Shadow in the Mountain (Shadow SEALs)

by KaLyn Cooper

  Before he could stop himself, Ryker asked, “Who do you work for?”

  “I can’t tell you that. What you need to know is that I’m on your side. I know everything that happened to the two of you and the rest of your team. I’d like to hire you for a top-secret job.” Charley certainly didn’t sound desperate for their talents.

  “Hire us?” Ajax leaned forward, palms on the table. “Why would we want to work for you? We know nothing about you, and frankly, right now, I’m two seconds from pulling the phone cord out of the wall and leaving this room. So, you better give us some answers fast before I lose my cool.”

  The woman on the other end of the line let out a heavy sigh. “The reason you’re going to take me up on my offer is because I’m going to make you a deal you can’t refuse. I need you to go back into Ethiopia and rescue the rest of your team.”

  Ajax sucked in a gasp of air as he glanced at Ryker. “You’re telling me the rest of our guys are still in fucking Ethiopia?”

  “Yes. My intel suggests they’re alive. I’m still gathering data about their specific location, but I’m expecting to make contact with my source so we can get this ball rolling in two weeks.”

  One glance at Ajax and they were both thinking the same thing. This was insane. How could they possibly trust this woman?

  “Who are you?” Ajax pressed.

  “You can call me Charley. Beyond that, I can’t tell you.”

  Ajax jerked his gaze towards Serena. “My partner and I could easily overtake this woman you sent and force her to talk.”

  The demure woman gasped and took a step back.

  Once again, Charley sighed. “She knows nothing. It won’t do you any good.” The temperature in the room seemed to instantly lower. “Listen to me,” Charley snapped. “I know everything that happened to you. More than either of you know. You were on a mission. You had the green light. You surrounded the target, and then you closed in. There was an explosion. The building blew to rubble. The two of you were knocked off your feet and thrown backward, landing hard in the street several yards from where you’d been standing. You were both knocked unconscious in the blast.”

  “Why on earth was I told the entire team was dead and I was the lone survivor?” Ajax insisted.

  It was a long minute before Charley answered. “Because someone higher up the food chain needed to cover their own ass.”

  Ajax shoved off the table and took a few steps back, leaning against the wall for support. “How do you know all this?”

  “I have my ways.”

  The more Ryker listened to the all-knowing, ominous voice on the other end of the phone, the less he liked what he was hearing. Spooks. The shadow world. Bits and pieces of information siphoned through intelligence analysts who piece together a puzzle. If they are wrong, special operators lose their lives…or get captured.

  Ryker put the pieces together in a way that made sense to him. “What happened to the rest of the team if they didn’t die in the explosion?”

  “No one was in that rubble.” Charley went on to explain, “None of you had breached the building yet. You two were the only ones knocked unconscious. Everyone else was taken hostage in the ambush. Your backup team was moving in so fast the rebels had no choice but to evacuate and leave your bodies behind, believing you were dead.”

  “Unbelievable,” Ajax murmured.

  This is insane. Ryker shook his head slowly left to right. He’d been close to insanity, overwhelmed with grief and survivor’s guilt. He glanced to Ajax just to make sure this wasn’t a dream. He grinned, smelling the remnants of alcohol evaporating from his brother’s saturated pores.

  “I agree.” The woman on the other end of the line went on to explain, “Whoever fucked up this mission went to a lot of trouble to clean up after themselves.”

  “Do you know who did this to us?” Ajax asked the question before Ryker could.

  “No, but believe me, I’m working on it. In the meantime, I’m hiring the two of you to go back to Ethiopia and rescue your team.” On Charley’s cue, Serena set two manilla folders onto the table, easing one toward each man. A phoenix stared back at him as though the ancient Egyptian bird could see all the way to his damaged soul...daring him to look inside.

  Ryker tore into his.

  Holy fucking shit. He whistled through his teeth. “That’s a lot of money.”

  “Yes. Your unique skills, not to mention motivation, make you worth every dime.” Charley must have seriously wanted the two of them.

