Danger Signs (Delta Force Echo: An Iniquus Action Adventure Romance Book 1)

by Fiona Quinn

  “All right, On the south-facing wall, we will lower a rope.”

  “Yes, do that.”

  The whipping whir of a helicopter rotor buzzed in the distance coming from the northwest.

  Ty hunkered at the wall waiting for a rope to drop. “Echo-zero-two for TOC,” he said into his comms.

  “Go for Echo-zero-one.”

  “Who’s in the sky?” Ty asked.

  “That’s not us. It’s not an exfil. I repeat, we are unaware of friendlies. It is not an exfil from the Unit.”

  The rope popped against the wall. Thirty feet heigh, two feet thick, it was enough to keep the animals out, but wasn’t secure from militant hordes. Ty wondered why those that already climbed the wall hadn’t simply opened the gates for their friends.

  Ty reached out to grab the thick rope and put his weight on it to see if it would hold. It felt solid enough. Ty tugged on his tactical gloves and climbed.

  By the time he reached the top, the helicopter had landed at the Range’s front wall on the west. Luckily, they were still outside the compound.

  How long would that last?

  Maybe those that were inside were waiting for their commanders before they acted.

  Stooping, with his rifle swinging from its strap and his bag on his back, Ty ran along the top of the wall and flung himself down at the top of the northwest corner.

  Focusing through his rifle scope, Ty watched a group gather, looking jubilant, smacking each other on the backs, raising their rifles in the air.

  Moments later, the front gates swung open. Yup, waiting for their leader.

  A spotlight from the helicopter focused on the group who emerged. The militants were shoving Omar out in front of them. His hands on his head. Blood dripping from his nose. He tried to shield his eyes from the bright light with his elbow.

  One of the men jabbed his rifle's stock into Omar’s back, and he crashed face-first into the red soil.

  The men laughed and spat at him.

  “Echo-zero-one. Omar is being exfilled on the helicopter. Please advise.”

  “That helicopter is not identified as friendly. You are cleared hot.”

  As Omar climbed to his feet, Ty was thinking again of The Last of the Mohicans. Omar was on his way to his torture session with his rivals. Ty was not lining up this shot to save Omar from those just desserts; he was lining up this shot to protect innocent lives.

  Ty drew in a breath, exhaled half-way, and with his crosshairs between Omar’s brows, Ty squeezed the trigger.

  His shot rang out, loud and echoing against the night sky.

  The world stopped spinning.

  In the absolute silence, Omar slipped lifelessly to the ground. Shocked faces searched to understand this change in events.

  Those who had come on the helicopter jumped back on.

  The heli took off toward the north.

  Ty lay there in the black of night, his heart racing.

  Abu Musab al Khalil, reinvented as Omar Mohamed Imadi, White’s white whale, could no longer terrorize the world.

  And Omar would never be given a chance to harm Kira.

  ***

  They were on the jet back to the United States. London was asleep with Archie in his car seat strapped in next to her and Beatrice on her lap.

  Ty had both arms around Kira, and she was nestled against his chest.

  It was going to take a while for him to absorb the idea that she was safe.

  Davidson and the others from their meeting were still back at the Range carrying on as if nothing had happened.

  Mind-bending.

  Kira placed the flat of her hand on his chest. “My uncle wanted me to marry a terrorist. I won’t even consider marrying anyone my uncle chooses for me. What a terrible thing he asked me to do.”

  Ty petted his hands over her hair to soothe her.

  “And you,” she said. “That was a setup, wasn’t it? You knew that was going to happen.”

  “No. I would have protected you, told you not to go if I had any idea that would happen. I did know that Omar was going to be there. I can’t tell you more.”

  “My knowing you was a setup,” she insisted. “Your being here was no accident.”

  “That’s correct.” His hand continued the rhythm.

  “Thank goodness.” She pressed a kiss into his shirt. “I’m imagining what would have happened if you hadn’t been there. Think about it. If you hadn’t been there, I would have met Omar and I would have convinced myself it was okay to do what my family wanted even though he made me sick to my stomach when I met him. I would have chalked that up to anger and nerves. And that’s if the other terrorist group hadn’t come to get him. If everyone had still been in the lodge when the bad men came in the helicopter, I’m convinced that once they took Omar away, that their leaders would have allowed the men in the trucks to come in and destroy everything and everyone.” She pushed herself up so she was looking Ty in the eyes. “Your being there saved me from either hellscape.” She laid her head back on his chest.

  Ty bet she could hear his heart racing.

  She was right.

  That would have been a horrific nightmare of a scenario.

  “I’m sure there will be more to process in the days ahead.” It sounded like she pushed the words past the nerves constricting in her throat. “How much of what you told me was a lie…but in this moment, I’m still a bit in shock. “Her fingers curled into his shirt. “I’m deeply, deeply grateful. To you, and of course to my Rory who never moved an inch from me as we hid in the wilds of the preserve.”

  Rory lifted his head and placed his chin on her knee so she could rub between his eyes.

  “You said you loved me when I was going into the preserve,” she whispered.

  “I do. My emotions about you—our being together…our physical and emotional connection—are my truth. I’d never lie to you about something like that. My only act of deception had to do with meeting you on purpose. That purpose was to go to Tanzania and see inside the Range. Nothing else. Just getting information so America could capture Omar. I deeply and truly love you, Kira.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Ty dropped a kiss into her hair. She loved him.

  “Now that I’m free from feeling an obligation to my uncle, I’m free to make choices for myself. I can’t tell you what a burden has been lifted from my shoulders.”

  “And what do you want to do with your new-found freedom?”

