Coastal Fury Boxset (1-3)

by Matt Lincoln

  A chill settled into my bones. “He killed an innocent crew?”

  “When his platoon caught up to him and determined it was the wrong boat,” Warner continued, “he claimed the captain fired on him and that everyone aboard was lying about the guns and drugs. They said he… he did some horrible things to those people.”

  “They buried it so deep I’m surprised you got your hands on it,” Mike said. “What else do they have?”

  “It doesn’t say why he wasn’t court-martialed, just that he was disciplined and resumed his duties following the investigation.” Warner swallowed. “There’s a reference to another incident, but there aren’t anymore mentions about excessive force. Just write-ups from people who thought he was a loose cannon. Kelley got several commendations during the next four years and then went off the radar for a long time.”

  “Shit like this is why a lot of the public doesn’t trust the military,” Holm grumbled. “Us regular guys…” He looked over at Muñoz. “Us regular guys and gals just want to serve and make the world safer.”

  I wanted to punch whoever let Kelley off the hook. Rogue actors and their enablers made the rest of us look bad. Most of us, like Holm said, wanted to keep our country safe. Yeah, we got to fight bad guys, and that felt damned good, but when it came down to it, we served out of love of country.

  “Mike, what else do you know about Kelley?” I asked.

  “Worse than bad news. That time he was off the radar, he was black ops. Wetwork. He didn’t get court-martialed for killing the people on that boat because he was given bad intel.”

  “That wasn’t his fault, then,” Birn protested. “Why does that make him bad news?”

  Mike glared at the floor. “Because he enjoyed it. Toyed with them like a cat. You get the idea. When he learned they were innocent people, he felt no remorse at all.”

  “You were there, weren’t you?” I met his eye as he slowly looked up.

  “We were being vetted for certain services. Kelley went one direction, I went another, but we served together more than long enough.”

  “Why is he being careful now?” Muñoz wanted to know. I wondered the same thing. “I’d think if he enjoyed wetwork so much, there’d be a trail.”

  “I do not have an answer for that.” Mike rubbed his thighs. “As far as I know, he’s been clean since leaving the service. Hearing his name tonight brings back things I’d rather not think about.”

  The thing about individuals like Kelley was that they relished their work. Death was part of our world, and kill counts weren’t uncommon, but to find sport in it? That was a whole other level.

  “Warner, is there any intel on Kelley in the recent past?” I asked.

  “There are mentions that he might be connected to some paramilitary groups in the States.” He looked up from his laptop. “Like, the more extreme militias.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me,” Mike said. “Most of us were diehard patriots. He was on another level.”

  That’s when the pieces started to fall together. “Did Kelley know anything about using radioactive materials?” I asked.

  Mike stilled. “Why?”

  “He’s in the medical waste business,” Holm told him. “One of their subcontractors has been illegally dumping radioactive waste in the sea.”

  “Oh, hell.” Mike stood and went to the rail overlooking the marina. “He loved improvising. Devices, tools, you name it. If he’s messing around with that stuff, you can bet he has some bad intentions.”

  “This changes things.” I leaned my head back and stared at the canopy. “We’ll need a warrant to get into his office, check financials, etcetera.”

  “We need to find who’s working with him,” Bonnie reminded us. “You know, that person could be who is keeping him from killing civilians.”

  “For now,” I muttered. “If he’s making weapons with radioactive material, that won’t last.”

  “He’ll have targets, or he’s selling this stuff,” Mike suggested. “Either way, chances are that they’ll hit a public space. A dirty bomb like that will scare a lot of people.”

  “The exposure won’t be enough to kill people the way it did with Dare Lemon,” Bonnie told us. “He was in contact with it longer than anyone would in a bombing. Well, unless they get hit by something. But a few fragments wouldn’t hurt them.”

  “Bonnie, a few fragments could kill them,” Muñoz said in a droll voice.

