EDGE OF SHADOWS: The Shadow Ops Finale (Shadow Ops, Book # 3) Read Online Free PDF

tied the knot if the Preacher’s plans to blow up the Capitol hadn’t ruined their wedding day.
    “All clear, boss,” KC’s chipper voice finally came through his earpiece. “Heading for the bus and Lucky. Can you believe they only sent one guy after me? Insulting. I have his comms and mask. So far they’re keeping radio silence, but I’ll update you if I hear anything. Lucky, I’m wearing an Anonymous mask.”
    Relieved that he had his two best people working on rescuing the kids and defusing the bomb, Billy updated the Capitol cops and turned his attention to Rose. He was almost at the stairs leading to the sculpture garden. The balloons marking her spot were stationary now. But he needed to know how many HTs were with her.
    As usual, she read his mind. “Two headed toward Lucky’s position,” she reported under her breath. “Leader is six foot, Caucasian, wearing black shirt and pants and a lion head’s mask. Headed your way.” She paused. “That makes no sense. Why isn’t he backing up his people at the bus? Or his guy with KC? Billy, stop. I think he knows you’re coming. It’s a trap.”
    Billy didn’t slow his steps, gaze scanning the area, searching for the man she described. “No sign of him. He must have gone the other way once he was out of your sightline. I’m coming for you.”
    “No. This has all been too easy. No one watching the rear of the bus? Sending three after me? Get Lucky out of there, they’re going to blow it. He’s the real target. Move, Billy, that’s an order.”
    She had no evidence to back her claim, just more of her damned intuition. But twenty-two years of military training and experience told Billy she was right. Best way to defeat an enemy? Understand what they want and how badly they wanted it.
    The Preacher’s people wanted Lucky. Bad. He’d been the one who’d actually killed the Preacher. Blowing a bomb with him there, wounding or killing a bunch of kids along with him, was the perfect way to get revenge.
    “Lucky, did you copy that?” Billy asked into his comm.
    “Yeah.” The ATF agent’s voice was strained. “Last kid coming out now. You really want me to bug out and leave the bomb?”
    Two Capitol Police cruisers screeched past, lights and sirens going full strength.
    “That’s your cue. Get out of there, now.”
    Billy reached the top of the sculpture garden, still searching for the man wearing the lion’s head mask, when an explosion ripped through the dawn sky.
     

Chapter 4
     
     
    As soon as the blast came, Rose moved. She yanked free of her makeshift bonds, shoved the detonator into her pocket as she retrieved her weapon, and ran up the steps toward the bus.
    Smoke billowed along the path but no flames. Debris—twisted remnants of the yellow school bus, broken glass, and singed fabric—littered the ground. No blood or body parts, she was relieved to see.
    The blast hadn’t been strong enough for the amount of C4 pictured in the photo. Probably a pipe bomb hidden under one of the seats. The C4 was just a dummy, designed to waste their time, draw Lucky into the vehicle.
    She tried raising the others on comms, heard nothing in reply. Her head spun with the ringing in her ears, but being below ground level in the garden, surrounded by concrete walls and thick foliage, had protected her. She could only hope Lucky and the kids had found shelter. Shoving her fear about their fate aside, she kept running.
    She reached the bus just as KC did. “Where’s Lucky?” she shouted over the scream of sirens approaching.
    KC spun around, then pointed to where Lucky and the kids huddled with a uniformed police officer behind the thick concrete walls in front of the Hirshhorn. He waved a thumbs-up, pointed to his ear, and shook his head.
    Relief washed over Rose. Civilians safe, Lucky and KC safe—the only person unaccounted for was Billy. He was okay. He would've been away from the blast, she told herself. Except…he’d been running in that direction.