A massive explosion reverberated throughout the forest, followed by dead silence when it finally stopped. Not even an insect buzzed. Asher counted under his breath.
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
“Four.”
A cacophony of bird-song burst through the air. They sounded angry at the man-made interruption of their sleep. Above it all, Asher heard the cry of disgruntled monkeys. Then he heard the crackle of the fire. His shoulders slumped as he closed his eyes and said a prayer in French that he’d learned at his mother’s knee. He’d been praying to the Holy Mother a lot in the last six months. Now she had two more good men to watch over. He gritted his teeth as the pain tried to suck him down. Because Asher knew. He fucking knew, the blood of one of the good men up in heaven was on his hands.
“Hold them close Sainte Mere de Dieu,” he quietly begged.
“Asher Thorne, you hearing me?” He lifted his head at Kane’s words.
“What?”
He shook his head trying to clear it and Xavier’s face floated away, just like his life’s blood had.
“Ash, I was just starting to tell the lieutenant that you and Perez were injured,” Kane explained.
“I’m fine,” Asher said as he forced himself to stand. “It’s just a bump on the head. It might or might not be a concussion, but I’ll let you know if I get nauseous or start seeing double. I’m good to hike into Caracas.” He kept his tone upbeat and turned his grimace into a smile.
“And if I wanted to hear from you, I would have asked you,” Max glowered. He turned back to look at Kane.
“You heard Thorne,” Kane said to Max, “it’s just a goose egg until he pukes and passes out, that’s when we worry. Meanwhile, Perez’s shoulder was dislocated, but Ezio popped it back in. He’s hurting, but he’ll live. We’ve already started divvying up his backpack contents to give his shoulder a rest.”
Max looked at Asher dubiously, but he nodded.
Ash looked around the small clearing, taking in the expressions on everyone’s faces. They were all either blank or somber. This was not how the mission was supposed to have started.
“Anything else?”
“I’m going to stick with Asher, and Raiden’s got Leo. We’ll be able to assist them if they have any issues making it to the rendezvous point.”
Max nodded again. “We’ll need to move fast. We’ve definitely made an entrance. Venezuelan authorities are going to be out after us.”
“The FAES, right? The president’s secret police?” Nic asked.
“That’s my take. They’re going to shoot first and never bother asking questions,” Max sighed.
“Lovely,” Cullen said sarcastically. “They’re nothing but street thugs with badges. This whole set-up in Caracas stinks.” He hiked up his rifle, so it sat flush against his body, eager to take retribution.
Another explosion sounded. Flames shot higher.
Every team member took a moment to look backwards to where the night sky burst brightly in an angry inferno. Asher saw his commander’s jaw clench. As their leader, Ash knew that Max took the loss of men on a mission as a personal failure, but every man on the Night Storm team felt the loss just as deeply. They might’ve only met the pilot and co-pilot tonight, but still for a few hours, they’d been members of their team, and they had died.
It hurt.
He could swear he heard Xavier grunting in agreement.
God, how bad had he hit his head?
After an hour of sucking down vomit, Asher heard blessed words from Max.
“Hold up. I want to have Kane give us an updated intel briefing.”
“Good, I think Asher needs to puke and suck down a mint, and Leo looks like he’s limping, so we can take care of that while we’re at it,” Raiden said wryly. That was Raiden—the king of understatement. Asher flipped him the bird. However, when Raiden handed him a tin of wintergreen Altoids, he decided that the man was back on his Christmas card list.
“Thorne and Perez, sit down before you fall down, that’s an order.” Max rumbled. “Kane, your computer tablet still intact?”
“Yep. Take a two-minute breather and I’ll have the latest info.”
Raiden, who had just finished up his advanced medic training, came over to Asher to check out the bump on his head. Ash made sure not to flinch when he probed it.
“See, I told you guys it was nothing.”
“Yeah, sure. It’s just an itty, bitty mosquito bite,” Raiden said sardonically. “For God’s sake, it looks like you’re going to hatch an egg.” He pulled an instant cold compress out of his rucksack and squeezed it, then handed it to Asher. “Hold that against your bug bite during the briefing.”