  Bonnie waved it off with a frustrated motion. “I mean the radiation alone. The idea of a dirty bomb is to spread radiation and panic the public. It’d be a pain to clear the area, but in and of itself, the radiation wouldn’t be enough to kill anyway, even if fragments are soaked in it.” She bounced her knee as she thought. “I still haven’t figured out how or why he’s made all of it stronger, and I don’t know why he’d dump some of it.”

  “Maybe it was practice material.” Holm reached for a glass of water. “If it didn’t meet his specs, he’d dump it.”

  “Or he could have enough and is planning to deliver.” I got up and joined Mike at the rail. “I’m sorry you had to out yourself to us, but it’ll save lives.”

  “The job never ends, Ethan.” Mike looked at everyone on the deck. “Someday, you’ll retire and think it’s over. Then something comes up. It doesn’t have to be an assignment or action, but your training and knowledge will be called on, and you won’t be able to walk away.”

  I hated to ask the next question, but it had started to bug me.

  “Mike, have you ever worked with Admiral Farr?”

  His face darkened, and for the first time, I got a sense of a side he’d kept hidden from us. “Ethan, do not invoke his name. Tessa can’t help her connection to him, but I do not have to acknowledge his existence so long as I live.”

  I blew out a long breath and leaned on the rail. There were a lot of coincidences in my life right then, and I didn’t believe in coincidence when it piled up like that. I couldn’t help wondering what put Mike Birch in my path, but I was damned grateful to count the man as a friend.

  29

  Tessa turned on Netflix while all the super-secret things were discussed on Ethan’s deck. This was the first time she was left out of a conversation, and even though it was about clearance levels, it stung. While waiting for Netflix to load, she did a quick Google search for Simon Kelley. Nothing remarkable surfaced. The first several pages of results were about MediWaste and a disposal place before that.

  After three pages of hits, she almost put the phone down. She told herself that one more page of results would be it. The link was halfway down the fourth page. The search description suggested a conspiracy involving Kelley. She clicked on the link, but there was a 404 error, which meant the page wasn’t there anymore. She went back to the search page and clicked on the link to see the archived version. That also came back as an error.

  Tessa searched for SEALs, Simon Kelley, and conspiracy. The dead link appeared first. Then, it vanished without her refreshing the page. There were no other results. She tried variations of the search but found nothing more than waste disposal links.

  This took less than ten minutes. Other than the occasional sound of someone walking around on the deck above her, it was quiet. Netflix had finally loaded, so she chose something to fill the room’s silence. The streaming service had created new episodes of a show about a fallen angel that was canceled on network television, so she sunk into it. She was toward the end of the second episode when she heard people coming down the stairs from the rooftop.

  She paused and got up to meet them. Bonnie was first, and even though Tessa didn’t know her well, she could tell Bonnie’s smile was forced. Lamarr and Robbie didn’t look much happier. Sylvia, Ethan, and Mike looked downright grim. Her stomach clenched with worry as Warner appeared and then dropped into Ethan’s recliner.

  “I’m driving Robbie home,” Mike said loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’ll see you when I see you. Be careful.”

  Tessa went over to s
ee Mike out. “Thank you for coming over. I’ll see you again without needing a mint julep, okay?”

  They hugged.

  “I’d be happy to make you a beach drink sometime. On the house, young lady. I won’t even make you tango.” His grin was almost back to normal. “May it be happier tidings.”

  Robbie gave her a fist bump on his way out. The others soon followed suit, leaving Tessa alone with Ethan. Finally. She’d been waiting all evening to have some time alone with him, but the impromptu get together had put that off. Now that everyone was gone, Ethan sat at the kitchen table with an empty coffee mug. He rolled it back and forth between his palms.

  “That bad, huh?” she gently asked.

  She sat next to him and put her hand on his arm. He set the mug down and put his other hand over hers.

  “I’ve dealt with worse,” he told her. “The thing is that he was supposed to be one of the good guys. Kelley is a legend, even in the SEALs.” His jaw tightened. “Some people are made from bad stock, Tessa, and this guy is one of them.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” She laid her head on his upper arm. “Do you think you’ll be able to bring him in alive?”

