Even Vampires Get the Blues: A Deadly Angels Book

Even Vampires Get the Blues: A Deadly Angels Book by Sandra Hill Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: Even Vampires Get the Blues: A Deadly Angels Book by Sandra Hill Read Free Book Online
Authors: Sandra Hill
stand and present the initial data for the mission.
    Darryl used a remote device to lower a large screen from the ceiling. On it, the two of them began projecting graphics from their high-tech computers, a running slide show of geography, including thermal imaging, where the terrorists were believed to be hiding out, places they had targeted in the past, new sites they were believed to be aiming for in the future. There were also photographs of some of the leaders, with bios. A short lesson on the history of the Boko Haram organization, how it had started as a religious fight against encroaching Western culture, such as educating girls, and escalated into an all-out bloody insurrection of terror.
    Harek and Darryl worked well together. While one spoke, the other operated the computers, then vice versa. For more than an hour they gave the attentive audience all the data they needed to begin to plan their mission. Questions were tossed out intermittently and answered as best they could. When the two of them were stumped, the commander or some of the government folks spoke up. Sometimes there were no answers. This vile group, Boko Haram, wouldn’t have managed to continue with its atrocities for so long if they weren’t able to maintain secrecy.
    When one man complained, “I’ll never remember all this crap,” Avenil interjected, “You better remember, F.U., or you could drop off this mission.”
    Avenil wasn’t being crude, or out of order, when he told the SEAL to F.U.; it was actually the nickname for the man who’d spoken up, Frank Uxley, Harek recalled now. A highly skilled soldier, but with the personality of a toad.
    “In any case, printouts of all this data will be in folders at your seats by this afternoon. However, you are to study them here. Nothing leaves the command center. Is that clear?” He was speaking to the entire room, not just Uxley. “Secrecy is essential. Paperwork has a way of getting lost or stolen.”
    Everyone nodded in understanding.
    “Now, let’s break for lunch. For those of you not familiar with the base, just follow the crowd to the chow hall. Everyone, report back to the command center at fourteen hundred hours. If any of you have reservations or reasons for not participating in this mission, you can speak to me or the commander now. If you have questions about the mission itself, I prefer you save them for Darryl or Harek in the afternoon session. Do not discuss details outside this room in a public place, even among yourselves. And, yes, the chow hall is a public place.”
    As people began shuffling out of the room, laughing and talking in small groups, he heard Camille address MacLean. “Commander, sir, I want very much to be part of this mission, but as you recall, I have liberty next weekend to attend my brother’s wedding in Nawleans. I was supposed to be leaving day after tomorrow, Friday night.”
    “Oh, that’s right. Damn! I really wanted you to participate . . . maybe even infiltrate the school as a student, but . . .” He shrugged. “Family is important, too.”
    Harek, who was blatantly eavesdropping, couldn’t imagine in a million years how Camille, close to thirty years old, could ever pass for a schoolgirl.
    “No, no, no,” Camille quickly put in. “I don’t want to be excused. If it comes to a choice, I’ll blow the wedding.” By the flush on her face, he could tell that would be harder than she let on. If it was her brother who was being married, she was probably in the wedding party. Women cared overmuch about such things. “I was just wondering if I could be excused for those two days. It’s early in the planning stages for this op, and I could have someone bring me up to speed Sunday night on what I missed over the weekend.”
    “I don’t know,” MacLean said, obviously not convinced.
    “I could go with her to Louisiana and drill her on all the intel,” Harek offered. “In private, not public places,” he quickly added, recalling

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