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Chapter 12
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SEAL Undercover Chapter 13
"You're right." She took a sip of her drink and set the glass down. "Okay, Commander, fire away.""I'm curious. How did you get into the data mining business to begin with? It isn't, at least in my limited knowledge, a career that's hot in the marketplace.""I got lucky." She shrugged. "I've always been interested in puzzles of all different kinds. I read some books about people who could listen to fractured conversations, pick out key words and discern the purpose of the dialogue. I had a double major in college, languages and computer science. And I was fascinated with the military. Always had been. A friend of a friend knew of an opening for someone with my skills. I got an interview, and that was that.""Where do you get the information you analyze?" He chuckled. "That is, if it's not a national secret.""If Silas picked you for this mission, I think there's very little that would be secret from you.""Thanks for that."She shifted in her chair, and, when she re-crossed her l
Last Updated : 2022-04-29SEAL Undercover Chapter 14
The sun had set and day was fading to night when Si joined them on the patio carrying his ever-present mug of coffee."You kids playing nice with each other?" He smiled while asking ."Yes, Dad." Max winked at him. "We're sharing our toys and everything."'We've been doing our getting-to-know-each-other thing," Regan assured him.Si dropped into a chair at the table where they sat. "Glad to hear it. You'll be walking into a group of people who aren't even sure they trust you being there and who probably are suffering paranoia off the charts because of Bernardo's 'heart attack.'""Tomorrow, one of the things we need to prepare is the electronics," Regan reminded him.A slow grin spread over Si's face. "Anxious to get your hands on those gadgets," he teased."You bet." She looked at Max. "I don't know if Silas has told you, but he's got special pens for us, one of which records voice and the other video. They are sound-and-motion activated."Max knew his eyes lit up. He, too, was
Last Updated : 2022-04-29SEAL Undercover Chapter 15
"Yes, Lorena, I'm just walking into the hotel now."Jed Whitlow squeezed his cell phone so hard he wondered if it might break. The woman was driving him crazy. Too many times in the past month he'd wondered if it had been a mistake to include the Alvaros in their little group. But Elias Alvaro had been the connection to the cartels, and, without him, smuggling the high-profile terrorists they were using might have been impossible. The woman was just a control freak who was getting on everyone's nerves. That could not happen. What they had planned was only step one in their blueprint for global domination."So you have not met with them yet?" she asked? "Vetted them?""Did you just say vetted them? Lorena, this is Bernardo's brother and his wife. For all intents and purposes, they are already vetted."Jed gritted his teeth. The woman had begun to get on his last nerve. With everything at stake and the target date so close, he had to get past that."Yes, that is exactly what I said.
Last Updated : 2022-04-29SEAL Undercover Chapter 16
"A pleasure to meet you," he told her then looked from one to the other. "I understand this marriage is recent?""It is." Max nodded. "I waited a long time for the right woman." "I'm happy to see you've found her. Congratulations to both of you."Regan gestured to a tray on the coffee table holding a carafe, cups, and a plate of miniature pastries. "I took the liberty of ordering something. I find having conversations over coffee always makes them go so much more smoothly. Please have a seat and let me fill a cup for you."Her voice was a warm contralto, soothing yet at the same time confident. Not a woman Jed would want to cross. He found it interesting that she not Max, seemed to take the lead in this situation, but maybe that was by design.When everyone was seatedMax and Regan on one couch, Jed on the other facing themRegan gave him a smile that felt strangely as if it had skewered him."I understand how unsettling it has to be for all of you," she told him, "to have this sw
Last Updated : 2022-04-29SEAL Undercover Chapter 17
Max tore a sheet of paper off the notepad by the telephone in the living room, flattened the paper on the coffee table, and wrote a short note.Normal conversation. Suggest we get a drink downstairs.Regan nodded."I thought this was a good beginning for us with this group," she said in an even tone. "Don't you agree?""I do. Jed Whitlow seems to have his act together, and Bernardo told us the others were the same. I'm looking forward to this meeting at the lodge.""Yes. I'm anxious to hear the final details of the plan." She studied his face, watching for clues as to what to say next."We have a little time before we have to meet Jed for dinner. How about a drink downstairs?""Sounds good to me. We can leave right from the bar."The first thing Max had done when they arrived at their suite was to check every inch of the place for listening devices. Jed Whitlow owned the hotel, he wasn't too happy with this substitution, and they fully expected he'd bug every inch of the place.
