Read Online By Break of Day (The Night Stalkers) by M. L. Buchman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: M. L. Buchman
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Wilson exploded.
Justin was smiling, so Kara nodded to him.
“Clue one.” Justin slouched down farther in the copilot’s armchair beside her as if he’d been here a hundred times before. He crossed his booted feet just as if he were wearing cowboy boots out on the range.
She considered being ticked, but then decided that she’d rather have Justin sitting so close in the copilot’s seat than Major Wilson. Bring it on, Cowboy.
“You won’t identify your unit, not even in this location.”
“Two,” Kara joined in, “arrogant beyond belief.”
“Three—” Justin continued without hesitation.
She was really starting to appreciate more about him than just the way he looked and the way he kissed.
“—you didn’t even blink entering this container, which is one of the most secure areas aboard the Peleliu .”
“Four, rude too.”
His growing scowl was awesome.
“Five”—Justin made it sound as if the two of them had been tag-teaming idiots forever instead of this being their first run together—“you went directly for her, the 5D’s RPA pilot. That points to something very clandestine.”
“Six—” Kara hadn’t thought of that one, but it was a good point.
Justin was proving that he had a brain despite being from the wrong side of the Hudson River—by about twenty-five hundred kilometers.
“—Colonel Michael Gibson,” Kara continued, “knows exactly who you are, and I know that The Activity’s primary mandate is actionable intelligence for Tier 1 assets. Which includes: Delta, DEVGRU, and the Air Force’s 24th STS. Now, while the Colonel here might be the number one Tier 1 asset warrior there is, I’m not any of those. Yet you came to me. So can we cut through your Upper West Side ego and get on with it?”
Major Willard Wilson turned to look a question at Michael, but it was clear that he hadn’t said anything beyond greeting good old Willy.
“And seven.” Kara wanted to crow with triumph as the last piece clicked into place. “You’re a support guy. Admin. Logistics and liaison for a field team. Probably washed out and couldn’t make the grade.”
“It spares the action teams from having to deal with nut jobs like you.” But his tone said her last guess had hit too close to home.
They shared a grin for the first time.
“Could get to like you, Major Willard.” Fat chance in hell , Kara told herself.
“You won’t find me banking on that any time soon, Captain Moretti.”
“Hey”—she turned to Justin—“he’s not as dumb as he looks.”
* * *
Justin didn’t try answering; he was still trying to catch his breath.
Lord above. The Activity?
Meeting one of them made it feel normal that there were a half-dozen stealth helicopters parked on the deck close above his head. Or that he was sitting inside Kara Moretti’s top secret domain.
These guys made the CIA’s Special Activities Division look like they were using billboards to advertise their most clandestine operations. The Activity were the ultimate spooks of the military intelligence community. The CIA and NSA specialized in regional and national intel. The Activity pinpointed individual cell phones and could tell you the layout of bin Laden’s compound before you went busting in the front door.
Saddam Hussein had been captured by U.S. Rangers. Some people knew that Delta had led the Rangers there and then faded out of sight. Only rumor said that The Activity came up with the final two possible hideouts in the first place. But it was the kind of rumor that made perfect sense.
They were an intelligence outfit and their action arms were the very best in the world: Delta and DEVGRU, still popularly known by the name they hadn’t borne in over twenty years, SEAL Team Six.
“We…”
Justin could see that Kara was gearing up to go at Wilson again before he even had a chance to start, which wasn’t going to achieve anything. You could only humiliate a man so much before it became personal.
He didn’t
Justin was smiling, so Kara nodded to him.
“Clue one.” Justin slouched down farther in the copilot’s armchair beside her as if he’d been here a hundred times before. He crossed his booted feet just as if he were wearing cowboy boots out on the range.
She considered being ticked, but then decided that she’d rather have Justin sitting so close in the copilot’s seat than Major Wilson. Bring it on, Cowboy.
“You won’t identify your unit, not even in this location.”
“Two,” Kara joined in, “arrogant beyond belief.”
“Three—” Justin continued without hesitation.
She was really starting to appreciate more about him than just the way he looked and the way he kissed.
“—you didn’t even blink entering this container, which is one of the most secure areas aboard the Peleliu .”
“Four, rude too.”
His growing scowl was awesome.
“Five”—Justin made it sound as if the two of them had been tag-teaming idiots forever instead of this being their first run together—“you went directly for her, the 5D’s RPA pilot. That points to something very clandestine.”
“Six—” Kara hadn’t thought of that one, but it was a good point.
Justin was proving that he had a brain despite being from the wrong side of the Hudson River—by about twenty-five hundred kilometers.
“—Colonel Michael Gibson,” Kara continued, “knows exactly who you are, and I know that The Activity’s primary mandate is actionable intelligence for Tier 1 assets. Which includes: Delta, DEVGRU, and the Air Force’s 24th STS. Now, while the Colonel here might be the number one Tier 1 asset warrior there is, I’m not any of those. Yet you came to me. So can we cut through your Upper West Side ego and get on with it?”
Major Willard Wilson turned to look a question at Michael, but it was clear that he hadn’t said anything beyond greeting good old Willy.
“And seven.” Kara wanted to crow with triumph as the last piece clicked into place. “You’re a support guy. Admin. Logistics and liaison for a field team. Probably washed out and couldn’t make the grade.”
“It spares the action teams from having to deal with nut jobs like you.” But his tone said her last guess had hit too close to home.
They shared a grin for the first time.
“Could get to like you, Major Willard.” Fat chance in hell , Kara told herself.
“You won’t find me banking on that any time soon, Captain Moretti.”
“Hey”—she turned to Justin—“he’s not as dumb as he looks.”
* * *
Justin didn’t try answering; he was still trying to catch his breath.
Lord above. The Activity?
Meeting one of them made it feel normal that there were a half-dozen stealth helicopters parked on the deck close above his head. Or that he was sitting inside Kara Moretti’s top secret domain.
These guys made the CIA’s Special Activities Division look like they were using billboards to advertise their most clandestine operations. The Activity were the ultimate spooks of the military intelligence community. The CIA and NSA specialized in regional and national intel. The Activity pinpointed individual cell phones and could tell you the layout of bin Laden’s compound before you went busting in the front door.
Saddam Hussein had been captured by U.S. Rangers. Some people knew that Delta had led the Rangers there and then faded out of sight. Only rumor said that The Activity came up with the final two possible hideouts in the first place. But it was the kind of rumor that made perfect sense.
They were an intelligence outfit and their action arms were the very best in the world: Delta and DEVGRU, still popularly known by the name they hadn’t borne in over twenty years, SEAL Team Six.
“We…”
Justin could see that Kara was gearing up to go at Wilson again before he even had a chance to start, which wasn’t going to achieve anything. You could only humiliate a man so much before it became personal.
He didn’t
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