Operation Zulu Redemption: Hazardous Duty - Part 3 Read Online Free PDF

attention.
    “What?”
    “No, literally—a great ball of fire.” He lifted a remote and turned on the TV. “Look. News—massive explosion in Salamina.”
    Trace checked out the footage and immediately recognized the three-story seaside estate.
    Houston grinned and pointed to one of his stations. “It’s the Stoffel estate.”
    What did it mean, that there was a fire? The footage wasn’t from a news crew, but witnesses on scene, judging by the shaky, bad quality of the video.
    “We need to get out there,” Boone said.
    “Is that where you think Ashland is?” Caliguari asked.
    “You mean Annie,” Houston said, then his jaw went slack. “Oops. I did not just do that.”
    “Annie,” Sam repeated. Then huffed and shook his head.
    Yeah, good dose of reality for the SEAL who thought he knew the woman he loved.
    “Solomon thought that might be her name.”
    Trace glared at the SEAL. “Solomon?” General Solomon wouldn’t give this guy the time of day. But the other one, the serious pain in his prickly backside. . .
    “Francesca Solomon showed up right before your goons snatched me.”
    “Son of a—” Trace bit off the curse and met Boone’s gaze. “I’m going to have her muzzled.”
    “She’s dangerous,” Caliguari said.
    Surprise stilled Trace.
    “She knows a lot and isn’t careful with that information.”
    “Oh, you mean like you and your social media campaign.”
    “The information I promoted was already out there. I just amplified it.”
    “That’s true,” Houston piped up, nodding.
    Trace snapped a seething look at the wiry-haired geek, who ducked.
    “She has classified information she’s spouting off. At least,
now
I know it’s classified. But let’s get on task here.” Caliguari moved to the computers where Houston worked. “Why are you interested in this estate? Was she there?”
    “Three hours ago, she and I were on a mission there,” Trace said, giving only information that was necessary. “After what we believe was a diversion they used to separate us, she vanished.”
    Something sparked through the guy’s brows, but he quickly diverted his attention. “If this estate is where Ash—Annie was, then she’s in trouble with that fire.”
    “Negative,” Trace said, resenting the way the guy tried to step in and take charge. “If she’s there, that fire doesn’t mean she’s in trouble. It means she set it.”
    Boone planted his hands on his belt like a proud uncle. “Just like we trained her.”
    Caliguari double-checked the footage playing on the TV, then slowly nodded. “A diversion?”
    “Or a signal,” Boone said.
    “What’s around the estate?” Caliguari asked Houston.
    “Houston,” Trace said, warning the geek not to give the guy any information. “There are forests to the west and the sea to the east.”
    “Not the sea,” Caliguari said. “The forest—she went to the trees.”
    “She’s an excellent swimmer,” Trace countered.
    “Maybe you forgot,” the SEAL said, “that she and I lived on a lake. Ashland loved to take a swim, but she often found the water too chilly. She preferred to sit on the deck with me and watch the sun go down.”
    Trace held the man’s gaze—a power struggle. Most of what he said wasn’t necessary information. This was territorial dialogue. Caliguari reminding Trace he’d spent the last few years with her. That he knew her. Knew how to anticipate her.
    But he didn’t. Caliguari knew Ashland Palmieri. Not Annie Palermo.
    Caliguari smirked. “Besides, there’s nowhere to hide on the open sea, and the longer she’s out, the more tired she’d become. Either way, we need to get there.”
    “We?” Trace echoed.
    Assured and unrelenting, Caliguari glanced around the room. “You seem a little shorthanded for a rescue op.”
    Boone cleared his throat and waited for Trace to look at him. “Two and Six aren’t back, and I haven’t heard from them.”
    Trace hesitated. “Houston, anything on the scanners about