Destinied Hearts

Part 10

Leo's POV

The place was comfortably silent, with only the distant calls of gulls and the low rumble of machinery breaking the stillness. From behind the crates, I scanned my surroundings. The air was thick with moisture-laden anticipation, and not far off, I heard the soft click of the clock and the hum of the machine that awaited activation.My main group, fifteen handpicked soldiers, was spread throughout the ground to be hidden as much as possible and ready to put into action for the operation to begin. This is another reason why I selected a small core group, six of us, to maintain focused precision.

My phone buzzed quietly; I glanced at it. It was a reassuring message from my father. "I am all set at home, just getting ready to move out if things go down." I took a deep breath, looking into the distance as I tried to make sure that everything was set and communication lines were clear.

The comms came alive with Luca's voice, this time barely above a whisper. "Leo, I have eyes on the guard from yesterday. He's patrolling, looks tense. To me, he's hunting loopholes to be used against us."

I nodded. "Good. Keep eyes on him. If he does something suspicious, let me know right away."

We anxiously shifted by turns, looked at the water, and sat very vigilantly to observe the coming of the shipment. Finally, we had our midday vindication as a truck arrived. Something was quite wrong though-it was empty. Not so hot for this, for it should be picking up the shipment by now.

Marco's voice came through comms, tense. "The truck's empty. Something's not right-it's supposed to pick up the shipment."

I signalled to my team to remain in position. We were left watching as the truck ground to a standstill in front of the large shipping container. The driver emerged and approached the box, manhandling it open with a screeching protest of metal on metal. Tension couldn't be any worse, especially when we see the boxes.

Luca whispered urgently. "The shipment is inside. The masked guy from yesterday and some guy with a scar are approaching to inspect the load."

I took note of the two men. The masked man and the scarred individual were clearly part of the operation, overseeing the shipment bound for Turkey.

I used the comms to relay to the team. "Alright, people. Stand by. We're going in once they begin loading the truck. Luca, keep watching that masked man. Marco, be ready to take him out if he causes more problems like yesterday."

The two men continued their search. We hid there in the darkness, waiting for the right moment. The air was heavy with anticipation as every member of our team waited in readiness to spring into action.

I counted to myself. "On my mark. Three. Two. One. Go!"

The very instant the scarred man and the masked man turned their backs to the truck, we acted. I led the charge, flanked by Luca, Marco, and the rest of the team, all performing our parts with precision.

"Saboteurs! Get them!" "Take them out!" "Secure the perimeter!"

It was quick and orchestrated, we overpowered the guards and took control of the truck. I pinned the scarred man to the ground as he fought, while Marco and Luca subdued the masked man who fought with wild-eyed ferocity but was soon overpowered.

The scarred man spat angrily, "You can't get out of this alive! You don't understand what you're playing with!"

I crept forward, my voice grim. "You have nothing to bargain over. Now, you're going to tell us about the shipment and your contacts, or this is going to turn a lot uglier."

We manacled and hogtied both men and began to feverishly search the truck and its surroundings. Sure enough it held the arsenal and pharmaceutical consignment we had suspected—a vital piece of evidence that could dismantle the entire operation.