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

move Westin,” Rose admonished Chase as he angled around Voodoo. “The weather’s about to ground us. Go”
    “Next. Hollywood, Ready. Go.”
    Hollywood was next. He reached with his right hand for the thick, hawser-type rope. Pain shot through his shoulder. Hard pain. He almost blacked out. He clawed frantically with his left hand to slow the zip of cord as his body hurled toward the surface.
    Rain lashed beneath his NVG. Slick rope made for fast descends. Thighs squeezed against the two-inch surface to control his speed, but the winds thrashed and he lost sight of where he was until he smashed onto a knee. He rolled against his hip, falling on his right shoulder.
    Quick shots of air gunned out of his nostrils. He groaned through teeth clenched so tight from pain, he thought they’d snap. The tactical vest was jerked back in position and he glanced to see the braided cord fall into the mud before the Black Hawk quietly disappeared. Hollywood adjusted his night vision binoculars and spotted his tactical partner, Billy Price.
    “Half mile out, let’s move,” Billy ordered.
    Billy was team leader on this mission. That meant clockwork precision, watching each others’ 6, and no bitching. Their raid targeted a vessel identified through HQ’s Intel Section and the Port of Moline. The cutter-sized ship had arrived without authorization, but there was no information about cargo or passengers.
    The abandoned section of the port where the vessel was stashed had been left generally in disrepair. The hull had been wedged in between half-submerged derelicts and hulking ships dying a rust-covered death.
    Hollywood limped to keep pace with his five teammates. Each time he pounded on the good leg, his shoulder throbbed. They were all in as big a hurry to get out of the tsunami. Time to suck it up.
    “Quarter mile out. Eyes up, fan out into elements,” Billy snapped. The rain flooded his speech with each microphone click. Lightning crashes illuminated their movements, so they tried to coordinate advances between thunder claps.
    “Team 1, cover down,” Billy’s command sent Chase and KC ahead to provide cover at the gangway that led from a patched rock and asphalt hard top to the port side.
    “Team 2, take point.”
    That order signaled Cobra, and his fellow SEAL, Falcon, to lead Billy and Hollywood up the rickety walkway and onto the vessel. Team 1 would fall in behind Hollywood as they passed their position.
    The storm served to concealed their stumble and clatter. Hollywood’s injuries caused him to fail at maintaining balance across a hatch. Other than that mishap, all three elements cleared the one hundred and twenty-three foot vessel in under three minutes—bow to stern.
    “Shit, missed ’em again.” Chase’s agitation reflected everyone’s disappointment.
    “Let’s get ready for processing. There’s got to be a clue about what’s next.” Billy left his tactical gear on, even after the target was cleared of threats—including his ballistic helmet. It was a Delta Force thing. He walked onto the deck and waved for Rose and Voodoo to come aboard.
    Dim lights in the mess hall allowed everyone to decompress as much as they could. Strain loomed heavy in the small space. Coming away empty handed was more difficult than fighting a battle with meth heads or terrorists. At least you knew where you stood in the process of reloading.
    Hollywood plopped down onto a metal bench, tugging at his soaked bulletproof vest, submachine gun set between his knees. His face drained cold. The aluminum tabletop reflected the blanched stare of someone on edge.
    Exhales to release the circulatory system’s chemical flood of adrenaline helped him finally stop the cold shivers. His gaze rounded the room until he found Voodoo. He’d been so wrapped up in the breakneck speed of the op that he’d not fully thought of her. She leaned against the bulkhead to make space for the tactical team operators still winded from the raid. Their eyes