Finding Her Chance: A Stealth Ops Novel Read online

  “Why’d this damn drug lord have to crawl out of retirement?” Knox brought his gloved hands beneath his chin in prayer position. “He get bored sitting by his pool?”

  “This fucker would make El Chapo quake in his boots, so heads on a swivel tonight, boys,” Asher said, repeating Luke’s typical line before shit could go sideways and fast.

  “No chance Ricco Carballo will actually be at this compound tonight,” Wyatt said. “But wouldn’t it be nice to take the bastard down once and for all? A quick double-tap right in the forehead?”

  Carballo wasn’t their target, but yeah, it’d be a nice bonus to bring his head back with or without the body.

  “Anyone want to wager on whether CIA intel is actually accurate?” A.J., Echo Two, asked. “Loser buys next rounds for a month,” he added, his Southern drawl winging through his words more heavily than normal.

  Harper’s voice popped over the radios, “Aren’t I already on beer duty for a month as the newbie?” She laughed. “I mean, I’ll happily take the bet and relinquish my—”

  “A month’s round of beers says CIA intel is wrong,” A.J. interrupted.

  “Deal,” she answered far too confidently.

  “Brother, you’re gonna lose this bet.” Knox stood and patted A.J. on the shoulder. “All right, we ready to roll out, or do you boys need a group hug first?”

  Liam rolled his eyes before placing his NVGs back on. “Let’s do this.” He took a moment to collect his thoughts and then followed the team.

  After a ten-minute walk through the woods, which was more comfortable to Liam than a stroll through Times Square during holiday rush hour, he and Wyatt arrived at their destination and set up.

  They’d be on overwatch, banging on their long guns so the rest of the team could infiltrate the compound for the rescue.

  “Bravo Four, radio check,” Asher said over the line.

  “That’s a good copy,” Liam answered and examined the scene. “I have two tangos outside the entrance.”

  “Looks like we showed up to the right party after all. You lost the bet, Echo Two,” Wyatt added over the line with a light chuckle. “I have five heat signatures inside the main building at the center of the compound. Two on the post-exterior of that building. One on each side.”

  Liam put his crosshairs on his first target and calculated the distance. He was about one milliradian tall in his scope, which meant he was roughly a thousand meters away. Liam adjusted for the range, and then noted the wind was currently moving right to left, so he shifted one mil dot to the right and upward by two mils.

  With one eye closed, he stared through the scope, but his mind blazed straight back to Emily and their night together in Vegas, even though he had no business thinking about her at a time like this.

  When Jessica and Asher had been running through the operational details yesterday and again today—it’d been like a flashbang grenade had gone off in front of him, and all he’d been able to see was red, orange, and purple smoke.

  All thoughts centered around Emily—the friend he’d been given strict orders to stay away from by Sam, Owen’s wife.

  He’d been drawn to Emily since the day they met last fall when he had to hold her back from knocking the shit out of a guy she’d been dating.

  And frankly, the fact that his feelings went beyond physical attraction had scared him enough to behave—well, up until he’d overdone it with the shots the night of the wedding.

  Relationships were a fuck-no with flashing red warning signs for him.

  And Emily, she was the kind of woman who deserved more than a few orgasms and a thank-you-for-the-lay breakfast in bed.

  The morning after Luke and Eva’s, and Owen and Sam’s weddings, Emily had lifted the sheet, taken a look, and with a gasp had quickly clutched it to her body. Her cheeks had ignited into the brightest red Liam had ever seen, and her eyes said it all.

  “Did we have sex?”

  “Yeah, I, uh . . .” He hadn’t been sure what the hell to say to her as he stood next to the bed.

  Her hand had darted to cover her eyes, and he’d lowered his gaze to find himself buck naked. And for some reason, her shyness about that fact had him smiling instead of reaching for something to cover himself with.

  “I’m an asshole,” he mumbled to himself off comms. He didn’t need to hear rapid-fire agreement from his teammates over the line. They wouldn’t need a frame of reference to understand his words—they knew his MO.