  “I want to live in my little house. I want to enjoy preserving women’s stories.” She leaned her head up to receive Ty’s kiss. “And most of all, I want to see if our own crazy story is a true romance.”

  “Oh?” He tipped his head. “And how will we know?”

  “Oh, a romance always ends with a happily ever after.”

  EPILOGUE

  FOUR YEARS LATER…

  Kira stood at the podium, smiling out at the audience. “I want to thank all of those who are celebrating with me this evening. This prestigious award from the Library of Congress is a true honor.” She smiled as she lifted the plaque. “I am with you tonight because of the bravery of my husband First Sergeant Tyler Newcomb, who is here with his parents, Roy and Pauline Newcomb, and his sister Molly Newcomb…my family.” She held out a palm to indicate where they sat.

  Kira waited for the applause to come to a stop.

  “While I am very excited to move forward with the next book in this incredible discovery brought to me by my beloved Aunt Fatima in Qatar, I would like everyone to know that soon I will be taking some time off from the project, as I’m working on a little project of my own.” She stepped from behind the podium and turned sideways, smoothing her dress over her rounded pregnant belly.

  The audience clapped their congratulations.

  She stepped back to the mic. “I hope, though progress will be slower, I will be able to make strides in revealing the richness of these works. And though we aren’t sure who wrote the four novels found hidden in a wedding albu
m, we do know that she was a woman of great intellect. Witty, strong, bold even. And her voice needs to be heard. Thank you again.”

  Kira carried her plaque from the stage and walked down the steps to slide into Ty’s arms.

  “I am so proud of you,” he whispered into her hair.

  “I’m so grateful to you,” she said, leaning back to accept one of Ty’s kisses, destined to keep her smiling for the rest of her days.

  The End

  Dear Readers,

  Thank you for reading about the very beginning of Ty and Kira’s relationship.

  I have included this epilogue for those who are reading this novel as a standalone. Ty and Kira’s relationship takes longer than five days to develop, misunderstandings need to be unwound, trust needs to be built, and logistics and decisions need to be made about their future.

  For those who are reading in the Iniquus World, you will discover what happens for D-Day and Gator, Ty and Kira, and of course Lexi and Striker in Hyper Lynx the next novel in the Iniquus World.

  Coming soon, more great stories from the ex-special forces security team members who live, work, and love in a tightly knit family.

  Turn the page to find a list of Iniquus novels in chronological order.

  THE WORLD of INIQUUS

  Ubicumque, Quoties. Quidquid

  Weakest Lynx (Lynx Series)

  Missing Lynx (Lynx Series)

  Chain Lynx (Lynx Series)

  Cuff Lynx (Lynx Series)

  WASP (Uncommon Enemies)

  In Too DEEP (Strike Force)

  Relic (Uncommon Enemies)

  Mine (Kate Hamilton Mystery)

  Jack Be Quick (Strike Force

  Deadlock (Uncommon Enemies)

  Instigator (Strike Force)

  Yours (Kate Hamilton Mystery)

  Gulf Lynx (Lynx Series)

  Open Secret (FBI Joint Task Force)

  Thorn (Uncommon Enemies)

  Ours (Kate Hamilton Mysteries

  Cold Red (FBI Joint Task Force)

  Even Odds (FBI Joint Task Force)

  Survival Instinct - Cerberus Tactical K9

  Protective Instinct - Cerberus Tactical K9

  Defender's Instinct - Cerberus Tactical K9

  Danger Signs - Delta Force Echo

  Hyper Lynx - Lynx Series (2021)

  Danger Zone - Delta Force Echo (2021)

  Danger Close - Delta Force Echo (2021)

  Cerberus Tactical K9 Team Bravo (2022)

  Fiona Quinn’s Amazon Page Link

  Acknowledgments

  My great appreciation ~

  To the real world Christen Davidson for our decades of friendship.

  To my editor, Kathleen Payne

  To my assistant, Margaret Daly

  To my cover artist, David Berens

  To my Beta Force, who are always honest and kind at the same time, especially M. Carlon and E. Hordon

  To my Street Force, who support me and my writing with such enthusiasm.

  Thank you to the real-world military and CIA who serve to protect us.

  To all the wonderful professionals whom I called on to get the details right. Please note: This is a work of fiction, and while I always try my best to get all the details correct, there are times when it serves the story to go slightly to the left or right of perfection. Please understand that any mistakes or discrepancies are my authorial decision making alone and sit squarely on my shoulders.

  Thank you to my family.

  I send my love to my husband, and my great appreciation. T, you are my happily ever after. You are my encouragement and my adventure. Thank you.

  And of course, thank YOU for reading my stories. I’m smiling joyfully as I type this. I so appreciate you!

  About the Author

  Fiona Quinn is a six-time USA Today bestselling author, a Kindle Scout winner, and an Amazon All-Star.

  Quinn writes action adventure in her Iniquus World of books including: Lynx, Strike Force, Uncommon Enemies, Kate Hamilton Mysteries, FBI Joint Task Force, Cerberus K9, and Delta Force Echo series.

  She writes urban fantasy as Fiona Angelica Quinn for her Elemental Witches Series

  And, just for fun, she writes the Badge Bunny Booze Mystery Collection with her dear friend, Tina Glasneck.

  Quinn is rooted in the Old Dominion where she lives with her husband. There, she pops chocolates, devours books, and taps continuously on her laptop.

  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest: Fiona Quinn Books.

  Copyright

  Danger Signs Delta Force Echo is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ©2021 Fiona Quinn

  All Rights Reserved

  Fonts used with permission from Microsoft

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