When Navy Seal Team leader, Charlie Stein is paired with Operations Analyst Aria Lockett, he is annoyed. Having the burden of an Analyst on a field mission was not a headache he wanted to endure.
Operations Analyst Aria Lockett has been tracking The White Guard Terrorist cell for years. When they finally get a strong lead on an upcoming attack, she is ready to put an end to their terrorist reign once and for all.
Excerpt
“Good afternoon, Jean-Paul Krandif. How can I help you?”
“We apologize for taking time out of your busy day. My name is Chris Schoenfelder, and this is my associate Lisa Milam. Your establishment is very beautiful.”
“Thank you, our supporters are very generous, and we have established ourselves as the premiere établissement vinicole of Paris. The tourists love us. Please call me Jean,” he said, leaning against the desk.
“Given your reputation and expansive collection du vin from around the world, I just wanted some insight about the procurement of some rather rare more robust vintages.”
“There is an entire network of dealers and well-known suppliers. Why come to me?” Krandif said. “What business are you in again?”
“Recovery and we were told you are the guy who gets things done."
“How can I help?”
“Well, what we wanna know is, if I wanted to procure and transport canisters of a potentially lethal bioweapon from somewhere, let's say, Germany would you be the guy to talk to?” Stein said. Aria watched Krandif’s reaction closely. He blinked, and his bald head started to perspire. “Would you be that guy?”
“No, I'm afraid not,” Krandif said. “I believe our meeting is over.”
Krandif moved to the door and Stein followed, “all right, thank you for...wait I have a quick question. Do you like Hummers?”
Oh good lord
“Range Rovers, Land cruisers?”
“Mr. Schoenfelder, will you leave the room?
“No!” Stein said, smashing Krandif’s head against the edge of the wooden door. “Should've taken the money, Jean!” Aria immediately moved behind the desk to the computer.
“You broke my nose!” Krandif said.
Stein pulled his weapon from the back of his pants, pointing it at Krandif’s head, “not a word.” Aria wrapped up the laptop, cable, and started searching the desk. “I won't shoot you unless I have to, don’t make me have to because and I’ll feel bad about it. Sit down!” Aria pulled the duct tape out of her bag, tossing it to Stein. Stein proceeded to bind Krandif to the chair. Aria pulled every piece of paper and notebook out of the desk, shoving it into her bag. Then she started on the bookshelf.
“Two nights ago, you had a German visitor, Geoff Vlakin. Why was he here?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about, we have guests—” Krandif started, and Stein backhanded him with the gun in his hand. “Understand, it is not my intent to disrupt this little operation you’ve got going on here, Jean. I need to know about Vlakin. Why he was here and the location of the canisters he stole.”
“I don’t—”
“Come on, Jean,” Stein hit the man’s face again. “I can do this all day. Just tell me what I need to know, and we can be on our merry way.”
Aria yanked the books off the shelves uncovering a hard drive and a camera she detached and shoved into her bag, “Stein, we need to go.”
Stein glanced at her and then hit Krandif again, this time pointing his gun at the man’s groin, “Talk to me Jean, or you will be spending Christmas getting reconstructive plastic surgery that may or may not restore your manhood.”
“Fine!” Krandif said. “The man—”
“Vlakin.”
“Yes, Vlakin. He asked me to add a box to my shipment. It seemed harmless,” Krandif said.
“Where?”
“I don’t know. Vlakin put the package on one of the trucks. I didn’t ask which one.”
“Where is the shipment going?”
“Downtown Paris.”
“When?”
“Today,” Krandif said, and Stein rolled his eyes.
“Where are the deliveries for today?” Krandif hesitated, and Stein shot him in the knee. Krandif screamed. “Come on, Jean, you’re making this way too hard.”
“Alright, alright!” Krandif said. “There are three, I de Flore, Les Deux Magots, and Le Secret.” Aria gathered up her bag and moved to the door.
Stein ripped off another piece of tape using it to cover Krandif’s mouth, “thank you for your cooperation. It’s been a pleasure.” Stein met her at the door. “Let’s go.”
Aria followed Stein out of The Ice House without incident. Aria immediately dialed her phone as they dashed to the car. “Wes, we have three potential targets—”
Stein got into the car, his mind spinning with the most likely target. All well known Paris café’s. The door next to him closed, and he started to drive. “Three places. All well known, all heavily populated this time of day.”
“He said it was a box which means it the device is small. Likely a low yield,” Aria said, digging into her bag. She pulled out the laptop, inserting a USB drive into the device. “We are dispatching French Hazmat and police to all three locations.”
“Where are we going?”
“Give me a minute,” Aria said, waiting for the encryption key to do its job. The computer unlocked, and she started searching.
“The deliveries are regular. Check the last delivery contents against the deliveries for today. See if there are any anomalies,” Stein said. “There has to be a notation, a change in weight, contents—”
“Stein shut up!” Aria scrolled through the data fervently searching. “If you are getting paid to deliver an important package you are going to assign someone you trust to get it done. Not your usual lackey.”
She found it, the delivery driver for Le Secretonly driver was not on a reoccurring route before today.
“Le Secret, it’s going to Le Secret.”
“We are ten minutes away,” Stein said.
“Go faster,” Aria said, and Stein hit the gas weaving his way through Paris traffic. Aria was back on the phone updating Wes. They hit a traffic jam and came to a stop. “Stein!”
“I’m working on it.” Stein looked around seeing the median between the two sides clear. “Hang on.” He pulled onto the median and hit the gas, seeing a break in the cars he made a left and then a right. He came to a stop at the police barricade. Both he and Aria sprinted toward the chaos of the café evacuation. Stein saw Wes in front of the building. People started falling. One by one they fell like dominos. Stein stepped up his pace and grabbed Aria holding her back.
They watched Wes turn in realization before he fell to the ground.
“No!” Aria screamed.
The Prophet and the Snow Angel is coming this holiday season from eXtasy Books stay tuned for more details!
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