Whitewater (Rachel Hatch Book 6)

by L T Ryan

  “I eventually gained access. I thought somebody had already begun the recruitment process. Having a female with your skillset is rare. And we are always looking to add the right people to our ranks. But that wasn't the case. You weren't being recruited. You were being targeted. Being targeted by Talon is never a good thing." He broke into a smile. "Unless your name is Rachel Hatch."

  "This is your recruitment pitch? I killed a group of your hired guns and now you want to offer me a job?"

  "Not exactly. But sort of. The upper echelon wants to call a truce. And their peace offering is in the form of a job opportunity."

  "Why would they want me to work for them?"

  "Something about keeping friends close and enemies closer."

  "I'm an enemy?"

  "Not to me. Their words. Not mine."

  "Why not kill me?"

  "They tried killing you. It didn't take."

  "Why not kill you for interfering?"

  "They don't know. All they know is that you survived an encounter that should never have left an entire team dead. But somehow you single-handedly stopped them all."

  Hatch thought of Nighthawk's well-timed shot that had saved her life and knew the fallacy in Cruise's assessment.

  "If you accept this offer, you'll be safe."

  "Handling the world's most dangerous missions doesn't sound like a safe offer."

  "It would mean your family would be safe. You'd never have to worry about them again. Nobody's coming for you ever again if you accept."

  Hatch felt a lightness she hadn't experienced in a very long time. She was grateful for the momentary interruption when Sherry returned to warm their coffee.

  "I know this sounds crazy. It was the best plan I could come up with to save your life."

  "I'm not sure what kind of life that leaves me with."

  "I know you. I know the type of person you are. I know your code. In my division at Talon, we help people, good people in bad situations."

  "What division would that be?"

  "Kidnapping and ransom risk management. All ex-military and police special operators like yourself. We handle private high-dollar contracts, both domestic and abroad. Our team cuts through bureaucratic red tape like a warm knife through butter. We save lives. And get to put down some bad guys in the process.

  “What is that thing you always used to say? Something your father told you about helping good people? That's what we're doing. I mean we're dealing with life and death situations. Doesn't get more real than that. Plus, we've got a damn good track record of bringing those victims back.”

  Hatch pondered the opportunity while sitting in the shadow of the Hotel Del Ray, which was blocking the view of the sand berms where future SEALs battled shore breaking waves in hopes of serving in a Tier One capacity. Hatch was being given an opportunity to rejoin the life she’d left behind. Since leaving Mexico, Hatch had been giving thought on how to best honor her code as she moved forward.

  "How do we do this? Set up some type of job interview? Do I have to give you a résumé?"

  "You just did." His smile broadened, stretching across his golden skin. "Does that mean you're in?"

  "I'm in."

  "Let me be the first to welcome you to Talon Executive Services."

  "I do this on one condition. I can walk away at any time. No questions asked. Nobody comes looking for me or my family. Once I do this, they are off the radar forever. Understood?"

  "They were never on any radar of mine. I hope you know that."

  "I wouldn't have accepted this offer if I thought otherwise."

  "I think I can work all that out. Your family is safe. You have my word."

  "What's next?"

  “Funny you should ask, on my way to meet you I got a message. I've got to go in for a briefing. Wheels up in two hours."

  ”Will you call me when you get back?”

  "No. You're coming with me. We've got a rapidly evolving hostage situation."

  "Nothing like hitting the ground running."

  "We'll have to get you a change of clothes."

  "Why's that?"

  "We're going to Alaska."

  Aftershock Chapter 3

  Macintosh stood facing Walter Grizzly, Grizz, as he was known to most, a six foot-nine, three-hundred-eighty-pound behemoth. His muscle was only matched by his will. A thin layer of fat insulated his bulging muscles. It was bitter cold outside and not much better in the concrete shed they were standing in. Yet Grizz wore nothing but a sleeveless hooded black sweatshirt in lieu of a coat. He looked like a cross between Bill Belichick and Rumblebuffin, the fabled giant from CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.

  His body was covered in tattoos. The overlapping images coated his flesh and disappeared under the thick red of his beard. Grizz's head was shaved smooth. A solitary red triangle with a thick black W was tattooed on the back of his enormous head.

  Grizz was the founding member of their Aryan brotherhood. Full membership could only be attained through the rite of passage. Full initiation meant the prospect had to commit murder. The red triangle pointing up was symbolic of The Way's belief structure. “Blood is the only path to purity. Blood is The Way.” Macintosh's tattoo was etched into the side of his neck using a prison made tattoo needle. A skin infection, a byproduct of the unsanitary process, left a section of the W blotched with scar tissue.

  Macintosh earned his ink while at Stone Creek Correctional. He'd saved Ray Winslow, one of The Way's founding members, during a prison yard fight. Macintosh had seen the other inmate, a wild-eyed man by the name of Paul Banyan, make a move on Winslow with a shiv made out of a toothbrush handle. Macintosh had knocked the weapon out of Banyan's hand just before he would've struck paydirt in Winslow's jugular. Banyan died in the yard that day.

  Although Banyan's death could not officially be laid at the feet of Macintosh, the State did find cause to extend his seven-year sentence for a failed armed robbery by three years. It’d also earned him a place among The Way.

  The ankle holster concealed along the inside of Macintosh's left leg just above the ankle seemed heavier now, as if the gun itself was somehow rooted to the poured concrete floor Macintosh stood on. Deputy US Marshal Dawes was duct taped to a metal folding chair in the center of the room. Underneath was an eight-by-eight drop cloth.

  Grizz towered over all the men in the room. But with Dawes seated before him, he looked even more menacing.

