Tag: action adventure romance suspense series

★★★★★ “…great read…” ~ Lynn, Goodreads reviewer

Man Hunt, SEALs of Shadow Force, Spy Division, Book 1

© 2018 Misty Evans

Hazardous operating environment

Jaeger licked a red popsicle at the small table in the kitchen. At his feet, the dog—Mite—made quick work of an orange one.

Sweat trickled down Mia’s hairline behind her ear. At least she’d called that right. What kid didn’t love a popsicle in ninety degree weather? She was ready to take the remaining ones and rub them all over her body.

The SEALs were outside guarding the cabin, but she needed to get Ryker moving. Regardless of the fact other people were looking for him and could show up any minute, Kaiser would only be in Monte Carlo for another day or two according to Beatrice’s intel. That was the perfect spot for their little undercover operation to take place, she just had to convince the man sitting across from her that it was time for Gaspard Manafort to rise from the dead.

Ryker tousled Jaeger’s hair as he finished his popsicle. Ryker’s gun sat on the tabletop to his side, out of the boy’s line of sight, but still visible for Mia’s benefit. A Self-Destructive Behavior Club T-shirt outlined his generous pec muscles and seemed to be a statement as much as clothing. “Hit the bathroom and wash your face, Jaeg. Then it’s up to your room to finish packing for the trip.”

The five-year-old licked his lips and smiled at Mia. “We’re going on a walkabout!” He glanced down at the dog, whose ears we’re perked. “But Mite can’t come. Do you think I could leave him the rest of the popsicles?”

The kid was cute and pulled her heartstrings. She remembered when Chloe had been that age. “They’re yours to do whatever you wish.”

Jaeger hopped down, patting the dog’s head. “Did you hear that, Mite? The rest are yours!”

As the boy ran from the room, Mite took off after him, a game. Mia covered her nose, the dog’s odor wafting over her as he scampered out of the room.

A tense silence descended and Mia looked back at Ryker. His eyes were deep pools of something she couldn’t quite fathom. He was good at hiding emotion, but it wasn’t hard to guess what his flat gaze was covering—anger being at the top of the list. “You never saw the final report about our mission that night. I know you have questions, and I probably don’t have all the answers, but I’ll tell you what I do know. Everything.” She leaned forward and tapped a finger on top of the table. The wood was stained and scarred. “But it would be best if we had this conversation once we’re out of here. Beatrice was able to find you quickly because of some very high tech software and her instincts. It may take longer for Kaiser to get his hands on the same intel and track you down, we need to be long gone before that happens. We need to get ahead of this, and I have a plan we can discuss in detail once were in the air.”

He seemed unfazed by the threat. “Before I put my life, and the kid’s, in your hands, I need to know who tried to kill me that night. Was it the Agency?”

Mia sat back. “Why would they want to kill you?”

“Been asking myself the same thing the past nine months. They thought I went off the reservation, that I was in love with Petra and had blown my cover with her. I became a liability.”

Mia scanned her memory. “I don’t remember anything being said about that.” She eyed him more closely. “Were you? Did she know you were CIA?”

“No and no. Her husband was the worst of the lowlifes, still is, and she wanted out, but there was no way he’d let her walk away, especially with the kid. He beat her on a regular basis, threatened to kill her if she even thought of cheating or leaving him. The kid was caught in the middle and Petra wanted to escape, but more than that, she wanted to save Jaeger and get him away from his father. I was trying to make that happen—save them both. Petra was an asset to the CIA—she had oodles of intelligence on Karl. My handler agreed to cut a deal for her, get them out in exchange for the intelligence she had on Kaiser’s organization and network. People, shell companies, his black market dealings—she knew about all of it. Can you imagine what a coup it would be to not only wipe him out, but all of his business partners?”

One of those was Senator Hinch. Not on paper, of course, but under the table the two helped each other on a regular basis. Mia had gone digging on Hinch after that night with Chloe. It hadn’t been all that hard to find the trail that led to Karl. Hinch made sure the Department of Defense gave Kaiser contracts for arms in two out of three bidding wars, while Kaiser donated money to the senator’s campaigns through various legal organizations every four years.

“Are you suggesting the CIA didn’t want Karl and his cronies wiped out? That they would kill one of their own to keep that from happening?”

Ryker looked at her as if she were dense. “You have to admit things are fishy when it comes to that mission. My handler turns up dead, the exfil for Petra is denied, and the next thing I know, the explosion and fire happen that night at the party. If I’d arrived on time, I would’ve been dead. In the confusion, I was able to rescue Jaeger and get him out of there.”

The final report had listed the cause as a gas leak. A note had been made that perhaps one of Kaiser’s enemies had orchestrated it, but no evidence pointing to that had turned up.

From what she’d learned coming in late to the mission, it was not out of the question Kaiser had created the explosion himself. At that time, Ryker’s previous handler noted multiple times the man was unstable and controlling with his wife. If Kaiser had any hint she was leaving him, and he wanted to eliminate that chance, it was possible he’d stop her by any means necessary.

Kind of stupid if you asked her. Mia had wondered why a man would destroy his home. If he wanted to kill his wife, surely there were easier ways. This new theory by Ryker warranted consideration. “So, you think in order to keep damaging information about, say, a US senator from surfacing, the CIA not only refused to pull Petra and Jaeger out of Berlin, but they actually staged the explosion and subsequent fire that killed her and might have you as well?”

