Page 1 of SEAL's Promise

CHAPTER ONE

An explosion obliterated the hushed silence of night in Antigua, Mexico. The building shuddered, throwing Rachelle Carter to her hands and knees. Popping sounds rose from the street below the five-star hotel, and a strange orange glow lit the darkness.

Amy Morales, daughter of the US ambassador to Mexico, staggered to the window and peered outside. She gasped. “An army of men is firing guns. Is this a coup?”

Heart slamming against her ribcage, Rachelle stood and said, “Get away from the window. You’re making yourself a target.”

A hard rap on the door. “Amy, open up.”

She flung open the door to admit a member of her security detail. “What’s happening, Tim?”

“Terrorist attack. We have to evacuate you and Rachelle.”

Amy shook her head. “We’ll be safe here if we barricade the suite door until help comes.”

“Help isn’t coming. The city government and law enforcement will have their hands full rescuing hotel guests and fighting armed thugs shooting everyone in sight, including first responders.”

“We can wait until the men are gone.”

“You’re a high-value target. Terrorists would love to post your picture as the latest prize in the war against the US.”

Rachelle tugged Amy toward the bedroom. “How long do we have, Tim?”

“Two minutes. Faster is better.”

“What are we doing?” Amy asked as Rachelle nudged her friend inside her bedroom.

“Change into clothes you can run in. Hurry. Every second of delay endangers us and your security detail.” She hurried to her own room.

Rachelle yanked on a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt. She slid her feet into running shoes, snagged her visa and money along with a black waterproof hooded jacket, and shoved them into her lightweight backpack. A suitcase would slow her down and speed was critical. The possibility of being in the middle of a terrorist attack had been the furthest thing from her mind when she’d agreed to spend the week with her best friend from college.

She raced back to the living room. Tim scanned her from head to foot and nodded in approval.

Not sure what might lie ahead, Rachelle added protein bars and three bottles of water to her pack as well as sunscreen. She slid her satellite phone into her pocket, grateful her boss at Fortress Security had insisted she take the phone in case of emergency. A terrorist attack definitely qualified as an emergency. If she and the others failed to escape the hotel, she’d call Fortress.

Gunfire continued to echo in the night. Shouts and screams added to the cacophony of sound rising in an ever-growing tidal wave of terror. To her left, the balcony door shattered.

Tim swore viciously. In a crouch, he sprinted toward Amy’s room and threw open the door. “Time to go.”

“I’m not ready,” she protested. “I haven’t packed my bags yet.”

“No time.” He tugged Amy into the living room. “We can’t wait. The shots aren’t just in the street. The terrorists are inside the hotel. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be shipped home in body bags.”

Rachelle shrugged on her pack and handed Amy her purse. “Come on. Your belongings are replaceable. You aren’t.”

Tim motioned for them to stay in place and opened the door to the suite.

Eric, his partner, glanced over his shoulder. “They’re two, maybe three floors away.”

Amy darted into the hallway and headed for the elevator. “Let’s get out of here.”

Eric caught her arm and tugged her back to his side. “No elevators.”

She scowled. “Why not?”

“They’re metal coffins.”

Rachelle swallowed hard. No exit. Fortress operatives hated to ride elevators. Terrorists could wait until the elevator doors slid open, then spray bullets into the interior. The occupants would have no place to hide from the deadly projectiles. “Stairs?”

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