  “You realize we’ve been discharged. We no longer work for the U.S. Navy. Who exactly is it that’s paying the bills?” Ajax seemed to have his head in the game. Good thing. Ryker still hadn’t gotten past all those zeroes beyond the dollar sign.

  “Me.” The female voice clipped without hesitation.

  Ryker hoped Charley was a billionaire. Bankrolling a rescue operation wasn’t cheap. “And you aren’t going to tell us who the hell you are.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “No. It’s safer this way.”

  Ajax chuckled. “For us or for you?”

  “Yes.”

  Ryker groaned. This circular conversation was making him dizzy.

  Ajax turned to look at him, lifting a brow. His silent question screamed in Ryker’s mind…in or out?

  “Fuck,” Ryker said on a sigh. Of course, he was going to go back and rescue their teammates. The fact this woman was willing to foot the bill made the decision easy.

  “What’s the plan?” Ajax stared at the phone.

  “Pull your shit together, lay off the cookies and beer, and be prepared to travel in two weeks.” At Charley’s chastisement, Ryker looked down where his belly overlapped his belt. He had grown fond of Mom’s chocolate chip peanut butter cookies washed down with a can of beer. That would end. Now.

  “How will we know where to go, what to do?” Ryker felt like he’d been left hanging out in the wind with no prior planning.

  “Serena will be traveling with you. She’ll be told when and where to meet up with my contact when you arrive in Ethiopia.”

  “What?” All three yelled at once.

  Ryker stared at the petite woman in the gray suit and spiked heels. No way in hell was he taking this tiny powder puff into enemy territory. She’d get them all killed within the first hour. “No way in hell. That’s a dealbreaker.”

  “Non-negotiable. Serena goes with you.” Charley wasn’t going to budge. It was in her voice. “I’ll overnight you the details in a few days. Plane tickets and all the information you’ll need to get started. When you arrive, you’ll stay in a hotel in Addis Ababa the first night. After that, you’ll meet up with my contact and be given further instructions.”

  Ryker slapped his hands on the table and gripped the surface with whitened fingertips. “How do you know this isn’t a trap intended to get the both of us killed so whoever fucked up this mission can wipe their hands clean of all possible loose ends?”

  Serena leaned forward and pushed the top piece of paper in the open manilla folder to the side then dealt out the next several pages as though they were playing cards.

  “Motherfucker,” Ryker heard his brother say as he grabbed the stack and flipped through them.

  “Fuck.” Ryker’s words were just above a whisper. Grainy black and white pictures were strewn across the light oak table. There was no mistaking the images of their team members. Their brother SEALs looked like shit. Three months of neglect and torture showed as much in their eyes as in their bruised and bloodied bodies.

  Charley had them both by the balls. There wasn’t a chance in hell that either of them would leave their team members to continue to suffer.

  Ryker and Ajax were headed back to Ethiopia.

  Chapter 2

  Hidden behind a rock outcropping higher up the mountain, Xena Riggs watched through her sniper scope as her men negotiated with the rebels. She easily followed their banter through the small communications device screwed into her ear. Her brows pinched
.

  The camouflaged men slid back and forth between Oromo and Amharic, the two primary languages in Ethiopia. Since Xena had spent most of her life in the African country, she was accustomed to the mixed speech.

  She just didn’t like what she was hearing.

  “Exactly what is it that you expect my boss to sell you?” Blade asked for the fifth time.

  “Helicopter,” one of the men yelled.

  Yeah, like that’s gonna happen. Not until hell freezes over.

  “Guns. Lots of guns.” One of the cadre of men surrounding her team hoisted an old Russian machine gun from the ground and shook it at the team members she’d assigned to take the lead in this portion of the mission.

  “Hand grenades.”

  “Mines.”

  Requests shot from every direction.

  “And exactly how do you expect to pay for these weapons?” Blade glanced around the makeshift camp. These paramilitary men couldn’t have collected the equivalent of ten U.S. dollars between them.

