Page 1 of Maddox

PROLOGUE

Hunt. Capture. Kill.

That’s what we’d been trained to do.

To shoot without remorse—to lead when required.

A warrior in the heat of battle—swift and violent.

To follow orders without question.

Our motto? The only easy day was yesterday.

Honor and commitment.

Bravery and conviction.

Our word was our bond.

We were Navy SEALs and would not fail.

Even in the worst of conditions, we would not break.

Until…

CHAPTER 1

Extraction Point

Maddox

I was beginning to regret this gig.

It wasn’t the extreme heat. I preferred a tropical environment.

It wasn’t the goddamn bugs, even if they were the size of my hand.

Even the snakes didn’t irritate me. There were more venomous humans.

And I certainly didn’t mind the danger. Hazardous missions I could eat for breakfast with a slice of treachery.

It was the fact that I’d been dragged out of retirement. I didn’t appreciate anyone fucking with my schedule.

I moved through the darkness, the night vision goggles illuminating the thick foliage. A sharp sound drew my attention and I shifted to the side, holding the assault rifle in thatdirection. Just another boa constrictor slithering down the trunk of a tree. As I moved through the opening, I shoved its dangling body aside, keeping a careful eye on the dense jungle.

Another sound forced me to stop. I slipped behind a tree, paying close attention to the environment. If the intel was right, the woman I’d been sent to extract was in the compound just up to the right. If the fuckers had provided the wrong information, I’d grab the next flight home. First class. At the mission commander’s expense.

At least I knew almost every square inch of the acreage, every concrete building, every guard’s station, every bloody burial spot. If she was being held in the facility, she’d be in one of two concrete bunkers chained like an animal. I didn’t relish that for a single soldier, but especially not for a woman.

Crouching down, I continued to scan the area checking for booby traps. I couldn’t put anything past the savages. They used every trick in the book to protect their environment. I’d witnessed good soldiers, men with families step onto the carefully placed foliage, falling into a deep ravine, impaled by crude spears. Ridiculous, but effective.

Another noise.

A single voice, a slight whistle. Maybe I was right on the money.

The humidity was thick, my face covered with sweat. Even my clothes were soaked. At some point, I’d need to prepare for a rainstorm. This was fucking monsoon season after all. That would add complications I didn’t need.

I’d stashed the beat-up Blazer at a secure location a few miles back, the area hidden away from prying eyes. Once I’d freed her, we’d have several hours on back road before reaching thedestination point where we’d meet the assigned pilot. Freeing her from the compound might be the easiest part. Once the men responsible for holding her realized she’d been rescued, they’d stop at nothing to get her back, including blocking off the roads.

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