Last Updated : 2022-04-29SEAL Undercover Chapter 18
"You know, Regan, in all my SEAL training, one of the things I learned over and over again was the mission requires personal discipline. No matter how tough the assignment, no matter what my personal feelings might be, the mission was the only important thing. Everything else was sublimated to it.""I know that." She smiled. "I was married to a SEAL, remember? And I work with several. Is there a problem I'm not aware of?" The smile disappeared from her face. "Is it me? Did I do something? I thought"He held up a hand."There isn't a thing wrong with you, Regan. You're not the problem. I am."Regan frowned. "I don't understand."He sighed. "I shouldn't even be telling you this, but I thought you should know in case my behavior is odd at times. And just so you know this is not a situation I've had to deal with before.""Damn it, Max. Whatever bug you've got up your ass, just spit it out.""Look." He took in a breath and let it out. He was in very unfamiliar territory here. "We're
Last Updated : 2022-04-29SEAL Undercover Chapter 19
Lorena Alvaro looked from her husband, Elias, to the man sitting next to him on the couch. A man she neither liked nor trusted but was tied to by an arrangement worth millions. An arrangement that was also about to open the door for more millions and untold power. If only he wasn't so obnoxiously arrogant and had more concern for other people. Of course, if that was the case, he wouldn't be where he was now.Luis Rojasknown as El Toro because he was built like a bullwas one of the most powerful cartel leaders in Mexico. Maybe in all of Central America. He and Elias' brother had been friends since they were both halcones (falcons) in the cartel named for Luis' family. Now Luis was the leader of the group that rivaled Sinaloa and was continuing to expand its reach. They were among the most feared narcotrafficantes and considered the most adept at bringing high-value humans over the border.More than a year ago, Elias' health had prompted him to remove himself from an active role and st
Last Updated : 2022-04-29SEAL Undercover Chapter 20
"Forgive me, senora, but Jed Whitlow cannot see through his own ego. It is convenient to let him believe he is the leader of the group. He does most of the work, and he is the conduit to provide the firepower. But once everything is in place, we may find it better to have someone else in charge.""Like you?" Lorena gave an unladylike snort. "That will never happen, and you know it.""No, my dear. I was thinking of you. With me as your silent partner. I cannot, obviously, be the face of this organization." His lips curved in a humorless smile. "Just the actual el jefe.""They'll never approve it," she told him, even as her heart beat just a little faster. "Everyone in that group believes he should be the one at the head of the table. None of them will give up even an inch of their power."She'd lusted for this since the beginning, knowing even then it would be an uphill battle."Then it's up to you to convince them." He drew another slow puff on the cigar. "Or you and I."Lorena s
Last Updated : 2022-04-29
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SEAL Undercover Chapter 40
"I suppose someone should check on Max Whatever His Last Name is," Anna said."Why?" Jed asked. "He isn't going anywhere.""True. I just thought we might get him down here and find out who he works for. Who got onto us and how."Lorena gave an unladylike snort. "You think he'd tell you? I'd bet he's former military and has withstood more than you can dish out to him.""You haven't seen me at work," Gavin told her.She actually burst out laughing. "Gavin, you're a fifty-five-year-old rancher who has never been in the military yourself. Wrestling bulls isn't the same thing.""So, you don't think we should try to question him?""I don't think we'll get anything from him, but you're certainly welcome to try."Gavin looked around the table. "What do you all think?"Elizabeth, his wife, leaned forward. "I think I'd like to know where whoever planted them found someone who could be a double for the real Max Ferren.""And I'd like to know more about where Jeanne and Bernardo are," An
SEAL Undercover Chapter 39
The afternoon brought more of the same with one exception. Everyone at the table seemed a lot more uptight, and every so often he would catch someone glancing at both him and Regan with a strange look. He was beginning to think Si was right and they needed to split ASAP. Nothing changed until late in the afternoon when there was a knock on the door."I'll get it," Lorena said, pushing her chair back.Everyone seemed to freeze in their seats while she walked to the entrance. Max watched her carefully, shocked to see Luis Rojas and three men who could only be his "fixers" walk into the room. The muscles in his stomach tightened, and he pushed back in his chair, reaching slowly for his gun. Before he could get his hand around the grip, Gavin Emery was behind hm, grabbing his wrist. When he glanced at Regan, he saw Whitlow had pulled her from her chair and yanked her hands behind her back. In seconds, he had her gun, also."What the hell is going on here?" he demanded.Anna Whitlow l
SEAL Undercover Chapter 38
Breakfast was over and the dishes cleared, and everyone was back at their seats at the table with full coffee mugs. They had their folders open and pens out, and Max made sure he and Regan had their special pens in their hands. "Okay." Jed Whitlow looked around. "We have the shipments confirmed, the cartel soldiers at the ready, a schedule for when each event is to take place""I have a question." Lorena looked at Max. "Did you happen to bring any of the weapons you'll be shipping so we can take a lot at them? Maybe you could give us a demonstration.""I don't think that's necessary," Jed told her. "We won't be firing the weapons ourselves.""Luis wants to be absolutely sure they'll be top quality. He doesn't want inferior goods that will derails the entire event."Max looked at Lorena. He and Si had discussed this but neither of them were excited about the prospect of doing this."You can rest assured only the finest weapons are being loaded for the shipments." He looked over a