“A senator?” He cocked his head. “You do know more than you’re telling me. Who is he?”

She’d acted like she was speculating but he’d grabbed that nugget of information like a dog with a bone.

Before she could figure out a way to answer, he leaned forward. His voice was demanding. “Who is it?”

She wasn’t ready to share that yet, but pieces of the puzzle were tumbling around in her brain. “I was using that as an example. For all I know, Karl might have damning information about the president or another high-ranking official. My point is, why would the Agency send you undercover to get the goods then pull the plug and try to kill you when you got them?”

“They didn’t know all of the things I’d find out. I was sent in to befriend the man and get intel on a new buyer out of North Africa unloading black market ammunitions. Some sheik. What I found was a lot more.”

She knew the directive of the mission. Remembered the buyer Ryker had been looking for. “There could be some truth to your suspicions, but at this point, we can’t prove anything. They may very well be part of the reason Beatrice didn’t hand the information about your whereabouts over to the CIA. What we can do is go after Kaiser again. Raise Gaspard Manafort from his grave and get him back in touch with Karl. Make him believe you had nothing to do with Jaeger’s disappearance and you’re back in the arms market. Advanced weaponry he’ll see the profit in.”

“Dream on. He thinks I’m dead, that I was there the night of the explosion.”

“There were multiple bodies that were never identified. All you have to do is convince him you weren’t on site, you never showed up. You only heard about it later. I have the perfect backstop story for you.”

“Why does Bianca—Beatrice—want Kaiser so bad?”

“I’m not privileged to that information, but it’s not hard to guess. She doesn’t do anything that isn’t for a good reason, and eliminating Kaiser would benefit the world at large, don’t you think? Our new boss is in touch with the big picture—one we can’t even imagine, nor do I care to delve into it.”

He was silent, unmoving for a long moment. Still as a cat about to jump on his prey. Why did Mia feel like she was the prey?

“What’s in this for you?” he finally asked.

“Beatrice claims she can get my job back at the Agency.” There was no reason to tell him the specifics, so she didn’t. “I need that position.”

He shook his head but stayed quiet a moment. Then, “I can’t do it. I owe her but…I can’t leave the boy alone or risk either of our lives. If I get caught, end up dead or in prison? There’s no one to raise Jaeger.”

“We can protect him—Beatrice can, anyway. She has a kid of her own now, and fights pretty damn hard for the underdog from what I can see. She won’t let Jaeger end up with his father.”

“Papa?” Jaeger’s voice floated down the rough wooden stairs. “I’m all done!”

Ryker stood, slipping his gun into his waistband. He pointed a finger at her. “Whatever’s in this for you, I’m sorry, I can’t help. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I know you can show yourself to the door.”

After he left the room, she rolled her eyes, then checked the new phone Rory had given her. No messages, although there was a clock on the screen counting down the minutes.

Perfect. No pressure there.

I can’t give up. I have to make this work. She wondered how the three men outside were doing, what orders they had if she couldn’t get Ryker to willingly come along. They all had codenames and looked like some of the meanest, baddest guys she’d ever ran into. Ryker fit right in with them.

But they all had soft spots—everyone did. Would the SEALs help her kidnap the boy, force Ryker to help her?

Do not threaten Jaeger, she heard the little voice inside her head say. That’s the one thing that’ll make Ryker kill you instead of help you.

She smelled the dog before she heard Ryker’s stealthy footsteps behind her. He had a duffel in one hand, a rolled up sleeping bag in the other. Jaeger followed dutifully behind. “You’re still here.”

Pointing at the duffel, she felt hope rise. “You changed your mind? You’re going to help?”

“Hell, no, but now we definitely have to move.”

“But where will you go?”

“None of your concern.” He motioned to the door. “Out.”

Her phone, still in her hand, buzzed. Beatrice. Staring Ryker down, she almost ignored it, but she was out of options. The man was as stubborn as a mule. “Yes?” she asked, answering her boss’s call.

“Get out, now! There’s incoming!”

Incoming? Mia’s blood froze. Instinct had her pick up the boy. “Move! Get out!” she yelled as she sprinted for the door.

“What the—?”

“Run!”

The afternoon heat hit her like a wall and things went into slow motion. Jaeger yelled for his papa, the dog jetted past her toward the Jeep, barking as if this were a game. SEALs appeared from every direction, and she sensed Ryker coming up fast behind her.

Strong arms grabbed her and Jaeger at the entrance to the nearby forest, and she was thrown down, air whooshing out of her lungs. Heavy weights landed on top of her, her face smashed into the ground, the laden scents of earth and dry undergrowth filling her nostrils.

Before she could catch her breath, the world behind her exploded.

★★★★★ “Evans writes spies so incredibly well.” ~ Reader review

★ Buy direct: https://mistyevansbooks.com/product/man-hunt-seals-of-shadow-force-spy-division-book-1

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★Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/194868604X

★★★★★ “…the perfect mix of romance and suspense…” ~ Reader review

Man Hunt, SEALs of Shadow Force, Spy Division, Book 1

© 2018 Misty Evans

Defense mapping

Australian outback, Twenty-four hours later

Jaeger was sick. Ryker checked the Jeep’s oil, the itch under his breastbone now a full blown burn. He’d already delayed their departure to look for a new place to live long enough, but it wasn’t fair to the boy to make him travel when he was running a fever and throwing up. Their pace would be slow because of that anyway, and they could end up in a worse situation than if they stayed.