“Seems to me that you should be giving the compress to our friend Perez. He’s the one that stuffed a sock down his pants,” Asher smirked.
“Huh?” Raiden looked over his shoulder. “Dammit! How’d I miss that?”
“You were too busy playing nursemaid to me, and that dumbass was trying to hide his cantaloupe. Do you have another cold compress? Because if you don’t, I think Leo needs mine.”
“Perez!” Raiden might have whispered his shout, but it was definitely fueled with the fury of a pissed-off medic. It was clear Raiden was trying not to call Kane and Max’s attention to the matter.
Nic’s head swung sharply to take in Raiden’s face. Leo took a little longer to turn around. He knew what the problem was. He was busted.
Raiden stalked over to where Leo was sitting on a log with his injured leg stretched out in front of him. Asher ambled over a little more slowly. He didn’t want to admit it, but his head really hurt.
Leo held up his hands. “In my defense, I didn’t know how bad it was until I sat down.”
Asher snorted. “That just makes you stupid.”
Raiden glared at his patient as he pulled out his med kit. “Nic, go get—”
It wasn’t a great surprise to anyone but Nic when Max dropped Kane’s backpack next to Raiden. “Kane said to grab what you need out of his kit.”
Raiden’s expression didn’t change as he began rifling through Kane’s rucksack. “Asher, cut his pants from the bottom to his knee, let’s see what we have.”
“I think he’s trying to give birth.” Asher cut a slit in Leo’s pants, then moved out of the way so Raiden could inspect the damage.
“Well, it isn’t a big bruise, so that’s something,” he said as he gently prodded Leo’s knee. “I’d say it’s a burst bursa. How painful?” he asked as he examined Leo’s face.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Leo said confidently.
“You’re so full of shit,” Raiden said as he twisted the cold pack to activate it. He handed that and the stretch bandaging to Asher. “Apply it.”
“Serves you right for taking your belt off early,” Asher said as he carefully bandaged up his friend.
“It does,” Leo agreed. His voice was tight.
Raiden leaned down, holding water and some pills. “Drink all the water with the pills,” he commanded.
“Only the anti-inflammatories,” Leo said.
“You’ll take the ones for pain, too.”
“Don’t need it,” Leo protested.
“You’ll slow us down if you don’t take it,” Asher said. “We’ll watch over you and make sure you don’t trip on your third ball.”
“I don’t—”
Asher pushed his index finger into Leo’s inflamed knee. Leo hissed.
“Jesus, God! Fine. Fine. I’ll take the pills. I’ll take the help.”
“Are we going to have to set up a hospital ward here in the jungle?” Cullen asked as he walked over.
“Not for me,” Asher said wryly.
“Put that compress back on your head,” Raiden ordered. Asher grimaced and did so. He watched as the rest of the team gathered around. Kane sat down on the log next to Leo, giving his knee a surreptitious glance.
It always amazed Asher how Raiden didn’t roll hi
s eyes at Kane’s tendency to double-check everything. As if he could read his mind, Raiden looked up at Asher and sighed. “He can’t help it, he’s just wired that way. God help A.J. when they have kids, she’s going to have to slap him upside the head a couple of times.”
“Nah, she loves me too much,” Kane said confidently.
Everybody laughed. It felt good.
Too bad it couldn’t last.
Chapter 2
“Things have changed in Caracas, and not for the better,” Kane started the briefing. “The security force that was hired to babysit the coalition failed to get the group to the empty American embassy as planned.”
“Why not? I thought they were just transporting them from the Venezuelan Central Bank?” Ezio frowned. “That was only ten kilometers at most. Who stopped them? Do they know if it was Maduro?”
Somebody has been doing their homework.
Max cleared his throat. Ezio rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, McNamara,” he said to Kane. “Not my place. If I have any questions after you’re done with the briefing, I’ll ask.”
