Operation Bravo

by Stormy Glenn

  

  Geek Squad 4

  Operation Bravo

  [The Stormy Glenn ManLove Collection: Alternative, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, MM, HEA]

  When I received a phone call with the Geek Squad panic code, I had no idea what had happened. I just knew I needed to disappear and get to my friend's house as quickly as possible without leaving a trail for someone to follow.

  That wasn't as easy as it sounded, especially when Corporal Jack McDermott shows up and starts ordering me around. The sexy as sin Marine had been rubbing me wrong since the moment we met. It seemed only fair to give him back some of the gruff he was giving me. I had no idea my snark was the way to Jack's heart.

  But loving Jack and keeping him is a lot harder than I'd anticipated, especially when Jack swears he's not gay and someone else decides I was easy pickings. Even after telling Jack to go to hell, the danger to my life and my heart isn't over. Someone wants information, and they are willing to kill to get it.

  Length: Number 31,000

  OPERATION BRAVO

  Geek Squad 4

  Stormy Glenn

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Operation Bravo

  Copyright © 2019 by Stormy Glenn

  ISBN: 978-1-64637-045-0

  First Publication: November 2019

  Cover design by Meg Bawden

  All art and logo copyright © 2019 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Stormy believes the only thing sexier than a man in cowboy boots is two or three men in cowboy boots. She also believes in love at first sight, soul mates, true love, and happy endings.

  You can usually find her cuddled in bed with a book in her hand and a puppy in her lap, or on her laptop, creating the next sexy man for one of her stories. Stormy welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website at www.stormyglenn.com.

  For all titles by Stormy Glenn, please visit

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  OPERATION BRAVO

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  OPERATION BRAVO

  Geek Squad 4

  STORMY GLENN

  Copyright © 2019

  Chapter One

  I glanced up when the door opened. It wasn't often people interrupted Professor Kilpatrick's physics class. No one was brave enough.

  Or stupid enough.

  My curiosity was burning right along with everyone else's. A cold dread started to take hold of me when the man who entered the classroom walked up to the professor and whispered in his ear. A moment later, both their gazes landed on me.

  "Mr. Hayashi, you have a phone call."

  My eyebrows rose of their own volition. "I have a phone call?"

  I hadn't felt my cell phone vibrate. When I pulled it out, it didn't show that I'd received any phone calls. Not even a text message.

  "You can take it in the dean's office."

  That cold dread in my stomach turned to a knot of trepidation. I stood and grabbed my book bag, shoving all my notes and my tablet inside. I flipped the top closed then scooted past the other students so I could get out.

  I could feel the eyes of pretty much every student in the room on me, not to mention the disapproving glare of my professor.

  I didn't care.

  I was pretty sure any of my friends would have simply called my cell phone, which left my parents. I was terrified something had happened to my parents.

  I didn't wait for the guy who'd come to the classroom for me. I raced through the hallway toward the dean's office. I was running by the time I reached the office. I slowed just as I got to the door and took a deep breath to calm myself.

  It didn't work.

  My heart was pounding a million miles a minute as I pushed the door open and stepped inside. I plastered a smile on my face as I approached the receptionist's desk. It wouldn't do to piss off any of the people in this office, not if I wanted to graduate.

  "Hello, I'm Kaito Hayashi. I was told there is a phone call for me?"

  The woman frowned, giving me the same disapproving glare my professor had. Apparently, they didn't like receiving phone calls for students. She pointed to a phone sitting on a side table. "You can take it there. Just press one."

  My heart clogged my throat as I walked over and picked up the phone, connecting the call. "Hello?"

  "Black hole!"

  I recognized the urgent voice as Ian Traver's, one of my best friends. There was only one reason he would be calling me on a land line instead of my cell phone, and only one reason he would nearly shout out what he did.

  The world had just gone to hell.

  As Ian always said, the term "black hole" was an odd one, but we weren’t geeks for nothing. If you knew you were headed for a black hole and you were about to die, what would you do?

  Geeks ran for their lives.

  "Understood," I replied.

  The line went dead.

  I hung up and pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. I pulled the SIM card out then dropped it onto the floor and slammed my foot down on it. I did the same for my tablet, except I didn't smash it. I had a better plan.

  I nodded to the receptionist, who's frown had deepened as she watched me, as I passed her and walked out into the corridor. I found the nearest trashcan and dropped my phone and bag into it. I hated giving them up, but I had no choice. Nothing that could be traced could go with me.

  I walked across the campus to where the dorms were located. They weren't MIT-sanctioned dorms. Just the apartments closest to the campus, like right on the same street as the campus, which was why everyone referred to them as the dorms.

