Blue Christmas Read Free

by rigid pay scales and regulations that kept the military operatives in check, the outside consultants had free range. Often former special ops guys, they were the ones who never could stay on the grid. Most of them, adrenalin junkies with a clock too fast for even Special Forces, were making a killing in the world of outside consultants. According to Col. Marion their white knight met all of these criteria including a whispered fee the equivalent of six months of Tiffany’s pay. To say it pissed her off was an understatement.
    Tiffany fought boredom as Col. Marion droned on about how lucky they were to find this particular operative. Apparently the guy was a world class poker player, accustomed to moving among the international jet set and could easily fit into Shin Lee’s elite crowd. And, he came with false credentials that his company promised would pass the scrutiny of the Jopok underworld. Tiffany sure as hell hoped so. She’d seen enough of the infamous Korean mafia to know that they could spot an amateur a mile off. When they did, there’d be room to spare in a two foot by four foot box, after they’d stuffed in all of his chopped up body parts.
    At the knock on the door, Col. Marion put down his laser pointer and moved to welcome their newest team member and purported ringer.
    Staring at the hunk at the door, twice in as many days, Tiffany prayed to whatever gods existed to open up the ground and let her sink into oblivion.
    Brady’s lean muscular body filled the doorway. He loomed over Col. Marion, making the medium sized commander seem small, insignificant by comparison. But as Tiffany had learned in the past, it wasn’t Col. Schaefer’s commanding physique or extraordinary rock star good looks that made him formidable. Behind the laughing eyes, quick grin and smart mouth was a fighter to be reckoned with. No one who tangled with him once, ever underestimated him again. If they lived through the first encounter. To women, herself included, Tiffany knew that the whiff of danger simmering just below the surface of the seemingly gregarious man made him irresistible. Women wanted to know if the promise of sexual nirvana in those gleaming green eyes was real and as provocative as advertised.
    Col. Marion puffed up like a proud peacock who’d managed to snare an extra-large piece of grain for his brood.
    Leading Brady into the room, the older man introduced him with a triumphant wave of his hand, “Gentlemen and lady, I’d like to introduce Col. Brady Schaefer, former Delta, consummate scallywag and long term compatriot of the formidable Col. Jake Gardner. I’ve known Jake and Brady for years. I worked with them on a couple of missions and was sorry as hell when they left active duty. But nearly being thrown in the brink for overstepping their bounds more times that was comfortable, they decided they were better off working outside of the military. We’re damn lucky Brady was free for this operation. There couldn’t be a better fit for our needs.”
    One by one, Col. Marion introduced the members of the team who’d all risen to their feet out of respect for the infamous shock jock and famous Delta Force member. Tiffany did her best to slink behind the taller male soldiers. But with obvious pride, Col. Marion found her hovering behind Capt. Tran Fong, one of their Korean born team members and turned to introduce her to Brady.
    “Col. Schaefer, I’d like you to meet the star of our enterprise and the only person I know in the entire U. S. Army who could bring Shin Lee to his knees in less than a week. This is Captain—”
    Before Col. Marion could say her name, Brady stared at her, did a double take and then roared in laughter.
    “Hot damn! As I live and breathe there is a god!”
    To the amazement of her astonished team members, he advanced on her, picked her up under her arms and swung her in a wide circle, knocking her regulation cap off her fiery curls.
    “Holy shit, Colonel, if you’d let it be