Page 1 of Delta Mission
CHAPTER 1
Makenna
The soldier drivingour army Humvee had a death wish. Either that, or he was trying to scare me. He would have to try a lot harder. Moose’s erratic driving was nothing compared to what I went through in Colombia.
The Hummer hit a dirt mound, launching us airborne.
We crashed down and my head slammed into the side window. I rubbed my temple, clamping my jaw against the pain.
“Sorry ‘bout that.” Moose grinned at me over his shoulder, contradicting his apology.
I didn’t bother engaging with him. The three men sharing the Hummer with me had already made it known that my company was not welcome. It wasn’t a place for a woman, they’d said like I was wearing a frilly dress and stilettos. I wasn’t. And I rarely did.
My DEA uniform was as practical as possible, and my shoes were for running. Which I did often. Running was my therapy, which I needed more than I’d ever admit. I was fitter and faster now than I was when I completed my training at Quantico. I could probably outrace all the assholes around me.
Besides, I wasn’t a fool. I knew full well that our destination was deadly for women. I’d been studying this remote region of Afghanistan longer than the Delta soldiers who were tasked withescorting me and my team had been on their current tour of duty. It didn’t help that the soldiers had to extend their tour by one week because of me. Or, more specifically, what I believed we were about to find.
My safety was irrelevant. There were much bigger issues at stake, one being the potential to uncover a secret drug lab of record proportions; another being my career. I’d banked a lot on the intel I’d gathered.
Beside me was Lyle Robson, my team leader, who had made me beg to give this mission the go-ahead. I felt him glaring at me. He did that a lot, and I couldn’t tell if he was trying to work me out or work up the courage to ask me out. Either way, it was best for both of us if he didn’t.
I reluctantly turned to him. “What?”
“You better be right about this, Makenna.” Lyle scowled at me like I was an insubordinate rookie. He did that a lot, too.
I glared right back at him. “I am. I know it.”
Murphy, the Delta Ops soldier in the front passenger seat, grunted, and I took that as a sign he didn’t agree with my assertion.
I shifted my attention out of the windshield to the lead vehicle ahead of us. A soldier standing through the roof of the Hummer to control the massive machine gun was shielded by a barricade of two-inch thick steel. Nothing could protect him from the rugged terrain we drove over, though. We bounced around like pebbles in a beer can.
Behind us was another Hummer. I was yet to meet the Delta Force soldiers in the additional protection detail. But I knew the DEA agent who was in that Hummer. Trent McMahon had been snatched from the army base just before he’d taken his return flight back to civilization. Trent was going to be as pissed at me as the Delta team soldiers were.
It wasn’t my fault he was added to the mission last minute. He could blame Lyle for that.
The only good thing about Lyle adding Trent and the additional Delta soldiers to our team was it suggested that he secretly believed I was onto something. Why else would he have added the extra manpower?
I had better be right.
Beyond the windows stretched miles and miles of dirt, rocks, and sand. Not a single tree, building, or person graced the landscape. We were in the middle of nowhere.
But somewhere beneath this barren wasteland was an underground opium lab that was reported to be the size of two basketball courts.
And I was going to be the one who found it.
At least, that was the plan.
The village of Amir Momahhadakan appeared out of the ochre landscape like a magic trick. Moose passed the first mud-lined shelter before he skidded to a halt, nearly throwing me into the back of the passenger seat.
We spilled from the vehicles and the soldiers fanned out like a pack of cards. Between them, they had enough weapons to attack a small army.
I had my Glock and a knife that I wouldn’t hesitate to use if I needed to. I’d done it before. I would do it again.
Murphy eyeballed me. “Stay with the vehicle until we secure the village.”
I nodded.
“Is that a yes?” He narrowed his eyes.