  “We have money. You don’t need to worry about that. We are well-funded.” The camp leader announced with pride.

  “What currency do you intend to use?” Yes. Blade’s getting down to serious negotiations.

  “Gold.”

  Her team member burst out laughing. Perfectly straight white teeth flashed bright as the moon in the night surrounding them. “You don’t have an ounce of gold anywhere in this camp.”

  The head rebel pulled back his fist as though to punch Blade.

  Instantly, five gun barrels pointed at the man in the tattered green T-shirt, faded jungle camouflage pants, and boots held together with duct tape.

  Xena had the man’s head in her crosshairs. “I’ve got him. Just give me the signal.” Her voice was quiet and low so as not to carry over the low scrub. She had no qualms about shooting this asshole. He was a rebel soldier fighting against the duly elected government. Their side had been angry when they lost the election two years ago, losing control of one of the most corrupt administrations in the world. In their country, power was money, a lofty lifestyle, and global recognition. The rebel party currently had none of those things.

  What they did have was something the United States of America wanted back. Or at least it would if they knew that the Navy SEALs were alive. Xena still wasn’t sure how deep the cover-up went.

  But she was the reason that six of America’s best special operatives were in captivity and two were supposedly dead.

  “Whoa.” Blade held up both hands, palms out. “Let’s take this down a few notches.” He lowered his hands in signal to the rest of their men…and her…to lower their weapons. “I’m just a salesman but I have to be sure you can pay for everything you’re ordering.”

  “The leader of the rightful regime has plenty of money. We will pay the Digger in gold.” The camp leader stepped closer to Blade and lowered his voice conspiratorially. “We have been told that is the only currency he will accept.”

  Xena knew that the Digger would take all kinds of currency, but gold was one of his favorites. The glittery metal had been used as payment from nearly the beginning of time. Tonight, though, information was worth more.

  “Gold always works with the Digger. Good choice.” Blade walked away from the other men. As expected, the camp leader followed him. When the other rebels started to move, her team brought their weapons up in warning.

  “Sometimes Digger takes payment in other forms.”

  Go, Blade. Draw him in.

  “We’re out here looking for valuable information.”

  The man nodded. “I know things. But I will never betray the true and rightful leader.”

  Xena didn’t care about him. They already knew that Kofi Tamru considered himself the duly elected prime minister and this ragtag group of dedicated followers was just one of many hiding in the mountains and deserts. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the group they were looking for.

  “Not asking you where the leader is hiding out.” Blade stepped in closer to the man. “Digger wants to know where the American soldiers are being held.”

  The camp leader stepped back three feet in one stride. “No. No. I cannot tell you. I cannot tell anyone.”

  Blade frowned dramatically as he closed the distance between them. “This information is very important to the Digger. He plans to sell the information and that money could be used to supply you with guns and ammunition. We could probably throw in a few hand grenades but we’re running low on mines these days. Depending on how accurate your information is, it could be worth a lot of money.” Blade put his arm around the small man’s shoulders and stepped a few feet farther away from the group. “Nobody needs to know that you told us.”

  Come on. Tell him. Xena mentally encouraged.

  “No.” The camp leader’s whole body shook. “He would kill me.”

  This time when Blade’s brows drew together, it was for real. “The true and rightful leader would kill you?”

  “No. His second-in-command, Nebil Yared. He has the Americans. Well, some of them. They are his to do with as he wishes.”

  Xena wasn’t positive what the man said because he whispered so low the miniature microphone in Blade’s earpiece only picked up phrases. She’d ask Blade as soon as the rest of the team made it to the rendezvous.

  Since they weren’t going to get the location of the SEALs, Blade wrapped up the fake negotiations. The second Xena saw them leave the camp, she belly-crawled to the next rocks and worked her way over the lip of the hill.

