Page 1 of Red Hunt

1

MAX

I put my cup of coffee next to my laptop and logged on to our organization’s weekly virtual meeting. Carter looked grim in front of the background of a typical hotel room, as he should. With his actions, he single-handedly flushed our last operation down the toilet. Technically, he was our boss, though Carter hadn’t set up Sec Ops Group like that. We were a team. Planned as a team, acted as a team, and fought as a team. No one better or above the other, including himself.

“Hey, guys,” Carter said when Goofy and Peaches had settled in front of their screens, as well. “Tell me what we’ve got.”

My chest tightened, and I took a sip of my coffee. Waiting. I would raise my voice, address the issue if necessary, but usually, Carter was better than that. Usually. I hadn’t ever witnessed him acting as he did during that last operation. It was an ‘observation and gathering intelligence’ mission. Nothing more. And sure enough, we’d hit the jackpot with a cartel meeting taking place right there in the lobby of the hotel where Goofy and Carter had been staying. And then Carter had jeopardized the team, left Goofy without cover, and took himself out. All to come to the aid of a woman he didn’t even know. It still blew my mind at how atypical those actions were, especially for Carter.

Goofy looked down, and Peaches, our residential geek, squeezed the ball in his hand.

Luckily, Carter went on without the situation getting too awkward. “Other than me fucking up the OP, of course. I’m sorry, guys. It was a bad move. I got…stupid there for a minute.”

I nodded. That was why I loved Carter like a brother, why I joined him immediately after he shared his plans for Sec Ops Group with me.

Our official mission was simple: security assessments, risk consulting, intelligence gathering; we even took on the occasional CP—close protection job. Our specialization in fighting human trafficking, though, wasn’t publicly known.

And that branch of our business brought us to that hotel. That’s what sparked our interest in the Sormiza Cartel in the first place.

And because of Carter’s fuck-up, we couldn’t get ears on the meeting, couldn’t get eyes on whatever they’d studied on that fucking table, in the middle of a fucking hotel lobby.

Carter hung his head. “I blew the OP, and I take full responsibility. Sorry to have let you down, boys.”

I knew exactly how Carter was feeling right at that moment. If you’ve been long enough in the fight, sooner or later you were the one who dropped the ball on something. Been there, done that. No factor.

Peaches nodded and Goofy grinned. “Well, Prince Charming, at least your ass looked great, carrying her up the stairs. What with representing the company and all.”

That got a good chuckle out of all of us.

Goofy reported what he’d observed as soon as Carter and the woman had left the lobby, which wasn’t much more than a couple of armed, dangerous dudes talking. Not exactly breakthrough.

Peaches scratched his neck. “I’m sorry, guys, but basically, we’ve got nothing. I’ve identified some faces, ran them through our system. Your special friend’s name is Donovan Peterson; he’s a lawyer in Whitebrook. No high profile. Completely low vis. Shouldn’t be meeting some cartel higher-ups in a hotel lobby on some tropical island. Absolutely no trail connecting him to the cartel. But he has bonds to your…emotional attachment.”

Nicely played. Carter looked like his feet were roasted on hot coals.

“They’ve been married. So maybe we should look into her more. Maybe she’s been placed there as a distraction or she’s in on it.”

There was a whole gamut of emotions visible on Carter’s face. What was it about that woman that had him so…conflicted? “Boys. Let’s keep an open mind about all of this. Are we still sure they are moving into the area?”

“Positive,” Peaches said. “Shipments and gang activity are picking up. Two missing women recorded in the last few weeks. They went missing in a little town called”—he looked down at his notes—“Three Oaks which is a spitting distance from Whitebrook.”

Carter nodded. “Okay. When are you all due to arrive?”

A seemingly unoffending question, but the way Goofy and Peaches’ faces stretched into wide grins, I was next in line to be the brunt of their jokes.

“Boys?” Carter looked irritated. Hell. Time to ‘fess up.’

“I just bought a house,” I said, which triggered Goofy into an outburst of laughter.

“Again?” Carter asked.

I nodded.

“Where?”

“Moon Lake—it’s just a few miles outside of—”

“Whitebrook. I know the location,” Carter said.

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