  “Bravo Four. Echo One,” Asher interrupted his thoughts. “We’re in position. Take your shots.”

  Liam stiffened and held his breath, which was never good for sniping.

  An unusual tremble traveled down his spine, and Liam squeezed the trigger. The tail end of the round caught the wind and—shit, I missed.

  Before Liam could figure out how the shot went sideways, Wyatt pinged Liam’s target.

  “Both targets down,” Wyatt said.

  Liam felt his gaze. Wyatt was probably wondering how the hell he could have butchered the shot.

  “Breacher up,” Asher ordered next.

  Liam examined the dead guard on the ground through his crosshairs, trying to analyze his error to ensure he didn’t repeat the same mistake on his next shot.

  He heaved out a deep breath at the realization he hadn’t accounted for the disparity in elevation, which had impacted his depth perception. The guard had appeared closer than he actually was, and it was a mistake Liam didn’t make.

  A hard knot fisted in his stomach as he considered how he’d allowed himself to lose focus. He thought back to the time in sniper school he’d nearly been booted for missing a shot.

  “You miss again, you’re done,” his instructor had said during their morning session. Morning shots were the worst; you had to shoot through the bore of a cold barrel—one of the hardest shots to take.

  He’d missed the day before because he’d been thinking about what he’d given up to be in the Navy . . . and if he missed again, he was done.

  “Good,” his instructor had said after Liam nailed the target.

  Of course, he had no intention of telling him he’d slept with the bullet under his pillow to warm it up. Every guy did it, though. Well, the guys who wanted to pass.

  After sniper school, Liam had made a vow to himself to never lose focus.

  And he hadn’t come close to missing a shot until three years ago. In his defense, it’d been right after visiting his family in Australia and discovering something that hit a twelve out of ten on his shit meter—but even then, he’d still managed to take down the hostile on the first try.

  But now . . .

  “Bravo Four, you good?” Wyatt asked.

  “Yeah.” He had to get his head back in the game. He couldn’t let his team down.

  Once the compound had been breached, both Liam and Wyatt took their next shots.

  All successful.

  And thank God.

  Liam caught sight of Asher and Knox exiting a building at the center of the compound with the hostage a few minutes later.

  “Uh, TOC?” Liam pulled away from the rifle for a second then looked back through the scope. “I thought we were rescuing a woman.”

  “Yeah, Elaina. What’s wrong?” Jessica answered.

  “She’s a she,” Asher came on over the line, “but she’s also a kid.”

  “And she doesn’t seem to want to go with us,” Knox added.

  The girl couldn’t have been more than seven or eight, and she was flailing her arms, protesting the abrupt departure.

  “I wasn’t aware of her age.” Jessica’s normally calm tone conveyed surprise.

  “You sure this is a rescue?” Liam asked when the girl continued to struggle with Asher as he pulled her toward the exit. “We didn’t, uh, just kidnap Carballo’s daughter or something, did we?”

  * * *

  “Someone else want to try talking to her?” Jessica surveyed everyone in the back of their current ride, an eighteen-wheeler grocery tr
uck. They were heading to Chile to hand over the girl to two agents.

  “We showed up with painted faces and annihilated everyone at the compound,” Liam pointed out. “Of course, she’s going to be hesitant to talk.”

  Elaina’s long, black hair framed her face, hiding her eyes as she stared down at her worn-out Nikes. Her arms shook beneath her white fleece jacket.

  He spied a gray blanket, the kind used to wrap furniture or whatnot, beneath a bench. He dusted it off and draped it around Elaina’s shoulders.

  “Good call.” Jessica’s lips pressed into a hard line as if she were kicking herself for not thinking to offer a blanket first. It was wintertime in South America, and although it wasn’t too cold, the girl was freezing.

  Elaina’s chin lifted, causing her hair to swing away from her face, revealing her brown eyes.

  The tiniest nod of thanks from her had his pulse picking up.

  “We’re not going to hurt you,” Liam said. “We’re here to help.”

  “We already told her that back at the compound.” Asher sat next to Jessica with a tablet in hand, a map of their destination on the screen.

