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

along the Mississippi River? Instead of searching for the needle, why not just bust up the hay stack?” The way KC looked at Billy didn’t seem like she expected a reply, and he didn’t.
    Drizzle settled into a sprinkle during the personnel and gear exchange. Both pilots were new, but experienced Army vets. Their radar showed another vicious line of storms due west, northwest. Hollywood encouraged the unit to stow and go if time was to be made up in the air.
    Rose popped her head into the Black Hawk’s cabin with an unsettling smile. The unit hadn’t seen her smile in quite a while. She waited until everyone had grabbed a seat. Hollywood wanted to interrupt but knew better than to rush Rose Prospero. He nestled in for the flight, no matter where it took him.
    “Guys, we got that break—HQ messaged. The diary decoding has progressed. The vessel’s heading for the Quad City area. Moline, Illinois to be precise.”
    “Moline? What the fuck is in Moline?” Chase looked as surprised as everyone else by his outburst. Though he was right—what the fuck was in Moline, Illinois?
    “You sure it’s Moline?” KC asked.
    Rose didn’t seem amused by the doubt. They all knew the value of STR’s Intelligence Section busting their assets back at HQ.
    “Okay smart butts, in addition, the FBI has been monitoring NOPD Detective Alphonse ‘Fats’ Hebert since the Rex parade. That lovesick pup has burned Bonny’s cell off the line with text messages and voicemails.”
    The war machine’s turbine whined and the pilot motioned for Rose to clear the running board area. A series of interior LED lights flashed and converted to an eerie green hue once the matrix of panel switches were activated for lift off.
    “Is her cell still active?” Chase yelled over the intense wash of the wide chord rotor blades.
    “Yep,” Billy said. “Must be why she hasn’t flipped to using burner phones. She likes Fats. We snatched a communication earlier when she dialed in to check his voice message.” Billy swayed as the bird rocked and bounced on its wheel landing gear—nothing rattled the guy.
    Hollywood crunched forward and belched into his hand. His gut burned. Fats had been a trusted friend in the Navy. Both served overseas together and only parted career paths when Hollywood was accepted to BUD/S School. Much as he hated the thought, Rose’s decision to let his friend walk after the assassination attempt was brilliant. His time would come, friend or no friend.
    “What did his message say?” Hollywood felt shame in asking. It had been his friend, after all, that put the screws to Voodoo and him at the Sheraton Hotel the night of the tableau.
    “Basic mobster wanna-be bullshit, but he did say Lawless had recovered. Mentioned something about going after him but knew better. Some crap about the reign of savage souls if anyone touched him.” The corner of Billy’s mouth curled up like it did when he wanted a suspect to know he either really didn’t believe him, or he didn’t give a shit what he said.
    Hollywood cut his eyes over, watching Voodoo’s reaction to the mention of Lawless. It was an old intel gathering trick—listening to what the speaker said, but watching how others reacted. Her body language morphed rigid, arms folded close to her chest. There was a hint of a sinister grin when Billy said the words ‘savage souls’.
    Hollywood wondered what that look was for.

CHAPTER 7
    Rotor wash from the stationary Black Hawk smashed wind toward the ground thirty-five feet below. The weather had turned to shit and rain threatened their fast rope insertion. Rose braced herself to the left of the open cabin door. Rope dangled at her feet—she served as the mission’s jump master.
    “Go.” Rose yelled across crashes of thunder, feeding the operatives out one by one.
    “Stop, Voodoo.” Rose yelled as Voodoo reached for the rope. “This ain’t my cup of tea either. You come with me on ground support from the LZ.”
    “Let’s