Somebody also knows when they’re out of line. Asher liked it. This was Ezio’s first mission with Night Storm. He was normally second-in-command on his own team, so he was used to questioning everything. But it was nice he knew when to take a backseat. It was nice to know that there was good sense under those pretty-boy good looks.
Kane began again. “Nobody knows. Not US Intelligence or any of our alliance intelligence agencies. It’s a crapshoot if it’s Venezuelan-backed Special Action Forces or those fuckers out of Columbia that waylaid the group.”
“That security team totally fucked up when they went to the American Embassy a day early to get it ready for the coalition’s arrival,” Kane continued. “Hell, nobody’s occupied the place for a year, and having them trying to get it habitable all of a sudden was a dead giveaway. So that definitely tipped their hand that something was going on.”
“Or there could have been a mole.” Raiden threw down the leaf he’d been twirling between his fingers.
“Supposedly, nobody from the Venezuelan government knew about the coalition.”
“I call bullshit,” Asher said.
“I raise your bullshit, with a load of buffalo turds,” Cullen said disgustedly. “There isn’t a fucking chance in hell that the CEO of the USForce Bank setting foot on Venezuelan soil escaped the notice of either Maduro, or for that matter President-elect Guaido. Who signed off on this operation?”
“This wasn’t a government-sanctioned trip. It was a humanitarian effort from the international community,” Kane reminded everybody. “This group has been working together in Geneva for the last month, trying to find a way to fix the Venezuelan economy. You know this country is in turmoil. There’s been a mass exodus due to starvation, disease, and crime. It’s a humanitarian crisis and both Maduro and Guaido want it to stay that way until one of them is declared the winner of the contested election so they can magically fix things and take credit for it. Then they’ll declare themselves a national hero.”
“That might not be true,” Asher disagreed. “The way I’m hearing it, Guaido is on the up-and-up.”
“Kane is a cynical bastard. He always believes the worst until he’s proved wrong.” Max reminded everyone. “What we do know for sure is that Maduro is bleeding his country dry.”
“How many Venezuelans have died because of that asshole?” Cullen asked bitterly. “It’s almost government-sanctioned genocide.”
After everything Cullen had seen in one of their last missions in Africa and being engaged to a woman who worked for Doctors Without Borders, the man was incredibly attuned to the atrocities that happened around the world. Despite his easy-go-lucky demeanor, he truly wanted to save the world. Time to change the subject.
“Who’s hosting this meeting?” Asher asked.
“The Venezuelan Finance minister fled the country six months ago,” Kane explained. “He hasn’t been replaced. Right now, the provisional head of the Central Bank and the Chairman of Banco de la Gente are the hosts. According to the intel that finally fucking downloaded in the last two hours, these two ladies are straight arrows.”
“Okay, now that we know the politics and the players, where are they, and what is our role?” Asher smothered a grin—apparently, Ezio could only keep quiet for so long.
“Suzanne Azua is feeding information to us. She’s the head of Banco de la Gente, and she’s insisting it’s a fortress and has security that will help them. The bank is between the Central Bank and the Embassy.”
Kane let that sink in.
“Dammit, wasn’t this supposed to go under the radar because they were having this meeting during Carnival?” Max glowered.
“That was the hope.” Kane agreed. “The good news is, according to the intel, whoever has Central bank surrounded isn’t making any overt moves. Which is interesting because the back wall has been demolished.”
“Why aren’t they going in right this minute?” Leo asked Kane.
“It’s either they’re waiting for tomorrow tonight,” Kane said as he looked at his watch. “I mean tonight—that’s when Carnival really takes off. Or they can’t get ahold of Maduro.”
“Is it tonight or tomorrow night?” Nic asked.
“Today is Friday,” Raiden said for Kane. “The beginning of Carnival might start at sundown tonight, but they’ve been getting ready for this for a week. The party will go on until Sunday morning. Everybody will be hungover for church,” Raiden chuckled.
“So, they have the cover of darkness and no witnesses now. If they’re not holding out for Maduro’s say-so, why not right now?” Leo persisted.
