Hunter jerked Mankel up off the floor and threw him face down on the other end of the desk, roughly yanking his arms behind his back. He wrapped 550 cord around them, tight enough to cut off a little bit of blood circulation.
"We need to secure Reaper's team in the lab," Mack managed to say. "Those men-they were normal once. We have to find out what's been done to them."
And find out if they had to be put down.
"We'll handle it, boss," Hunter said.
Mack's ears roared as Riser helped him from the room. The long walk down the hall seemed to stretch on forever, and then they were climbing the stairs, heading out of the foyer and into the bright sunlight. The light was blinding, but Mack didn't have the energy to lift a hand to shield his eyes. Riser popped a smoke and tossed it a few feet away-the red, billowing cloud was Aaron's signal to pick them up.
Mankel was restrained and on his knees, Hunter's gun pressed into the back of his head. The rest of the team shuffled out with the now-conscious assassins secure-heads held up straight, hands tied behind them.
The sound of the approaching chopper fought for Mack's attention. He needed to see Marley. He needed to tell her that he regretted snapping at her. Capturing Mankel felt hollow, not even halfway filling up his cup when he'd thought it would be overflowing. And Mack thought he knew why. Mankel was his past. Marley was his future. If she'd still have him.
The west gates of the compound burst open and two small black SUVs charged through. Mack couldn't muster the energy to go for his weapon, but his men leveled their guns at the newcomers. The vehicles skidded to a stop, and the front passenger-side door of the first one swung open. A pair of huge hands emerged first, raised overhead, and then Reaper exited one of the vehicles.
"Holy shit, man, where the hell have you been?" Merc asked.
"Getting him." Reaper slowly lowered his arms.
The back door of the SUV opened and a dark-skinned man in an expensive-looking navy pantsuit stepped down. "I'm here for him." The man had a thick accent.
"You're too late. I've been arrested by the US government," Mankel said.
"Who are you?" Mack said.
"I am President Ali," the dark-skinned man answered. "This man is responsible for selling weapons to rebel leaders, weapons that were used to massacre an entire village of my people. I have come to see that he meets justice."
Mack managed to hold onto his wits long enough to study Mankel. There was no longer any triumph in his gaze; as a matter of fact, he looked nervous.
"And what will you do with him if we give him to you?" Mack asked.
"I will return him to the remaining survivors of the village. Their leader wants justice. I want vengeance. Either way, I've come to ask you that you turn him over." President Ali's tone was congenial but severe.
"And if I say no?"
"Then I will have no choice but to have my Army detain you until we can safely remove him from your custody." President Ali held up his hand and gestured to his men. Three of them broke off from the group and crossed to Mankel.
"No! You can't do that. I have to go back to America, face my trial there," Mankel said frantically.
Mack ignored him and stared hard at the president. "And what guarantee do I have that you will actually see it through? Jack Mankel has managed to escape from more than one government. That's a big risk."
"Now that his deadly protectors have been stripped from him, there will be no escaping for this man. There is no one in my country who would not kill him on sight."
"Deal – but we need to interrogate him first. He has someone very precious to my team and we need her back."
"You'll never find her without me. I'm the only one who knows her location," Mankel said with desperation edging his voice.
Ali glanced at Mankel, his lip curling. "Be quiet. You have no right to speak."
Mankel's pale visage turned savage and he spit at the president's feet. "Filthy bastard. Your country is nothing but – "
The dark-skinned soldier nearest him jammed the butt of his rifle into Mankel's temple before anyone could blink. Mankel crumpled unconscious to the ground. Hunter lifted his sidearm and took aim at the soldier. "We needed that intel."
"Hunter, stop." Mack's vision wavered. "Holster your sidearm."
"I am sorry my friend. Jaheem doesn't like when others speak ill of me," Ali said.
"We still need that intel," Mack said.
President Ali made his way to Mack. "And you shall have it. My men will extract the required information on this hostage before turning him over to the villagers. You have my word." He held out his hand.