CHAPTER ONE
Zane Quinlan sipped his favorite single malt whiskey as he finished a report to his handler at the CIA. Last week his black ops team had disbanded a homegrown terrorist cell in the outskirts of Chicago. Although he’d spoken to his senior advisor over secure phone lines about how things had gone down, these annoying paper details were still required to arrive in Langley by military courier, securely sealed within two days after mission’s end.
A retired SEAL team commander, Zane knew and had worked with the best. Now, some of those warriors were working for him in a clandestine capacity with the blessing and financial backing of the CIA.
Black Eagle Ops was home based on Eagle Ridge Ranch in the Hill Country of Texas. Steers, horses, and highly-trained operatives were what Zane, better known to most folks as ZQ, had on the twenty-two-thousand acre spread that had been in his family for generations. There was also an underground bunker of weapons and ammo. Plus a mighty fine helicopter kept hidden under high-tech camouflage on the other side of a hill beside the house. Life was good for this former frogman with seawater and ranch dust in his veins.
His cell rang and an old friend’s picture appeared on the screen. Grey Holden, top notch at most everything he accomplished in the military, was now head of a mercenary squad, the Omega Team.
“Hey, Grey ol’ buddy, tell me why I’m talking to your ugly ass and not Athena’s pretty face?”
“Yeah, I fuckin’ love you too, ZQ. Got a situation. Need your help.”
ZQ straightened in his chair and sipped more of his whiskey. “Whatever you need, pal. You know that.”
“I’m emailing your private email with the details. Respond to the sender’s address, not mine. Just wanted you to be on the lookout. Later.” The line went dead. ZQ opened his private email account and waited. Nance, once the SEAL team’s dog, retired after having an ear shot off in Syria, traipsed into ZQ’s office. She rested her chin on his thigh.
He rubbed her furry head. “What ya need, baby girl? You in the mood for a rawhide chew and your owner’s asleep in the recliner again?”
Nance, short for Ordinance, whined and wiggled her back end.
“Come on. The boss’ll take care of ya.” He stood and headed for the kitchen, past his mom and JJ, Nance’s owner and trainer. Both asleep in recliners as the eleven o’clock news droned on. ZQ opened the back door for the dog to take a quick pee run while he grabbed a chew for her and some of Mom’s homemade snicker doodles for himself. He also snatched an apple from the bowl she kept on the counter for him.
Nance ran back inside and took her snack from ZQ’s fingertips. She followed him into his office, her eyes on his cookies. “Don’t get any ideas about my snicker doodles. You know they’re my favorite. I swear you’d eat anything but lima beans and hot wings. Let’s see if we got Grey’s email.”
It was waiting on him. ZQ snorted at the email address: CandyCaneLuvs2Lick. Yeah, no one would suspect the owner of said address was an expert marksman. He stuffed a cookie in his mouth as he read.
ZQ…Athena’s best friend, Ivy Rosemoor, is missing. No one knows where she is. Believe me, Athena’s used all her former cop contacts to gather intel. Ivy is one of the Assistant District Attorneys here in Tampa. The two grew close over their desire to rid the streets of drug dealers. Most of my team is out on another mission and can’t help with this.
My woman is frantic. You know how impetuous Athena can be over people she cares about. I need your assistance ASAP. If you have some men to spare, that would be great. We’ll also need your helo. We suspect Ivy’s been taken to Cartagena in Columbia since she was working on a drug trafficking case against a cartel there. If you can come, I’ll have more info for you. Grey
Holy shit! He knew Grey’s lady well enough to know she was hardcore. She barely knew the meaning of the word “fear.” If she was this upset, this missing woman must be a very good friend. ZQ understood that kind of loyalty and protectiveness. He had a brotherhood of SEALs he’d die for.
He bit into the apple, savoring its crisp juiciness, slid his cursor on the Reply icon, and began a response. Pausing, he gave thought to asking his CIA handler’s permission first but, hell, he was helping his friends with or without the Admiral’s go-ahead. He’d call him after he emailed Grey.
Absolutely. Will take off tomorrow morning. ETA noon. Will bring along a former SEAL sniper with too many kills to count, one stone-cold motherfucker, a robotic fighting machine with big feet and an even bigger mouth, a combo explosives expert, medic and K-9 handler, and one of the smartest dogs you’ve ever met. The bird will be loaded with weapons, ammo, RPG’s and whatever toys we feel we might need. Require secret landing spot with no security checks. Have 2 vehicles waiting. Tell Athena, we’re glad to help.