  Two miles away, on one of the few flat spots, she slid into the Italian military-style helicopter and started the warm-up checklist. As soon as her men were on board, she’d take off. After a week of sweating in the equatorial heat, they all deserved a cool shower and a cold beer. She also needed to make contact with Charley and tell her the bad news.

  Blade jumped into the open-sided helicopter and popped into the copilot seat, immediately shoving on his helmet. “Did you hear what that little scumbag said?”

  She continued down her checklist as Blade started his. Two thumps on the back of her seat indicated that everyone was safe and onboard. Glancing at her copilot, he gave her a thumbs up.

  It was time to get the hell out of these mountains.

  “Gentlemen, hang on. We’re headed home.” She cleared the top of the mountain range to cheers and didn’t spare the fuel.

  As soon as they were in clear air, her men began reporting in.

  Blade started, “Did you hear the camp leader say that Nebil Yared has the SEALs?”

  “No!” Xena cursed their comm system. Improved comm gear just got moved to the top of the Need Now list. “I only caught a few words here and there when you pulled him aside.”

  “Oh,” Jax cut in. “But he doesn’t have all of them. The Eritreans grabbed two of the SEALs.”

  “Fuck.” Now that they were separated it was going to be even harder to rescue them. Xena’s gaze swept over all the dials and gauges. Everything looked good enough to get them back home.

  “But wait. One of the men by the fire got real chatty when I offered him some of my whiskey.” Leave it to Boomer to bribe someone down the food chain. “Nebil Yared hasn’t told Kofi Tamru that he has them.”

  Xena wondered if she told Tamru that his second-in-command had helped ambush eight U.S. Navy SEALs if he would help her retrieve the American servicemen. Or if he would just order them all killed. She was too tired to think about it tonight. Her dad would have some insight and advice for her…if he was home. She’d also discuss the possibility with Charley, tomorrow.

  Just over an hour later, she touched down light as a butterfly on the designated pad. The aviation crew sprinted out to greet her with hugs and huge smiles before they rolled the chopper into the camouflaged helo hanger.

  “Daddy back yet?” Xena asked Batman, their director of aviation.

  “Not yet.” Thaddeus Bantam, who was like an uncle to her, threw his arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug as t
hey walked in step to the awaiting vehicles. “He had a lead near Gondar and went to check it out last night. I haven’t heard from him since.” He chuckled. “But I’ve heard from your mother several times today. You hadn’t better miss the party at the embassy tomorrow night. The vice president’s son is back in town.”

  “Ugh.” She groaned. “I’m really not sure who I despise more, Crawford Sutton or the ambassador’s son, Wesley Schultz. They’re both slimy frat boys who think just because I live in Ethiopia, I should be honored to fall to my knees and suck their dicks.”

  “Xena, if your mother heard you say that she’d—”

  “She’d know it was true. Mom calls Wesley the man-child. She’s thrilled she’s no longer on the embassy staff. The ambassador lets his stepson get away with everything. I think he’s afraid of what his wife would do if he disciplined her little twerp.”

  Batman burst out laughing. “I’d be afraid of that viper too.”

  Chapter 3

  Ryker had hoped that being back in Ethiopia would trigger memories of his last mission…but it hadn’t. Not one single recollection had clicked back into place as he stretched his cramped legs on the walk through immigration and customs.

  Thankfully, Ajax had chosen to sit next to Serena during the thirteen-hour flight. Obviously, the woman did something for his foster brother, but Ryker thought she was nothing more than a pain in the ass. She was far too uptight. Prim and proper. He thought she might even be a little naïve. He preferred women who knew exactly what they wanted, in bed and out. Besides, he had always preferred blondes.

  After their phone meeting with Charley, both men had gone back to the farm in Indiana where a live Ajax had scared the hell out of Mom and Dad. Once the initial shock was over, and they had explained the situation to Dad, he didn’t have any problems whipping them back into shape in the two short weeks. Being a Navy man himself, though medically retired, Frank was quite the taskmaster. They were both mentally and physically ready before flying off to Ethiopia.