Viper Team Seven (The Viper Team Seven Series Book 1) Read Free Page A

scrambled out. And just in time too. The
grenade exploded his beautiful Lexus into pieces. Shrapnel ripped into Williams’
stomach and chest, leaving him unconscious and bleeding on the sidewalk.
    *          *          *
    There it was.
The signal had finally come, and none too soon. Lahud threw down the satellite
phone and bellowed orders in Arabic to his team. He now had no fear of speaking
in his native tongue; secrecy no longer mattered. The time had come for all of
them to be offered up for the cause. All it took was the flip of the switch,
and that would set off the C4 plastic explosives in the center crate. That
explosion would most likely kill all on board, but they had planned it that
way. To die like that would be superior to drowning or being captured by the
Americans. The fertilizer and other explosives would go off after the first C4
crate exploded.
    “We are ready.
Whenever you give the word, we’ll commence the attack.” Those words were spoken
by Lahud’s most trusted man, Yulka Kabril. The one thing Lahud hated most about
dying was not being able to do exactly what he was doing now – attacking the
Americans with his best friend Kabril. But now it was time to die, both of them,
for something they believed was right, and both men had no fear or shame. They
would be heroes; their names chanted for months by their family and friends. Everyone
would be proud, and Lahud was more than ready for someone to be proud of him.
    Khan Lahud had
been a bratty kid, always getting into trouble, and always bringing shame to
his family. His father had once told him he regretted he ever had him for a
child, and that his life would be better without his pesky little son. “It would
be an honor for me never to see your pitiful face again.” Those were his
father’s precise words, and they clung to Lahud like his own skin.
    At the age of
sixteen he had left home and began waging terror on the Israelis. Nothing
major, just small things like bus bombings and murders. At twenty-five he
trained with terrorists in a camp in Iraq. He was so good at terror attacks
that he was deemed the leader of a terrorist team bound for a major attack in Israel. After completing that mission with flying colors, he was promoted to the new
terrorist trainer, and he held that position for ten years until he was chosen
for this operation. He was able to hand pick his own team, and he chose the
best in the business. And now here he was, striving to make his father and
mother proud. He only hoped he would.
    Lahud and his
team stood on the main deck. Now was the time. He took a deep breath, cleared
his throat and with a loud voice said, “For the glory of Allah, country, and
our families, release Operation FIRELIGHT.” He nodded to Kabril to proceed.
    Kabril grasped
the ignition switch and with one voice the terrorists all cheered, “For the
glory of Allah, country, and our families!” The massive explosion could be
heard and seen for several miles around.
    The first explosion
tore open the freight ship, but the dozens of other larger explosions ripped
wide holes in the USS George Washington . The last and most devastating
blast blew up the entire midsection of the grand George Washington . The
ship ignited in flames as she slowly sank, lighting, as said, the entire bay
before plunging to the depths of the ocean.
    Operation FIRELIGHT was a success, as was the hotel bombing. Yet they
were just the beginning. What would happen throughout the night would shake America forever.
    *          *          *
    “Mr. Vice
President, sir, you’ve got to get out of here. Now!” the lead Secret Service
agent yelled, interrupting the Vice President’s nightly swimming exercise.
    Confused, Stan
Anders stopped mid-stroke. “What is it?” he asked, clearing the water from his
eyes.
    “No time to
explain, sir, but we’ve got to get you to the safety of the White House immediately.
There’s no time to lose.”
    The