Luke, page 1
Luke
SHADOW OPS TEAM
Makenna Jameison
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2023 by Makenna Jameison
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Table of Contents
About this Book
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Books by Makenna Jameison
About the Author
About this Book
HE’LL KEEP HER SAFE but wants her to be his...
Former Special Forces soldier Luke Willard is used to life in the shadows. When his latest mission requires infiltrating a sex-trafficking ring in Mexico and rescuing three American teenagers, the last thing he expects is a hot-headed journalist to have tracked them down herself. Her sinful curves and gorgeous eyes capture his attention, but it’s her smart mouth that will lead to nothing but trouble.
Journalist Wren Martin knows her sister didn’t simply vanish. Tracking her online activity, Wren discovers she’s being held in Mexico and uncovers more than she ever bargained for. When a team of highly-trained soldiers stage a rescue, she doesn’t expect to feel something for the muscular, commanding man who makes her heart race and promises to keep her safe.
Rescuing the teenagers only solves one problem. The evil men who Wren watched now want her dead, before the truth she’s discovered can ever come to light. Asking for Luke’s help isn’t a problem, but falling for him might be. Can she trust a former military man not to break her heart?
Luke, a standalone novel, is book three in the Shadow Ops Team series.
Prologue
LUKE WILLARD RAN ACROSS the cobblestones in full body armor, leapt over the crumbling wall, and dropped to the hard ground, rolling with the momentum. Ford Anderson was already beside him, tucking into his own roll with a grunt. The two men lay on the ground as stray shots fired from above, listening to an update over their headsets.
“Two tangos on the perimeter,” Gray Pierce said in a low voice. “Both are moving north. I don’t have a clear shot.”
Luke clicked on his mic, speaking to the rest of their teammates. “We were made on our approach and retreated back twenty yards. We don’t have eyes on the house right now but spotted the package. Repeat. We spotted the package. One woman confirmed inside on the first floor, tied to a chair. Over.”
“You two sure know how to garner a warm welcome,” Nick Dowd said over the headsets. “Nothing like a little gunfire to let them know we’re coming.”
“Bad timing,” Luke spat out. “No one expected that second mofo to be jacking off outside. He was supposed to be patrolling the perimeter but was watching the woman through the windows.”
“Fuck,” Nick muttered.
“What’s her condition?” Jett Hutchinson asked over the headsets. Their boss had remained at the Shadow Security headquarters in upstate New York, sending the covert Shadow Ops Team to Mexico. Their mission was to rescue the daughter of a U.S. Government official who’d been kidnapped several days before. As former Delta Force soldiers, Luke and his teammates were every bit as lethal as they’d been when in the Special Forces. They’d deployed on counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and reconnaissance missions during their Army days. The men conducted similar missions now as part of a covert black ops group.
They just didn’t play by the government’s rules anymore.
“Bruised and battered,” Luke said. “Torn clothes.”
Gray muttered a curse. When the men had served together, Gray had been held hostage for three days during an op that went south. Although the woman they were rescuing probably hadn’t endured the torture Gray had, she’d clearly suffered physical harm. It was likely she’d been sexually assaulted. She’d live with horrific memories of her kidnapping for the rest of her life.
“SITREP,” Luke ordered.
“I’m on the east side, with my scope aimed at the vehicles,” Nick said. “If they try to move her from this location, I’ll take them out.”
“I’m on the roof,” Gray said over their headsets, breathing heavily. “I scaled the building across the street and can see through the window above the entryway. One tango inside along with the package.”
“You have eyes on the mark?” Luke confirmed, staying low as shots continued to rain above them.
“Roger. He’s looking outside, no doubt wondering what the fuck all the gunfire is for. I can take him out. The woman is tied to a chair, and he’s about fifteen feet away from her. There’s also one lone asshole moving north looking for you two. The second headed west.”
“Then we’re a go,” Luke said, nodding at Ford. His teammate gripped his weapon, and Luke made a circling gesture with his finger, indicating they should split up and surround the targets. He clicked on his mic again. “Ford and I will eliminate the tangos outside. Sam and Nick, prepare to move in to retrieve the package. Gray, take the shot when it’s clear.”
The man who’d been running toward Luke and Ford’s hiding spot thumped across the cobblestones above them. They moved quickly, each heading a different direction to eliminate the remaining threats outside. Luke eyed the wall, readying to scale it. He and Ford had night vision goggles on and full combat gear. They were armed with military-grade weapons. The idiots outside seemed unorganized and unprepared in comparison.
“He’s in my sights,” Gray said smoothly. “I’m taking the shot.”
A single gunshot echoed through the night as glass shattered, followed by the woman’s piercing scream. Nick and Sam were already running toward the house, and Luke and Ford fanned around the outside, eliminating the remaining kidnappers. By the time they breached the front door, Sam was untying the victim as Nick cleared the room and charged upstairs. Luke’s throat tightened as he looked at her. She had a black eye and bruises covering her arms. Her clothing was torn, her lips swollen. She’d clearly been beaten in addition to being raped.
