Swift Strike (SEAL Team 14 Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

forgotten about your friend here, Mr. Cutler.”
    Steven . He was completely unrecognizable. They had really done a number on him this time. His right eye was completely swollen shut and an assortment of grotesque, purplish bruises maligned his face. Blood oozed from a cut on the corner of his mouth. He stood there impotently, his head bowed. With his shoulders slumped he radiated an aura of defeat.
    “You all are a bunch of animals,” she hissed out, the words catching in her throat.
    Shifting his attention away from her for the first time, Hazel Eyes rose from his seat and walked over to stand in front of Steven.
    “Now, that wasn’t nice at all, Ms. Westlake. Indeed, a very harsh statement to make. You’d be wise to exercise more restraint with your tongue in the future. As I understand it, Mr. Cutler and your father are old business partners, correct?”
    How could he possibly know that? The unasked question must have been etched on her face because he responded, “There are plenty of ways to make a man talk. Mr. Cutler here became a lot more forthcoming during the third round of our little conversations.”
    “Why are you doing this to us?” Her voice sounded shriller by the minute. Her nostrils flared as she released a deep breath. She had to at least appear as if she were in control, like these creeps weren’t getting the better of her. But God, how was she going to get out of here? And Steven, he was barely able to stand up; it was a wonder he was even conscious at all. Even if by some miracle she managed to break free, she couldn’t just leave Steven here to fend for himself, and he was in no condition to run.
    “The what question is the only question you should be concerned with at the moment. And as I stated earlier, what we want is one hundred million dollars.”
    If her hands were free, she would’ve pinched the bridge of her nose. Talking to this maniac was more frustrating than talking to a brick wall. “That’s impossible. I told you. None of us here have that type of money.”
    “Yes, you do.”
    “I’m only an engineer. My salary doesn’t even come close to a half percent of what you’re demanding.”
    “Your father has more than enough money.”
    “It’s my father’s money. He’s not going to give away one hundred million dollars. Not even for me,” she said, her voice cracking in the middle of the sentence.
    He looked directly into her eyes then, some darkly disturbing emotion reflected back, something animalistic. “I truly hope you are mistaken about that, Ms. Westlake.”
    It happened so quickly. She hadn’t even seen a weapon in his hand. She didn’t have time to react, to shout out a warning. Hazel Eyes plunged a large knife into Steven’s chest. One time. Two times. Five times. The sudden, unprovoked act of brutality shocked her to her core. The sound of the sheer force of the blows against flesh and bone was jarring. Bright red blood blossomed out from the holes in Steven’s chest, forever staining his blue shirt as he collapsed to the ground.
    Lena sat there, motionless, watching the life force drain from her friend. Watched his normally rosy red cheeks, which hinted at his Scottish ancestry, fade into a dull, colorless pallor. She listened to his horrible, deafening screams. The cries reverberated like a hollow echo inside her ears. But then it dawned on her that Steven’s eyes and mouth were closed. Those agonizing, gut-wrenching sounds were coming from her own mouth.
     
    ****
     
    Eight guards down, so far, so good. Jesse led his three-man triangle formation as they methodically checked the rooms in the third quadrant of the facility. Luke and Hank Kellerman were guarding his six as he rounded the first corner. Leading with his gun, Jesse cleared the corner and crossed the corridor to stand outside of the first door on the hall.
    The darkness of the inner walls of the facility was all-encompassing. Not a single overhead light was functioning in this underground