  “You also look like you,” Knox said. “You know, muscles on muscles.” He placed a hand on his chest and smiled as he stood before Asher. “Hell, brother, I was intimidated by you when we met.”

  “Fu—” Asher’s curse faded into the air when his eyes landed on Elaina. “Yeah, well, it’s called working out. You ever try it?”

  “Anyway.” Liam’s eyes connected with A.J. He had a niece the same age. Maybe he could get through to her?

  “I can try.” A.J. tugged at the bill of his American flag ball cap and sat next to Elaina on the bench. “Mi nombre es A.J.”

  Liam grabbed a hand towel and began wiping the green and black paint from his face as A.J. continued to talk to her. When Elaina didn’t respond, A.J. tried Portuguese, and then French. All a one-way conversation. She never even looked at him.

  “Sorry.” A.J. shot him an apologetic look and returned to his original seat.

  “She’s been through a lot,” Liam said, unable to hold back his concern for the kid.

  He’d seen a lot of shit in the world, but whenever a kid was involved, it made his stomach tighten to the point of pain, and a hollow ache would always gather in his chest.

  Elaina’s shoulders began to relax, but when the blanket started to slip, she pulled it tighter around her body.

  “Liam, can we talk?” Asher pointed to the back end of the truck.

  “Yeah, sure.” He followed him, but he could feel someone else trailing behind him.

  Jessica. Of course.

  “What’s up?” He crossed his arms, feeling the need to build a wall between them since they stood two to one. Not a fair fight.

  “You good? We’re worried about you.” Asher spoke first.

  “I, uh, missed, I know.” He bowed his head, disappointment in himself cutting a sharp line down his spine. “I’m sorry.”

  “You missed?” Asher’s question barreled out low and deep.

  “Wyatt didn’t tell you?” That was surprising. “Then why are we talking?” He let his arms fall to his sides, but the tension didn’t melt away. Hell, he felt worse.

  Emily. He couldn’t get the woman out of his head. Even now, of all times. Her beautiful face, pouty lips, and an innocence that could bring a man to his knees . . .

  He’d inventoried every detail about her, even though his heart had warned him against it.

  “What’s going on?” There was a soft plea to her tone. The new Jessica—no longer so icy—was front and center. A woman who now stole kisses from Asher when she thought no one was looking.

  And if she could change, maybe there was hope for him.

  Liam had worried Asher and Jessica’s first mission working together as a couple might interfere with the op, and yet, it was Liam who’d been off-balance and had screwed up.

  “Let’s focus on the girl.” Deflection wouldn’t work, but he’d try damn hard. “We either unknowingly kidnapped someone, or she’s been in captivity hell.” Anger at either idea roared to life in the pit of his stomach.

  He chanced a look at Jessica, hoping she’d returned her focus to the mission. Where his should’ve been all night.

  A slow exhale left her barely parted lips.

  “I have a lot on my mind, but I’m fine,” he answered as honestly as he could.

  “Liam.” Jessica reached out for his forearm and squeezed.

  “I missed the shot.” The inconvenient truth hung on the tip of his tongue.

  “Yeah, man, I got that. But why?” Asher wasn’t looking for an explanation about his technique, but damned if that wouldn’t be easier.

  “I, uh, had my mind somewhere else,” he admitted, feeling the need to unburden what he’d done. But he knew there’d be hell to pay when he did.

  “Like where?” Jessica released her hold of him. “Liam, I’m worried about you.”

  She’d expressed her concern about him on their flight from Vegas to Argentina, too. Somehow this new Jessica had the uncanny ability to pick up on his problems.

  Just great.

  “I did something in Vegas. Something really damn stupid.”

  “What?” Jessica’s gaze slid to Asher’s briefly before her eyes moved back to Liam’s.

  “I got married.”

  Chapter Two

  Liam pushed away from where he’d been leaning against the eighteen-wheeler truck and eyed the dark Chevy Tahoe kicking up dirt off in the distance as it closed in on their location in Chile.

  “I don’t like this,” Knox said. “Are you sure we can trust them?”

