Read Online The Zimmer Doctrine (Corps Justice Book 11) by C. G. Cooper - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: C. G. Cooper
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see her. A moment later he retreated and returned to the black van.
The jet’s engine growled as the pilot announced that they were about to take off. Maya’s eyes were still glued on the van. Then, just as the jet roared to life and launched down the runway, Judah’s van exploded in a fiery ball.
Maya let out a silent scream as the aircraft catapulted into the air.
Chapter 12
Wild Dunes
Isle of Palms, South Carolina
August 28th, 10:12am
Cal winced and put a hand to his eyes when he emerged from the master bedroom. The sunlight was blinding and it didn’t help his pounding head.
“Good morning,” a voice said from the nook just off the kitchen. It took Cal’s addled mind a moment to realize it was Daniel. He squinted and saw the sniper reading a newspaper at the kitchen table.
“What time is it?” Cal asked, shuffling to the fridge.
“Just after ten.”
“Is anyone else up?”
“Top stopped by after his run. Said he was picking up coffee and breakfast stuff for everybody.”
Cal groaned at the thought of exercise and food. His body was not getting any younger and a night of hard drinking couldn’t just be shaken off anymore. He’d given Diane the bed while he slept on the floor. That only added to his aches and pains.
Cal grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with tap water. He pounded one glass and then a second. It didn’t help his rumbling stomach or the headache, but it did clear away some of the cobwebs.
He took a seat across from Daniel, easing his way down gingerly as he felt the prickles rack his skin.
“I hope you’re happy,” Cal mumbled.
“Happy about what?” Daniel asked.
Cal looked up in confusion. “What? Oh, no, sorry. I was thinking out loud. Actually, I was talking to Trav. Bastard wanted a throw-down party and I’d say we gave him one.”
His memory of the end of the night was spotty. He did remember howling as Top did cartwheels down the beach and Gaucho followed with much less grace, more of a tumbling rock than a gymnast.
Daniel chuckled. “We’ve got one bottle left. You sure you don’t want a little hair of the dog?”
Cal gave him a disgusted look followed by a middle finger.
The sound of the master bedroom opening made Cal swivel in his chair. He felt his heart race a few beats faster. While he didn’t remember everything that had happened during the party, he could clearly see Diane’s face in the firelight. She’d enjoyed herself as much as the rest of the team, but they’d said maybe ten words to one another last night, and five of those were, “You can have the bed.”
Diane came out of the master bedroom with sunglasses in her hand. She quickly put them on when the sun assaulted her senses.
“Please tell me you have coffee,” she said, trudging into the kitchen.
“Top’s gone to get some,” Cal said.
Diane nodded and flopped down in the seat next to Cal. Without asking, she grabbed his half-full glass and chugged the water.
“I can’t remember the last time I had that much to drink,” Diane said, handing the glass to Cal and motioning for more water. Cal was happy to comply.
“Daniel says we didn’t kill it all. Can I interest you in a shot of Jack to go with your water?”
Diane rolled her eyes with a moan. She chugged the second glass like a recruit at boot camp and then stood up suddenly.
“I need to go for a walk,” she said, looking to Cal. “Coming?”
Cal nodded and tried to ignore the sly grin on Daniel’s face.
“Let me get my sunglasses.”
The cool breeze coming off the Atlantic greeted the pair as they emerged from the sandy path and stepped out onto the beach. It was probably 75 degrees but with the wind it felt more like 65 degrees.
They walked north, neither saying a word as they skirted the surf through ankle-deep water. Cal thought about all the times he’d walked the same stretch of beach during the preceding months. Not once had he felt the way he did now, his feet
The jet’s engine growled as the pilot announced that they were about to take off. Maya’s eyes were still glued on the van. Then, just as the jet roared to life and launched down the runway, Judah’s van exploded in a fiery ball.
Maya let out a silent scream as the aircraft catapulted into the air.
Chapter 12
Wild Dunes
Isle of Palms, South Carolina
August 28th, 10:12am
Cal winced and put a hand to his eyes when he emerged from the master bedroom. The sunlight was blinding and it didn’t help his pounding head.
“Good morning,” a voice said from the nook just off the kitchen. It took Cal’s addled mind a moment to realize it was Daniel. He squinted and saw the sniper reading a newspaper at the kitchen table.
“What time is it?” Cal asked, shuffling to the fridge.
“Just after ten.”
“Is anyone else up?”
“Top stopped by after his run. Said he was picking up coffee and breakfast stuff for everybody.”
Cal groaned at the thought of exercise and food. His body was not getting any younger and a night of hard drinking couldn’t just be shaken off anymore. He’d given Diane the bed while he slept on the floor. That only added to his aches and pains.
Cal grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with tap water. He pounded one glass and then a second. It didn’t help his rumbling stomach or the headache, but it did clear away some of the cobwebs.
He took a seat across from Daniel, easing his way down gingerly as he felt the prickles rack his skin.
“I hope you’re happy,” Cal mumbled.
“Happy about what?” Daniel asked.
Cal looked up in confusion. “What? Oh, no, sorry. I was thinking out loud. Actually, I was talking to Trav. Bastard wanted a throw-down party and I’d say we gave him one.”
His memory of the end of the night was spotty. He did remember howling as Top did cartwheels down the beach and Gaucho followed with much less grace, more of a tumbling rock than a gymnast.
Daniel chuckled. “We’ve got one bottle left. You sure you don’t want a little hair of the dog?”
Cal gave him a disgusted look followed by a middle finger.
The sound of the master bedroom opening made Cal swivel in his chair. He felt his heart race a few beats faster. While he didn’t remember everything that had happened during the party, he could clearly see Diane’s face in the firelight. She’d enjoyed herself as much as the rest of the team, but they’d said maybe ten words to one another last night, and five of those were, “You can have the bed.”
Diane came out of the master bedroom with sunglasses in her hand. She quickly put them on when the sun assaulted her senses.
“Please tell me you have coffee,” she said, trudging into the kitchen.
“Top’s gone to get some,” Cal said.
Diane nodded and flopped down in the seat next to Cal. Without asking, she grabbed his half-full glass and chugged the water.
“I can’t remember the last time I had that much to drink,” Diane said, handing the glass to Cal and motioning for more water. Cal was happy to comply.
“Daniel says we didn’t kill it all. Can I interest you in a shot of Jack to go with your water?”
Diane rolled her eyes with a moan. She chugged the second glass like a recruit at boot camp and then stood up suddenly.
“I need to go for a walk,” she said, looking to Cal. “Coming?”
Cal nodded and tried to ignore the sly grin on Daniel’s face.
“Let me get my sunglasses.”
The cool breeze coming off the Atlantic greeted the pair as they emerged from the sandy path and stepped out onto the beach. It was probably 75 degrees but with the wind it felt more like 65 degrees.
They walked north, neither saying a word as they skirted the surf through ankle-deep water. Cal thought about all the times he’d walked the same stretch of beach during the preceding months. Not once had he felt the way he did now, his feet
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