation. The longer we waited, the more danger they could inflict on Lillie and Piper.

"We have a plan and are pulling out in half an hour," he informed us.

"I'm going with you," I insisted.

"I'm going to," Chase chimed in.

He looked at us as if we had lost our minds. That would make sense, I guess. They train someone in his line of work to act on intellect alone, never permitting themselves to feel anything. Even though I wished at that moment to have that skill set, the truth was I didn't. Every minute was pure agony, and nothing would relieve it until I had her in my arms again.

"That's not a good idea, sir," he tried to reason with us.

"It's not a request, I am going," I commanded him. He got the point and left the room for a moment. He returned with two sets of body armor and two guns with spare clips.

"Do you remember how to use this, sir?" He asked as he handed me the gun.

"You let me worry about that, you just worry about getting them out of there alive," I quipped back.

He seemed to understand, I would not negotiate matters involving Lillie. After we had fully suited up, Chase turned to me.

"Are you sure we can do this?" He asked.

"It's not an option, I have to be there when they rescue her."

He nodded his head and we headed out, loading into an SUV. There was actually a caravan of them all traveling to the same location. We would overtake their compound and free Lillie and Piper.

Electricity filled the air as we rode in silence. A few minutes out, the security lead briefed us on the plan and Chase and I listened intently.

We came to a stop a little away from the actual compound and met to review everything one final time. We had to execute with precision. There was no room for errors. They insisted that we come in on the second tier after they had eliminated the immediate threats and we reluctantly agreed. Whatever it took to get to her, I was all in.

A helicopter flew overhead, looking for heat signatures as we all put on our night vision masks. They radioed to the lead to let him know where the girls were being held. Minutes later, we were standing along the perimeter concealed by the darkness and foliage.

Chase and I looked on as snipers silently took out the exterior guards. They fell like dominoes, and I remember being conflicted because I was taking such joy in the loss of human life. There was not a single part of me that felt pity for them. They had killed my mother and tortured Lillie, whatever they had coming could never be punishment enough.

We watched as the first team entered the house, SWAT-style. Once the exterior was clear, they could gain access easily. As soon as they were inside, we all moved in to secure the exterior.

The sounds of gunshots ringing out were unmistakable. Thousands of rounds were being spent, and I prayed that none of them were anywhere near my Lillie.

While the exterior guards never knew what hit them, the interior guards were not going down without a fight. I was desperate to get in there, but the lead kept motioning for me to stay put. I know he was only trying to protect me but my life was not worth living if I didn't have her.

As the barrage of shots slowed, he took his place in front of us with a few other guards.

"Stay close," he said as we breached the front door. 

********

A/N

Well, it looks like they have made it to the compound. Will Lillie and Piper be alive when they finally reach them? I would love to hear your thoughts and appreciate you continuing to follow along.