But staying could be dangerous as well. Just that morning, in the early dawn light, Ryker had heard the sounds of a helicopter overhead. The blades beating the air had made him sit upright from his makeshift bed on the floor of Jaeger’s room. He’d barely gotten any sleep as he tended to the boy, and at the sound of the helo he’d panicked, grabbing Jaeger and hauling him out to the Jeep. It was a knee-jerk reaction, his fears of being discovered keeping constant tension below the surface, ready to explode at the slightest threat.

The helo had disappeared to the east, probably one of the local companies taking a tourist on a safari. Occasionally they did fly over this area. If he hadn’t already been nervous about the length of their stay, he probably wouldn’t have given it more than a brief thought.

Poor Jaeger had cried at the rough handling and then thrown up, leaving Ryker feeling guilty and having to clean up the Jeep once he had the boy tucked back into his bed.

Now in the bright light of day, his instincts were on high alert, the warning bells in his head going off with fervor. There was a cave ten miles west. He could load up and get them there in no time, create a temporary place for Jaeger to get better, and allow them to get out of here.

Ten miles wasn’t much; if someone came looking for them and knew the territory, the cave would be the first place they checked after discovering the empty house. Even if he took precautions to remove their fingerprints and DNA, a skilled tracker would know someone had been living there recently. Ryker had explored the cave several months before and left a small cache of supplies, including cash, energy bars, water, survival gear, two guns, and some ammunition in case he and Jaeger ever needed to bug out fast. It was more of a hunker down site, rather than a safe one.

He checked the spark plugs, needing something to do, and took his frustration out on the truck. Jaeger was sleeping, but Ryker would check on him again in a minute to see if his fever had broken. Up until now, the boy had shown remarkable resilience, never falling sick, and it was a bloody good thing, since Ryker sucked at being a nurse.

After that he’d load the Jeep. Hopefully by morning they could take off and get to the cave at least. From there he wanted to head toward Staaten River, maybe eventually hop over to the Wellesley Islands.

Mite watched him from a patch of grass near the cabin, panting in the late afternoon heat. His eyes were sleepy, hooded, as he sunned his bones. There seemed to be more gray around his face today, his ribs showing more than usual as his chest rose and fell.

Damn dog wasn’t helping. Ryker didn’t need extra guilt for leaving the mutt behind, and yet, he knew there was no easy way to ditch him. Jaeger would be stoic about it, never shedding a tear in front of Ryker, but the kid would never forgive him. Another thing to feel guilty about.

He slammed the hood shut and Mite’s head came up. Nap time was over and he now kept a wary eye on Ryker as he headed for the back of the cabin to grab some extra cans of oil from the nearby shed.

Beat it to fit, paint it to match. The ideology his former SEAL commander had insisted they live by. You did the best you could with whatever you had.

Inside, he grabbed a machete for clearing brush, a tactical vest, the pockets filled with miscellaneous first aid items and an extra pocketknife. The Jeep had one spare tire on the back and room for a tent and camping gear. After he packed all of that, he threw in the duffels filled with food, extra clothing, and a few of Jaeger’s personal items. The boy didn’t have traditional toys, or any particular creature comforts outside of his blanket and a couple of wooden soldiers Ryker had carved for him.

Grabbing a plastic gas can to strap on to the Jeep, Ryker scanned the rest of the tools hanging on the shed’s wall. Determining which to take, what possible situations they might encounter, kept his mind off Jaeger’s illness, but he needed to get inside and check on the boy.

With his stash of supplies, he climbed back out of the shed into the daylight. Mite was on his feet, pacing the cabin, his ears pricked. “Shit.” Ryker sprinted past the dog, dropped the gas can next to the Jeep, and half tossed the oil cans into the open backseat. He was three feet from the porch swing when the front door opened.

Jaeger stood in the doorway, his hair a crumbled mess, his tan cheeks no longer a bright pink with fever. He squinted at Ryker. “Papa, I’m hungry.”

Relief swamped him and he grinned. “That’s good. What do you fancy? Some tea and toast or maybe a biscuit?”

“The lady brought popsicles.” He rubbed the sleep from one eye with his fist. “I’d like an orange and a red.”

“The lady…?” Was the boy hallucinating? “It was just a dream, mate. Which is a shame, because it sounds like a good one, but that’s all it was. Let’s get you that toast.”

“Wasn’t a dream, Papa.” Jaeger looked over his shoulder into the cabin.

In the same instant, Mite growled.

The hair on the back of Ryker’s neck stood up, the warning bells clanging so loudly he felt like he was inside a bell tower. With one hand he motioned for the boy to come to him. With the other, he drew his weapon from his waistband. “Jaeger, come to me. Quick now.”

Get him! His pulse hammered in his ears, his highly trained mind playing out a dozen possible scenarios. A woman, popsicles.

The helicopter.

Goddamn it.

Jaeger saw the gun but did as instructed, leaving the porch and coming down to Ryker. He pulled the boy behind him, his gun trained on the doorway. “Get to the Jeep. Go.”

“But the lady said— “

“Go now!”

There had been no sound of a vehicle, no alarm raised. Even as Jaeger walked away, Ryker stalked to the cabin. A tiny part of him prayed the boy was simply confused, that his fever had created a very vivid dream of a woman with popsicles.

But what were the odds it was real? That somehow a woman had gotten inside without him knowing it? She would’ve had to pass through three layers of his security warning system, past the dog even. And before that, trekked through miles and miles of National Park wilderness. There was no actual road here, only a rough, rugged trail through dense forest and craggy outcroppings.

