Search and Destroy by JT Sawyer (mobi reader TXT) 📕

face that had filled the news for weeks was only inches from him.

The comfort of having a dozen armed mercenaries spread out around his isolated ranch drained away. He tried to backpedal but was met with a vicious jab in the face from the man’s rifle butt.

“Drop the gun and turn around,” said Shepard.

Roth’s hand was trembling. He tossed the .410 pistol on the deck, pivoting towards the door.

Shepard shoved him inside. When his eyes adjusted, he saw the face of Ernesto Rimaldi, recognizing him from the recent campaign videos he’d been studying online. His face grew taut at the sight of Amanda Carter. She looked disheveled and exhausted as Rimaldi helped her get free of the restraints on her hands and legs.

“You’re here? Why am I not surprised?” he said.

“Yeah, well, your actions have influenced my travel plans lately.”

“You OK?” said Shepard.

Carter flung the snipped zip-ties in Roth’s face before answering. “Yeah, just been tied to this chair since last night when I got here, and they’re holding two of my agents in the hangar.”

Coming up the steps was Adam Hunley, followed by a person Shepard never expected to see—Jessica Quinn who was holding a Springfield 9mm pistol aimed at Carter.

Shepard’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Jessica…what? How did you get tied up in all of this?” he said as he shoved Roth onto the couch, keeping his weapon fixed on the woman.

A faint grin crept out from Quinn’s lips. “Vogel was the magician. She trained me in cyber-intrusion, though she’s not as sharp as everyone thinks, since her own protégé was moonlighting under her fucking nose. When Adam approached me a year ago with a plan to get rich restoring my country to its former glory, I was finally able to put my skills to use besides yakking at agents like you in some shithole that had no bearing on my life.”

“‘Your country’? What the hell are you talking about?” said Shepard.

“My mother was American, my father Venezuelan. My mother and I were forced to flee Caracas when I was eight years old after my father was imprisoned by El Presidente. He tortured and murdered my father for speaking out against the government.” Quinn’s face tensed. “We lost everything. Everyone in my country did when that monster came into power.”

Rimaldi uttered something in Spanish to her. She narrowed her eyes at him, repositioning her pistol towards his chest. “You are as naïve as Adam said. Of course, the bloodshed and suffering must end, which is why I’ve been steering your political campaign online so you will dominate in the polls next week. Did you really think your passion was enough to carry you to the capitol?”

“So, you’re Michele Henderson…the one who leaked my identity to the press? Do you know how many innocent people you’ve killed, and how many of my colleagues overseas you’ve compromised?” said Shepard.

“I’m sorry for your wife and your friends, I really am, but Rourke and Montoya were the stagehands who worked on that act of the play. I was at Langley that day, doing my patriotic duty.”

Carter was rubbing her sore wrists and eyeing the .38 on the desk beside Rimaldi.

“I wouldn’t do that, Agent Carter,” said Hunley. He inverted his hand, showing a black detonator with a flashing red light. “I wasn’t so sure if our Colombian friends would be able to hold the fort here once you arrived, Mr. Shepard, so I took a little extra precaution.”

“Are you insane, Adam?” barked Roth, squirming in his seat.

“The floor beneath you has been rigged with C4, courtesy of Montoya. He’s preparing the plane for takeoff as we speak.” Hunley glanced over at Rimaldi. “And you needn’t worry—you’re coming with us, since you have a country to run soon.”

“Fuck that. I’m not working for you,” said the presidential candidate.

Hunley chuckled. “Of course you are, especially since Roth will no longer be of use. He’s already provided the initial funding we needed, and I have other contacts in DC lined up to support our oil agreement.”

“What?” said Roth, standing up, balling his fists.

“There are far more profitable extraction firms than yours, Vince. You may have a long reach in the oil industry, but there are many other smaller firms willing to work for half the price. I just needed you to get this venture underway.”

Hunley started to walk towards the stairs with Quinn, his thumb hovering over the detonation switch. “It appears Shepard methodically took you all out in his final act of revenge and…”

The large propane tank near the back entrance of the house exploded, courtesy of Viper’s marksmanship, shattering the windows on every level as it ruptured the lower corner of the main estate.

The first bullet from Shepard’s rifle caught Hunley in the left temple, blowing out the other side of his head. He dropped the detonator and tumbled back onto the steps.

Roth spun around, rushing at Shepard only to catch two rounds in his nose and forehead from eight feet. The man’s eyes widened further in what remained of the mangled framework of his face as he collapsed to the ground.

Carter grabbed the .38 snubbie, racing to the steps and retrieving the detonator as Quinn disappeared over the rubble of the second floor below.

“We need to go now,” yelled Shepard. “This whole place is unstable as hell and could still blow.”

Carter and Rimaldi followed Shepard back to the porch then down the steps. They heard a car’s tires squealing in the distance as Quinn sped down the main road towards the exit.

“My people… I need to get to my other agents,” said Carter, pointing towards the hangar.

Shepard handed his AR to Carter then picked up the .308 SCAR rifle that was next to Karl’s body on the ground, nodding for her to go.

“What about you?” she said.

He fixed his attention on the small plane moving out towards the runway. “I just need to finish what I started.”

58

Carter sprinted along the outbuildings, making it to the horse stable a hundred yards from the