“Don’t worry, Mom. He burned that bridge a long time ago. Hey, guess what? I met an old friend down here.”
“In Brazil?” her mother exclaimed. “Who on earth could that be?”
“Hunter Christian.” Just saying his name set that fire in Meredith’s belly to glowing.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. What’s he doing down there?”
“It turns out he was part of the beta test.”
“That boy sure had a crush on you.”
Meredith closed her eyes, remembering the latest crush of his hard male body against hers. “He still does, Mom. He’s looking good.” Really good.
“Does he live on the East Coast, too? That would be nice.”
Meredith smiled. “I’m not sure where he lives, but Mom. He asked me to marry him.”
Dead silence.
Meredith shook her phone. “Mom? Are you still there?”
“Meredith Olivia Flynn,” her mother scolded. “Are you serious?”
“I thought you’d be happy.”
“I am, but you’ve only been gone a few days and… Are you sure about marriage? It seems quite fast and—”
Meredith’s breath caught. It was like watching a chameleon change colors. One minute the jungle was nothing but leafy green. The next, an armed and camouflaged warrior in face paint and shadows stood on the opposite shore. Ramrod straight. Shoulders back. Looking straight at her.
Alex Stewart had arrived.
“Meredith? Are you there?” her mother called.
“Yes, Mom. Listen. I have to go. I’ll call when I know for sure when I’m coming home. Give Courtney a kiss and a hug for me.”
With a curt chin lift, Alex acknowledged her even as his eyes tracked the river’s tumultuous journey from east to west. His gaze flicked from the top of the falls and back to her, his face as hard as the granite wall behind her.
“You know I will. Take care of yourself. I love you, Meredith.”
“I love you, Mom. Tell Dad hi for me.” With that, she signed off as three other men uncloaked to Alex’s left, all in the same tactical gear. She cocked her head in disbelief at the sight. None had relied on Jed’s ActiveCamouflage technology, yet there they were. Invisible one moment. Poised for war the next.
Electricity crackled when Lee met Alex at the edge of the river. The three men with him seemed an extension of that energy as a lively discussion ensued. The kindly looking American-Chinese agent gave Meredith a gentle nod of respect. David Tao, one of the men behind the much-publicized takedown of the Black Dragon Syndicate in D.C.
The one who resembled Alex in physique and stature, smiled as he crouched near Seth. Adam Torrey. His plane crash in the Pacific had led to an unexpected coupe for McCormack Industry when Paul Reagan, one of Jed’s fiercest adversaries, ended up being the killer behind the supposed accident. His only surviving heir, Shannon Reagan, dumped every last one of Reagan’s proprietary secrets on Jed when she washed her hands of her father’s betrayal. Another story for the books.
But the third warrior at Alex’s side was Hunter all over again, only this man had a wide-open smile that seemed to say, ‘Let’s play!’ Zack Lennox. In the flesh. Every woman’s idea of hot-and-heavy eye candy, plain and simple.
Dark scruff covered his chin and shaved head. Broad-chested, with a heavy backpack strapped to his shoulders, he trudged past Alex, dropped one knee to the ground and shrugged his over-sized pack off. Peeling it open, he pulled out several foil packages. “I brought lunch. Anyone hungry?”
That was Zack. A capable sniper with a penchant for gourmet food that he fixed himself. But Alex was all business. “Sit rep first.”
“Assume Hunter and Eric are still engaged at Burdette’s camp,” Lee replied. “Jordan left to assist. We’ve recovered one of the ACS3 units, still in the MI supply crate. Hunt and Eric have the other two. Seth and Teague are both stable and ready to travel.”
Alex glanced at the men, both reclining in the shade. “Can they walk?”
“That depends,” Lee replied. “How far away did you land?”
Alex nodded downriver. “Two klicks east. The pilot’s waiting.”
“They’ll need help getting there.” Lee cupped Meredith’s elbow. “Boss, this is Meredith Flynn, Chief Engineer Teague’s assistant.”
“I know who she is.” Alex’s demeanor softened, which only made Meredith more nervous. She offered her hand, which he accepted in a gentle grip. “Hunter said you took the first shot, Ms. Flynn. Damned good job. Jed says you’re levelheaded, one of his best. I’m glad to finally meet you.”