  “I hope so,” Ethan growled. “That son of a bitch has a lot to answer for.”

  Tessa had the feeling that Ethan was talking about more than the illegal dumping that had killed Dare Lemon. She wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to know what horrible things Warner had revealed about Simon Kelley.

  “When are we going after him?” she asked.

  Ethan’s arm tensed, and Tessa sat up to look at him. “As soon as we have a location. He has to at least suspect we’re onto him by now, and we have no idea where his activities are based.”

  “You’ll have to speak with Devon Cole and their pilot they recommended to Sedin,” Tessa surmised. “Is that going to be tomorrow?”

  “We don’t have it planned yet.” He sounded like he was hedging, but he turned on that megawatt smile, and her concerns melted away. “Tomorrow comes early. Ready for some shuteye?”

  Tessa exaggerated the stretch she’d already felt coming and then faked a yawn. By his chuckle, she figured he didn’t buy the act for one second.

  “Yeah, sleep would be good,” she told him. “Know anywhere soft and warm I can go?”

  Ethan stood and held out a hand. “I have a pretty good idea. If you come this way, I’ll escort you.”

  She took the proffered hand and allowed him to lead her to his bedroom.

  Not enough hours later, Ethan took Tessa past the parking lot to one of the buildings nearby. A parking garage entrance warned there was no entrance without a permit.

  “I get one parking permit for the garage,” he told her. “That’s where I keep my car.”

  “Wait, you actually do have a car?” Tessa raised a brow. “Why do you always drive your work car?”

  Ethan cleared his throat and led her halfway through the garage. He stopped in front of a tarped car and dramatically pulled it away to reveal an old Ford Mustang with a coral-orange hue. If that wasn’t flashy enough, the car had a black racing stripe, air scoop, and rear spoiler. It looked like it could’ve been driven straight off the showroom floor.

  “What year is this?” she whispered.

  “It’s a Mach One from nineteen seventy.” He laughed. “She’s older than either of us, but damn, she’s good. I helped restore her, so I know every inch inside and out.” His goofy grin made him look years younger. “I’ve been so busy that I haven’t taken her for a good drive lately. Since I don’t have a ride to work, she gets to see some sunshine today.”

  Tessa slid into the front passenger seat and saw not a single dust mote. She set her camera and laptop bags in the back and settled in. The leather bucket seat was firm and comfortable, and the analog clock on the dash was like stepping back in time. She wasn’t a car buff, but she’d been raised to appreciate the classics.

  Ethan grinned at her as he started the car. The powerful engine roared to life, and Tessa felt the hum through the floorboards. There was a reason these were called muscle cars.

  “I liked the color because it reminds me of some of the prettiest coral I’ve seen,” Ethan noted. “If you ever tell anyone that, I’ll deny it.”

  “I didn’t hear a thing,” she promised, although she thought there was nothing wrong with the admission. “This is amazing.”

  He revved the engine a little to get her going and then put it in gear. As they left the garage, he put on his sunglasses and rolled the window down.

  “The air conditioning is finicky,” he told her. “It’s not bad out, so we’re going super-vintage for the air.”

  Tessa watched his face as he peeled out from the marina drive and onto the street. By the time they got to the highway, Ethan looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. She took her phone out, snapped a picture, and put it away before he even noticed. Sailing along on the highway with a warm breeze on her face felt good. It felt even better for the company she kept. Or who kept her.

  The MBLIS regional headquarters wasn’t far from the marina, and Tessa regretted that the drive had been so short. What she wouldn’t give for a carefree day with no danger, no pressing cases, just Ethan and her.

  The Mustang’s throaty engine rumbled in the MBLIS garage as they pulled up to the space where they’d found the new Charger the day before. Mechanics from the service area whistled as Ethan took his time to back the car in. He snuck a glance at Tessa, revved the engine a couple of times, and then turned it off.

  “Hey, Marston, you never told us about this sweet ride,” one of the guys hooted. “Where have you been hiding her?”