  I used the staircase to reach tenth floor then walked down the hallway and knocked on one of the dorm room doors. A big beefy football player goon answered the door, rubbing his eyes as if he'd been asleep.

  "Oh hey, man, did we have a tutoring appointment?"

  "I need my bag."

  "Yeah, sure." The guy stepped back, allowing me to enter the room he shared with another football player. I tutored them both. He walked to his bed then reached down and pulled a bag out from underneath of it.

  I took the bag and unzipped it, quickly checking through it to make sure everything was still there, not that I doubted it would be. Craig Thomas might have needed some help gettin
g his chemistry grade up, but he wasn't a bad guy. He'd eagerly agreed to hold on to my bag for me until I needed it in exchange for a deal on me tutoring him.

  Once I was assured everything was inside, I zipped it closed. It was a small bag, about the size of a man's shaving kit. Just big enough to hold the items I would need to disappear.

  I pulled my wallet out of my pocket and fished two hundred-dollar bills out. I held them out to Craig. "I was never here. You never kept a bag for me. Understood?"

  Craig's eyes widened. "You don't have to do that, dude. We had a deal."

  That was one of the reasons I liked Craig. He was an honest goon. "Take it, go have some fun with your buddies." I handed him the tablet. "If you get a SIM card for this, you can have it, too."

  Craig frowned as he took the tablet, then eyed me. "You're not in trouble, are you?"

  "No. I got a new tablet, which is why I kept the SIM card, but I remember you telling me you didn't have one."

  "A SIM card?"

  I smiled. "It's like the key to the brains of the tablet. You can get one down at a computer store. There's one down by the campus library."

  "Cool, man. Thanks." Craig was smiling as he looked the tablet over. "You sure you don't need it?"

  "I'm good. I got a new one, remember?" At least, I would be getting a new one after this. For right now, nothing electronic would be going with me. "I'm headed out to visit my cousin for a couple of days, but we'll touch base when I get back." I shook a finger at him. "Don't forget to study."

  "I hear ya, man." Craig chuckled. "My coach is already thrilled with the new grades."

  I'm sure he was. Unless Craig kept his grades up, he'd be kicked off the football team. That was one of the reasons I'd been tutoring him.

  After leaving Craig's dorm room, I caught the first public transit bus I could find. It didn't really matter where it was headed, just as long as it was away from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus.

  When I spotted a secondhand shop, I pulled the bell to let the bus driver know I needed off at the next stop. I know buying another set of clothes seemed like overkill, but I was a paranoid bastard. Nothing would be going with me today. Not my cell phone, tablet, or even the clothes on my back.

  I found a nice pair of faded jeans, a dark blue Henley shirt, a pair of brown boots, and an army-green hip length canvas jacket with matching woolen cap. I quickly changed in the fitting room then went out and paid for my clothes.

  I stuffed everything I would need to take with me into my pockets then donated what I had been wearing and walked out the door. I caught the next bus going by. I rode around for about a half hour before getting off and making my way to the subway.

  I took taxis from one subway station to another and took busses to taxi stands then back again. I switched between modes of transportation several times, taking it one direction then another until I had been all over the city. I moved all around town, slowly making my way west, until anyone who might have been following me had either lost interest or lost me.

  It was dark by the time I reached the edge of town. I had a taxi drop me off at a truck stop next to the freeway. I walked inside and found a booth then ordered a coffee. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be here before I found the right driver to take me on the next leg of my trip.

  Getting out of town was my top priority. I hated leaving everything behind, but I had no choice. I still didn't know why Ian had sent out an alert and wouldn't until I could find a place to buy a burner phone or reached the house Ian shared with Hank Moore.

  I rubbed my temple. My head was throbbing. I knew it was because I didn't know what kind of danger I was in. With the way things had been going lately for the members of the geek squad, it could be anything. Between kidnappings, jungle juice, and psychotic rich collectors, our lives were not boring.

  Just once, I wished my life was as boring as shit.

  "Can I get you anything else, honey?"

  I smiled at the waitress, noting that her name tag said Darla. "I'm working my way west to visit my cousin. Do you know of any drivers who'd be willing to take me that way? I can pay them for gas."

  "You need to talk to Charlie, honey. He's the only one I'd trust to drive me anywhere."

  "Is he here?"

  "Yep, drove in about a half hour ago. Once he gets Bertie settled, he'll be in. I'll send him on over your way."

  "Thank you so much. I'd really appreciate it."

  She had no idea how much I'd appreciate it.

  Finding a ride with a trucker was an iffy thing at best. I had several major marks against me. I was not a white man, I was young, and I was gay. I was also carrying a large amount of cash, although no one except me knew that.