This man was Jed’s equal, a mover and shaker in his own right, but Meredith refused to be intimidated. Strengthening her grip, she hoped she gave Alex as good as she got. “It’s good to finally meet you too, Mr. Stewart. I would’ve preferred your presence here as a measure of our success rather than our failure.”
“Call me Alex, please. You haven’t failed yet, Meredith,” he replied warmly, releasing her hand. “I’m sorry you lost two men though. We’ll assist with body recovering. Do you know where they are?”
Saliva pooled at the back of her throat just thinking about the tangled mess of corpses decomposing in the jungle. Somewhere. She glanced toward the jungle. “Umm, yes, they’re—”
Again, Lee saved the day. “I’ll handle it, Boss. We’ll transport Seth and Teague first.” He turned to Meredith. “Would you mind staying with them at the chopper until we’re ready to fly?”
She balked. She’d meant to be there when Hunter returned, not two clicks east.
Lee continued. “Meet Senior Agent David Tao, our resident martial arts expert. Junior Agent Adam Torrey, and the guy with the food is Zack Lennox. David and Zack will accompany you to the chopper. You’ll be in good hands.”
How could she not do her part? Meredith stifled her worry and just like that, lunch was served and good old-fashioned camaraderie enveloped the beleaguered team like a comforting blanket. Alex turned into Seth and Teague’s personal servant, making sure they were fed first. David and Zack catered to Meredith. David pulled out a collapsible three-legged stool from his pack while Zack spread a red-and-white checkered cloth, picnic style.
Lee’s sat phone rang when Jordan reported in. He hadn’t made contact yet, but he had passed though both the MI and TEAM camps. He’d encountered no resistance and was advancing on Burdette’s camp.
Alex and his men continued exchanging information, but the angst of their initial encounter diminished. The scene resembled a picnic until Lee’s phone rang again. When he signaled Alex, Alex lifted to his feet and disappeared into the jungle without a word.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“Fine. I give. I give!” Tough-guy Masters raised his hands in surrender.
Hunter relieved the startled man of his weapon while Eric lifted his visor and reverted to visibility.
“I should’ve known it was you, Reynolds,” Masters griped. He knew he’d been beaten, but he had no idea where to shoot without killing more of his men. Most of them already lay useless around him. A couple snored. “Shit, you guys are as dumb as Burdette.”
Hunter de-cloaked, his rifle—not his hypo—trained on the last standing enemy combatant. “What are you talking about? Why’d you kill him?”
Masters gestured at the silent rigs. “Why not? The dumb bastard thought he could get his company back. Thought if he destroyed McCormack, he could corner the defense market. Thought if he brought Flynn back alive—” Hunter hated the way Masters twisted that word, “—he’d be rich. Well, I’ve got news for you. He ain’t getting nothing back. The dumb bastard also thought I worked for him.”
“Enough with the games!” Hunter roared. “Spit it out or I swear I’ll kill you right now.”
Masters leered, nodding toward the number one rig. “But that’s where you’re wrong. It is a game. This board’s been set up for months and the pieces are moving. You think because you won here today that anybody cares? The kid’s already dead. So’s that sweet
little thing you’ve been banging. Shit, she’s no brighter than Burdette. Mrs. Tight Ass Flynn is yesterday’s trash. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
“What kid?” Enlightenment dawned on Hunter. This was about Courtney? He charged, knocking Masters down to the ground. “I’m gonna ask you one more time. What’s Meredith got to do with Burdette?”
Masters laughed in his face. “Nothing.”
“Then who’s trying to kill her?”
“Teach. Who’d you think?”
“Who the hell is Teach? Why’s he want her dead?”
“Roger Teach, you moron!” Masters spat. “The guy who now owns Brinkman EX. The guy who’s gonna own Alex Stewart’s ass before this op is through. The guy who’s gonna own you!”
“Hunter!” Eric’s voice finally got through to him, but all he could see was the baleful gray eyes glaring up at him. “Back off,” Eric tried again. “Come on. Let’s get him back to camp. We can work on him there.”
