Now wasn’t the time for fear or breakdowns. She had to stay strong, to ensure Leo reached the hospital and received the treatment he desperately needed. But she knew—once this was over, once it was safe to let go—her emotions would crash down like a tidal wave, and she might just fall apart the moment she let herself feel everything.


    Luckily, the ce where they found Leo and the others wasn’t far from the original drop zone. They must have just missed each other—Hera’s team arriving as Leo’s group was fleeing for their lives.


    It made sense now; they must’ve been overly cautious, mistaking the sound of the chopper for enemy reinforcements. Instead of approaching, they hid—only to copse shortly after from severe blood loss.


    Luckily, the medic had managed to temporarily stabilize them and stop the bleeding. However, once they reached the hospital, immediate surgery would be necessary to remove the bullets.


    The medics couldn’t do this on the spot, though, as removing the bullets could potentially cause severe internal damage, especially if they were lodged near critical nerves or organs. If not handled carefully, removing them could lead to fatal bleeding or cardiac arrest.


    For now, all they could do was stop the bleeding temporarily and rush them to the hospital, where they would be fully assessed and prepared for surgery. The medical team was already strategizing for every possible scenario to ensure the best treatment oue.


    Soon, Hera and her team arrived at the clearing, and Cindy’s chopper was slowly descending toward the ground. Without hesitation, the medics swiftlyid Leo and the other three on the chopper’s floor, immediately hooking Leo up to an IV once he was settled.


    Hera refused to leave Leo’s side, anxiously climbing aboard with them.


    "Young Miss, I’ve contacted Providence Everett Medical Center. They’re prepared to receive us as soon as wend, and they’ve cleared an operating room for immediate surgery," Cindy reported. Hera barely acknowledged her, her face ashen, lips trembling, drained of color.


    Cindy fell silent, only nodding to the pilot as thest of the team climbed into the chopper. The guards, still vignt, ensured the wounded were safely aboard before turning to help with anything they could and also to help themter during the transfer to the hospital.


    They didn’t forget to send their reports to their captains, updating them on the mission’s status.


    Thebatants left behind in the forest weren’t worried, as other military helicopters were waiting for them until they are done with their mission. After stripping their enemies of their clothes and digging a 12-foot deep grave, they dumped the lifeless bodies in the hole, ensuring they would dpose naturally, consumed by worms and insects.


    The clothes wereid on top of the bodies, and a little kerosene was poured over them before setting the bodies alight. As the mes began to burn, the rest of the team scoured the area for dead animals that had been caught in the explosions.


    Once the bodies were sufficiently charred, they covered them with soil. The purpose wasn’t to obscure the bodies from identification, since anyone could run a DNA test on these bodies; rather, the smell of burned bodies was easier to conceal than that of dposing bodies.


    Even if their enemies brought in hunting dogs to track the remains, the scent of fire would mask any trace. They buried the bodies halfway, then tossed in the dead animals to further obscure the remains. Finally, they covered the pit with moss, dead leaves, and even dragged a fallen tree over the top toplete the camouge.


    They were confident that any enemies sent to investigate would have a hard time finding the bodies buried here. Veteran soldiers, ever meticulous, scoured the area for animal droppings and strategically ced them around the trees and nearby terrain.


    This additionalyer of scent would confuse even the sharpest hunting dogs, buying them more time.


    After all, if their enemies discovered they had prisoners, they mightunch an effort to either retrieve or eliminate them to prevent any leaks of sensitive information—posing a significant threat, especially to Hera, who was already focused on Leo’s critical condition.


    The rest of the team sedated the three prisoners to ensure they stayed unconscious during transport. Afterward, they stripped thempletely and conducted a thorough search for any hidden trackers or imnted chips—taking no chances when it came to security.


    They couldn’t afford to lead the wolves straight to their den. Once they confirmed the prisoners were clean, they hoisted the men over their shoulders like sacks of potatoes and began making their way to the chopper waiting in the clearing.


    Once they returned, the team secured the prisoners in a guarded, secluded safe ce—ready for Hera’s interrogation or for Gerald to extract intel to report back to her. As soon as word reached Gerald that prisoners had been captured, he was the first to arrive at the hidden vi, eager to begin the questioning.


    While the captives were still unconscious, he pulled aside the veteran soldiers and had them recount everything that happened in the forest. After taking in their report, he dismissed them to rest.


    Left alone, Gerald sat heavily in his chair, a deep frown etched across his face. As the head of Avery’s intelligence division, he had eyes and ears across nearly every major faction. And given the escting War on Drugs and the ongoing territorial conflict with the mafia, Gerald already suspected there was more to this attack. Now, with confirmation in hand, he knew the intel from these prisoners could prove to be absolutely vital.


    So, Gerald waited for the prisoners to wake up, already strategizing how to extract the information from them. Since they were members of the mafia, he knew scare tactics wouldn’t work—they were too seasoned for that. That left him with only one effective method: torture.