  I hoped.

  When the waitress passed by my table, I flagged her down and asked where the bathroom was located. She pointed to a hallway near the front door. I asked for a refill on coffee then got up and walked to the bathroom.

  I walked down the hallway to the bathroom then into one of two stalls in the place. I finished my business as quickly as I could, not wanting to miss Charlie, then walked out of the stall to wash my hands.

  I glanced into the mirror when the other stall opened, and a rather robust man with a beard walked out. I nodded to him when his eyes met mine in the mirror then went back to what I was doing.

  "You the kid waiting for a ride?" the man asked as he washed his hands.

  I glanced up in surprise. "Yes. Are you Charlie?"

  "Hell, no, but don't expect anything but a bad time if you hook up with those two."

  I swallowed tightly. "Those two?"

  "Charlie and Darla. They've been scamming people for years, usually stupid kids trying to hitch a ride." The man glanced me up and down, his upper lip curling back in a sneer. "Like you."

  Well, that put a damper on my plans.

  "I have to get west," I insisted. "It's a matter of life or death."

  Mine.

  "You catch a ride with Charlie, you won't make it past the first weigh station." The man didn't say anything more. He just dried his hands off, tossed the paper towel in the garbage, then walked out of the bathroom.

  I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. I really needed that ride, but involving this Charlie guy wasn't sounding so hot. Of course, the guy with the beard could have been lying through his teeth. If so, I had to wonder what his game was. Did he think I'd ask him for a ride?

  I decided it was better if I just cut my losses and find another way west. I couldn't rent a car because I'd be found out if anyone did a search on me. Flying or riding a bus were out as well. That didn't leave me too many options.

  When I walked out of the bathroom, I admit my paranoia was running rampant. I saw the man who'd talked to me in the bathroom sitting at the counter drinking coffee. He was avoiding looking at me. He obviously didn't want anyone to know he'd talked to me.

  I ignored him as I walked back to my booth. I tossed a couple of dollars down on the table for the coffee then headed for the main door.

  "Taking off, honey?" the waitress asked. "I thought you wanted to meet up with Charlie."

  "I just can't wait anymore. I've got to get going." I smiled at the lady, hoping she was buying my story. "But thanks."

  "Charlie won't be long." She shot a quick look at the other people in the diner before leaning close. "Honey, it's not safe out there. You should really wait for Charlie."

  I laid my hand on her arm, giving her a little pat. Despite what the man said in the bathroom, I liked her. "I'll be okay, ma'am. I'm pretty scrappy if anyone tries anything."

  I had claws and teeth and everything.

  She shot the guys at the counter another quick look before grabbing my wrist. "Why don't you stick around for another cup of coffee? I'll toss in a piece of pie for free."

  Either she wanted me to wait around for Charlie or she was afraid for me to go outside. Maybe both. I couldn't decide which. And my kitty senses weren't helping at all. The fragra
nces wafting out of the kitchen had my cat on overdrive.

  I decided that leaving was still my best option. I just wanted to get away from whatever was going on here. I had enough chaos on my plate. I didn't need to add to it, no matter how good the scents from the kitchen smelled.

  I smiled at the waitress as I patted her hand. "Thank you anyway, but I really need to get going."

  "Oh, but—"

  I pulled away and started for the door before she could say anything more. I wasn't sure where I was going from here. Maybe I'd sneak into the woods and shift. I could probably cover more ground that way, and at least my clothes would stay dry.

  I still didn't understand how my clothes came back when I went from my ocelot form to human form. It just didn't make sense to me, but it was better than being naked when I shifted back. I had a great ass, but I didn't want it hanging out for everyone to see.

  Well, there was one person I wouldn't mind admiring it, but that would never happen. I was pretty sure the guy thought I was a waste of space. Corporal Jack McDermott never gave me the time of day unless forced to by his commander. It was really too bad. I could have rocked his world.

  Ah, well. I'd never chase after a guy who wasn't interested in me. I wasn't that hard up for a date. Unlike Danny, who had barely ever left his house before meeting his fiancé, Abe Sesay, I went out all the time. I felt that life was a mixture of hard work and a good time.

  I didn't think I was wrong.

  Chapter Two

  I gasped as a hand slapped over my mouth and an arm wrapped around my waist. Before I could protest or fight back, I was pulled into the shadows between two semi trucks. I raised my arm, intent on driving my elbow into whoever was behind me, when my ocelot sat up deep inside of me and meowed.

  What the hell?

  "Quiet," someone whispered. "They're looking for you, and there's too many of them to fight off."