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Se7en Deadly SEALs: Episode 9
Alana Albertson
Bolero Books
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The Se7en Deadly SEALs Series
Episode Nine
Copyright © 2019 by Alana Albertson
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Cover Design: Robin Ludwig Design Inc.
www.gobookcoverdesign.com
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.
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Bolero Books LLC
11956 Bernardo Plaza Dr. #510
San Diego, CA 92128
Bolero Books
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Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
You must avoid sloth, that wicked siren.
Horace
Contents
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
About the Author
Also by Alana Albertson
Acknowledgments
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Se7en Deadly SEALs are tangled in a web of lies.
6ix hours since Sienna has gone missing.
5ive days since I went on a date with Mitch.
4our of us will stop at nothing to find Sienna.
Thr3e years since I first became entangled in their world.
2wo days until I discovered my enemy was my partner.
1ne goal—crack their secrets.
I won't slack until I crack the code of the Se7en Deadly SEALs.
1
Ashley
My phone beeped, and I grabbed it, grateful for the distraction from my intense conversation with Mia.
Mitch: I need you now. My daughter has been kidnapped. We are at Disney.
Holy shit. What the hell?
My heart raced impossibly fast. No. It couldn’t be.
Mitch’s text hit me deep in my soul. Sienna was missing. His daughter had been taken. Just like my sister.
This was one unfortunate coincidence I never wanted to share with another person.
My mouth became dry. I called his number, but his phone went straight to voicemail. I needed to get to him now.
Me: On my way. I’m so sorry. Stay strong. I’m sure you will find her.
But I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure about anything anymore. I didn’t know what was up and what was down. All I knew was that there was a little girl out there who was missing. And I would move heaven and earth to find her.
Mia stared at me with a rare sympathetic look on her face. “Ash, what’s happening—you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I didn’t want to fight with Mia anymore. Not now. Not today. I would put all my suspicions aside with her because I needed someone. And at the moment, she was the only person around.
“It’s Mitch. He texted me that Sienna has been kidnapped.”
Mia’s jaw dropped open. “What? Are you serious? From where? When?”
“Disneyland. I don’t know any of the details. I need to go to him.”
I paused. I hated to ask for help—hated even more whom I was asking for help from, but today I needed, Sienna needed, anyone I could get.
“Will you come with me?”
She nodded. “Of course, I will.”
She grabbed her own phone and then looked at me. “Can I bring Grant? I mean, this isn’t an official investigation. Mitch would want his buddy there. And having a SEAL around always helps.”
I disagreed with her last statement, but I still thought having Grant along was a good idea. And more importantly, Mia was right—Mitch would want Grant there. “Yes. Great idea. Invite Grant.”
“On it.” Mia picked up her phone, and I left the room to find our boss.
Agent Meeks was sitting in his office, sipping his coffee. A smug look graced his face.
“So, are you two bonding?”
“Yes, we are. In fact, we request permission to leave and go to Orange County. There is an emergency. Our friend’s daughter has been kidnapped. I’m supposed to be on leave. I need to go up there. Mia has agreed to come with me.” And Grant, but I left that detail out.
Agent Meeks pursed his lip and glared at me.
“The answer is no. I don’t want two NCIS agents interfering with a federal kidnapping investigation.”
Fuck this dude.
I crossed my arms. “I’m not asking you to go. I’m giving you the courtesy of telling you I’m going, and I’m taking Agent Carrion with me. I won’t interfere with the investigation—I’m going as a friend to the victim’s father. You can write me up if you like—I don’t care. I’m out.”
“Who is your friend? He wouldn’t be a Navy SEAL by any chance? Maybe one who was present at the base when Paul Thompson committed suicide?”
Guilty as charged. “Unfortunately, yes. The victim’s father is Navy SEAL Mitch Martinez.”
“And why are you friends with a Navy SEAL who you were actively investigating when you believed that Thompson was murdered?”
Friends? We’re fuck buddies. Mitch is a bear in bed, and I’m weak for his cock.
But Agent Meeks didn’t need the details.
“Sir, that’s an excellent question. I knew Petty Officer Martinez from the Cruz investigation. And since this department has now closed the Thompson investigation and classified Paul’s death as a suicide, there is no conflict of interest.”
He bit his lower lip. “Fine, but don’t get involved with the law enforcement. And use this time to bond with Mia. Call back and report in later today. I hope his daughter is found.”
“Will do, sir. And thank you.” I excused myself from the room.
