Operation Zulu Redemption: Hazardous Duty - Part 3 by Ronie Kendig Read Free Book Online

then held out the bag for Noodle to have more. Again with a goofy grin.
    “Houston.” Téya’s exhaustion brought out the worst in her. She snapped her fingers. “Annie.”
    Houston blinked. “Right.” Shifted in his chair. “What?” His face had gone crimson, but he still managed to steal another look at Nuala.
    “You realize she can take your head off from a mile away with a single shot, right?” Téya couldn’t resist teasing the geek.
    Houston frowned at Téya. “You know that’s not funny, threatening people with sniper shots to the head just because I can appreciate beauty.”
    “Appreciate is one thing, dear geek,” Téya said as she leaned over his shoulder. “Going full-out fan-boy is another. Now.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Annie?”
    “Annie’s been missing since 1730 hours,” he said, all business and glaring at her. “About an hour ago, an explosion at the same estate made the news. Trace, Boone, and the SEAL are headed out to meet up with a contact who is going to chopper them in and see if they can find Annie.” His nostrils flared. “Anything else, your Highness?”
    Amused, Téya met Nuala’s smile with one of her own. “That’s perfect, Houston. Now, we have no problem.”
    “Except that you’re lame.”
    Téya frowned at him.
    “That joke. It’s lame. I hear it all the time. It’s old. Burnt to a crisp.”
    Nuala stood, bent toward Houston, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “G’night, Houston.”
    “Okay, now that was just. . .unfair.”
    Nuala stood over him. “Why?”
    “You’re mocking me. That kiss meant nothing to you.”
    “Oh, you’re wrong,” Noodle said. “It was done with my sincerest thanks.”
    Hanging his head dramatically, he waved them away. “Go, go. ‘You mock my pain.’”
    Noodle laughed as she backstepped toward their suite. “‘Life is pain, Highness.’”
    Houston’s face lit up. “Be still my beating heart, a woman who knows the classics.”
    Téya groaned. She was missing something but she didn’t want to know what. “Noodle, let’s go to bed. We need an early start.”
    “Yeah,” Houston said, his expression suddenly very serious. “Where exactly are you going? I’ve got orders”—his jaw went slack—“Trace is going to kill me.” He lifted the phone. Dialed. “Two and Six arrived safe.” Houston nodded. “Will do.” He hung up. “Commander says to stay put till they get back.”
    Téya saluted and entered the suite, closing the door behind them.
    “Just let me get three hours,” Nuala said as she dropped on the bed.
    With a smile, Téya stretched out on the other full-size mattress, grateful Nuala knew there wasn’t a prayer Téya intended to stay put. As she stretched her arm over her face to cover her eyes, she caught sight of the burn. When they got stateside, she’d go to a doctor, see if they could clean up the skin so it wasn’t so obviously a brand.
    Like a predator, sleep dug its long, sharp talons into her mind and dragged Téya from consciousness. Images of fires and children and the slums and burning pain in her hand, then staring at the business end of The Turk’s weapon, his brown-green eyes glinting in dark satisfaction that he’d found her. And now,
now he’d kill her.
    He touched her shoulder.
    Téya grabbed it, twisted the wrist and swung her opposite arm up and over, pinning them.
    “Ow!”
    Téya blinked, the bedroom coming into focus and the nightmares slipping away, as she found herself holding Houston’s arm. She shoved him away, furious. “Why are you in here?”
    Rubbing his arm, Houston scowled. “You have issues, Two.”
    “My name is Téya. Why are you in our room?”
    He cast a glance toward Noodle, who was still asleep.
    “You sick dog,” Téya snarled, imagining him watching them in their sleep.
    “Oh, grow up,” Houston said. “She cried out in her sleep. I. . .I got worried.”
    Téya swung her legs over the edge of the bed and glanced at the digital clock. 5:58.