by Bianca D’Arc
“Good work, Major,” the admiral replied.
“Sir, there’s a man at the gate asking for you,” said one of the admiral’s aides who had been called in to help deal with this mess. He was the son of a priestess and knew about the unseen world, though he had little to do with it himself. Still, he was a good soldier and an excellent aide for an admiral who wasn’t entirely human. “Said his name was Seth and that you’d called him earlier.”
“Send him right up,” the admiral ordered, and his aide left to comply. “Major, I’d like you to stay for this. You know the Jackal, don’t you?”
Moore seemed surprised for a moment but hid it almost immediately. “Our paths have crossed.”
“I like to keep track of certain operatives, in case I need particular talents. Seth’s ability to blend in with a few dozen cultures makes him a very helpful man to know, sometimes,” the admiral elaborated.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Anything else Moore might’ve said was preempted by the arrival of the man himself.
Seth walked into the room, taking everything in with one sweeping glance. He nodded to Moore but saved his first greeting for the more highly-ranked—and more magically powerful—admiral. They shook hands like old friends. Only then did Seth turn to Moore and offer him a more thorough greeting.
“I’ve been meaning to visit your home base, but I’ve been gathering intel since I arrived in the States,” Seth offered in his lightly accented voice.
He was a lean fighting machine with swarthy skin and a face that was classically handsome, which could have come from any one of a dozen different cultures. Rumor had it he was Turkish by birth, but nobody really knew for certain. All that was known was that he was currently working as a mercenary and could most often be found in the Middle East, working the hot spots, but always on the side of Light.
That was the thing about the Golden Jackal. He had a code he lived by and a dedication to the Light that had come more into play in recent years as evil had revealed itself throughout the world. Seth’s previously low-key approach had come under close inspection by Admiral Morrow—as had Seth’s entire military record, both in service and as a merc. He’d been found to be much more clean-cut than anyone had expected, and the vague feeling that he was one of the good guys had been confirmed in every action he’d been involved in since he’d come to the admiral’s attention, on the world stage.
“Anything actionable?” the admiral asked.
Seth shook his head. “I still don’t have the whole picture, and a concerning lack of actual proof, but I’ve heard rumors in several reliable places that the Destroyer was retrieved at great expense of magical power. They say she is drained from her journey between realms, but gaining strength from her followers, of which there are many more than I had ever suspected.”
Morrow frowned. “I’ve heard some of those rumors, myself.” He scratched his head. “It’s hard to credit. Especially without real evidence.”
“Agreed,” Seth said. “Which is why I’ve been globetrotting, trying to get some. Sorry I don’t have anything more substantial to report, yet.”
“When you do, please be sure to let me know,” the admiral requested.
Seth tipped him a casual salute. “Yes, sir. Now, about the matter at hand…”
“Major, he’s already got the bare bones, but why don’t you fill him in on what you’ve discovered this afternoon?”
Moore gave the Jackal a concise report about the intelligence they had been able to gather. He named names of the high-powered people they suspected, along with those who had been confirmed to be wearing Venifucus marks on their persons. Not the full face tattoos of the elite strike team, but definitely indicating different degrees of involvement.
“Would these people have been aware of being marked?” Seth asked astutely.
“We’re not completely certain,” Moore reported. “Some definitely had to be aware, since the marks were in either hidden places or on their faces, invisible to most beings. However, some of the marks could have been deposited without the person being aware of it. We’ve segregated the list by how complex the designs were and where they were located on each subject’s body.”
The admiral handed over a hardcopy list that Moore had just given him for the Jackal to look at. Seth whistled between his teeth as he got a look at the names.
“I’ve been suspicious of this guy for a very long time,” Seth said, pointing to the name of an ambassador from one of the Middle Eastern countries that was often in the news. “But this fellow…” Seth went to the name of a U.S. ambassador to a small western European country. “I always thought he was one of the good guys.”
“I did, too,” Admiral Morrow glowered. “But I saw the marks myself while he was knocked out. He’s definitely wearing a very black hat.”
“You’ve got a few senators, lots of their staffers, some of the wives and lovers, along with at least half a dozen very highly placed civil servants in sensitive Federal agencies. This is not good,” the Jackal mused, handing the list back to the admiral.
Morrow’s expression was grim. “Something will have to be done, of course.”
“Which, I suspect, is why you’ve asked me here,” Seth said, easily putting two and two together.
“Sam Kinkaid has already volunteered his resources to help us clean house. I’m not sure if I’m going to take him up on that offer, but even if I do, we’ll need to spread the work around, to allay suspicion. I don’t want repercussions coming down on any one person, Clan, Tribe or Pack, in particular,” Morrow told the two men, who were listening intently.
