by Kaylea Cross
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
Suspense Series
Kaylea Cross
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
Copyright © 2020 Kaylea Cross
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Cover Art: Sweet ‘N Spicy Designs
Developmental edits: Deborah Nemeth
Line Edits: Joan Nichols
Digital Formatting: LK Campbell
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.
ISBN: 978-1-928044-43-7
Table Of Contents
ABOUT THE BOOK
DEDICATION
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Dear Reader
Excerpt from Lethal Protector
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COMPLETE BOOKLIST
ABOUT THE BOOK
It’s Christmas in Charleston.
Luke and Emily Hutchinson are hosting the entire crew at their home in Charleston’s historic district for an early Christmas celebration. It’s the first time they’ve all been together since Em was captured and Luke almost died taking down his nemesis in Beirut a year ago, and everyone is looking forward to sharing some Christmas magic together. Except one of them has unknowingly brought a deadly threat to their doorstep.
But evil doesn’t take holidays.
When a shocking threat suddenly shatters the calm, Luke and his team must risk everything to save two of their own. And when the rescue attempt goes wrong, the consequences are more costly than they ever could have imagined.
*Note: This book is a follow-up to the Suspense Series and is not meant to be read as a standalone*
DEDICATION
For all my readers who love Christmas stories and the Suspense Series crew! Wishing you all a magical holiday season after an extremely tough year, and here’s hoping 2021 will be much kinder to us all.
Kaylea
AUTHOR’S NOTE
It’s been a long time coming, but I’m thrilled to finally bring you a follow-up story for Luke Hutchinson and crew! You all know he’s my favorite (but shhh, don’t tell the other heroes—I don’t want to hurt their feelings), so it was lovely to spend time with him and the others again. I hope you enjoy it.
Also, because of Christa you’ll see a reference to women’s softball being included in the Summer Olympics in this book. At the time I’m writing this, softball was to be included in the Olympic Summer Games held in Tokyo, July 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games have now been rescheduled for July 2021. I’m supposed to be attending the softball event there as a guest of Team Canada, so we’ll have to see how everything shakes out over the next year.
Happy reading,
Kaylea
Chapter One
Emily Hutchinson grasped her husband’s hand tightly as they stepped out of the clinic into the pleasantly cool December afternoon air. A blanket of cloud obscured the sun, and the breeze had the edge of a bite to it, not unusual for Christmastime in Charleston.
Neither of them said anything on the way to the parking lot, each of them caught up in their own heads, and right now hers was whirling like a tornado. Anxiety burned the pit of her stomach like battery acid, threatening to burn a hole through it.
Her doctor had called last week to say that her blood work had come back abnormal, and had scheduled all the follow-up tests for today. Now they were done, and all Emily could do was wait to find out what was happening.
Luke opened the SUV door for her, grim-faced and jaw tight, the gray light catching on the silver in his stubble. Even in his fifties he was still the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen.
She slid into the passenger seat without looking at him, afraid to in case it made her burst into tears, and ordered herself to get a grip on her fear. Luke was her rock and the strongest man she knew, but she was his weak point. She had to hold it together for his sake, put on a brave face through whatever came next.
She took a deep, slow breath while he went around to the driver’s side, pushing down the bubble of panic rising inside her. Calm down. You don’t know what it means yet.
But damn, she’d been doing so well. She’d been feeling so great, if a little tired and not having much of an appetite lately, though that was to be expected with everything she’d been doing to prepare for this week.
This cruel disease had taken so much from her already. Including her uterus and right breast. Tormenting her with all the side-effects from the chemo and radiation, the months of fear and uncertainty. The ever-present fear that it would come back.
Now it seemed it wanted even more.
You can’t have any more of me, she told it, a hard seed of anger beginning to take root deep inside. I won’t let you.
Luke slid into the driver’s seat and closed his door, shutting the two of them in and the rest of the world out. She pretended to busy herself with finding something in her purse, not quite having herself together yet, then a big hand gently captured her jaw and turned her face toward him.
She swallowed, a spurt of anguish shooting through her as she stared into those intense, dark-chocolate eyes.
“We’re going to face this and whatever else comes, together. Hear me?” His voice was low. Full of resolve. “One day at a time, sunshine. We take each day as it comes.”
In other words, don’t leap ahead and think of all the terrible things that could be coming down the road. Which she’d already done, the instant she’d gotten that initial call from the doctor, and kept circling back to every day since. How could she not? Having been a nurse almost made it worse. She knew the odds, and they weren’t in her favor.
