Kodiak Sky (Red Cell Trilogy Book 3) Read Free Page B

moved on to the other pictures—his mother, Cheryl; his brother, Jack; and his father, Bill—so Jennie’s photograph wouldn’t keep reminding him of what he’d done back at the campground—and in Spain. But the mental images of the interludes began haunting him even as he gazed at the photos of his family. That exotic young woman in the tent looked a lot like Jennie. So had the woman in Spain.
    Troy pulled a lighter from his pocket, set the photos ablaze, held them until the last possible second by the corners, and then allowed them to fall to the rocks.
    “What are you doing, sir?” Bennington had moved away from the others to where Troy was standing.
    “Burning pictures of my family, and you’d be wise to do the same if you have any on you.”
    “Why?”
    “If you’re caught by the man we’re going after tonight, he’ll use those pictures to find your family.” For the first time Troy caught a blink of fear in Bennington’s expression. “And he won’t care if they’re women or children. And he’ll make you watch what he does to them before he finally kills you.”
    Bennington’s eyes narrowed. “Who is the target tonight, sir?”
    Troy had to give the man credit. He’d waited longer to ask that question than most people would. “Daniel Gadanz.”
    “Holy shit. He’s the most powerful drug lord in the world.”
    “Worth more than $200 billion.”
    “Billion?”
    Troy and a special-forces team had almost captured Gadanz last December at a secret compound the drug lord maintained in south Florida. But he’d escaped in a Gulfstream G650 at the last moment.
    “You want out?” Troy asked. Bennington looked shocked, and Troy didn’t want men with him who weren’t fully committed. “I’ll give you that option. But one way or another I’m coming out of the jungle tonight with Gadanz’s head in a sack.”
    Bennington pushed his chin out defiantly. “No, sir, we’re with you.” Bennington took a step toward his men, then turned back around. “Are you Red Cell Seven?” he asked Troy.
    “No.”
    Bennington stared at Troy intensely for a few moments, as if hoping he might get more, then turned away.
    “What was the vision?”
    Bennington turned back around again. “Sir?”
    “Before we broke camp, you told me Pablo had a vision last night. What was it?”
    “That we were all killed in a gun battle tonight.”
    Troy pushed out his lower lip in a satisfied way. “Well, that’s a relief.”
    “What the hell do you mean by that?”
    “Being captured by Daniel Gadanz would be much worse than being killed.”
    J ACK’S GAZE moved down the silver barrel of the Colt to the trigger—and Russell’s fingertip, which was on it. “Jesus Christ!” he shouted suddenly, slamming his palm on the bulkhead as he looked and gestured wildly to the right.
    In the split second Russell was distracted Jack leapt from his chair and lunged for the distraught bond trader. He grabbed the wrist clenching the big revolver and held on as Russell began pulling the trigger over and over.
    The massive trading room, which had been chaotic before going totally silent, now catapulted back into bedlam with the earsplitting explosions.
    As people screamed and fled, Jack slammed the hard sole of his black tasseled loafer into the side of Russell’s knee, exactly at the point Troy had taught him. The knee snapped loudly, Russell shouted in agony and collapsed to the floor, and Jack was left holding the smoking gun.
    Several of the men in the area, who’d turned to flee, jumped on Russell and subdued him while others rushed to Jack’s side.
    Frank Dorsey, the head of the corporate bond desk, patted him on the back. “It’s been a market bloodbath in here for all of us today, but you kept it from being a real bloodbath.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Have a martini tonight when you get home. Have a few of them and think about how you saved lives. Don’t worry about the millions you lost this afternoon. Senior management isn’t