Hunter complied only because Eric made sense. Jerking Masters to his feet, he growled into his ear, “Meredith’s not going to die. You are. Get moving.”
“What about the rest of these guys?” Eric asked. “We can’t just leave them here, not like this.”
“Bet me?” Hunter twisted Masters’ arms behind his back. “Alex will be here soon. They’ll be safe until then. Besides, nothing can get inside this compound. Take a look inside both rigs before we leave, though. You know. For Ky.”
Eric took all of five minutes to accomplish Hunter’s order. “Not here. They’re both torn apart and there’s plenty of blood spatter in that one.” He nodded toward the first rig. “Who else is dead besides Burdette?”
“Two more guards,” Hunter stated. “They’re out back, shot execution style. Grab a key fob out of one of these guys’ pockets to open the gate. We’ve got what we came for. Let’s go.”
After Eric located a fob and opened the gate, Hunter pushed Masters forward, glad hell week was nearly behind him. But Masters’ answers had offered no peace. Hunter still didn’t know why Roger Teach had targeted Meredith or her son. He might just have to use some of that green shit in his last hypo on Masters.
Then there was Ky. Time was short and his missing friend compounded Hunter’s anxiety. When Alex arrived, the operation would be over. Alex would evacuate his team and what was left of Teague’s to safety. Where would that leave Ky? Deserting a fellow soldier wasn’t in Hunter’s playbook.
Just then Jordan broke cover on the trail ahead of him. “Hey guys.”
“The boss is here?” Hunter asked.
“Should be right behind me,” Jordan responded, peering at Masters. “I heard shooting. Everything okay?”
Hunter nodded. “It is now. This guy’s still got some explaining to do, but we left everyone else back there.” He released Masters arms. “You two make sure this bastard gets back to camp?”
“Sure thing.” Jordan pulled a pair of cuffs off his belt and secured the last enemy standing.
“Where are you off to?” Eric asked.
“I’m making one more sweep for Ky,” Hunter explained. “He’s got to be here somewhere.”
“This is a big damned jungle,” Eric stated the obvious, his weapon now in the center of Masters’ back.
“Yes, but we’re fenced in, remember? He’s got to be close by. Now that I’m wearing all this technology, I’m scouting the perimeter before we leave. I might have to fly out of here today, but I won’t leave the country until I know what happened to him.”
“Alex contacted Brazilian authorities,” Jordan said. “They’ll be here soon. Why don’t you wait for them?”
“Call it a gut feeling.” Hunter turned toward the burned out camp that had briefly housed his team. “You heard Masters, Eric. Alex needs to put a security detail on Meredith. Her son, too. He needs to take down that damned electric fence and find out who the hell Roger Teach is.”
“Will do,” Eric answered. “Let me get Masters to Alex, and I’ll come back and help. You’re right. Ky’s got to be here.”
While Eric headed one way, Hunter went the other. He veered southwest, his heart aching for his lost friend. He tugged back into his ActiveCamouflageSystem helmet, enough to reactivate his visor. Ky had disappeared the first night. If he’d been wounded, there had to be some trace of him between both camps. Maybe a blood trail.
“Trace Ky Winchester’s biometrics,” he ordered the ACS3, hoping that information was somehow stored in its computer chips.
“Working.”
Hunter left his helmet unstrapped, but kept his head on a swivel as he moved swiftly through the brush and vines. Ky wasn’t hiding, but something catastrophic had happened to him. Seth hadn’t seen him in Burdette’s tent, yet he’d been with Seth during the initial attack. Just one last look, that was all Hunter wanted. One last sweep through the area. Just in case.
“Agent Winchester is not in this grid.”
Hunter slapped an open palm to his thigh. Didn’t that figure? “How large is this grid?”
“One square mile.”
“Then search the next one.”
“Working.”
Ky’s disappearance made no sense. It was as if he’d vanished into thin air. Frustration mounted. On Hunter’s way out of camp, an odd moan similar to the wintry wind whistling through windows and doors caught his ear. He cocked his head to zero in on where that noise came from, but the jungle stilled. Great. Now he was hearing things.
“I’m not leaving you, brother,” he explained. “I’m coming back, and when I do, I’m bringing reinforcements.”