  “Not here,” he laughed. “Is my duty car ready yet?”

  “Yeah, it’s clear,” the head mechanic told him. “How’s the ‘Stang’s clutch holding?”

  “Perfect since you fixed it.” Ethan gave him a high-five as the newer mechanics processed that their boss knew about Marston’s classic car. “I’ll pick up the Charger’s keys later today. Thanks, man.”

  On their way up the elevator, Tessa chuckled. “It’s like you were a different person,” she told him. “Younger, happier. I liked it. That car is good for you.”

  Ethan grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

  “The car makes me feel younger,” he agreed after the kiss. “But the passenger makes me happier.” As they got off the elevator, he pointed down the hall toward the conference rooms. “We’re having our briefing in a few minutes. You’ll have to sit this one out because of the clearance situation. One of the other rooms should be open. You can do some work on your laptop.”

  Tessa watched Ethan join the rest of the team and close the door behind him. Going with his suggestion, she found a vacant office that had a desk and chair and set up camp. With a sigh, she settled in for the video call she dreaded making.

  “Tessa!” Donald Farr’s face filled her laptop screen. “I heard about the shooting at the beach last night. Why didn’t you call?”

  “If I called every time something happened, I’d never get off the phone,” she said in a weary tone. “Donald, I need to know, have you ever had dealings with Simon Kelley?”

  His lips thinned, and though it was hard to tell on a screen, she thought his face paled ever so slightly. He got up from his webcam, and she heard a door shut in the background. Seconds later, he was back on the screen.

  “I was afraid of this,” he answered. “There were a few characters I suspected, and he’s one of them.”

  “Why didn’t you tell Ethan’s team?” She glared at his image. “They had to go through a lot to get the information you had all along.”

  “Not exactly, Tessa,” he corrected. “I didn’t know where these dumpings came from or who was involved. The motive is apparent once the name is revealed.”

  “Why would Simon Kelley’s name make his motive apparent to you? It doesn’t do that for me.”

  Donald was silent for a moment. “All I can say is tha
t I’m familiar with some of his work and proclivities. Leave the rest up to Ethan’s team.”

  Tessa rubbed her temples. “I don’t understand your reasons for having me cover this investigation, especially now that it’s turned classified or whatever. Wouldn’t it have been easier to hit them up with an anonymous tip or something?”

  “Karma wants to make Kelley her bitch. They can’t get him on classified work, but this case will be public as hell.” He smiled through his thick mustache. “Your involvement means we get the big scoop.”

  “Are you more worried about catching the bad guy or getting the scoop?”

  “Both.” Donald smiled. “Let’s have our cake and eat it, too. Hey, you’ll have one of the best features of your career by profiling a little-known agency.”

  “An agency that likes staying under the radar.” She put her hands on the table. “I get the appeal, believe me, I get it, but I’m not comfortable exposing them like this.”

  “I’m not comfortable seeing MBLIS get defunded just because some freshman congressman from Yuppie-Town, New York, has never heard of it,” he countered. “Tessa, why do you think SEAL Team Six is so well funded?”

  The answer was obvious to her. “Notoriety.”

  “Exactly. They’re the faces of counterterrorism. Everyone knows they exist, but that doesn’t keep them from getting their jobs done. Same with the FBI and CIA. When we present the public with this piece on how MBLIS saved innocent civilians from some dire threat, they’ll demand their reps keep them funded.”

  “I guess that makes sense…” Tessa’s reply was guarded.

  “It has to,” he insisted. “Coastal nations need MBLIS as sure as the world needs INTERPOL. If the Pentagon stops funding our offices, we’ll have more than pirates and drug runners to worry about.”

  “I understand, Uncle Donald. I understand.”

  But as she ended the video call, she wondered how much of the story she still didn’t know.

  30

  Diane assigned one of the up-and-coming agents to fly Holm and me to Florida. Muñoz and Birn had picked up a new case out in the Virgin Islands and weren’t available. Not that a hop to Tampa required Bette Davis.