“That’s a wise precaution, but if we start taking out Venifucus operatives, you know there’s going to be backlash,” Moore said quietly.
Morrow sighed heavily. “I know. Which is why this has to be done with finesse. We take out the worst of the lot, but maybe we can utilize some of the lower level players to our advantage before we eliminate them.”
“I’m listening,” Seth said, hitching up one hip to sit on the edge of the desk near where he stood. “I don’t enjoy wet work, but if it has to be done—for the right cause—I’ll do what I can.”
“I was hoping you would say something like that. I know there are some who wouldn’t think twice about assassination, but if we become like them, we become our own enemy. I need research, intel, and the right situation in which to bring things to a head for some of these targets. If they die in the act, then they die, but I have a hard time with cold-blooded murder.”
“Then,” Seth smiled the smile that had made the Jackal justly famous, “I think, perhaps, we can do business.”
*
Thanks for reading Deuces Wild (Gemini Project #3). If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. You can learn more about the jaguar shifters, Mark Pepard and Nick Balam in their books: The Jaguar Tycoon and The Jaguar Bodyguard. You can learn more about Admiral Morrow, his sons, and particularly his daughter, Trisha, in a book titled simply Red, part of my Redstone Clan series. And, to read more about Major Moore and his friends, check out Wolf Hills and Wolf Quest. Happy reading!
A complete list of all of my books, separated by series, follows the excerpt. You can also check out my website at BIANCADARC.COM. Or you can sign up for my new release list to be alerted when new books are released.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of lower Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.
Bianca loves to hear from readers and can be reached through Twitter (@BiancaDArc), Facebook (BiancaDArcAuthor) or through the various links on her website.
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OTHER BOOKS BY BIANCA D’ARC
Paranormal Romance
Brotherhood of Blood
One & Only
Rare Vintage
Phantom Desires
Sweeter Than Wine
Forever Valentine
Wolf Hills*
Wolf Quest
Tales of the Were
Lords of the Were
Inferno
Tales of the Were ~ The Others
Rocky
Slade
Tales of the Were ~ Redstone Clan
The Purrfect Stranger
Grif
Red
Magnus
Bobcat
Matt
Tales of the Were ~ String of Fate
Cat’s Cradle
King’s Throne
Jacob’s Ladder
Her Warriors
Tales of the Were ~ Grizzly Cove
All About the Bear
Mating Dance
Night Shift
Alpha Bear
Saving Grace
Bearliest Catch
The Bear’s Healing Touch
The Luck of the Shifters
Badass Bear
Crossroads: Bounty Hunter Bear
Crossroads: Storm Bear
Crossroads: Bear Meets Girl
Spirit Bear
Tales of the Were ~ Were-Fey Trilogy
Lone Wolf
Snow Magic
Midnight Kiss
Tales of the Were ~ Lick of Fire Trilogy
Phoenix Rising
Phoenix and the Wolf
Phoenix and the Dragon
Tales of the Were ~ Jaguar Island (Howls Romance)
The Jaguar Tycoon
The Jaguar Bodyguard
The Jaguar’s Secret Baby
Tales of the Were ~ Big Wolf
A Touch of Class
Gemini Project
Tag Team
Doubling Down
Deuces Wild
Guardians of the Dark
Simon Says
Once Bitten
Smoke on the Water
Night Shade
Shadow Play
Gifts of the Ancients
Warrior’s Heart
Future Past
Epic Fantasy Erotic Romance
Dragon Knights ~ Daughters of the Dragon
Maiden Flight*
Border Lair
The Ice Dragon**
Prince of Spies***
Dragon Knights ~ The Novellas
The Dragon Healer
Master at Arms
Wings of Change
Dragon Knights ~ Sons of Draconia
FireDrake
Dragon Storm
Keeper of the Flame
Hidden Dragons
The Sea Captain’s Daughter Trilogy
Sea Dragon
Dragon Fire
Dragon Mates
The Captain’s Dragon
Science Fiction Romance
StarLords
Hidden Talent
Talent For Trouble
Shy Talent
Jit’Suku Chronicles ~ In the Stars
The Cyborg Next Door
Heart of the Machine
Jit’Suku Chronicles ~ Arcana
King of Swords
King of Cups
King of Clubs
King of Stars
End of the Line
Diva
Jit’Suku Chronicles ~ Sons of Amber
Angel in the Badlands
Master of Her Heart
Futuristic Erotic Romance
Resonance Mates
Hara’s Legacy**
Davin’s Quest
Jaci’s Experiment
Grady’s Awakening
Harry’s Sacrifice
Contemporary Romance
Irish Lullaby
Bells Will Be Ringing
Wild Irish Rose
* RT Book Reviews Awards Nominee
** EPPIE Award Winner
*** CAPA Award Winner