Black Flagged (The Black Flagged Technothriller Series) by Steven Konkoly Read Free Book Online Page A

couldn't stand him. Movie star handsome, impeccably groomed, Harvard law degree, wealthy and connected parents. She could list another ten reasons why Justin Edwards would rocket up the career ladder at the FBI, despite his barely suppressed sexism and perpetually arrogant demeanor. This almost bothered her as much as the amount of time he spent staring at her breasts. She saw him closing in on an attractive, blonde female special agent in the center of the room. She thought about intervening, but the duty section head for Counterterrorism Operations answered the line.
    "This is Supervisory Special Agent Heather Olson, I need to contact Agent Gregory Carlisle immediately."
     
     

 
    Chapter Four
     
     
     
    6:50 a.m.
    Portland, Maine
     
    Daniel stepped out of the shower and dried himself in front of a full-length mirror that hung on the back of the closed bathroom door. The steam-obscured image of his body gradually clarified as he wrapped a towel around his waist. His body was well toned from a regular routine of calisthenics, running and soccer. He carried very little body fat, which gave him a slightly gaunt appearance, which Jess said could be fixed by adding about five pounds to his frame. He'd have to stop exercising to gain any weight, and sometimes a ten-mile run was the only thing that kept his head clear.
    As the details further materialized in the mirror, Daniel turned his head slightly, still looking. His torso was covered by numerous scars, some short and deep, others long and shallow. Two particularly nasty scars crisscrossed his chest, evidence of a knife fight that had ended badly for Daniel, and worse for the young Kosovar militant that had stumbled upon his sniper position. Most of the scars were reminders of his fickle luck; shrapnel and bullet fragments that hadn't found a lethal home in Daniel's body. A few of the scars were self-inflicted, part of his indoctrination at the "Ranch." The most notable mark on his body sat high on his right arm. A faded panther tattoo.
    He opened the bathroom door and saw Jess standing at the foot of their bed. She looked stunning, as usual. Her dark brown hair, cut and styled straight, rested just below the shoulders of a navy blue blazer. Collar points of a crisp white blouse lay over the blazer's lapels, brightly contrasting the dark jacket. She had chosen to wear matching suit pants instead of a skirt, which slightly disappointed Daniel. He thought she looked killer in a fitted skirt. Her eyes were fixed to a television hidden inside of the dark red armoire that sat against the wall, in front of their bed. She pulled a black belt through several loops of her pants while staring at the television.
    "You missed a loop," he said.
    Jess took her eyes off the television to face him. "Quit staring," she said jokingly.
    "I really can't help myself," he said.
    He examined her face, still amazed by how similar, yet different she looked since they had first met at school. Her seductive light brown eyes added a soft, exotic dimension to her dark complexion. She was more stunning now than ever before, and his love burned stronger than ever. He was convinced it would never burn out. It was a love forged by a fire few could possibly imagine.
    "Check this out," she said and nodded at the television.
    Daniel walked over to help her with the loop she missed, and stared at the screen. A local reporter stood in front of two Cape Elizabeth police cars, which blocked the entrance to a long driveway. The driveway extended through a stone archway with dark iron light fixtures on each side, and led to a partially obscured luxury home settled behind mature pine trees. The archway connected to a three-foot-tall sandstone wall that extended the entire length of the property's road frontage. A local police officer leaned against the left side of the arch with his arms folded, keeping a close eye on the media crowd. Daniel caught a sparkling glimpse of Casco Bay through the archway, just past