Shadow Ops: Danger's Heat (Kindle Worlds Novella) (A Shadow Ops Novella Book 2) by LS Silverii Read Free Book Online

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    Mechanical in his quick change, Hollywood flowed within the small space of his hotel room until he appeared in an olive-drab tactical uniform. His backpack sized go-bag was shoved full of necessary items, and the rest were pushed into a pile. Three extra strength ibuprofen down the hatch, and he stormed out of the room toward the lobby, an LSU Tigers ball cap tugged over his eyes.
    “She coming?” Rose asked.
    “How the fuck would I know? I was stupid to trust her, or anyone for that matter. Rose, I owe you an apology for earlier, and for bringing her into STR. I let my little head do the thinking, maybe I am the same old Hollywood.”
    “Thanks for the mea culpa , but you’re not the same guy. You handled the whole damn New Orleans fiasco like a champ. And thanks to you, we’ve got your girlfriend’s phone to use for tracking a potential weapon of mass destruction,” she said. Then she looked down and laughed. “The old Hollywood would’ve never forgotten his boots,”
    Hollywood winced. “Gotta clear the attic, and get my head back in the game.” He stamped out to the transport van in his sock feet to grab his still wet SWAT boots.
    “Dude,” Billy placed his hand on Hollywood’s shoulder, “don’t jump to judgment, nothing’s confirmed yet. I know it looks suspicious, but it’s always grey in the shadow ops world.” The others sat stunned—they’d never seen this warrior as much as say ouch. Brooding, Hollywood dropped onto the middle row bench seat without a word.
    “Wait, wait on me.” Voodoo’s petite frame barreled through the hall. Her tactical one-piece jumpsuit half unzipped, and an armful of boots, cap, holsters and a Glock 17, 9mm dangled from its holster. Hardly the composed agent who’d dropped two idiots fueled by methamphetamine earlier in the day. Tension was palpable.
    Once Voodoo had taken her place in the van, Rose twisted around from the front seat to make eye contact. “We now believe Bonny traveled up river to meet another vessel around St. Louis. We can only assume wherever they met, the barrels of bio-chemical weapons were exchanged. I would’ve bet St. Louis was a prime river city target, but no verification she put down in the Gateway Arch area. Source shows north.” The dome lights were disconnected but blasts of lightning illuminated the cargo section. “Not sure how reliable our source is…”
    “Just say it. Come out and fucking say it. Your source is my damn phone’s friend tracker app. Excuse the fuck out of me for not being a spy school scholar. I was lucky to get kicked out of high school instead of jailed. She was my roomie and, I thought, my friend. You high and mightys got any idea what it’s like to be a single female in a cesspool like the Big Easy? So excuse me if I felt safe with her knowing where I was on that dumb app.” Her voice crumpled beneath the confession.
    KC pushed her closed fist out to knuckle-bump her, “Girl power, I feel ya, Voodoo.”
    “Okay, your cell phone it is. If Bonny still has her cell then the vessel has passed St. Louis. We’ve no intel on what might be the next swap site or target location. Choppers are combing the river, but it’s a freaking huge body of water with traffic that’s out of this world.” Rose continued with a less stressed pace. A smile glinted toward Voodoo.
    “Once they hit the Great River National Wildlife Refuge around Quincy, Illinois it’ll be impossible to detect. Rose, you’re the best at big picture projects—guesses?” Chase pressed back into the cloth seat and ran his thumb and forefinger over his chin.
    “I’ll confess, I’m stumped so far. We’re going to leapfrog them. Assuming they’re where the phone shows and it’s not another teenager playing with a commercial quad-copter.” Rose spun around and looked like an eager teenager getting to ride shotgun for the first time.
    “Why can’t we just BOLO every law enforcement agency with jurisdiction