Read Off the Grid (A Gerrit O'Rourke Novel) for Free Online

child are safe. I’m going in with you, Finch.”
    The FBI agent bristled. “No way. You haven’t—”
    “Served with the U.S. Marines in three wars—Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Second Gulf War. Member of Seattle PD’s SWAT team. I think I can handle a simple entry. Besides, it’s my decision—not yours.”
    Finch surrendered. “Stay behind the entry team until we cross the threshold. Right on my butt. We’ll snatch the wife and child together.”
    It was Gerrit’s turn to relent. Nodding, he glanced at the mobile monitor patched in from the other van. A red dot emanated from the car inside the garage. “Family may already be inside. Give me updated readings from our heat sensors showing where everyone’s located. I don’t have Nico locked down. Taylor just advised the paper is in hand.”
    Finch whispered into his mike, waited a few seconds, then nodded. “You’re right. A woman and child just went upstairs where Nico might be. There are five other bad guys; one at the top of the stairs and four downstairs. It’s time to move out…now!”
    Gerrit nodded.
    Finch broadcasted his orders. As Gerrit followed him out the van, his cell phone vibrated. He pulled it out.
Marilynn
. “Hold up. AUSA calling in.”
    Finch let out a groan at the assistant U.S. attorney’s timing.
    Gerrit raised the phone to his ear. “What’s up, Marilynn? We’re on the move.”
    “I need you here in D.C. immediately. Something’s come up.”
    “Unless it’s about this operation, I don’t have time to chat.”
    Marilynn’s voice cut in before he could kill the connection. “Have Taylor connect with the FBI. They can run the show without you. I need you on a plane tonight.”
    “Forget it. I’m going in with the entry team. Everything’s in play.”
    “This is much more important, Gerrit. Hand it off. That’s an order.”
    “Marilynn, you don’t call the shots on these operations.” He killed the connection and jammed the phone into his pocket. Something about her voice sounded odd. Not Marilynn’s normal confidence coming through. She seemed worried.
    Gerrit grasped his MP5 and signaled Finch it was a go. Time to take care of business.

Chapter 4

    T he SWAT team huddled together, waiting for the command to strike. As he watched them line up, Gerrit tried to focus on the operation at hand, but Marilynn’s call kept troubling him. Something was off. This case represented her pride and joy, an operation she’d been orchestrating since day one. For her to jump on a plane and head to the nation’s capital and then to call him like that was beyond bizarre. He tried to shake it off as SWAT neared the front door.
    A moment later, the SWAT leader whispered, “Now.” All sources of light on the property vanished. Gerrit flicked on his night-vision scope as they scurried across the driveway, approaching the front door.
    “Go,” Finch hissed into his radio.
    Breaking glass carried across the night air, followed by simultaneous explosions. The entry team slammed the door with a metal ram like Nordic raiders breaking into a fortified castle. “Go, go, go!”
    The team rushed across the threshold and into the darkness, one man peeling to the right, the next one to the left, each trying to cross the kill zone as quickly as possible before armed inhabitants began firing.
    Gerrit followed Finch inside. He saw movement to the right and a high-caliber assault rifle flashed. Several SWAT members returned fire, short bursts from their own H&Ks leveled at the gunman. Nico’s man screamed, followed by silence. One down.
    More quick bursts came from the rear of the house. In the lobby, Gerrit moved toward the stairs that spiraled upward. Using the wall as cover, he started to climb the first stair until he saw movement. A shooter emerged and sprayed the lobby with a Mac 10.
    Gerrit found himself caught in the open. He rolled away and dived through a doorway at the foot of the stairs. Scrambling to his feet, he risked a quick peek