Page 72 of Final Sins

Once the general, and his keepers, landed at the military field in San Diego, she’d direct them out to the amusement park. Her side controlled the battleground, but that was only one of many deciding factors in the war.

She caught Jason’s eye across the debris-strewn ground. His expression mirrored her own mix of determination and apprehension. Tomorrow would bring either their greatest victory or their worst nightmare. No way to know which until they were in too deep to turn back.

38

With less thanten minutes until the general’s arrival, Jason wiped the sweat from his forehead. His tech tee was soaked through, quick-drying cloth and all. Whoever coined the term, Hot August Nights, wasn’t kidding.

Almost 2200 hours, and the thermometer on his watch still read ninety degrees. Yowzah.

The hot night wind blasted his face as he eyed the deserted grounds. Emergency floodlights cast eerie shadows, transforming once-cheerful rides into looming specters. The Ferris wheel creaked softly in the stillness, a ghostly reminder of happier times.

“T-minus three minutes,” he murmured over comms, his heart rate picking up as adrenaline began to course through his veins. “Time to rev this thing up.”

Paige, Cody, and Liv were stationed in the vast underground parking and maintenance area that sprawled beneath the park while he and Alex and the rest of the crew waited in their assigned hiding places topside. He wished he had Mason and Graham there providing sniper cover, but knowing Bridger had extra protection at home was worth the loss.

“On it,” Gabriel announced from his workstation tucked behind the old shooting gallery.

Suddenly the park was alive with movement. Holographic versions of the team members popped out from behind rusted ticket booths and decrepit carnival games, weapons at the ready.

“Wow,” Fenn breathed, staring at one of his doppelgangers. “I had no idea I was that stunningly handsome.”

Kate’s hand connected with her fiancé’s midsection. “Really?”

The real Fenn grinned, pulling her close. “What? I can’t say that about you, my love, because I am well aware of how stunning you are.”

Tai circled one of his holograms, whistling low. “Man, Gabe, you even got my good side. Didn’t know I had one.”

Gravy snorted, poking at his own image. “Dude, you made me look way cooler than I actually am. After this, can I have like a makeover?”

The team’s laughter eased the tension some.

Jason glanced at Alex, catching her eye. The confident quirk of her lips sent a jolt through him that had nothing to do with pre-mission jitters.

“This tech is incredible,” Mac said, his usual gruffness tinged with awe. “We’ve got this in the bag.”

Everyone but Gabriel seemed more relaxed. Alex’s cousin still had a white-knuckled grip on his tablet. Sweat beaded on his forehead, glistening under the harsh floodlights.

Jason’s chest tightened with empathy, remembering his own first op jitters.

“You’ve got this, Gabe,” he murmured, squeezing the tech wizard’s shoulder.

Tai eyed one of his monitors. “Heads up, folks. We’ve got incoming. Three black SUVs, approaching fast.”

Jason’s pulse quickened. “Shut it down,” he ordered Gabe.

The holographic images disappeared.

He strode to the main gates, the old hinges groaning in protest as he swung them open.

The convoy rolled in, tires crunching on gravel. Four oversized men built like identical bricks emerged first, scanning for threats. Then, the general stepped out of the center vehicle.

“I count four security goons,” Alex said. “No sign of additional Seven-Five operatives.”

Jason barely heard her. His attention was locked on General Munsinger, the man he hadn’t seen since that grim day at the rehab center five years ago. The change was stark. The once-imposing figure now seemed hollowed out, his ramrod straight posture a poor disguise for the weariness etched into every line of his face.

He wanted to blame the man’s civilian attire for his less-than-imposing figure, but it wasn’t the clothes. The man had grown … old. And sour.

The general approached, his eyes as flat and cold as a shark’s.

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