“It’s all right,” he said, trying to ignore the anger surging through him as he moved closer. “We’re Americans. We’re here to rescue you.”
She looked up at him through teary eyes. “Don’t hurt me,” she pleaded. “Please.” Her eyes scanned over his helmet, down his dark clothes and body armor. He wasn’t in uniform because he wasn’t an enlisted soldier anymore.
He frowned. “No one is going to hurt you. We’ll get any medical treatment that you require and escort you back to the States. You’re safe now.”
“You’re military?” she asked, her voice wobbling.
He shook his head. “Former military. We work with the U.S. Government though. You’re safe with us,” he assured her.
She seemed to relax slightly. “It’s really over?” she asked shakily. Tears streamed down her cheeks as Sam carefully untied her wrists.
“It’s over,” Luke confirmed.
Sam stood, the ropes falling to the ground, and was already crossing the room and grabbing a blanket to wrap around her shoulders. Ford updated Jett over the headsets, and Luke’s stomach churned as the woman tried to stand. Her bare thighs were bruised, the shape of handprints on her fair skin. He wanted to kill the men who’d sold her to these ruthless monsters, letting her be abused in the worst possible ways. Rescuing women who’d been trafficked never got any easier. She’d need medical treatment and therapy when she was back home. She’d be interviewed, but as many cases went, she might not even know much about the men who’d originally taken her. Sold her. Her kidnapping might be completely unrelated to her father’s high-profile career, as no connections had been made yet. Jett had their IT guys scouring the young woman’s social media and electronic communications to see who she’d been in contact with. It might turn up nothing, but they had to cover all their bases.
Gray came charging in the front door just as Nick hustled back downstairs. “Upstairs is clear!” Nick shouted.
“Can you walk?” Sam asked the woman, who’d fallen back into the chair, shaking.
“I...I don’t think so.”
He handed her the blanket and finally wrapped it around her shoulders himself after she fumbled with it several times, her hands trembling. “Is it all right if I carry you?” he asked. He was a large man, but the woman had seemed to calm as he’d tended to her.
“All right.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and Luke scanned the room she’d been held in.
He clicked his mic, giving Jett an update. “We have the package. Three tangos down. Preparing to move out.”
“Roger that,” Jett said. “See you back home.”
There were no sirens outside, and he suspected the neighbors had learned to ignore whatever dirty dealings were going on inside the home of the men he and his teammates had killed. Nick had already slipped back
The woman whimpered as Sam lifted her.
Gray remained near the doorway, his dark gaze scanning the scene, his finger on the trigger of his rifle. Luke eyed him, wondering if moments like this brought back memories of his captivity.
Luke crossed the room on one final sweep, eyeing the dead body that Gray had taken out with a single sniper shot, and frowned as he saw a piece of paper on the floor. It was only partly legible, with spilled liquid blurring some of the ink, but there was a name and a phone number scrawled onto it. The U.S. area code made him pause. He snapped a picture with his phone and then bent to pick up a broken glass beside the paper. The asshole had been drinking and dropped it when Gray took the kill shot, the liquid smearing the numbers as everything had fallen on the floor. Luke slid the soggy paper into his pocket, to be analyzed further when they returned home.
“What’s that?” Gray asked, nodding toward Luke’s pocket.
“A name and partial phone number. I’ll send it to the boss.” He shot off a quick text to Jett, including the photo he’d just taken. Maybe the IT guys could get a head start, but with the blurred writing, he wasn’t holding out hope for anything to come from it. His teammates stood by, ready to roll out, Sam with the hostage in his arms. Gray turned toward the door, aiming his weapon into the darkness.
“The outside is clear,” Nick said over the headsets. “Head north toward me.”
“Roger that.” Luke signaled, pointing to the door with his gloved hand. “Let’s move,” he ordered. He stepped over the dead body, ignoring the mess and blood splattered on the ground, and he and his teammates exited into the dark night.
Chapter 1
LUKE LEANED BACK AGAINST a table in the pool hall on Tuesday evening, watching Gray take a shot. They’d been back from Mexico for two days, and he was still irritated as hell at the bastards they’d taken out. They’d briefed yesterday with Jett, and to no one’s surprise, the blurry number Luke had found hadn’t given them any useful information. It’d been a long shot, but the fact that the men who’d trafficked the teenager had contact with someone in the U.S. made him pause. The Feds would investigate further, but his team was done with their part for the moment. It was never easy when women or children were victimized, and his gut churned at knowing someone here in the States was still out there, free, possibly targeting other victims.
