Code Name: Ghost (A Warrior's Challenge 1) Read Online Free PDF

men could be, they were
best friends, and both extremely deadly.
    “You’re on stand down as of tomorrow. Make
good use of it and be around for the family.” Lieutenant Cobbs gave
Caleb a thoughtful look. “Congratulations, Petty Officer Stone. You
thought sleep deprivation as a SEAL was tough, you ain’t seen
nothing yet, son,” he said, reaching out and shaking his hand.
    Captain Redding’s radio broke with base
traffic and all the men’s heads turned when Kayla answered. The
Commander reached across the desk and turned the volume down. “I’d
like them to be listening to me, not her,” he said, giving Redding
a dry look.
    “Sorry, Ghost, didn’t think she’d be that
big of a distraction.” Winking at the team, Redding ignored the
Commander’s burning look as he reached for the phone on his
desk.
    Turning the radio off didn’t help because
the entire squad was looking through the glass. Commander Austen
twisted the long stem hanging from the blinds, snapping them shut.
“As I was saying—Mace.” He zeroed in on him and Tony. “Find
something to wind down, and that something doesn’t work
here.”
    Both he and Tony gave each other a “yeah,
fine” look.
    “Jesus, that’s not good news,” Captain
Redding said into the phone. “Yes, I’ll post them as soon as they
arrive,” and hung up.
    “What’s up, Red?” the Commander asked,
taking his seat behind his desk.
    “He got another one,” Redding replied,
shaking his head and sighing.
    “Another one?” Cobbs questioned.
    “The Blood Shark added one more woman to his
list. HQ is sending out posters they want hung dockside, and they
want us to warn all women who work shifts to find a buddy to walk
with.”
    “Man, who was it this time?” Clay asked.
    Redding twisted his aging hands together.
“She was a nurse. Worked in the base hospital. They just found her
body. All they had to do was follow the flies. Married to a sailor
deployed overseas right now, two kids.”
    They all shook their heads.
    “Why the hell can’t they catch this guy?”
Cobbs growled. “I told Marg the base is off limits until they find
that piece of shit. She says most of the wives are keeping clear
anyway, they’re scared even if they don’t fit the profile.”
    “They’ve got all their resources on it,”
Redding assured them. “He’s just one smart bastard.”
    “How many is that, Red?” the Commander
asked, swiveling in his chair.
    “Eight. This guy is prolific, and the kills
are getting closer together. He must be losing it fast.”
    Nathan crossed his arms tightly, asking,
“How the hell does he pick ‘em? Do they think it’s random?”
    “Not at all,” Redding replied. “They’re all
the same, brunettes—beautiful brunettes. Same approximate size,
similar features, he likes to slaughter women in their late
thirties or forties. I hope they catch that son of a bitch soon,
and save the justice system some money with a bullet between the
eyes.”
    Mace rammed his hands in his pockets. It was
either that or hit something. Tony was close enough. “Everyone
thinks the Shark works on this base. What does that say about us?
We travel thousands of miles to track down bad guys, but we won’t
do it on our own soil, while this fuckin’ monster tears our women
apart.”
    “Mace—they will find him. NCIS knows what
they’re doing,” the Commander assured everyone, and raised the
blinds. “Someone should tell Ms. Banks. She’s in that age
range.”
    All the men craned their necks. Kayla and
John stood next to the charts covering the west wall. Track
lighting illuminated where he pointed. Mace drew a grin watching
John’s body language. He was trying to impress her. Kayla smiled,
bowing her head, her long lashes whisking her cheeks, and it just
about dropped him to his knees. He was going to get a damn date
with the woman if it killed him. He’d already asked around. She
wasn’t married.
    “Talk to her,” the Commander said
gruffly.
    “Does that