There’s no way. Only a diehard survivalist or one of the aborigines who knew the land like the back of his hand could make it there on foot.

The interior of the cabin was a few degrees cooler than outside and deep in shadows, thanks to the trees surrounding it that blocked the hot afternoon sun. The main floor was less than one thousand square feet, but on first inspection, Ryker couldn’t see anyone inside.

What he did see was a small red and white cooler in the center of the kitchen table.

He quietly cocked the gun and scanned the areas he could see once more. The rooms were small; he had a direct line of sight into the living room, the couch where he slept, the central piece of furniture.

He saw no one.

Staying to the right, he slowly made his way past the table to the living room. There he pulled up short.

In the corner shadows blanketed a rocking chair near the fireplace, a woman dressed in khakis, a single dark braid falling over her shoulder, raised both hands in a show of surrender. “Hello, Ryker.”

Maybe he’d been in the Outback too long, too many days and nights alone, because instead of shooting her where she sat, he caught his breath and took in her beautiful porcelain skin and big green eyes.

The warning bells in his head gave way to a chastising voice. You hesitated. Hesitation will get you killed.

“Who the hell are you and how did you get into my home?”

She rocked forward, coming to her feet, but froze when he aimed the gun at her forehead. Straightening slowly, she studied him with the same scrutiny he was giving her. “As I live and breathe, it really is you.”

That voice. I know that voice, but…

His grip tightened. “Whoever you are, you made a dangerous mistake coming here.”

“Really wasn’t my first choice either, you know. I don’t do”—she waved one hand around the general area of the cabin— “hiking, camping, bugs, snakes.” She gave a hard shudder. “I guess the military training you had before you joined the CIA really paid off.”

His brain was still trying to connect the dots. She was American from the sound of her voice, knew about his past, and had to be CIA, but he knew he’d never seen her before. “You need to leave. Now. And forget you ever found me.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly, the green orbs darkening. “You have the balls to stand there, point a gun at me, and threaten me after I’ve lived for the past nine months believing you were dead?” She took a step toward him, jabbing her chest with a thumb. “I thought I killed you. I lost my job over you. I can’t sleep at night because of the nightmares. Before you toss me out, you owe it to me to listen to my proposition. Barring that, you at least owe me an apology, Gaspard.”

His breath caught again, and a flood of memories came rushing back. Her sexy voice over the phone, strained, begging him to leave Petra and the boy and get out before Kaiser killed him. Arguing, haunting him like his nightmares. “You…”

Her hands went to her hips, defiant. Her full lips pursed. “We never officially met face-to-face. Thought it was about time.”

“Mia Shaine. How the hell did you find me?”

“You weren’t even on my radar until yesterday. Or two days ago. The time zone change has me all mixed up.”

If she had found him, others would too. “I don’t want to kill you, Mia, but I will if I have to. If you came here to force me back to Langley, you wasted your time.”

“The last thing I would do is take you back to the Agency. They can go screw themselves for all I care, although dammit, I miss my job and will get it back and kick some ass when I do. We have bigger things to worry about at the moment, and better people to work for. A friend of yours sent me. She said to tell you she was calling in her marker. Something about her saving your ass in Tel Aviv ten years ago?”

Christ Almighty. His grip on the gun eased. He felt like he’d been hit by a train. “Bianca?”

“She changed her name to Beatrice. Long story. I’ll bring you up to speed once we’re in the air. We’re kind of on a tight schedule.”

Tel Aviv? Man, that was light-years away. It should’ve been an easy mission—get in, grab the target, get out—but a long-time asset on the ground suddenly turned double agent and he’d ended up in an off-the-books prison, his cover blown, and looking at a slow, torturous death in the desert. And people thought Israel was an ally to the United States. Not always.

Bianca had saved him. Somehow, someway, the NSA agent had walked right into that prison, presented papers for his release, and took him out of there like she owned the place. The papers were bogus, of course, but there was something about her that made them cooperate without checking. She had that ability, intelligence, and total confidence. It was almost as if she could hypnotize people into doing what she wanted. “Is she all right?”

“Beatrice?” Mia flapped a dismissive hand. “She’s got it made. New name, running her own business—that’s how I got here, by the way. A team of former SEALs who work for her brought me, we hiked through what I can only describe as hell, and they got me past all your security measures.” She smiled cockily and it lit up her face. A beautiful face, for sure. “Even they were impressed with all the Indiana Jones Temple of Doom shit you put around this cabin.”

SEALs. Great. Brothers-in-arms, only those days were long behind him. Some of his former teammates considered him a traitor to the cause, leaving the teams and joining the CIA.

He should’ve known she hadn’t come alone. “Tell Bianca I’m sorry, I can’t do…whatever it is she sent you here to get me to do. I’m out of the game and not going back. No matter what.”

Mia turned serious. “It’s Kaiser, Ryker. He’s back and more dangerous than ever. He’s been on a tear since Petra and his son—the one I’m guessing is in the Jeep—were supposedly killed. He has a new enterprise and he’s not dealing solely in black market arms any more. He’s dealing in black market kids. Babies. He’s made a lot of contacts in illegal adoptions and child trafficking. Beatrice believes it’s his way of searching for Jaeger in case the boy is still alive. We have to stop him.”

