Page 6 of Strike Fast

“I asked you all in today because we’re gearing up for Emerald Warrior in just over a week.”

A joint training exercise held in the southeast U.S. where FAST trained with other SOF elements like SEAL Team Six, Delta, the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team and others, to increase cross-unit proficiency and streamline things when they worked missions together.

“It’s a happy coincidence that we’ll be working along the Gulf Coast, since the agency is currently searching for Carlos Ruiz, one ofEl Escorpion’slieutenants. Some of our agents tangled with him last year. He was wounded, but recovered. So he’s got a grudge against all of us, and he’d love the chance to get even if he can.” Taggart paused, his thick arms folded over his chest as he glanced up at the screen behind him.

One of the analysts brought up a picture and a list of bullet points. Ruiz was a rugged-looking Hispanic man in his mid-thirties maybe, with wavy, coffee-brown hair and hazel-green eyes.

“This asshole is a real piece of work, even by cartel standards,” Taggart continued. “Likes to live the high life, rumored to own a big spread of land in the Sinaloa region, and he’s got a sadistic streak that is right up there with the worst we’ve seen from the Mexican cartels. Word is, he’s responsible for the recent kidnapping of American reporter Victoria Gomez and the killing of her family. The FBI isn’t sure if she’s still alive or not, or if she’s still being held captive by Ruiz and his men.”

Staring up at that picture, burning the image into his mind, Reid hated the human piece of shit on sight. He remembered the reporter’s story, because it had been all over the news when it first happened. She’d disappeared almost two weeks ago after her family had been slaughtered by those sadistic animals in southern Florida, and nobody had heard anything since.

He sat there committing every detail of the bastard’s face to memory while Taggart carried on with his report, giving them all the background info the agency had on him.

“He’s suspected to be operating in southwestern Florida right now, or maybe into Alabama, and he’s our priority target. If we get a lock on him, we’re going after him.” Taggart turned back to face them, his turquoise gaze intense. “Memorize his face and the pertinent details. He’s going to be heavily armed and will likely have a protective detail made up of at least a half dozenVenenoenforcers with him, all hand-picked by him. And if it helps as a point of reference, Dillon Wainright was his head enforcer.”

Everyone glanced at Logan Granger, seated at the end of the row to Reid’s right. Wainright was the asshole who had terrorized Granger’s girl, Taylor, last year. Reid was glad she’d shot the bastard dead that day.

“Ruiz is impatient,” Taggart continued. “He’s abrupt and ruthless, and that goes for dealings with his own men as well as anyone who gets in his way. Or anyone hesuspectsmight get in his way. He’s reputed to have either personally killed or ordered the killings of over a dozen high-ranking rival cartel bosses.” Taggart paused to scan the room, giving his next words added weight. “This guy is marked for death by other cartels, so the fact that he’s stayed alive this long has to tell you how tough a target he is. He’s got money, resources and plenty of contacts to protect him.” He raised his dark blond eyebrows. “When we get the call about him, we need to be ready to go in hard and take him out.”

Hell yeah. Arms folded across his chest, Reid’s hands bunched into fists against his ribs. As far as he and his teammates were concerned, Ruiz and the rest of theVenenocartel were living on borrowed time.

Chapter Two

“When did you start flying helicopters?” Autumn asked, frowning in concentration as she glued a plastic googly eye on the ball of fluff in her hand.

Half a dozen pom-pom puppies sat perched in a row in the middle of the table amidst a mess of crafting supplies. Tess had no idea how the company had managed to fit it all into the box in the first place.

“I was twenty-two. Just after I finished college.”

Autumn looked up at her from across the table. “You learned to fly there?” She didn’t have an accent like her dad. Her mom must be from up north.

“No, I got my bachelor’s degree in science there. I learned to fly after that, once I was in the army. But my science degree made it a lot easier because of the math, and because I already understood the physics of flight.”

The little girl looked impressed. “Wow, that’s neat.” She went back to placing the puppy’s eye. “I’ve thought about joining the military when I graduate from high school.”

Tess paused in the act of winding yarn into a ball, surprised. “Yeah?”

She nodded. “That way I could get my college paid for, like my dad did. And it would be pretty neat to learn how to fly a Blackhawk. My parents and grandparents told me they’d pay for my school if they can, but that’s a lot of money. I’d feel bad.”

Tess frowned at her, momentarily at a loss for words. “How old are you?”

“Nine. I’ll be ten this December.”

Holy shit. When Tess had been nine, she’d only been interested in My Little Pony and what kinds of candy she could afford to buy with her weekly allowance. Never had it crossed her mind to think about going to college someday, let alone how she was going to pay for it. “Wow, that’s… You’re looking ahead. That’s great.”

Autumn shrugged. “I want to have a nice house and be able to travel when I grow up. So I need to have a good job and earn lots of money.”

Jeez, this kid was starting to give her an inferiority complex. “Where would you like to travel to?”

“Europe, for sure. Maybe Antarctica, because I like penguins. Dad and I just went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter a few weeks ago. It was my Christmas present.”

“Just the two of you?”

“Yeah. My parents are divorced.” Her tone was matter-of-fact.

“Oh.” She squelched the leap of excitement inside her. Divorced didn’t necessarily mean he was single. Or available. “And did you have a good time there?”

Autumn’s face lit up and she stopped working on her pom-pom puppy. “The best. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. Have you read the books?”

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