Red Knight Falling Read Online Free PDF

survives, quickly document whatever you can for our records, then destroy the debris by any means necessary. The satellite is acting as some kind of beacon. You’ve seen what it calls. We don’t want it broadcasting from American soil.”
    I hated to ask my next question, but I had to do it.
    “And if this entity, whatever it is, manifests at the crash site?”
    Linder nodded toward Kevin. “Then I hope you’re better at witchcraft than your young colleague is at driving a surveillance van, Agent Black, because your abilities are going to be the only thing standing in its way.”
    Sure, I thought, feeling a sudden lump in my throat as I swallowed. No pressure.
    “Leave your service weapons with me,” Linder said. “You’ll be flying commercial, and I strongly recommend using civilian cover. Agent Lawrence will bring your firearms to the rendezvous, along with a few useful pieces of equipment.”
    “You said certain agencies have been tracking this thing since the ’80s,” Jessie said. “If Vigilant isn’t the only group monitoring the Red Knight, everybody knows it’s coming down, right?”
    Linder pointed at her. “Precisely. You can fully expect that you won’t be the only hunters in those woods. That’s why it’s imperative you get there first.”
    “What can you tell us about the others?” I asked. “What are we up against out there?”
    “Mostly government assets unaware of Vigilant’s existence. You may encounter NASIC scientists, possibly with air force support.”
    “Mostly?” April said, catching the hesitation in his voice.
    “That . . . other shark, sharing our waters, that I mentioned earlier. All I can tell you is that they are, like us, a black-budget agency with considerable unlisted resources to draw upon. Their human assets appear to be heavily private sector, with tendrils in the military, CIA, and NSA. Their goals are at this time unknown.”
    Too pat. Too easy. I knew Linder well enough to tell when he was holding his cards to his chest. I shifted in my chair, locked eyes with him, and shook my head.
    “What else?” I asked. “And don’t tell us it’s on a need-to-know basis. If there’s a covert threat out there, we need everything you’ve got on them.”
    He paused, weighing his words before he spoke.
    “Two months ago, cell designation Redbird was on a mission in Miami. Their reports indicated strange interference—unexplained surveillance, hiccups in their electronic equipment, a vague sense that they weren’t the only operatives on the ground. They thought I’d sent in another team to covertly check on their work. I hadn’t.”
    “And?” April asked. “What happened?”
    Linder took a deep breath.
    “They went off grid. Later, the members of Redbird were found by local police in the belly of a derelict cargo ship. They’d been bound at the wrists and ankles, made to kneel in a row, and executed. Each body had two bullets in the back of the head, at point-blank range.”
    None of us said a word. There wasn’t anything to say.
    “As I told you,” Linder said, “we aren’t looking to make friends. And neither are they. Move swift and move silent . If you can gather any information on the opposition, do so, but not at the risk of our own operational security. We don’t know how much hard intel they’ve gathered about Vigilant Lock. Let’s keep that amount as close to zero as possible. Any other questions?”
    Jessie and I shared a silent look. We nodded at the same time.
    “We’re on it,” Jessie said, pushing herself up from the chair. “Let’s roll, kids. We’ve got a satellite to burn.”
    “I’m sending flight details to your phones,” Linder said. “You’re airborne in two hours. I’ve also arranged housing at a wilderness lodge on the shore of Suttle Lake, not far from the expected crash zone. Agent Lawrence will make contact with you there.”
    As we headed for the door, Linder cleared his throat.
    “Oh, Agent Temple? Just . . .