A sick sensation crawled in his gut. He didn’t want to know the details—he really didn’t, but if the bastard was back and now going after kids… damn it. “You stop him. My job is to protect Jaeger. I made a promise to his mother and I can’t go back on it. I won’t. She was trying to leave Kaiser because she didn’t want Jaeger growing up in that environment, becoming a man like his father.”

Mia nodded, seeming to understand. “If you work with me to destroy him and his empire, you won’t have to run from him anymore, and Beatrice has the means and resources to build you and Jaeger completely new identities. Or you can use any of her safe houses—they’re scattered all over the world, many completely off-grid.” She put a pleading hand out. “This is your get-out-of-jail-free card, Ryker. You can keep Jaeger safe and build a new life for both of you.”

Ryker lowered the gun. His mind and heart warring with each other. Destroying Kaiser, giving Jaeger a chance to be a normal kid, fulfilling his promise to Petra…

And wiping his ledger clean with Beatrice.

Could it all work out so perfectly?

Hell no. But did he have a better alternative?

Ditto on the hell no.

Running around here wasn’t the worst life for a kid, but it wasn’t the best either. Being on guard all the time, picking up on Ryker’s paranoia. Never having a decent holiday or birthday.

He motioned Mia back into the chair. “Let me grab Jaeger.” He started for the front door. “Then we’ll talk.”

★★★★★ “Evans knows how to pull at a reader’s heartstrings, even when she writes big bad spies and SEALs. Just add in an adorable little boy and a dog who wants to be loved.” ~ Reader review

★ Buy direct: https://mistyevansbooks.com/product/man-hunt-seals-of-shadow-force-spy-division-book-1

★ Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07MQNZ7WY

★Apple Books  https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/man-hunt-seals-of-shadow-force/id1449191526?mt=11

★Kobo  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/man-hunt-seals-of-shadow-force

★Nook  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130194158?ean=2940161412077

★Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/194868604X

★★★★★ “On a scale of 5 stars, I give this book a 10 star rating.” ~ Sue, Kindle reader 

Man Hunt, SEALs of Shadow Force, Spy Division, Book 1

© 2018 Misty Evans

Moscow Rules: Don’t harass the opposition

Washington, D.C., evening

It could be worse. Mia raised the tray of martinis above her head, maneuvering between two groups of young and upcoming lawyers. Lawyers, politicians, those who worked for both—all of them intense, watching the others in the bar, especially the more important people, those higher up on the food chain they could not so casually bump into and start a conversation with.

Even with her compression brace, the tendinitis in her wrist and elbow was killing her. Too many trays, too many drinks, too many damn nights in this loud D.C. bar.

“Thanks a lot, Ryker, you bastard,” she murmured under her breath. If it wasn’t for him and that last shitty CIA mission, she’d be undercover in Paris right now seducing some high value target instead of fending off groping hands and serving drinks to competitive assholes intent on moving up the ladder.

Everyone is potentially under opposition control.

Her IQ, experience, and general commonsense were not necessarily better than anyone else in the bar and yet she didn’t belong here anymore than the tall blonde sitting in the corner booth who’d been scanning the bar but always circling back to Mia. Former spook. Has to be.

But not one she knew. Before or after my time?

She was almost to the table when she felt a sharp pinch on her ass. She’d been so focused on figuring out who the woman was, she lost her concentration on the crowd. The pinch hurt and made her jump, two of the martinis tipping and falling, sending their contents over a woman’s head.

She screamed and bolted out of the way, knocking into the ass grabber, who started laughing. Someone shoved someone else and the next thing Mia knew, the rest of the martinis danced and fell, crashing to the floor and sending glass and olives everywhere.

Guess things can get worse.

She bent over to start cleaning and felt the ass-grabbing idiot go in for another cheap pinch.

Pick the time and place for action.

Before he could pull away this time, she grabbed his wrist, fast as lightning, bending his hand back until he dropped to his knees and cried out.

“What the fuck?” he screamed.

His buddies stopped laughing and so did everyone around them. All eyes were on Mia and she hissed into his face, “You seem to think you own this piece of ass, so let me set you straight. You don’t, and you’re nothing but a pig. If you ever touch me again, I’ll cut off your hand and maybe something else a little lower along with it. In fact, if you ever touch any of the waitresses in this bar, you’ll be walking funny from then on out. Do I make myself clear?”

His eyes were wide with fear and pain, the spilled martinis soaking into the knees of his dress pants. “You…bitch,” he snarled. “Do you know who my father is?”

“I do,” she bluffed, not knowing precisely, but figuring Daddy had to be another of the bigwigs in D.C. What was there to know? She’d burned so many bridges in this town already, what was one more? “And frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. If you’re going to play grab-ass with me, you better be worried about who I am and what kind of torture techniques I know.”

That shut him up, whether it was due to his inebriated brain needing to think the threat through, or some good sense finally kicking in. Either way, Mia gave his wrist one last little tweak before she shoved him away.

She pulled a bar rag from her apron to mop up the liquid, wondering if she’d have a job come closing. Moscow Rules said go with the flow, blend in. She’d certainly blown that tonight.

And wouldn’t that suck if she lost this position too? She was already two months behind on rent, and tuition for the private schooling of her younger sister was due next week. Chloe suffered from borderline autism and didn’t function well in public schools. With their parents dead, Mia was the sole provider.

Great job with that, Mia.

Not only had she lost a good paying job with the CIA, she’d burned her reputation with all the alphabet agencies in this town. No one would hire her now, and she could thank Ryker Baptiste for that.