  “We don’t have a choice.” Jessica didn’t seem too excited about handing her over either.

  “How does Elaina fit into the Feds’ plans?” Liam asked. “Was this a rescue or something else?”

  “I honestly don’t know.” Her arms anchored to her sides. “But she’s important enough for the president to send us down here to extract her and risk ruining relations with the Argentinian government if we got caught.”

  “Like we would’ve gotten caught,” Asher grumbled, standing next to her.

  “Why didn’t POTUS mention she was a kid?” Knox’s eyes caught Liam’s briefly. They appeared to be on the same page.

  “Gotta admit, that part’s strange.” Asher glanced at Jessica. Her eyes shot daggers back at him. “What?” He lifted his shoulders and held his palms open to the night sky. “You know something is off about all of this, too.”

  “This is a win,” she insisted. And yet, her voice faltered. “Let’s trust our orders, and leave it at that.”

  “And what about Elaina’s family? Does she have any back in the States? Is she American?” Liam asked.

  “I would think so.” Jessica’s words didn’t carry the confidence Liam was used to hearing from her, though.

  “Well, I, for one, don’t like the idea that we’re about to meet up with Feds.” Asher’s breath visibly sailed in the cooler air.

  “You never do, man.” Knox lightly laughed.

  “These guys may think we’re pulling this gig as private contractors,” Asher began, scratching at his full beard, “but they’re bound to wonder why POTUS chose us in particular.”

  “We can trust Jared Morgan,” Harper chimed in. This was her first official operation since Jessica had brought her over from the CIA.

  Harper Brooks had first helped the guys on an operation in Monte Carlo over a year ago—the same op where Luke fell in love with Eva—and Harper ended up badly shot and left for dead.

  Liam had found her body and gotten her to the hospital in time. Honestly, he’d been surprised when Harper agreed to join the team in a permanent capacity.

  “You two worked together back at the agency?” Knox asked Harper as the SUV came to a rolling stop twenty meters away from where they all stood.

  The headlights were left on, illuminating the two men who’d climbed out of the vehicle and
now approached the group. “Yeah, we did.”

  “Brooks,” one of the two guys called out as they closed in on their position. “I didn’t know you worked in the private sector now.” Must’ve been Jared Morgan.

  Harper stepped forward. “Yeah, I just started with Scott and Scott Securities a week ago, actually.”

  “And this is your first gig?” Jared asked in surprise. “Well, damn.”

  Liam rocked back in his boots at the stretch of tension that filled the night air beneath the canopy of stars.

  “Yeah.” Harper pivoted toward where the team stood, practically in a line, as if blocking the path to Elaina.

  “I heard about what happened to you in Monte Carlo,” Jared said instead of greeting the team. He dropped his eyes to the ground for a beat. “Sorry I didn’t reach out. I was deep under in . . .” His voice faded into the air when his gaze finally cut over to Liam and the crew as if remembering their presence. “Which one of you is Scott?”

  “Which Scott?” Jessica offered her hand. “I’m the better sibling,” she said with a smile. “My brother is on his honeymoon.”

  “From where I stand, you’re certainly the better looking of the two.”

  Jared’s compliment had the boys locking their focus on Asher, waiting to see how he’d react to the situation.

  “I’m Asher.” He was doing his best not to go all caveman and mark Jessica as his—she’d never let that fly, anyway.

  “Yeah, uh, well, did everything go as planned?” Jared stepped back, picking up on Asher’s vibe and added space between them.

  Good idea.

  “All the guards were taken out as requested, and Elaina’s inside. She’s also scared shitless.” Jessica tipped her head toward the truck behind them.

  Jared fingered the collar of his button-down shirt and tipped his head toward the other man at his side, but the guy didn’t offer a name. Typical. “We should get the girl and head out.”

  “What are your plans for her?” Liam asked. He hated the idea of Elaina leaving with these two.

  “It’s classified.” Jared’s reply came quick, a common turn of phrase used in his line of work. “You’re civilians,” Jared noted as if he didn’t actually want to be a dick. “Sorry.”