She nodded and forced a smile, ignoring the sting at the backs of her eyes. More than anything she wanted to burrow into him and hide in his protective arms. But even Luke, with all his strength and formidable skills, couldn’t protect her from this.
Knowing what was coming made it so much worse, because she’d already been through it all before. The only blessing was at least this time she would have him by her side through whatever came next, and have him to lean on during the times when it all became too much.
“Yeah,” she whispered, her voice slightly rough. “And just in case I don’t say it enough, I really love you, you know.”
Raw anguish flashed in his eyes for an instant before he masked it with his usual strong front. “I know. And I’ll love you forever.”
I know. She gave him another smile and gently pulled from his grasp, clearing her throat as she faced forward once again, determined to focus on something other than the fear that her cancer had returned.
Thankfully, she had something happy to look forward to right now. “We’d better get going, their flight just landed a few minutes ago.”
Luke started the engine and drove out of the parking lot without another word. She punched a button on th
e dash to activate the radio, needing some kind of background noise to fill the silence. She had about twenty minutes to mentally shift gears before they reached the airport, northwest of the city.
Except… “Don’t say anything to Rayne and Christa, okay? I want this to be a happy, stress-free visit for everyone, and I don’t want them to worry. I’ve been looking forward to this for months.”
He nodded once. “All right.”
“Thank you.” Dwelling on the future was pointless at the moment, she told herself. They didn’t even know what they were facing yet, and wouldn’t until these new test results came back. It was also possible that everything would be fine.
But it’s never been fine before, has it? that insidious little voice in her mind whispered.
She blocked it from long practice and instead concentrated on the upcoming reunion. Their son and daughter-in-law had flown down from Vancouver to spend the holidays with them, and the rest of their guests were due in tomorrow so they could all have an early Christmas celebration together—a mix of friends and Luke’s colleagues who had become part of the family.
It was the first time they’d all been together since Rayne and Christa’s wedding last November, and that harrowing time in Beirut when Luke had almost died saving her from the clutches of Tehrazzi early this year.
As terrifying as the ordeal had been, that fateful mission had changed her entire life for the better. Against all odds it had brought Luke back to her, and he’d never wavered in his support of love in the year since.
She no longer feared he would leave again. She trusted that he would stay with her through everything, to the end.
Thankfully, traffic was light and they made it to the airport in good time. Now that she’d made up her mind to put her health worries aside, excitement bubbled inside her, pushing away the lingering fear as she took Luke’s hand and walked toward the terminal.
With all the people she loved best in the world about to be staying in their home, she had lots to occupy her mind and keep her busy. This was her favorite time of year. She wasn’t going to let anything spoil it.
The arrivals terminal seemed busier than normal; no surprise given it was just a few days before Christmas. “Do you see them?”
“Not yet.” Luke wrapped a solid arm around her shoulders and squeezed, and even though he didn’t say anything else, she could hear his silent message. I’m here for you. It’s gonna be okay, Em.
She hoped so. Either way, she was going to soak up every single moment of joy these next few days brought, and all the days she had left.
“There they are.”
She pushed onto her tiptoes to see over the crowd flowing around them outside baggage claim, then gasped, her heart flooding. A giant smile spread across her face as she broke away from Luke, her feet already carrying her toward her son. “You’re here!” she cried.
Rayne and Christa both looked up, their faces brightening. It still amazed her how much he looked like his father, except for his hazel eyes.
She rushed toward them, earning laughs as she flung herself into her son’s waiting arms. Rayne caught her with a chuckle and hugged her tight. “Hey there, gorgeous.”
Emily returned the embrace. Ohhh, she’d missed him. So much. They’d gone way too long between visits, almost seven months this time. “Hi. I’m so glad you’re here.” She pressed her face to his muscled shoulder and hugged him until her arms ached.
“Hey, save some of that for me,” Christa said next to him in her adorable western-Canadian accent.
Emily let go of Rayne and reached for her daughter-in-law. “Don’t worry, I’ve still got some juice left in these arms.” She hugged Christa, her heart squeezing at the younger woman’s genuine warmth. She’d fit into their family perfectly, and Emily couldn’t imagine a better, more down-to-earth woman for her son. “I’m so glad you’re here too.”
“So am I. I can’t wait to spend Christmas with you guys.” Christa rubbed her back gently, then pulled away to smile at her, her aquamarine eyes sweeping over Emily’s face. “You look so great.”
“Well, thank you.” But I’m still here, that awful voice whispered out of nowhere. Spreading inside you. You can’t stop me.
She ruthlessly shoved it away. She was done with being a victim, and had too much to live for. If this stupid disease wanted her, it would have to fight her to the bitter end.
