The Darkest Hour Read Online Free PDF Page A

his team are still over in Asia, but he’s heading to South America as fast as he can get there. He’ll be our backup if we need him.”
    “How many will we have on the ground?” Ethan asked.
    “Steele and his team . . . and us,” Garrett said. “More than enough to take out these assholes.”
    Ethan sat back and blew out his breath in frustration. Forty-eight hours. It was a lifetime and not enough time all at once.
    Fear for the danger he’d placed his brothers in gnawed at his gut, but at the same time, he’d do anything to bring Rachel back.
    “You’re not wimping out on us, are you?” Garrett asked Ethan.
    Ethan yanked his gaze to his brother in surprise. There was a gleam in Garrett’s eyes. A calculated gleam that bordered on challenge.
    He met Garrett’s stare with resolve. KGI was the best at what they did. He had every confidence in their ability to head up the mission to rescue Rachel. His brothers had all served time in the military, and there wasn’t another badass out there who could hold a candle to his brothers.
    “Hooyah,” Ethan said softly.
    Sam rolled his eyes. “Don’t start that navy shit with me, frog boy.”
    “Oohrah,” Garrett said with a smirk.
    Donovan laughed and echoed with an oohrah of his own.
    Sam shook his head. “Why is it Nathan and Joe showed the only good sense among my brothers and followed my example of joining the army?”
    “They’re the dumb ones,” Ethan said.
    “Yeah well, what’s your excuse?” Garrett demanded. “Donovan and I set such a good example for you with the marines. But no, you had to go be a navy boy. Although you look damn pretty in the little sailor suit.”
    Donovan snickered, and Ethan reached out to slug Garrett in the gut. Garrett doubled over as a laugh escaped.
    “It’s good to have you back, Ethan,” Sam said, his tone growing serious.
    Ethan glanced up at Sam. “I just want her back, man.”
    “Yeah, I know, and we’ll get her. I promise.”

CHAPTER 3
     
    THE jungle around them was alive with hundreds of critters. The air was so heavy and concentrated that it swam in lines in front of Ethan’s eyes. Breathing was damn near impossible. The heat was so oppressive that it weighed down on them like two tons of concrete.
    Seamlessly, the men—and the lone woman—moved stealthily through the jungle, closing in on their target.
    P.J. Rutherford, their best sniper, took position and trained her rifle on the distant guard towers. She held up two fingers to signal there were two men in each of the two western posts.
    David Coletrane, or just Cole, was half a mile directly in front of P.J., poised to take out the two east towers. Steele, P.J. and Cole’s team leader, held up a fist and signaled his ready.
    Donovan and Garrett disappeared from sight as they maneuvered to the south. Their job was to set explosives, provide distraction, and take out anyone in their path.
    Steele and the rest of his team would take the north.
    Sam and Ethan surveyed the ragtag camp in front of them, taking in each of the straw-thatched huts. Sam held up his finger and motioned toward the three to the north and then he pointed at Ethan and gestured toward the four huts on the southern perimeter. Ethan nodded and hunkered down to wait for the fireworks to begin.
    It took every ounce of his training to sit there and not charge into the camp, gun blazing, throwing grenades and leveling everything in his path. It was still his preference. These bastards didn’t deserve any mercy. If it weren’t for the fact they weren’t sure where Rachel was being housed and that she might get caught in the cross fire, Ethan would say fuck the plan and decimate the village.
    Sam checked his watch and then signaled Ethan that they had two minutes to go time.
    Ethan’s gaze drifted through the leaves and tangle of vines, but the only person other than Sam he could see was P.J. At one minute to go time she’d take out the guards and then she and Cole would pick off