Crack!
The suppressed round found its mark, tearing through the fugitive's thigh. The man stumbled mid-stride, momentum collapsing as he pitched forward into the dirt beside the water's edge.
"Aghhh!" he screamed, clutching his leg, writhing on the ground.
The trailing operators reached her side, rifles raised. They swept their flashlights forward, catching the downed figure in overlapping cones of light.
Moments later, more movement stirred from the shadows at the base of the villa. The trio of exterior operators—still focused on the subdued fugitive—glanced up and saw three more Spirit Fox members emerging from a concealed exit, half-crouched and alert.
It was the tunnel team.
"Target down and secured," one of them confirmed, kneeling beside the wounded man to check him for weapons and secure restraints.
"Tunnel's clear. It led out to the edge of the drainage line," another operator added. "This was their escape route."