He took a pull of his beer, looking around. It wasn’t too crowded tonight, and they had the back area entirely to themselves. He almost preferred it this way, avoiding the groups waiting for a table or the single women hitting on him and his buddies. He kept in good shape and used to appreciate the looks he’d get from the opposite sex but wasn’t into bedding a woman for a night. Not that he had much interest in the type of girl that would aggressively throw herself at him either. There was something to be said about the thrill of the chase, and an easy lay didn’t hold much appeal.
Luke smirked as Gray sank the ball right into the corner pocket, with Sam slapping him on the back in congratulations.
“Damn. He smokes us every time,” Ford muttered with a low chuckle from beside him.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Luke said. “That’s why I’m sitting this one out. I’m surprised you’re even here tonight. How’s Clara doing?” he asked.
Ford had been interested in the pretty receptionist at Shadow Security for months but had only recently gotten together with her. Things had moved quickly, with an engagement and Clara and her young daughter moving into Ford’s house. His friend seemed happy as hell though, and he couldn’t fault a guy for that.
“Good, all things considered. I love having them both living with me. It just feels right. I know it was hard for her when we were gone. Clara still has nightmares about Eloise being taken,” he added in a low voice.
“I’ll bet,” Luke said, frowning. “How’s her daughter?”
“She doesn’t remember any of it, thank God.”
“It’s a sick world we live in,” Luke muttered, his gaze scanning the few people scattered throughout the building. Low music played over the speakers, and a couple of groups stood around other pool tables. One lone guy sat at the bar, chatting with the female bartender. “I don’t think I could stomach having a wife and kids and worrying all the time about them. I used to be pretty laid back, but some of the shit we’ve seen eats me up.”
“We’ve seen the worst of it,” Ford agreed. “But hell. When I saw Clara, it’s like I just knew she was it for me. It made no sense, but even with trying to avoid her and not getting too close all those months, it happened. I couldn’t keep away from her even if I wanted to.”
Luke lifted a shoulder. “I’m not saying I’d push a beautiful woman out of my bed, but I’ve sure as hell never felt like that, like there was one woman I just couldn’t get enough of.” He took another swig of his beer, watching Nick move beside Gray at the table, angling his cue just so.
“Eh, you’ll meet someone,” Ford said. “If you’re like me, it’ll be when you least expect it. When Jett hired Clara, I never gave it a second thought—until I saw her.”
Luke chuckled. “And then it was game over. I’m happy for you, man. She seems happier, too. More content and settled.”
“You must’ve caught her when Anna’s not around,” Ford quipped. Anna was their boss’s fiancée, and she was a firecracker. She was the total opposite of the quieter Clara. Anna had been brought onboard at Shadow Security to help run things at the large headquarters building hidden away in upstate New York. Jett seemed amused by her antics and was also completely head over heels, something Luke thought he’d never say about the gruff head of the Shadow Ops Team. Both Anna and Clara now knew the men ran secretive black ops missions around the world. The public had no knowledge of such things, believing the company provided bodyguards and security to clients. They lived double lives, but Luke loved the camaraderie he found with his teammates. They ran ops the government couldn’t or wouldn’t handle. As former Delta Force soldiers and teammates, they were highly trained and operated seamlessly as one unit.
“Hey, you guys want in on the next round?” Nick called out, looking at the two of them.
“Nah. I’m headed out soon,” Ford said.
“I’d head out, too, if I was guaranteed to get laid,” Nick joked.
“Shit, even if you had a woman, there’s no guarantee of that,” Sam said. “Have you looked in the mirror lately?”
“I haven’t had any complaints,” Nick quipped.
Luke shook his head as the guys continued to rib one another, not even sure why he was feeling out of sorts tonight. The latest op to Mexico had disturbed him. There’d been other trafficked girls and women they’d rescued on missions. Other horrors they’d seen. The partial phone number he’d gotten had been useless, most of it washed away by whatever alcohol had been spilled on it. The name “Ethan” that had been scrawled on the piece of paper didn’t mean much either without anything else to go on. Something about it bothered him though, like evil was lurking. An American was somehow involved with the shady, evil men who’d held a woman against her will. Forced her to do anything they wanted.
“Any word on how that woman we rescued is doing?” Luke asked.
“No. I doubt we’ll hear anything more,” Ford said. “With her father a higher up in the government, they want to keep all of it under wraps. It sounds like we’ve got a similar mission coming up,” he added with a frown.
“Oh yeah?” Luke asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I ran into Jett last night. Clara had left her phone in the office, so we went back together to grab it. He said there are several teenagers from Philly that recently went missing. One was found on the side of the highway, unconscious, but three are unaccounted for. The FBI thinks they may have been taken to Mexico.”
“Holy shit. They were sold?”
“If not yet, they will be. Evidently, the girl that was found is in a coma, so they can’t get any information from her. Jett was waiting on more info from the Feds before he briefs the team, but it sounds like we’ll be sent in.”
