Read Online Special Ops Exclusive by Elle Kennedy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elle Kennedy
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Rebecca asked warily.
“Ditching the car.”
“You’re just going to abandon your car in this alley?” She sounded bewildered.
“This isn’t my car.”
“Then whose is it? Did you steal it?”
“Do you always ask so many questions?” he said irritably.
“I’m a journalist. Why do you keep forgetting that?”
Nick reached for the door handle. “Get out of the car, Rebecca.”
They hopped out, and he quickly ushered her to the SUV and opened the passenger door for her. A suspicious cloud floated across her face. “Did you steal this one, too?”
He sighed. “No, this one is mine. I stashed it here before I went to the hospital. Now get in before I push you in.”
To his dismay, amusement danced in her green eyes. “You’re so bossy. I kinda like it. Sometimes.”
He decided not to touch that remark. In fact, he was having a difficult time making sense of anything this woman said and did. Rebecca Parker was fearless. Terrifyingly fearless. She should’ve been far more shaken up over everything that had happened, yet she seemed unfazed by it all.
Or so he thought; it wasn’t until they were in the SUV and on the move again that Rebecca’s composed front finally began showing signs of cracking.
“I need to know what’s going on.” Her voice wavered. “Jesse...my cameraman...he’s dead. ”
The chord of sorrow in her voice made his chest ache. “Ah, Rebecca, I’m sorry.”
“Fourth-degree burns.” Now she sounded angry again. “He’s dead, Nick. Jesse’s dead and Dave is dead, and I almost died, and I don’t think it was part of the riot. I don’t think it was an accident.”
“Neither do I.”
His hands slid over the steering wheel as he pulled onto the on-ramp of Mala’s sole freeway. The road was littered with potholes, the pavement uneven, but it sure beat the narrow maze of streets that made up the city’s core.
“Where are we going?” Rebecca asked as the SUV picked up speed.
“North. I’ve got a place where we can lie low until we figure out our next move. It’s about an hour’s drive.”
“An hour, huh?”
He felt her sharp gaze burning a hole into the side of his face. Stifling a tired sigh, he gave her a sidelong gaze and said, “What?”
“Are you kidding me?” She shook her head in disbelief. “We’ve got an hour’s drive ahead of us. So start talking, Nick! Tell me what the fu— fudge is going on, darn it!”
Rebecca couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this frustrated. It didn’t help that the man beside her was more tight-lipped than a mob boss. Would it kill Nick to offer some insight on this messed-up situation? Two men had nearly abducted her in broad daylight. With the intent of killing her, if they truly were members of a hit squad like Nick claimed.
Leftover adrenaline traveled in her veins, making her feel light-headed. She suddenly became aware that she was still holding that hit man’s gun, and she quickly opened the glove compartment and shoved the weapon inside.
Next to her, Nick still hadn’t uttered a word.
“Start. Talking,” she ordered through gritted teeth.
He let out a heavy breath. “It’s a long story.”
“And gee, we have an hour for you to tell it. So, for the love of God, tell me what’s going on. Why do people want to kill you?”
Nick went quiet for a beat. “What do you know about the Meridian virus?”
The question succeeded in startling her. “Wait, this is about the Meridian virus?” When he nodded, she furrowed her brow in confusion. “Okay. Well, I know a lot about it. A terrorist group—some splinter faction of the ULF—released it in the water supply of Dixie, New York, two weeks ago, killing a thousand people. The group threatened to release the virus in a major city if America didn’t remove its influence from San Marquez.”
“Right,” Nick said with a nod. “What else?”
Because she’d reported on the virus crisis directly outside the small town of Dixie, Rebecca had
“Ditching the car.”
“You’re just going to abandon your car in this alley?” She sounded bewildered.
“This isn’t my car.”
“Then whose is it? Did you steal it?”
“Do you always ask so many questions?” he said irritably.
“I’m a journalist. Why do you keep forgetting that?”
Nick reached for the door handle. “Get out of the car, Rebecca.”
They hopped out, and he quickly ushered her to the SUV and opened the passenger door for her. A suspicious cloud floated across her face. “Did you steal this one, too?”
He sighed. “No, this one is mine. I stashed it here before I went to the hospital. Now get in before I push you in.”
To his dismay, amusement danced in her green eyes. “You’re so bossy. I kinda like it. Sometimes.”
He decided not to touch that remark. In fact, he was having a difficult time making sense of anything this woman said and did. Rebecca Parker was fearless. Terrifyingly fearless. She should’ve been far more shaken up over everything that had happened, yet she seemed unfazed by it all.
Or so he thought; it wasn’t until they were in the SUV and on the move again that Rebecca’s composed front finally began showing signs of cracking.
“I need to know what’s going on.” Her voice wavered. “Jesse...my cameraman...he’s dead. ”
The chord of sorrow in her voice made his chest ache. “Ah, Rebecca, I’m sorry.”
“Fourth-degree burns.” Now she sounded angry again. “He’s dead, Nick. Jesse’s dead and Dave is dead, and I almost died, and I don’t think it was part of the riot. I don’t think it was an accident.”
“Neither do I.”
His hands slid over the steering wheel as he pulled onto the on-ramp of Mala’s sole freeway. The road was littered with potholes, the pavement uneven, but it sure beat the narrow maze of streets that made up the city’s core.
“Where are we going?” Rebecca asked as the SUV picked up speed.
“North. I’ve got a place where we can lie low until we figure out our next move. It’s about an hour’s drive.”
“An hour, huh?”
He felt her sharp gaze burning a hole into the side of his face. Stifling a tired sigh, he gave her a sidelong gaze and said, “What?”
“Are you kidding me?” She shook her head in disbelief. “We’ve got an hour’s drive ahead of us. So start talking, Nick! Tell me what the fu— fudge is going on, darn it!”
Rebecca couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this frustrated. It didn’t help that the man beside her was more tight-lipped than a mob boss. Would it kill Nick to offer some insight on this messed-up situation? Two men had nearly abducted her in broad daylight. With the intent of killing her, if they truly were members of a hit squad like Nick claimed.
Leftover adrenaline traveled in her veins, making her feel light-headed. She suddenly became aware that she was still holding that hit man’s gun, and she quickly opened the glove compartment and shoved the weapon inside.
Next to her, Nick still hadn’t uttered a word.
“Start. Talking,” she ordered through gritted teeth.
He let out a heavy breath. “It’s a long story.”
“And gee, we have an hour for you to tell it. So, for the love of God, tell me what’s going on. Why do people want to kill you?”
Nick went quiet for a beat. “What do you know about the Meridian virus?”
The question succeeded in startling her. “Wait, this is about the Meridian virus?” When he nodded, she furrowed her brow in confusion. “Okay. Well, I know a lot about it. A terrorist group—some splinter faction of the ULF—released it in the water supply of Dixie, New York, two weeks ago, killing a thousand people. The group threatened to release the virus in a major city if America didn’t remove its influence from San Marquez.”
“Right,” Nick said with a nod. “What else?”
Because she’d reported on the virus crisis directly outside the small town of Dixie, Rebecca had
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