“They’d be seen for sure. Raiden’s right, people are out setting up.” Kane explained. “The secret police don’t want to be that obvious.”
“People are already setting up? At two-thirty in the morning before the event?” Nic asked incredulously.
“You’ve never been to Mardi Gras, have you?” Cullen asked.
Nic shook his head.
“They take this shit seriously. But is it going to turn into anti-government protests?” Cullen asked Kane.
Asher saw Leo shift, bending his leg. It looked like his mobility was improving.
Kane rubbed the back of his neck. “It did last year, Cullen. My sources aren’t sure. Here’s our problem. The coalition’s security team was going to pick us up, but that’s out. What’s left of them are at the Central Bank. Suzann Azua is sending people she trusts to meet us. She swears we can depend on them.”
Everyone, including Max, looked at Kane incredulously. “Civilians?” Max demanded.
“We don’t have any choice,” Kane said.
“Do you think they wear capes?” Cullen asked. “I can see it now, staid little banker suits, their hair in buns, but when they’re called into action, they shake out their hair, rip off their skirts to show garter belts—”
“Shut up, you idiot,” Raiden growled. “You’re getting on my last nerve.”
Asher saw that Kane was trying to cover a grin. Then he started speaking again.
“Look, even if they are banker ladies, they’re all we’ve got. The security team is either stuck at the Central Bank guarding the Banking Coalition, or they died at the Embassy. Carter from CIA is coordinating with Azua and a couple of others that he thinks are worth a damn in this type of situation.”
“Who are they?” Max demanded to know.
“We’ve got three to choose from. The first two are Heinrich Becker and Leland Hines. Leland’s the CEO of USForce Bank. He’s kept his head and he and the translator have helped keep the others calm. Hines’s been around the block a time or two, he was with the SAS thirty years ago. Doubt that kind of training ever goes away.”
Everybody nodded. They had all served with the British special forces before—they were good men and women.
“And the translator, what’s he like?” Ezio asked.
“Her. Eden York,” Kane answe
red. “Azua and Hines have taken the leadership roles, but they couldn’t have done it without York. She’s the glue. She keeps the communication going. All I’ve got is the resume and application she gave to the International Money Fund three years ago. No background check. She speaks six languages, has degrees in political science and animal services. She was born and raised in Montana and went to school in Idaho.”
“And the third?”
“Heinrich Becker. He has degrees and awards coming out his ass. He’s been in charge of the International Money Fund for over ten years. It’s amazing they’ve kept his involvement under the radar. Ten bucks says he takes the lead on all of this.” Kane finally took a breath and sighed, knowing some smartass question was coming from Cullen, and he was not wrong.
“So, what should we expect from Super Banker Babes? Are they meeting us at the rendezvous point?” Cullen asked.
Kane nodded his head.
“Yes, you’re going to see your ladies in garters and capes. Basically, there have only been two little changes to our mission. Instead of meeting with a security team, we’ll be meeting with the SBB’s. Then instead of taking the Banking Coalition from the embassy to the airport, we’ll be taking them from the Central Bank.”
Asher rubbed the back of his neck, then winced when his hand touched his bump—okay, goose-egg. There were a hell of a lot more than two little changes, and the way Kane couldn’t meet anyone’s glance proved it. This mission was FUBAR. If someone died when they were out in the field, then the mission was Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition, full-stop! Let’s not also forget Leo is more than likely out of commission. Then, and he hated to admit it, he was not exactly in prime condition.
Kane sighed now as he looked around at the group. “One good thing is the suits have a plane on stand-by in Guyana. Once we give them notice, they can have a plane waiting in Caracas in two hours to fly them to safety.”
“Exactly, Kane. We need to stay focused on the positive. I have faith in the Super Banker Babes. They’re going to come through.”
Ezio looked at Cullen like he was out of his mind. Which he very possibly was.
Her Chosen Protector: Navy SEAL Romance (Night Storm Book 3) Page 2