  He said nothing, standing with arms folded behind the chair. He stared at the man between them who was groaning. His head was bobbing more steadily as he tried to bring it up. Macintosh looked at the man's eyes as they flooded open, and then saw the shock and horror of them when they recognized the man standing behind the chair. He twisted against the restraints, and only worked to kink up the tape, further cutting off his circulation. Dawes’ hands were a shade of dark purple, matching the bruising along the side of his beaten face. His eyes shot wildly around the room and locked with Macintosh's. He was begging. No discernable words penetrated the gag in his mouth. Tears started to stream down the man's blood-crusted face.

  "US Marshal Dawes, do you know what this day is for you?" Grizz growled. "It's a reckoning. You think you can come to my home and take from me? Your laws don't apply to me. We are sovereign. You cannot impose your will on me."

  Dawes whimpered.

  "I am the only law that matters. The other three I killed should have served as a warning. But just like Waco, you government types can't seem to help yourselves.”

  "Lank, it’s your time to earn your mark." Grizz continued.

  The scrawny Lankowski straightened. He pulled out a small black revolver from his waistband and pointed it at the federal agent's head. "Just give me the word, Grizz. I'll put a bullet through his thick skull."

  "Wait." Macintosh nearly choked on the word.

  Grizz turned his emerald stare to Macintosh. His voice boomed like someone beating an empty barrel with a wooden mallet. "Did you just speak out of turn?"


  "Killing him is a bad move."

  Lank turned the gun toward Macintosh. "I told you there's somethin' off 'bout this one. He ain't right."

  "You best be pointing that gun elsewhere." Macintosh squared himself to Lank. He thought of the ankle holster. No way he could get to his piece before Lank got a shot off.

  "Let's see what he has to say." Grizz stepped forward and rested his beefy hands on the shoulders of Dawes. "Tell me why this man here deserves to live."

  "They already tried to breach once. If you kill him, nothing will stop them from rolling a tank through the front gate. Keep him alive and you have leverage."

  The big man stirred. He adjusted his forearms and returned them to their folded position across his barrel chest.

  "It's how we survived the prison riot. We took a guard hostage. It became our saving grace. Plus, we got a lot of intel about how the other guards planned to stop us. It gave us the tactical advantage and enabled us to hold the prison for over ten days. Might be worth a shot to do the same thing here. But this isn't my show."

  ”You’re damn right it isn't!" Grizz’s cheeks reddened to the color of his beard. Then he let out a huge sigh. "But right is right. You may be onto something."

  Lank still held the gun out and pointed in the direction of Macintosh.

  "Put that thing away before you shoot yourself." Macintosh sneered.

  Lank holstered his pistol. "So we just gonna take the newbie's word as gospel?"

  "He's a marked member. You remember that next time you point that thing in his direction. I'll cut your throat myself."

  Lank resumed his slouch.

  "Since you’re full of ideas, what is it you suggest we do next?" Grizz redirected his attention to Macintosh.

  "We need to establish communication with the feds, so we can keep them from assaulting the compound. At least buy us enough time to slip away."

  A loud rumble rolled through from a distance. It shook the small building and nearly threw Macintosh on top of Dawes. The lights went out.

  "What in the hell was that? The feds? It felt like an explosion." Lank shot a panicked look at the door.

  Grizz's voice roared above the noise. "That's no explosion. That's a quake."

  Pre-order your copy now:

  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X93GBZ9

  Also by L.T. Ryan

  Click on a series name or title for more information

  The Jack Noble Series

  The Recruit (free)

  The First Deception (Prequel 1)

  Noble Beginnings

  A Deadly Distance

  Ripple Effect (Bear Logan)

  Thin Line

  Noble Intentions

  When Dead in Greece

  Noble Retribution

  Noble Betrayal

  Never Go Home

  Beyond Betrayal (Clarissa Abbot)

  Noble Judgment

  Never Cry Mercy

  Deadline

  End Game

  Noble Ultimatum (Coming May 2021)

  Bear Logan Series

  Ripple Effect

  Blowback

  Take Down

  Deep State

  Rachel Hatch Series

  Drift

  Downburst

  Fever Burn

  Smoke Signal

  Firewalk

  Whitewater - March 2021

  Aftershock (pre-order now)

  Mitch Tanner Series

  The Depth of Darkness

  Into The Darkness

  Deliver Us From Darkness (Summer 2021)

  Cassie Quinn Series

  Path of Bones

  Whisper of Bones (February 2021)

  Untitled (May 2021)

  Blake Brier Series

  Unmasked

  Unleashed (January 2021)

  Untitled (April 2021)

  Affliction Z Series

  Affliction Z: Patient Zero

  Affliction Z: Abandoned Hope

  Affliction Z: Descended in Blood

  Affliction Z : Fractured Part 1

  Affliction Z: Fractured Part 2 (Fall 2021)

  About the Author

  L.T. Ryan is a USA Today and international bestselling author. The new age of publishing offered L.T. the opportunity to blend his passions for creating, marketing, and technology to reach audiences with his popular Jack Noble series.

  Living in central Virginia with his wife, the youngest of his three daughters, and their three dogs, L.T. enjoys staring out his window at the trees and mountains while he should be writing, as well as reading, hiking, running, and playing with gadgets. See what he’s up to at http://ltryan.com.

  Social Medial Links:

  - Facebook (L.T. Ryan): https://www.facebook.com/LTRyanAuthor

  - Facebook (Jack Noble Page): https://www.facebook.com/JackNobleBooks/

  - Twitter: https://twitter.com/LTRyanWrites

  - Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6151659.L_T_Ryan