The last bite of the apple gone, he lobbed it into the trash can and reached for a snicker doodle. There was nothing there. He eyed the stiff back of Nance, her ears laid flat. “I know you didn’t just eat my favorite cookies.” The German shepherd looked at him over her shoulder and whined. “I thought you and me were buddies. You cookie thief, you.” Nance licked his hand; her way of asking for forgiveness—something he never refused.
ZQ used his secure line to call his handler.
A menacing voice barked, “This better be damned good. I’m ready to crawl into bed with my gorgeous wife.”
“Sorry my timing’s bad. Look, I made a commitment on a mission I need your authorization for.”
The Old Man grunted. “Using the ‘better to ask for forgiveness than permission adage,’ are you? I’ve used it a few times myself. What’s up?”
ZQ filled him in. The Admiral acknowledged hearing about the Omega Team. “Does Grey know who you’re attached to at the CIA?”
ZQ hadn’t mentioned his friend’s name, only the team’s. Had the Old Man reached out to Grey and Athena for help with prior situations? Something was always going on in this crazy world; it wouldn’t surprise him if he had. “No. That’s confidential. You know I’m a tight-lipped bastard.”
“Let’s keep it that way, shall we? We need to get that Assistant D.A. recovered and if you can knock out part of a drug cartel in the process, excellent. I’ll expect a full report when you get back.”
“Yes, sir.” He ended the call.
Now that he had permission, ZQ called Dust, one of the finest snipers ever to serve, and put him on alert. Next was Titan, his fighting robot who never seemed to get tired. Then he dialed Steelhead, one fearless warrior. With those three lined up, he stalked out to the living room to wake JJ—pilot, medic, demolitions expert and Nance’s handler. One of those all round specialists ZQ always wanted at his back.
One squeeze of JJ’s shoulder had him awake. “Whatzup?” JJ rubbed his dark eyes with the heels of his hands.
“We leave on an operation in the morning. Helping an old friend of mine. I’ll need all your talents and Nance. Wheels up at oh-seven-hundred for Tampa and then Cartagena probably the next day. Extracting a woman held hostage by some really bad scum.”
The pup was no dummy. She barked once and leapt into JJ’s arms, licking his cocoa face as if to tell him she was ready to report for duty.
“Yes, girl. You’re going, too. Come on, let’s go check my medical gear and chose my explosives. I’ll go over the Black Hawk in the morning with you, ZQ, since we both handle maintenance. We’ll have to refuel partway to Tampa.” He tapped his fingers on the side of his leg. “Let’s get ready to work, Nance.”
The proud German shepherd pranced beside her owner.
Ashley, a former Naval translator, rose from her napping spot on the sofa. “I’ll help you Jerryl. There are a couple things you might need if it’s a woman who’s in trouble.” She smoothed her blonde hair as she followed him out. More and more, she was becoming JJ’s shadow. ZQ was pleased to see the growth in their relationship.
His mother, who’d woken during their conversation, stood and stretched. “How many will I be cooking breakfast for?”
“Dust, Titan, Steelhead, JJ, and me. Make a bag of treats for Nance.”
She nodded. “I’ll get some pork chops out of the freezer and peel potatoes. Stick them both in the refrigerator before I go to bed.”
“What? None of your fried apples, syrupy with brown sugar and cinnamon?” ZQ slung his arm around her shoulders.
“Hunh, what woman spoiled you this badly?” The corners of her lips twitched into a smile. She had a fashion for wearing lipstick to match her tops. Today, she’d worn a black and white swirl t-shirt and black lipstick.
He kissed her temple. “I was spoiled by the best.”
“Yeah, well I need grandchildren to spoil now while I can still move to do it. I’m getting old and stiff—”
“You’re preaching to the choir, Mom. My getting married ain’t gonna happen.” There’d only been one woman in his life he’d ever thought of marrying, but that relationship was long over—and he still dreamed about his sweet Rose most every night.
His mom hip bumped him. “Bet me! I’ve had my prayer group working double time on your stubborn ass. We have a conference call every morning at ten and pray long and loud for you.”
He expelled a long, loud groan. “Mom, give it up.”