She hooked an arm around Rayne’s waist, leaning her head on his shoulder while Christa hugged Luke. Luke was still a little stiff about it, but getting better. It always amused her to see how awkward he was at hugging other people when he was so incredibly affectionate and comfortable with her.
“Y’all ready to get back to the house and have some good old Lowcountry cooking?” Emily asked. She’d made all Rayne’s favorites, and things she knew Christa liked as well.
“She’s been cooking for days,” Luke said.
“So ready,” Christa answered, allowing Luke to take her suitcase. She came to stand on Emily’s other side and linked their arms. “Rayne’s been wondering if you made him coconut cake. Because lord knows I’ve tried to make it enough times, but apparently it’s not the same or as good as when you make it—even though I use the recipe you gave me.” She shot her husband a censuring look.
Emily peered up at her son as he grinned at her and shrugged. “No one makes it like you,” he said.
“Flatterer,” she said with an easy smile. She adored him and they had a special bond she treasured.
“So, when’s everyone else due in?” he asked as they neared the exit to the terminal.
“Two tonight, and the rest tomorrow,” she answered, hardly able to believe the time was finally here. This was going to be such a wonderful few days, all of them together, safe and under one roof. “And I can’t wait.”
****
Lieutenant Declan McCabe hunkered down on one knee in the darkness of the desert night and used hand signals to direct his SEALs into position around the target building. It was oh-two-hundred hours, and the village was silent.
They’d taken out two sentries guarding the entrance at the main gate earlier, and so far, no one else had raised the alarm. No one knew they were here, but that was about to change.
Especially for the target hiding inside this house they had come to capture.
His men stacked up in formation beside the door they were about to infiltrate. The latest intel on their target had come from a reliable HUMINT source just hours ago, guaranteeing that the elusive Said Kader would be here. But the timeline was tight. Dec and his men had less than an hour to capture him and get him back to base.
After checking the perimeter one last time and making sure there were no booby traps, Dec gave the signal for the breach. The first man in line blew the lock on the door and kicked it in. The rest of the eight-man team poured through it, Dec going last while two more of his men stood guard outside. All other members of the platoon were positioned around the village to provide security and recon.
Faint ambient light coming through the barred windows of the house made his NVGs paint everything in bright green as they swept the rooms. “Clear,” he whispered when they’d checked the lower floor and found it empty.
They started up the stairs. Dec went second to last, ready to fire at any moment. The final member stayed at the bottom of the steps to guard their six. Kader was the CIA’s current number one high value target. Deadly as they came, and trained by the same agency that now wanted him captured.
The first two bedrooms upstairs were empty. So was the bathroom.
Only the master bedroom at the end of the hall remained.
He locked his gaze on the door as his men approached it. When everyone was ready, he gave the signal. “Go.”
They burst into the room. Fanned out to cover the corners.
There was no one there. Not a single person in the entire fucking house.
“Clear,” he said, tamping down his irritation. Dammit. They’d been sure Kader was he
re. What the hell had happened?
He radioed HQ to give them his report. No joy. Premises empty, no sign of target.
“Roger that, Falcon Two. Return to base,” the person on the other end said.
He turned to his men, hiding his frustration. They’d been hunting Kader for five weeks now. Twice before they’d executed ops to try and capture him. Now they’d come up short again, when they’d been closer to finding him than ever. Something wasn’t adding up. They were being fed bad intel. “We’re outta here, boys.”
They went back out into the dark night air, joined up with the rest of the platoon and humped it the mile-and-a-half to the LZ to await their ride to base. The distant sound of the rotors reached them long before the silhouette of the approaching Chinook broke through the cloud deck.
Dec waited on one knee with his platoon while the massive helo landed, then directed them toward the tail ramp. The clock on this mission had run out. Their search for Kader was at a dead end.
But that wasn’t his problem anymore. Because three hours from now, Dec and his guys would be wheels up for the long flight back Stateside.
Frustrated as he was about failing to nail Kader, he was very much looking forward to surprising his wife when he showed up at Luke Hutchinson’s door in Charleston about twenty hours from now.
****
Joe stepped into the light and folded his arms, standing only a few feet from the prisoner strapped to the chair. The man had already undergone twenty-one hours of captivity and interrogation. He hadn’t broken yet.
That was why Joe was here in person. He had too much riding on this to leave it to anyone else.
“Where is it?” he asked the prisoner softly, his breath misting in the cold air as the words were absorbed by the thick concrete walls. They were fifty feet below ground here in this abandoned, secret Cold War era facility where high value prisoners to the Agency had once been held.