“No need to worry about that,” a voice said from behind her. Mia looked up to see the woman from the corner booth standing over her. She motioned at the bartender. “Daniel will clean up the mess.”

Most everyone had moved off, once again caught up in their own lives. Mia wiped her hands, realizing it did no good since the towel was soaked. The ass-grabber shot her a damning look from under thick eyelashes a few feet away, where he conversed with friends. She gave him a cocky smile before answering the woman. “It’s my mess, I’ll clean it up.”

Daniel appeared at her side, handing her a dry bar rag. “No worries, Mia.” His eyes flicked to the woman, back to Mia. “It’s time for your break anyway.”

Daniel had been nice to her at one time, and she’d enjoyed it. She hadn’t had any real relationships since joining the CIA. Everything about her job had been top-secret, making them extremely difficult, even those with her parents, God rest their souls. But she soon realized Daniel only wanted to sleep with her, nothing else. She’d turned him down and now he made her shifts as difficult as possible.

To see him nervously bend down and finish cleaning made her reevaluate the person in front of her. Out of everyone in the bar, Mia had the feeling this woman actually had power.

Assume nothing. “Who are you?”

The blonde smiled, motioning to the corner booth. “Let’s chat.”

Mia was torn. Her gut told her to just walk away. Don’t go down the rabbit hole.

Moscow Rule number one: never go against your gut.

But her feet seemed to have a different agenda and she found herself sliding into the booth.

“What would you like?” Blondie asked.

“I don’t drink with strangers, so let’s start with your name and why you’ve been watching me all night. If this”—she motioned at Daniel, finishing the floor cleaning— “is some kind of come on, you should know I don’t play for your team.”

Although it had been so long since she’d even had a nibble of sex, maybe she should reconsider her boundaries.

The corner of the blonde’s mouth tweaked, as if she were fighting a grin. “I’m here to offer you a job.”

“I’m not looking for one.”

Her blue eyes jumped over to the disaster scene. “You should be.”

Mia bit the inside of her bottom lip, refusing to take the bait.

Blondie’s gaze came back to her. “You want to take this, trust me. It will solve a lot of problems for you.”

“How do you know what problems I have?”

The woman only stared at her, confident.

Under the table, Mia gripped the booth hard. This is total bullshit. But something told her the woman wasn’t lying.

She glanced toward the bar and saw Daniel quickly look away.

“I suppose anyone who can get that asshole off my back deserves a few minutes of my time. Let’s start over, shall we? What’s your name and who do you work for?”

“I work for a legend in this business. She’s tough but fair, and believes you deserve a second chance.”

Everything inside Mia went very still. Knew it! “You’re CIA?”

A tiny shrug. “The job offer doesn’t come from them.”

Not the Agency. That still left plenty others—NSA, FBI, DIS, the list went on and on. “In case you haven’t heard, I’m persona non grata in that world.”

“What world would that be?”

“Can we quit playing games? Just tell me what you want, I’ll turn you down, and then I can get back to work.”

“Do you want to return to the Agency?”

Mia swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. Becoming a spy had meant everything to her at one point. “No.”

The corner of the woman’s mouth twitched, another suppressed smile. “How many lie detector tests did you fool during your time inside?”

Seven, but who’s counting?

Mia rose. “Look, this has been fun—not—but tell your legend no thanks, I don’t need the job.”

“Aren’t you even going to ask who she is? Who I work for?”

“Nope.” She caught Daniel staring again, his eyes on the blonde. “Let me guess, you’re going to tell me anyway.”

The woman slid an envelope across the table. “She thought you might require convincing.”

Mia bit the inside of her lip, her fingers itching to see what was inside, her gut telling her to  not even go there.

Keep your options open.

She’d never played it safe, why start now?

Snatching it up, she held her breath. There were two items inside, one a check made out to her for more money than she’d made in a year at the Agency as a handler.

The second, however, was the one that sealed the deal.

It was a note. A note from the legend Blondie claimed to work for.

She lifted her gaze and sat down hard. “Are you kidding me?”

Blondie stared back, unfazed. Spy face.

“What did you say your name was again?”

“I didn’t.” She pointed at the envelope. “My employer goes by Beatrice. Had to change her name because the CIA sent an assassin after her a few years back. She runs a covert Agency called Shadow Force, and I’m in charge of her new spy group, Nemesis. You don’t have to join permanently; the choice is yours. But we have a mission that calls for your expertise, and if you perform to our standards and it is successful, Beatrice will get your job back for you at the CIA, if that’s what you truly want. You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You can pay off your parent’s funeral costs, keep your sister in her school, and get your backside out of debt. All we need is your complete cooperation for seventy-two hours, give or take.”

There were five zeros on that check. Enough money, even in D.C., to keep her afloat for the rest of the year. She’d promised her parents over and over again if anything happened to them she’d take care of Chloe.

The Universe was making her keep that promise.

Something had happened, and she’d screwed up with Chloe, putting her in danger, and then again with Ryker. While she blamed him for what had happened in Berlin, she knew deep down it was partially her fault too.

Maybe all my fault.

Just like Chloe.

She’d been responsible for both of them, and she’d failed with both.

Failed her parents.

Failed her little sister.

Failed the biggest mission of her life.

Don’t harass the opposition. The check seemed to burn her fingers. With that kind of money, she could at least keep her promise.

This is insane. Good insane, but still…

“Why would Bianca—Beatrice—trust me?”