My heart wrenched. I couldn’t even fathom the pain Mitch was going through right now. I had been so young when my sister vanished. But over the years, I began to understand the devastation in my mom’s eyes. I had to be there for Mitch.
I had to help him find Sienna.
I placed another call to Mitch, but he again didn’t answer. I needed to talk to him, but I assumed he was busy with investigators.
Mia found me in the hallway. She placed her hand on my shoulder, and I didn’t push it away.
“I called Grant. He’s dropping off Julián at Pat and Annie’s place.”
Julián. Grant and Mia’s son. A child that at one time I had been certain was Joaquín’s child. Something was still so off between Joaquín and Mia. Maybe I would finally get to the bottom of their twisted family dynamic. But that wasn’t my focus right now. My goal was to find Sienna.
“Sounds good. But we’re taking my car.”
She gave me a genuine smile, and we walked out of the buil
ding like we were partners, which we were.
I figured Mitch would call me when he was able to, so I sent him another text.
Me: Mia and Grant are coming with me. Any updates? Call me when you get a chance.
I sent the text. Mia climbed into my car, and off we went to pick up her husband.
Mia luckily didn’t pepper me with questions. As I drove, my mind started racing.
What on earth had happened to Sienna? I had been with her yesterday. If only I had stayed, this wouldn’t have happened.
This was all my fault. I couldn’t help but blame myself even though I had only left Disneyland on work orders. Maybe if I hadn’t gone with Mitch to Las Vegas, he wouldn’t have taken his kids to Disneyland. I could tell that he appreciated me being there with them. I had left him alone, outnumbered by his kids. And the worst thing possible had happened. If only I had been there, sweet Sienna would probably have been safe. Guilt amped up inside me. I pictured Sienna in her Ariel costume. She was so beautiful and innocent. Sometimes, I wondered whether or not I was cut out to be a mother. I often questioned if I had a maternal bone in my body. But I had actually had a good time with Mitch and his kids. And now, I was missing a little girl who I barely even knew.
We finally arrived at Grant and Mia’s house. Grant was standing outside with a stern look on his face.
Grant came over to my window. “You can park in the driveway. I’m driving.”
Oh no. I wanted to drive, but I didn’t want to fight with him.
“No, that’s cool. We can take my car.”
He shook his head. “Nope. Last time we took your car. Remember?”
I chill washed over me. I did remember. We took his car up the coast to rescue Mia from her brother. And I had nagged and interrogated him the entire way.
“Fine.” I pulled into his driveway. Mia and I left my car and walked over to Grant’s truck. I climbed into the back of the cab, and Mia slid in next to Grant. He gave her a quick kiss, and she squeezed his leg.
I had to admit that even I believed that these two were completely in love. It must be nice to have someone who completely loved you unconditionally.
Grant accelerated.
I looked out the window. “I don’t even know what happened. I can’t get a hold of Mitch.”
Grant turned to look at me. “I talked to him. He’s a wreck.”
Grant already talked to him? I’d been blowing up Mitch’s phone since I got his text. But I wasn’t mad. That made sense. Mitch and Grant were best friends, especially ever since Joaquín went to prison.
“Yeah, what did he say?”
Grant exhaled. “The kids were doing the Jedi training academy. Some guy who worked there asked Mitch to buy a picture package. All the kids in the academy were together. Mitch and the other parents were led to the audience, and when the kids came out, Sienna wasn’t with them. Sam told Mitch that she went with a Jedi. They’ve supposedly closed down the entire park, but there is no sign of Sienna.”
Grant’s voice was choked up, and he even wiped his face. Seeing a strong Navy SEAL shed tears broke me. I tried to hold it in, be calm and professional, but my own tears flowed.
This was so very, very bad.
“Oh, my God. That’s awful. My sister was kidnapped when I was a little girl, but I can’t even imagine losing my child.”
The second those words left my lips, I regretted them. Because both Mia and Grant knew what it was like to not know where their child was.
“It’s the worst pain imaginable,” Mia said softly.
And at that moment, I reached over the console and took Mia’s hand. Sympathy flooded my body. I had questioned so many things about Mia’s behavior, but I had missed a whole facet of the investigation.
I had never understood how hard it must’ve been for Mia.
“Mitch called me after he had texted you. He’s losing it. I’ve never heard him like this. Those kids are his world. If he can’t find her, this will break him.”
“Well, we will find her. There are four of us—two Navy SEALs and two NCIS agents. And the cops and the FBI, I assume. If Disney shut down the park, she has to be there. She just has to.”
But deep in my heart, I knew that wasn’t true. My sister had been taken on a secure Naval Base. And she had never been found.