As if in answer, another barely audible whistle. Hunter turned toward the sound, sure he’d heard it this time. He put the helmet back on and re-engaged ACS3. “Identify that noise.”
“Working.”
While she worked, Hunter marched toward the sound that came from, oddly, the same place Seth had said he and Ky were intercepted. Brushing through the thick undergrowth, the whistling grew louder.
“Do you hear that?” he asked the lady in his helmet. Stepping off the trail, he followed his gut. Not ten yards into the brush, he spotted a curling wisp of—fog? It looked more like someone had left a cigarette butt smoking instead of grinding it out. What the hell?
Too late he remembered another geological feature carved out by the mighty Amazon. But by then, he was tumbling face forward into Pitch. Dark. Nothing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Meredith couldn’t move her gaze from the jungle. Surrounded by men who could easily take on whatever it threw at them, her unease still grew. It had been slow going to the chopper. Adam and David carried Seth while Lee and Zack transported Teague, but they’d made the trek without incident. Seth and Teague were now ready for transport, both resting in litters outside the Army drab chopper. Lee maintained constant vigil at her side.
“Ma’am?” He tried again. “The boss wants us aboard when he gets back.”
“Not yet,” she pleaded. “Please? Hunter’s coming; I need to know he’s okay.”
Lee bowed his head and stepped away, another polite gentleman like the others. The careful way these guys handled Seth and Teague had caught her eye. Their initial rough treatment had been replaced by an almost protective guardianship over their wounded brother.
The sun had dropped in the west when Eric and Jordan finally appeared with their prisoner. At first glance, he looked like the same kind of man as they were, but the glint in his eye took Meredith back a step. His sneer of contempt left her cold and afraid.
Lee stepped in front of her as if to break eye contact. “Is this him?”
“Travis Masters,” Eric introduced the prisoner. “Ex-Marine if his tattoo’s not a lie. Murderer. Scumbag. You know the type. He’s the one who tortured Seth and killed Burdette.”
“Go to hell,” Masters muttered, jerking his elbow out of Eric’s grip.
Meredith took another step back. She turned toward Seth, now raised on his elbows and scowling across the di
stance.
It happened in the blink of an eye. Eric leaned behind Masters, his hands on Masters arms. “What the hell have you—?”
Masters whirled on Eric, cuffs dangling off his wrist. He plunged a dagger into Eric’s abdomen, not once but three times.
“No! No! No!” Meredith shrieked as she ran to help. This couldn’t be happening!
BLAM! A single shot ripped past her, the thunder of it stealing her breath. Meredith froze, afraid to move. Time stopped for the one long eternal second as she met Masters’ grim stare.
“I’ll be damned...” Masters blinked wide eyes across the clearing. Past Meredith. To Seth. To the gun in Seth’s hand.
“You’ll be God damned, you bastard!” Seth roared at him. “Go to hell!”
A red fountain gurgled out of Masters’ windpipe as he toppled to the dirt, and
chaos took over. Lee and Zack were on Eric in seconds. They ripped his shirt open, both frantically working to staunch the blood. Meredith ran for a medical kit, but Zack had already spread emergency supplies alongside Eric. Where they came from, she hadn’t a clue. He and Lee worked furiously as they filled all three wounds with some kind of aerosol foam that slowed the blood loss.
God, this can’t be happening.
Eric hadn’t made a sound since he’d fallen. Pressure bandages came next, both Lee and Zack working in sync as if they’d performed this exact sort of first-aid before. Lee’s eyes were grim, but not once did he hesitate. “He’s losing too much blood. We need to get him to a hospital now.”
Zack answered with a grunt, one hand compressing Eric’s wound while he ripped the thick roll of tape clamped under his chin with his teeth. Meredith took the roll and tore strip after strip while he secured the slippery bandaging. Seth was on his feet, handing Lee supplies despite his own injuries.
Lee tucked his sat phone between his ear and shoulder. “There’s no time, Boss. David and Adam will wait for you and I’ll send the chopper right back. Stay put.” He ended the call and hooked the phone to his belt, gesturing to the waiting helicopter. “Ms. Flynn, please. You’re coming with me.”
Hunter (In the Company of Snipers Book 14) Page 24