“She doesn’t, but that big analytical brain of hers believes you’re the best option she has.”

“Well, there’s a vote of confidence. What exactly is the mission?”

“You can handle it, and let me add, we’re the good guys. Beatrice saved my sister and I not long ago, and that’s why I work for her.”

Sister. Bingo. “I knew you looked familiar. Your sister is that hotshot TV investigator who got herself into a mess with the president a while back.”

Spy face, round two. “Beatrice is not the touchy-feely sort, but she does believe in family. I assume by the fact you’re still sitting here listening you want to be part of that family.”

“You didn’t answer my question. What exactly is the mission?”

The woman held out her hand. “My name is Parker and I’ll be your handler. Your codename in Nemesis is Artemis.”

Mia left Parker’s hand hanging in the air. “Like the goddess?”

“The huntress, yes.”

“Dare I ask what I’m hunting?”

“Not what,” Parker said, pulling up a picture on her phone. She tipped the screen so Mia could see it. “Who.”

Fuck a duck. The handsome face staring back at her haunted her dreams. The gray eyes, the square jaw. The absolute danger that radiated from every pore. “You can’t be serious.”

“Have I misled you about anything tonight?”

Mia leaned forward, pushing the phone away. “He’s dead.”

That earned her a full-blown smile. “Are you sure about that?”

God, she was so cocky, so self-confident. “His star is on the wall at headquarters.”

“Well, if that’s true,” Parker said, sliding out of the booth and motioning for Mia to follow, “then you’re going to make a hell of a lot of money finding a dead man.”

★★★★★ “Misty Evans kicks off her new spin-off series with a fast-paced, action-packed story that has both the romance and suspense that I have come to expect from her. With lives at stake and perhaps a bit of payback to deliver, Ryker and Mia proved to be great partners – both professionally and personally!” ~ Reader review

★ Buy direct: https://mistyevansbooks.com/product/man-hunt-seals-of-shadow-force-spy-division-book-1

★ Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
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★ Kindle AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07MQNZ7WY

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★Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/194868604X

★★★★★ “…fantastic!” ~ Amy, Goodreads reviewer

Man Hunt, SEALs of Shadow Force, Spy Division, Book 1

© 2018 Misty Evans

Deep cover: when a mission goes wrong

Australian outback, close to midnight

A blanket of stars shone in the dark sky, a partial moon hung low over the lake reflecting a swath of light on the dark waters.

A feral dog—a dingo—that had been hanging around howled from the ridge line, the sound eerie and bone chilling, echoing inside Ryker’s heart. Loneliness and loss held in that one note.

I’m dead to the world he chanted over and over in his mind as the weight of his body in the chair grew heavier. Convincing himself or the world of that fact? He wasn’t sure.

Loss was his best friend, guilt too. Both reminding him, like the outcast dog with no pack, that he was on his own. My survival depends solely on me.

First thing in the morning, he’d pack the essentials and clear out the cabin. It had been too long. He’d gotten comfortable.

Comfort was a death sentence.

Time to move.

Again.

He toyed with the idea of burning down the cabin, but the land was dry, the northern outback a tinderbox, regardless of the Daintree Rainforest’s status. Too much risk of starting wildfires that would harm the animals and scattered humans in the area. Instead, he’d have to make sure to remove every trace of evidence by his own hand.

No small job.

It could have other consequences too. The fire, even out here, would call attention to the fact someone had been here. Although the world thought he was dead, there were still people looking for him, dangerous ones who believed he might be alive. They needed the information he had in his brain and would do anything to extract it.

In the end, it didn’t matter if they tortured him, he’d offer up the intelligence without any struggle, but he had a mission to complete and a life to save before he died—for real this time.

The mission was the only reason he was still breathing. His life had been over since that night in Berlin—the kid, though…well, Jaeger’s life was just getting started.

As if he’d conjured the boy, he heard a soft voice behind him, the almost silent padding of a child’s footsteps. “Papa?”

He wasn’t the boy’s father, and had never led Jaeger to believe otherwise. However, the kid was stubborn, even at the tender age of five. His mother dead and his biological father not in the picture, the boy had decided Ryker was the best substitute for both.

He was dressed in cotton shorts, his little boy belly hanging over the waistline. His dark eyes mirrored the lake and one of his hands dragged a blanket across the ground.

“What is it, Jaeg? Did Mite wake you?”

Jaeger had named the feral dog after his favorite food, Vegemite, and regularly gave him scraps from the table.

The boy crawled into his lap, blanket and all. A faint sigh teased the air, the boy’s voice laced with a bit of an Aussie accent. “Nah, you did, Papa.”

Ryker hadn’t made a sound leaving the house and had been sitting here, staring at the lake for over an hour, contemplating where to take the boy next. Kakadu? Devil’s Marbles? One of the islands off the east coast? Starting without a solid plan was foolish. He needed to scout some areas before going off half-cocked simply because his anxiety was getting to him. “Sorry, mate. You can’t blame your insomnia on me. You know I’m as stealthy as a ghost.”

“Was it the bad dream again?” Jaeger asked, ignoring Ryker’s plea of innocence. “Did you walk out here in your sleep?”

The kid had some kind of ESP. How many times had Ryker been wakened from the repeating, awful nightmares by calm, gentle hands, and the boy’s soothing voice? For someone so young, Jaeg understood fear, how to pacify a grown man having a full-blown PTSD episode. Ryker’s sleepwalking never scared him like it might other kids.

