Read Online Bound to Danger: A Deadly Ops Novel by Katie Reus - Free Book Online
Authors: Katie Reus
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out as if he could stop him, but an oncoming truck slammed into the man, sending him flying across the pavement as the vehicle screeched to a stop.
He didn’t think it was a suicide attempt; the man had blindly been trying to escape. Weapon drawn, Cade approached the man, who was flat on his back, unmoving. Not even his chest rose and fell. His eyes were open, but Cade had seen enough dead people to guess this man was done for. There was a preternatural stillness only the truly dead possessed.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as the driver jumped from the delivery truck. “He just jumped out in front of me! I’m sorry—”
“Sir, step back to your vehicle.” Taylor and two other agents hurried onto the scene. As Taylor guided the civilian away, Cade knelt by the man and checked his pulse. There was Cyrillic writing tattooed on his neck, the ink thick and dark.
As he’d suspected, no heartbeat. He sheathed his weapon when he was sure the guy was dead. After a quick search of the body, Cade came away with two blades. No guns, though. Blood had started to pool around the dead man’s head, and a cloudy film had already started to seep into his eyes as he stared vacantly into space.
Just great.
Cade looked up at a newer agent he’d never worked with before. The guy was maybe twenty-three and notpart of Cade’s elite unit made up of only former military. “Call it in and get this body hauled away before the locals show up. Run his prints and someone better contact me with a name ASAP.” He looked over at Taylor, whom he’d worked with before. He trusted her to follow through.
The tall woman nodded. “I’ll call you.”
He jumped up and raced back toward the hospital, ignoring the few cars that had already stopped on the street. People had just parked and were getting out of their vehicles to see what had happened. Under normal circumstances he would have stayed to help wrap up the scene and deal with any locals if there were problems, but he had to find Maria.
The dead man had what looked like prison tattoos on his neck, had been carrying two knives, and he’d been in Maria’s room.
Cade told himself he’d be this worried about any potential witness, but the thought of seeing Maria again, of keeping her safe, spurred him into moving faster. Whether she could be an asset to the case or not, the woman was in danger. He’d failed her before in ways he didn’t want to think about, and there was no way Cade was letting anything happen to her.
• • •
Date: October 6, 2006
To: Maria Cervantes
From: Cade O’Reilly
Subject: re: Care package
Got the Christmas tree and I hate to tell ya, but Riel’s already eaten the popcorn. I’m also pretty sure he stole allthat jerky you sent me. I’ve got an idea for ornaments, though, using empty shell casings, soda cans, and small lightbulbs. I’ll send you a picture once we get the ornaments set up. Everyone’s gotten a kick out of us putting it up so damn early. It was really sweet of you to send, thanks. It’s a nice reminder of why we’re in this shithole. Sorry my e-mails have been sporadic lately, I’m back on base for a while so you should hear from me more often. At least for now.
Glad you got the shamma, the amber color reminded me of your eyes. Will you send me a picture of you wearing it?
Cade
Chapter 5
Babysitter: a bodyguard.
L ingering in the midst of the growing crowd of onlookers, he watched the scene outside the hospital unfolding with interest. One of Mihails’s men was supposed to have taken care of Maria Cervantes, but it looked as if he had failed.
He’d met Oskars once and knew the dead man was part of Mihails’s crew. Of course, he might have actually killed her, then been killed afterward. There was no way to find out just yet.
He frowned as an unmarked black van pulled up to the scene where a group of men and women not wearing any identifying badges or uniforms had sectioned off the area. Though the
He didn’t think it was a suicide attempt; the man had blindly been trying to escape. Weapon drawn, Cade approached the man, who was flat on his back, unmoving. Not even his chest rose and fell. His eyes were open, but Cade had seen enough dead people to guess this man was done for. There was a preternatural stillness only the truly dead possessed.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as the driver jumped from the delivery truck. “He just jumped out in front of me! I’m sorry—”
“Sir, step back to your vehicle.” Taylor and two other agents hurried onto the scene. As Taylor guided the civilian away, Cade knelt by the man and checked his pulse. There was Cyrillic writing tattooed on his neck, the ink thick and dark.
As he’d suspected, no heartbeat. He sheathed his weapon when he was sure the guy was dead. After a quick search of the body, Cade came away with two blades. No guns, though. Blood had started to pool around the dead man’s head, and a cloudy film had already started to seep into his eyes as he stared vacantly into space.
Just great.
Cade looked up at a newer agent he’d never worked with before. The guy was maybe twenty-three and notpart of Cade’s elite unit made up of only former military. “Call it in and get this body hauled away before the locals show up. Run his prints and someone better contact me with a name ASAP.” He looked over at Taylor, whom he’d worked with before. He trusted her to follow through.
The tall woman nodded. “I’ll call you.”
He jumped up and raced back toward the hospital, ignoring the few cars that had already stopped on the street. People had just parked and were getting out of their vehicles to see what had happened. Under normal circumstances he would have stayed to help wrap up the scene and deal with any locals if there were problems, but he had to find Maria.
The dead man had what looked like prison tattoos on his neck, had been carrying two knives, and he’d been in Maria’s room.
Cade told himself he’d be this worried about any potential witness, but the thought of seeing Maria again, of keeping her safe, spurred him into moving faster. Whether she could be an asset to the case or not, the woman was in danger. He’d failed her before in ways he didn’t want to think about, and there was no way Cade was letting anything happen to her.
• • •
Date: October 6, 2006
To: Maria Cervantes
From: Cade O’Reilly
Subject: re: Care package
Got the Christmas tree and I hate to tell ya, but Riel’s already eaten the popcorn. I’m also pretty sure he stole allthat jerky you sent me. I’ve got an idea for ornaments, though, using empty shell casings, soda cans, and small lightbulbs. I’ll send you a picture once we get the ornaments set up. Everyone’s gotten a kick out of us putting it up so damn early. It was really sweet of you to send, thanks. It’s a nice reminder of why we’re in this shithole. Sorry my e-mails have been sporadic lately, I’m back on base for a while so you should hear from me more often. At least for now.
Glad you got the shamma, the amber color reminded me of your eyes. Will you send me a picture of you wearing it?
Cade
Chapter 5
Babysitter: a bodyguard.
L ingering in the midst of the growing crowd of onlookers, he watched the scene outside the hospital unfolding with interest. One of Mihails’s men was supposed to have taken care of Maria Cervantes, but it looked as if he had failed.
He’d met Oskars once and knew the dead man was part of Mihails’s crew. Of course, he might have actually killed her, then been killed afterward. There was no way to find out just yet.
He frowned as an unmarked black van pulled up to the scene where a group of men and women not wearing any identifying badges or uniforms had sectioned off the area. Though the
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