Poison & Wine [Eric Coulter]

28.

"Alright, listen up," Lucian called over the chatter of his teammates, his voice echoing off the metal walls of the hangar as he entered the large room. The other four fell silent.

"We have a target," he continued, holding up a palm-sized screen with a man's face on it. The others stepped closer to him to get a better look. The man looking back at them looked older, maybe in his forties with salt and pepper hair, tanned, weathered skin and a hard expression. "He's known to us as Spider. He led the attack on our unit. He killed three of our men, and while a few of his associates were captured, he is still at-large. Eric is working to get information from those that were taken in, but from what I understand, they're not talking." Lucian turned the screen off and slid it into the back pocket of his pants. "Now, this group doesn't run with the majority of the Factionless. They're much smaller, and smarter, which means they could be anywhere by now. It's our job to find them and to bring him in. On Max's orders, he's to be taken alive. Coots, I want you and Tex on me in front. Coots, get us a map of the south sector and get Four in your ear in intelligence. Make sure he's got eyes on in that sector. Kwasi, I want you high with Liv. Watch her six but keep your distance. Liv, your objective is simple. Keep eyes for the team from above and if you see this man, bring him down, but do not shoot to kill, you understand?" Olivia nodded.

"Gear up, we're out in ten," Dre ordered and the rest of the team scattered. Olivia followed Coots to the gear closets, where she changed into tactical gear, following his actions exactly as she dropped the bulletproof vest over her head and fastened the straps around her torso. He watched her as he moved quickly, a smirk appearing on his face as he laced his boots.

"You don't miss a beat, do you?" he asked and Olivia couldn't help but shoot him a grin.

"I'm a fast learner," she replied, securing a belt around her waist.

"Liv, here," Dre's voice called from a doorway on the other side of the room. Olivia pulled on a pair of black gloves as she hurried to where Dre was standing, catching a rifle in one hand as it was thrown to her through the doorway.

"M82, fifty caliber. The real deal. Think you can handle it?" Dre smirked as Olivia pulled the strap secured to the rifle over her head and raised it to her shoulder, looking through the scope attached to the top and focusing in on the back door several yards away.

"Yes, Sergeant Major," Olivia replied sarcastically with a smile, the weight of the gun around her causing adrenaline to rush through her. Dre rolled her eyes at the title but smiled at her friend.

"Keep it tight," she said, motioning to the front of her own shoulder and Olivia nodded. "Remember these are moving targets. Grab a 9 and a knife or two in case you need something short-range."

Olivia looked at the long table against the wall in the small room behind Dre, where various weapons were lined up. She grabbed one of the handguns she'd used in the shooting range the day before and dropped it into a holster on her right hip, then slipped a long knife though her belt on the left and a smaller one into the top of her boot.