Read Online Homecoming by Heath Stallcup - Free Book Online Page A

it when Jack broke the news to him. He sensed he wouldn’t like the answer.
    “I have an op. Out of the country. They’ll have full deniability and I can—”
    “Wait now, hold on. How can you have an ‘op’ out of the country? You quit the squads, remember? We are the ones who hunt monsters. You…well, you went to work for one.” Matt cleared his throat and lowered his voice, “No disrespect intended to Mister Thorn.”
    He could almost hear Jack nodding on the other end. “Colonel, Rufus still has a ton of enemies. I’ve trained our staff to handle most threats, but the one we face now…”
    “Is this something I should know about, son?” Matt was suddenly worried.
    “Negative, sir. I’m pretty sure we can handle it. And Rufus is confident that he can straighten things out diplomatically. But you need to remember, he’s still caught in the middle of a vampire civil war. He still has a death mark on his head. And the Vampire Council did hire an assassin to take him out. One of our own, no less.”
    “Well, one of the Brit’s own,” Matt corrected. “But I get where you’re coming from.”
    “Regardless, sir, he still has a lot on his plate and we’re trying to clear a major portion of it.”
    Matt picked up his coffee again and took a long pull from it. Right now he was sure wishing it was Scotch. “Jack, to be honest, I can’t send the boys to you.”
    “I was afraid of that—”
    “But what I can do,” Matt interrupted, “is let them know what you’re looking for. I’m sure a lot of these guys have a ton of annual leave built up. If we aren’t busy when you need them, and if they are willing, then they’re more than welcome to take leave and…well, hell. If they decide to go on vacation somewhere south of here. Say, maybe in Texas, who am I to stop them?”
    Jack all but laughed on the other end, “Thank you, Colonel. I really appreciate that.”
    “I figure it’s the least I could do.” He glanced at his computer screen and flipped through a few pages. “We have a few weeks before the next full moon. When do you need them?”
    “That’s just it, sir, I don’t really know yet.”
    Matt nodded as he stared at the calendar. “Well, the way things have been going, it doesn’t matter if it’s the full moon or not. It’s either feast or famine. When you find out the date, let me know and I’ll do my best.”
    “That’s more than I could hope for, sir. I’ll email you what I’m looking for.”
    “Sounds good to me, son.” Mitchell leaned forward, his finger hovering above the button, “You take care of that cute little wife of yours.”
    “I will, sir. And, Colonel? Thanks again.”
    “Thank me by sending all of them home after your op, Chief.”
    “I’ll do my best.”
    “Mitchell, out.” Matt mashed the button, disconnecting the call then pulled his two way radio. “Tufo?”
    “Yo,” came a static-filled reply.
    “Yo?”
    “Uh, ‘yo’, sir ?”
    Mitchell groaned and keyed the radio again. “Get over here.”
    Moments later, his door opened and Tufo stepped into the office looking somewhat frazzled. “Sorry, Hank, uh…well, let’s just say that he’s discovered power cords.”
    Mitchell rolled his eyes and tried counting to ten. “Why don’t you leave your dog at home?”
    Mark gave him a shocked look. “At home? Have you seen the base housing here? The yards are so tiny, he’d chew a hole in the fence and crap in the neighbor’s lawn. Negative. He can stay right here with me.”
    “Whatever. Look, I need you to pass the word amongst the teams. Jack needs volunteers for a…‘special mission’. Whoever does it will need HALO experience.”
    Mark smiled. “I’ve played that game a few times. My kids can beat the pants off me, but I like the energy swords. They’re really cool.”
    Matt gave him a blank stare. “High Altitude Low Opening jump experience.”
    Mark nodded. “I knew that.” He pulled out his notepad and scribbled something on it.