Echo Six: Black Ops 7 - Tibetan Fury by Eric Meyer Read Free Book Online Page A

He's dedicated his life to helping Tibet rid itself of the Chinese by peaceful means. He knows me well and will give us whatever help we need."
    "And you know him how?"
    A pause. "I was a nun. We prayed at the same temple outside Lhasa."
    "A nun!"
    "Yes. I left the nunnery, but I still try to follow their teachings."
    She looked amused. They were all lost for words.
    He wants us to take a Buddhist nun on an operation? Jesus Christ, why not the send leader of the American Girl Scout Association as well?

    * * *

    They broke up the briefing to allow them to strip off their camos, clean up, and grab some chow. And digest the latest bombshell, a last minute operation to Tibet. All of them were raw, tired, and demoralized after the debacle in Kashmir, and very conscious of the two men who hadn't made it. Dying in battle was not unexpected, but when it happened because of the fatal carelessness of others, that was different and hard to swallow. Reynolds was still in the infirmary where they were working hard to patch up his shoulder wound.
    They sat in the canteen and wolfed down day-old stew. Buchmann still held a scowl on his hard, brutal face. After he'd eaten enough food to satisfy a platoon of men, he looked up at them.
    "I don't know why I do this job." He pronounced 'this' as 'ziss'.
    Guy supplied the answer, "Because it's the only way they'll let you kill people, Heinrich. Legally, anyway."
    He thought about that for a second and smiled. "Z at is correct."
    He nodded to himself and then climbed to his feet. "I go to the infirmary to see Roy. He may be ready to get out of that place. Hospitals, scheisse!"
    "Is that true?" Grace Ferraro asked Guy, "The bit about legally killing people. He likes it?"
    He looked at Talley. "You tell her."
    "He's a good man, Heinrich, one of the best. When we're in serious trouble, we can all rely on him to get us out of it. But yes, he does enjoy the violent side of it. Killing," he ended lamely.
    "I see."
    "What about you? Is it true you're a nun?"
    "Technically, I was a nun," she corrected him, "Now, I just follow their teachings, as much as I can in my line of work. I'm a Buddhist, and it's natural to join an order for much of your life."
    "So you're not going back?"
    "It's complicated. Maybe later I'll go back."
    He nodded. "You have any combat experience?"
    She sipped her coffee and appeared to be thinking. "You mean, actual experience? Like your German friend, killing people?"
    "I mean going up against men with guns, seeing blood spilled, men screaming in agony, women, too. Having to kill the guy right in front of you, because if you don't, he'll kill you. And if he doesn't kill you, he'll kill the people who are depending on you."
    She shook her head. "Nothing like that, no. Just the Agency training course."
    "It won't be enough. Not for what we're up against. The Chinese are hard, brutal people."
    "And you?"
    "Yeah, we're even more brutal, Ma'am. That's why they send us where they do."
    "It's Grace. Call me Grace. And I can take care of myself, I assure you."
    She sounded tough and determined, but in that critical moment, holding a loaded gun, and about to blow out the other guy's brains? He stared at her for a moment.
    "Okay, Grace. I'm Abe, Abe Talley. Listen, we'll be back in the briefing room soon. What else can you tell me about this operation, what do you know? What questions should we be asking, and what should we be looking out for?"
    She shook her head. "You heard Ed Garrick. I'm just a junior Agency employee. Only very lofty, senior personnel like him have that kind of information."
    He looked at her closely. There was obviously bad blood there, between her and Garrick.
    Not a good start.
    "One thing they haven't told us, is Garrick coming with us, too?"
    She'd been sipping her coffee again. Abruptly, she heaved and almost choked, struggling not to spit out a mouthful. She stared back at him, her eyes wide.
    "Garrick! You are kidding me. He stays strictly away from anything