Page 8 of Shadow Blind

According to Dipshit Dawson, Karaveht was small. Only two hundred and fifty souls called it home. It seemed odd that Kuznetsov had set up shop there. For fuck’s sake, the place didn’t even have internet, or electricity. Gasoline generators powered what electrical resources they had. But perhaps that was the point. Who’d expect high-tech military arms for sale in such a low-tech place?

“You’re looking for the schematics and prototypes of the A7V02 Drone. Be advised that Grigory Kuznetsov and his men have access to the deadliest weapons available,” Dwight Dawson droned on.

Aiden scoffed beneath his breath. What the fuck? Did the bastard really think they’d underestimate one of the most prolific arms dealers in the world? News flash, he and his brothers never underestimated their targets.

“Once you’ve neutralized Kuznetsov and his men, search the target’s dwelling. Remove any prototypes, schematics, and hard drives.”

Aiden rolled his eyes. They’d been doing retrieval ops for years. Nobody had to tell them how to do their damn jobs.

“Who has the AN-M14 grenades?”

Grub, the squad’s explosives technician, raised his hand and offered a two-finger wave. “Checked out five of ‘em.”

“Five? One is overkill in this case,” the spook said.

Grub shrugged. “Could be all sorts of shit that needs incinerating once we’re on site.”

Truer words had never been spoken. It was best not to assume the intel gathered for this op painted the entire picture.

“Questions?” The spook glanced at his watch.

“Yeah, what’s with the continuous video feed?” Aiden split his questioning look between the spook and Trevor Montana, his Lieutenant Commander.

Hannah Montana, as they called him behind his back, was a tier one prick, more concerned with toeing the company line than sticking up for the men beneath his command. Zane Winters, his previous CO, was by far the better man. But then, his loyalty and morality led to his downfall.

“The camera feed is a direct order from WARCOM.” Montana shrugged. “It’s a thinner, lighter camera with a longer battery life. They’re testing its durability and battery charge in the field.”

Aiden shook his head in disgust. The standard cameras worked perfectly fine. What a waste of time and money. Should have known the order came directly from NAVSPECWARCOM or WARCOM for short. At least he wouldn’t be the one slogging through hours of snow crusted desert and wintery skies.

Chapter four

Day 2

Karaveht, Tajikistan

They were still two klicks from Karaveht when Aiden’s get-the-fuck-out-now alarm started screaming. It wasn’t a premonition, at least not like the ones Wolf got. It was more like a feeling that something was wrong…or about to go wrong.

His breath steaming from the mesh mouthpiece of his balaclava, Aiden stopped to scan the jagged peaks surrounding them. Their target was just over the next rise. The scrubby, snow-crusted terrain surrounding them was a luminous green beneath his NVDs and cold weather goggles. No furtive movements up ahead. No shimmer of metal as snipers lined up their shots. The steep, rocky hill above them looked barren. No sign of a welcome party. No sign anyone was out and about.

What the hell was he picking up on?

The night huddled around them—hushed and still. Even the tread of their boots against the snow crusted path sounded muted, instead of crunchy. That was when it clicked. The night was too quiet. Unnaturally so.

“Alpha One, problem?” Grub’s question was a flat growl through Aiden’s comm. They all knew voices carried in the cold, crisp air.

“Possibly,” Aiden said in a toneless whisper. “Anyone getting the willies?”

A pause traveled the line, followed by Montana’s cool response. “Alpha One? What’s the problem?”

Aiden scanned the hills again. Still no signs of life. No indication of an ambush.

“Alpha One.” Montana’s voice again, this time with a hint of impatience. “Is there a problem?

Aiden frowned. The prickle down his spine sure thought so. But his eyes saw nothing concerning. “Unclear.”

“Target is over the rise. Two klicks away,” said Dawson.

“Copy that.” Aiden scanned the hills again. His internal danger alarm was getting louder and more insistent. “Any new SAT intel?”

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