But Julián had been discovered. By the very people in this truck.
We were all brought together for a reason. And I couldn’t help but shake the thought that every moment in my life, every tear shed over Brielle, every ounce of my NCIS training, had prepared me to find Mitch’s little girl.
2
Mitch
I sat in the office in Disney, clutching Sam for life, praying, hoping, willing my baby girl Sienna to find her way back to me. My hands shook, sweat dripped from my brow, and my skin burned impossibly hot. I once thought that the most stressful thing that would ever happen to me in my life was being shot at during a firefight in Afghanistan. But I would rather be riddled with a thousand bullets than spend another minute not knowing where my daughter was.
Sam pulled my arm. “Daddy? When can we go on more rides?”
Sam didn’t have a clue about the seriousness of the situation. But, if Sienna weren’t found, his life would soon be consumed by finding his missing sister. Just like Ashley was obsessed with finding hers. I prayed for both of my children’s innocence to remain intact. “We need to find your sister. Sam, tell me, do you remember anything the Jedi who took her? Anything?”
“Yup. He was tall like you. And had brown hair. And he smiled and gave her candy. He didn’t give me any.”
Of course, he gave her candy. Fucking pedophile.
Fuck.
After the most agonizing wait of my life, an officer finally walked into the room with a stern expression on his face.
I almost leaped at him. “Did you find her?”
“Not yet, sir. We have every security guard looking for her.”
That was not good enough. “Have the entrances been shut down?”
“Well, they were for a bit, but we had to open them again. Everyone is being checked, though. There are police at the exit gates, searching for your daughter.”
An ache strangled my chest. “That’s not acceptable. She could be in different clothes, appearance changed, stuffed in a stroller. Please. We can’t waste any more time. This is my baby.”
My baby girl. My world. My reason for living.
“Sir, we have contacted the FBI, and they are en route. But first, I have a few questions to ask you.”
Of course, they did. Fuck, they thought I was a suspect. That I was possibly the kind of man that would harm my own child.
“I’ll answer any goddam questions you have, but we can’t stop looking for Sienna. Every second counts. Can I see the cameras that were in the area?”
“We are going through all that footage now. But we need to ask you some questions.”
Sam’s face turned pale. I wish he didn’t have to be in here, but I wasn’t letting him out of my sight. “Daddy, what’s happening?”
“This nice policeman just wants to help us find your sister.” I sat him at a table in the room. “Sit here, and I’m going to talk to this man in the corner.”
I pulled the guy aside. “Look, I’m a Navy SEAL. I know how to find people and interrogate them. Please let me speak to all the Jedis and the parents who had kids in the show.”
The policeman cocked his eyebrow at me. “Where is Sienna’s mother?”
Right, that was an appropriate question.
“She’s unfortunately in the hospital right now.”
He leaned into me, staring into my eyes as if he thought he could rattle me. “Why is she in the hospital?”
“My ex-wife is in a coma. She overdosed.”
He nodded his head. “I see. Is this hospital nearby?”
“Nope, it’s in Vegas.”
“So, you took your kids over state lines to Disneyland. Do you have primary custody, sir?”
I didn’t like where this conversation was going.
“No. I have joint legal. Their mother has primary physical because I deploy so much. What is your point? How is this helping us find Sienna?”
“I’m just trying to understand the situation, sir.”
“Where is the FBI?”
“They are on their way.”
He looked over at Sam, who was sitting quietly in the chair.
“Would you say that you feel overwhelmed taking care of two young kids by yourself?”
“No. I wouldn’t say that. I’m a fucking Navy SEAL and can handle my Team of men at war. I most certainly can handle my own two kids.”
But a gulp lodged in my throat. Clearly, I couldn’t handle my own kids. Because if I could, Sienna would be meeting Elsa and Anna at the Frozen castle now. Instead, she was gone.
“Was anyone else with you on this trip?”
Fuck. Now I had to get Ashely involved in my mess. But I was sure she would do anything to find Sienna.
“At the moment, yes. But a friend of mine did accompany me here.”
“And what is her name?”
“Ashley Pierce. She’s an NCIS agent.”
The officer narrowed his brow toward me.
“When did she leave? And why?”
“She was called into work.”
“So, Mr. Martinez, your ex-wife, the mother of your children, overdoses. She’s in a coma. You went to get your children and then took them to Disneyland with a new woman, your friend NCIS Agent Pierce. She left at some point, and you took the kids into the park. And your daughter vanished, supposedly with a Jedi. Is that what you are saying?”
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