SEAL Undercover Chapter 37
Jed Whitlow was shaving the next morning, standing at the bathroom sink wearing just a towel wrapped around his waist, when his wife walked in, holding her cell phone."I have a question."He rinsed his razor and stroked it through another line of cream. "Okay. Shoot.""Do you think I should try and call Jeanne? Maybe she isn't sure if she should contact us. Or it might be that Bernardo is worried that somehow whoever has them squirreled away has set up a way to trace cell calls."Jed thought for a moment while he shaved the rest of his face. Finished, he rinsed the razor, knocked it against the sink for good measure, and wiped his face. "Good point," he acknowledged at last. "It might be worth the chance, though, to see if we have enemies in our midst.""Okay. I'm going to call her right now before we go downstairs." Jed watched as she brought up her contacts list, found number for Jeanne Ferren, and hit Dial. He waited, watching, but nothing happened."Don't leave a message
SEAL Undercover Chapter 36
"Maybe we shouldn't have let them outside by themselves." This came from Kurt."Just how would you have us stop them?" Jed asked. "Tell them they can't go anywhere by themselves?""It doesn't matter," Kurt interjected. "They can't go anywhere without us knowing, and it gave us a chance to learn this information. But, somehow, we have to validate them. Make sure they are the real Regan and Max Ferren.""Exactly how are we going to do that?" Hildie Kavanaugh demanded. "It's not as if we can take their fingerprints and run them through a database.""If Bernardo's in the hospitalor even if he's somewhere else and Max is here, who's running the factory?" Gavin asked."Their general manager," Jed answered. "I called him when I was in Denver and again before I met with the real-or-not-real Max and Regan. Told him I was just checking on things. Bernardo had involved him from the start. He said sometimes both of the brothers are away at the same time. He's been with the company for fifteen
SEAL Undercover Chapter 35
Lorena Alvaro filled her wine glass and glanced at her husband, who nodded. Then she cleared her throat."Excuse me, everyone. We need to take advantage of the fact that the Ferrens are out of the room for the moment and discuss something that's come up. Something very important ad worrisome." Jed looked over at her."Is it about Max and Regan Ferren? I wonder if I'm the only one here who thinks there's something not right there. I can't put my finger on it even though I spent two days with them.""They're almost too good to be true." Gavin Emery's gravelly voice rattled in the air. "I said that from the beginning.""Exactly," Lorena agreed. "And they might very well be. You won't be happy with what I have to say. Things aren't exactly as we've been led to believe.""Well, what the hell is it?" Kurt Cavanaugh demanded. "Don't keep us waiting. We have enough to be on edge about.""All right." She let out a breath. "I know Luis can be a bit uncontainable at times but he can usual
SEAL Undercover Chapter 34
And that's a big fat lie, Max thought. We're not even close to being out of the woods yet."Okay, everyone." Jeanne Whitlow clapped her hands. "The steaks are ready, and everything else is set up on the buffet table. Please help yourselves."They ate at the umbrella tables on the patio. Max and Regan ended up with the Alvaros, not his favorite couple. In fact, although it wasn't blatantly obvious, they had maneuvered the seating to end up this way. By the time the meal was over, Max felt as if they'd been given the third degree by someone as expert at it as anyone he'd ever met. It was after eight by the time the patio was cleared. He was pretty sure Anna Whitlow didn't do any of her clearing and washing up except at these meetings. Nor, he thought, did the other women, but you had to make adjustments when you were plotting to overthrow your government. Of course, considering the subject matter, he wouldn't have wanted anyone around, either. He wondered where the hell Whitlow's se
SEAL Undercover Chapter 33
At that very moment, Max was standing on the patio at the lodge with the rest of the unholy group, trying to do more listening than talking. The afternoon had been devoted to analyzing the timing of each event, whether they should all happen at the same time or one after the other. Where each of the couples should be when it happened. At home, was the prevailing opinion. Max did his best to find out what the plans were after that. The best he could get was they would have observers at each site and convene the next morning to move forward from there. They touched briefly on the steps they would take to put their own people in place but not nearly as much as Max had hoped they would. He didn't want to push and call undue attention to himself, any more than his arrival already had.Immediately after the afternoon meeting broke up, he and Regan had begged a few minutes to unpack their suitcases. Jed followed them upstairs to show them which room was theirs and hung around the doorway.
SEAL Undercover Chapter 32
Silas Branson was sitting at his desk, studying a report and wondering how things at the cabal meeting were going when one of the cell phones on his desk rang. It was the line he'd set up dedicated to this mission, now titled Operation: Zeus, for the Greek god of law, order, and justice. Only select people had the number.He glanced at his watch as he reached for the receiver. Not quite dinnertime yet. Assuming he wouldn't be hearing from Max or Regan until later in the evening, he frowned as he lifted the receiver."Branson.""Sir," a deep masculine voice said, "this is Kaminski at the hospital in Denver. I think we may have a problem."Immediately, Si's hand tensed on the phone, but he forced himself to remain calm. Get the details, assess the situation then decide if you need to panic."Give me the details.""We had an odd situation here just a few minutes ago. A man showed up in the CCU who said he was looking for a friend. He was dressed in Broncos gear, and he told me his
