Read Online Operation Swift Mercy by Karlene Blakemore-Mowle - Free Book Online
Authors: Karlene Blakemore-Mowle
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decided to do a little of her own grilling. “So how does a U.S Force Recon unit, meet up with two Australian women?”
“Well now, that’s a long story.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she smiled.
Chase held her gaze steadily, the intensity causing her heart rate to pick up slightly. She knew that he was drawing a deeper meaning from her words, and for the life of her, she couldn’t make herself laugh it off.
“We were mixed up in a bit of a situation a few years back which involved Willow’s husband. Which is how Summer came to find us.”
“Wait a minute,” Mercy held up a hand. “Willow’s husband?”
Chase gave a small smile . “Her first husband was a war correspondent . He did an investigation on this real bad dude, named Tre’ago . Anyway, Tre’ago had him killed.”
“Oh my God.” Mercy stared at him across the table in wide-eyed horror.
“Yeah. It was pretty heavy. Anyway, Willow also being and investigative reporter was following up leads on Tre’ago when she got this stupid idea in her head that if she went to Cambodia and did a story on the Red Cross up there, she could track down Tre’ago and gather some more evidence to expose his part behind her husband’s death.”
“So what happened?”
“She got ambushed by some rebels and thrown in a Cambodian prison camp.”
Mercy stared at Chase dumbfounded. This stuff didn’t happen to normal people surely? “ H ow did she get out?”
“We broke her out,” Chase said with a small off handed shrug.
Of course they did , she thought dryly. Just another day at the office for a Force R econ operator . Was this guy for real? Somehow she knew he was. From anyone else she’d brush it off as a tall tale, but having met the other men just now and coming to know Chase Maloney, she found herself believing him. He wasn’t bragg ing or big noting himself—simply relaying an event she’d asked him about.
She liked that about him ; h is quiet, reassuring presence. While Tupper seemed to be a bit on the egotistical side—Chase was the opposite. He didn’t need to talk up his tough guy image. There was a gentleness about him that seemed at odds with the fact he was first and foremost a warrior, but he was also a healer—a medic.
“Wow. My life seems so dull in comparison,” she said with a small smile.
“Oh yeah—you’re life’s really dull…getting chased by thugs, out running a deranged ex…falling in with a bunch of rough and ready Force Recon Marine’s…real boring!”
“Well, if you put it like that ,” she said, trying for a haughty tone.
Their drinks arrived and Mercy sipped at her Margarita slowly enjoying the salty citrus flavour as it glided smoothly down her throat.
“I know you think you’re protecting us by keeping all this stuff to yourself, but we really need to know who this guy is, and who we’re up against. We can handle anything he can throw at us—if we know what we’re dealing with.”
Mercy sighed, staring down into her tall glass, stirring the icy beverage li stlessly. “You’re not on home ground here, Chase. He pretty much owns this place. It doesn’t matter how good you are at this stuff—you aren’t backed by the U.S military here …you can’t beat him. I need to just slip away quietly and deal with this alone.”
“Deal with what? And how are you going to deal with it?”
Mercy shook her head. How could she tell him what Nikkos was involved in? How could she not have known what was going on all this time? What kind of person did that make her? She couldn’t face seeing that look of contempt she was feeling inside reflected in his eyes if she told him. “Look, I have a plan. I just need to get out of here and time to work out who I can trust.”
“Why don’t you start with us?”
“Because you seem like nice guys and I don’t want to be responsible for bringing harm to you.”
“It’s too late to worry about us being involved. Those guys will at the very least, know my
“Well now, that’s a long story.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she smiled.
Chase held her gaze steadily, the intensity causing her heart rate to pick up slightly. She knew that he was drawing a deeper meaning from her words, and for the life of her, she couldn’t make herself laugh it off.
“We were mixed up in a bit of a situation a few years back which involved Willow’s husband. Which is how Summer came to find us.”
“Wait a minute,” Mercy held up a hand. “Willow’s husband?”
Chase gave a small smile . “Her first husband was a war correspondent . He did an investigation on this real bad dude, named Tre’ago . Anyway, Tre’ago had him killed.”
“Oh my God.” Mercy stared at him across the table in wide-eyed horror.
“Yeah. It was pretty heavy. Anyway, Willow also being and investigative reporter was following up leads on Tre’ago when she got this stupid idea in her head that if she went to Cambodia and did a story on the Red Cross up there, she could track down Tre’ago and gather some more evidence to expose his part behind her husband’s death.”
“So what happened?”
“She got ambushed by some rebels and thrown in a Cambodian prison camp.”
Mercy stared at Chase dumbfounded. This stuff didn’t happen to normal people surely? “ H ow did she get out?”
“We broke her out,” Chase said with a small off handed shrug.
Of course they did , she thought dryly. Just another day at the office for a Force R econ operator . Was this guy for real? Somehow she knew he was. From anyone else she’d brush it off as a tall tale, but having met the other men just now and coming to know Chase Maloney, she found herself believing him. He wasn’t bragg ing or big noting himself—simply relaying an event she’d asked him about.
She liked that about him ; h is quiet, reassuring presence. While Tupper seemed to be a bit on the egotistical side—Chase was the opposite. He didn’t need to talk up his tough guy image. There was a gentleness about him that seemed at odds with the fact he was first and foremost a warrior, but he was also a healer—a medic.
“Wow. My life seems so dull in comparison,” she said with a small smile.
“Oh yeah—you’re life’s really dull…getting chased by thugs, out running a deranged ex…falling in with a bunch of rough and ready Force Recon Marine’s…real boring!”
“Well, if you put it like that ,” she said, trying for a haughty tone.
Their drinks arrived and Mercy sipped at her Margarita slowly enjoying the salty citrus flavour as it glided smoothly down her throat.
“I know you think you’re protecting us by keeping all this stuff to yourself, but we really need to know who this guy is, and who we’re up against. We can handle anything he can throw at us—if we know what we’re dealing with.”
Mercy sighed, staring down into her tall glass, stirring the icy beverage li stlessly. “You’re not on home ground here, Chase. He pretty much owns this place. It doesn’t matter how good you are at this stuff—you aren’t backed by the U.S military here …you can’t beat him. I need to just slip away quietly and deal with this alone.”
“Deal with what? And how are you going to deal with it?”
Mercy shook her head. How could she tell him what Nikkos was involved in? How could she not have known what was going on all this time? What kind of person did that make her? She couldn’t face seeing that look of contempt she was feeling inside reflected in his eyes if she told him. “Look, I have a plan. I just need to get out of here and time to work out who I can trust.”
“Why don’t you start with us?”
“Because you seem like nice guys and I don’t want to be responsible for bringing harm to you.”
“It’s too late to worry about us being involved. Those guys will at the very least, know my
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