AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I didn’t need to ask how many casualties. No matter the time of day, it would be catastrophic.
I took a few seconds, trying to process the information. There was a hell of a lot more going on in the background than just an attempt to apprehend a single scientist. This was about initiating a full-scale war.
“Two enemy eliminations. Sending coordinates,” I told the handler as I typed in the areas where the two crashes had occurred, scanning the street as he attempted to locate confirmation the debris had been located. A full minute passed.
“Negative, Cobra. No evidence found.”
“What the…” I didn’t finish my sentence. They had reasons for not wanting to be found. “Will attempt contact again in forty-eight hours.”
“Check for redline prior to making the call.”
Redline. It was their way of saying if a message was sent with the single word ‘hot’ then I was to abort all future communication and worse. That I was completely on my own with no chance at receiving assistance of any kind. Not that I believed help would be issued without serious cause.
“Understood.” I checked my watch. The call had been kept within the timeframe allowed. Every precaution was being taken and followed, yet the same foreboding sense remained. I reconsidered making contact with my friend, but as long as he still had connections in the aviation industry, he might be the only person I could trust.
After making the call, I knew the man would be hesitant to answer the phone given the odd phone number. Or so I thought.
“Yello,” he said, the music in the background immediately distracting.
“Jeremy,” I said, glancing into the rearview mirror to ensure I hadn’t been followed.
“Whoa, buddy of mine. What’s it been, two years?” Jeremy asked. It was obvious the man had started indulging in whatever libation he now preferred. He’d been the life of the party during my time in the Raiders, the only man not involved in the tragic mission due to the death of his mother. He’d returned stateside a day before the abomination.
“Give or take. You alone?”
“Hold on.” I heard him speaking in Portuguese, native to his parents but mastered in his twenties prior to making a move to Portugal. When I heard a woman’s voice in the background then the slam of a door, I had to chuckle. The man had a way with women. Finally, the music was turned down.
“Sorry about that. Just having a little disagreement with my sweet cheeks.”
“You’re still at it.”
“And I’m gonna venture a guess you’re still single,” he chided.
“Enough of small talk. I need your help.”
“What do you need, buddy?”
“A place to stay in Lisbon, a ride over, and a way to bring my equipment there.” Bringing weapons into the country was dicey but necessary.
He snorted and when I didn’t say anything, he cleared his throat, lowering his voice. “You’re not kidding.”
“Afraid I’m not.”
“You got a place to stay anytime, but the rest is… whew.”
“I need this to happen, Jer.”
“That’s gonna be expensive and take time to put together.”
“I don’t have time,” I retorted.
“What the hell are you involved in?”
I could tell my friend almost nothing, but he of all people would understand why. “Let’s just say a matter of life and death.”
“Fuck. I thought you were retiring.”
“Yeah, so did I. Can you help me out?”