The PTSD wasn’t so much fear from what had happened, but gnawing guilt and anticipatory anxiety. Fear of what could happen. The wolf was always outside the door.

Tonight, however, it hadn’t been the usual nightmare. Instead, something almost worse. The invisible woman on the other end of the line whose voice was like a balm to his heart. She’d been so calm that night as he spoke to her from Berlin. He’d only known her forty-eight hours but had been in touch with her back at Langley almost nonstop during those two days and nights. He’d believed with all his heart that she was trying to help him, and yet in the end, she’d asked him to sacrifice Petra and the boy to save himself. Something he’d refused to do. She still visited him in dreams, almost like a guardian angel, alerting him when he needed to pay attention to something, change course, or listen to his instincts. Tonight, he’d fallen asleep in the chair for a little while, and she’d come to him, a mystical, sexy embodiment of that voice.

But that dream always ended the same—he’d awaken with a hard-on and a headache. His body wanted what his mind told him he shouldn’t desire. For all he knew, that woman—the new handler who was supposed to help him complete his mission—was the same person who’d ordered his death.

Ryker wrapped his arms around Jaeger’s small, warm body. He’d promised the boy’s mother to protect and defend him no matter what it took and he’d go to his grave keeping that promise.

“We’re starting a new adventure once the sun comes up. I was going over the details in my head.”

Jaeger raised his chin to stare at Ryker. “A walkabout?”

“There’ll be some walking and riding, maybe even a boat ride.”

“Will we be gone all day?”

And then some. Every one of the areas that’d be good for hiding would require hours and hours to get there. Roundtrips might take days. “We’ll pack all your important things and take them with us, okay?”

“Can Mite come?”

I’m not even sure where we’re going. Staying underground with a child was hard enough, bringing a grizzly old dingo along would definitely call attention to them. He’d known better than to let Jaeger get attached to the animal, but Ryker wasn’t the only lonely one out here. The kid needed a friend. “Mite won’t like where we’re going. It’d be best to leave him behind.”

Another sigh. The boy tucked himself into Ryker’s chest. “I’ll leave some roo meat and Vegemite toast for him.”

One of their few pleasures—the Vegemite—and here the kid was giving it to the stray. “We best get you back to bed.”

His breathing was slowing, his eyelids fluttering closed. “Are you going to bed now too?”

There is no sleeping tonight. Not for him. He had to get out his map and decide for sure where to head on their first scouting expedition. Somewhere remote, extremely challenging to get to, but offering an easy escape route in case someone found them. Highly unlikely with his training, but he had to be prepared nevertheless. There was no letting down his guard, no assuming they were safe, ever.

This place had been ideal for the past seven months. Filled with forests, mountains, and wild animals, there were few roads and even fewer people.

“Sure, I’ll head in pretty soon.” The islands on the east coast might be the ticket, although they only allowed one major escape route, and that was over water. He’d need a boat, something fast but sturdy. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“That means no, you’re not going to bed.” The boy snuggled deeper, pulling the blanket to his chin. “I’ll be staying with you then.”

Jaeger had nightmares as well. He ruffled the boy’s hair, releasing his own sigh. After a few minutes, Jaeger’s breathing grew deeper.

Movement by the woods caught Ryker’s eye, a flash of white disappearing in the shadows of the trees. Mite had heard Jaeger’s voice, no doubt, and came to investigate. He hoped for a bit of food or a pat on the head.

Not this time, mate.

For a moment, Ryker wondered how the dingo had gotten separated from his pack. Why had they left him behind or forced him out? He was old, but still moved well enough. Maybe he truly was a feral dog, belonging to someone who’d lived here before and left or died. He’d probably lived too long with humans to become fully wild, and the dingoes hadn’t accepted him.

Or maybe he’d done something they deemed unforgivable. Ryker had no idea what that might be, but either way he felt a strange connection to the dog. He’d been betrayed by his pack, the CIA, and understood the consequences from the choices he’d made that had put him here with only a small boy and a feral dog to keep him company.

Jaeger snored softly and Ryker lifted him, carrying him to the cabin. For a brief moment, he glimpsed Mite’s face peeking through some brush, watching him. Ryker paused, sending the dog a silent message of thanks for befriending the boy. “Sorry I can’t take you with us,” he whispered.

Mite stared, then shifted and ran, disappearing once more into the dark shadows.

Ryker looked down at Jaeger’s face, his small mouth open, his chubby cheeks moving ever so slightly with each breath of air.

It wasn’t only the promise Ryker had made to Jaeger’s mother that kept him protecting the boy. He’s my son too. Maybe not by blood, but definitely by choice.

As Ryker entered the cabin, a soft howl echoed through the woods behind him.

★★★★★ “Holy hotness! Can I have a Ryker? Seriously, this was a great contemporary read and I do have a soft spot for a man in uniform. Mia is definitely his match whether he wants to admit it or not! Lots of action you’d expect from a spy theme and some super hot M/F action.” ~ Larisa, Goodreads reviewer

★ Buy direct: https://mistyevansbooks.com/product/man-hunt-seals-of-shadow-force-spy-division-book-1

★ Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07MQNZ7WY
★ Kindle DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07MQNZ7WY

★Apple Books  https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/man-hunt-seals-of-shadow-force/id1449191526?mt=11

★Kobo  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/man-hunt-seals-of-shadow-force

★Nook  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130194158?ean=2940161412077

★Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/194868604X