Hellbent on Saving Her: Black Eagle Ops, #3

By Vonnie Davis

When a friend of Zane "ZQ" Quinlan's contacts him about a close friend's abduction, he offers to lend the help of his team—Black Eagle Ops. A retired SEAL Commander, ZQ is head of this CIA sanctioned team. He and his men fly by helicopter from the Hill Country of Texas to  Tampa, Florida.  When given a folder of intel about the missing Assistant DA, including a picture, ZQ can't believe his eyes.

This woman is someone he knows by another name—Rose. A woman he's loved and yearned for since their time together five years ago. A time when he knew every inch of her skin.  Finding her and bringing her back won't be easy, but he's hellbent on saving her because he hasn't been able to care for another woman since Rose. And now there's another person to consider. Once he finds her, will he be able to convince the love of his life to give him a second chance?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vonnie Davis
• Release date: Jul 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386383499

Vonnie Davis

AUTHOR’S BIO                                          Vonnie Davis is an award-winning, best-selling author who likens herself to a freshly baked croissant: Warm, crusty, wrinkled, a tad flaky--and best served with strong coffee. By day, she hunches over her laptop bringing to life the men who strut through her dreams at night with that delightfully self-assured swagger. They end up in passion-filled contemporary romances, romantic suspense, and bear shifter romances—all with a strong spice of humor. Vonnie's heroes are always that delightful blend of alpha male with a chewy chocolate center. And her heroines? Her heroines are feisty females, who take life's adversities and turn them into advantages. The settings for her stories range from the Scottish Highlands to the gulf side of Florida to the hill country of Texas to her favorite city, Paris. A PAN member of RWA, you can find out more about her books at www.vonniedavis.com and while you’re there, sign up for her newsletter so you’re always in the know and eligible for prizes.

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© Copyright 2018 by Vonnie Davis as Hellbent on Saving Her, Black Eagle Ops—Book Three..  

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This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations and incidents are works of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, things, living or dead, locales or events is strictly coincidental.

Hellbent on Saving Her

Black Eagle Ops—Book Three

Cover Design by Diana Carlye

Photos Courtesy of Deposit Photos

DEDICATION

There really is a SEAL Team Five. While I haven’t had the honor of meeting any of the highly-skilled warriors, I thank them for their valiant and unending service to our country. They help keep us safe. My readers and I pay tribute to all service personnel. Please note none of the characters in this series are based on actual military persons, living or deceased.

Dedicated to all my Black Eagle Ops readers who kept asking when ZQ would meet his match. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Once in a lifetime, an enduring love should strike us all. It did me and I hope you’re heart is blessed as well.

PREFACE

In the Hill Country of Texas, a community developed around the old Apache legend of Warrior Falls. Myth or truth, this particular bit of Native American lore has been handed down, generation to generation. Tradition has it the rocks in Warrior Falls carry magical powers. In earlier eras, wounded Apaches would stand or be carried beneath the waterfall for the healing-infused waters to stream over their injuries.

Over time, the town of Warrior Falls has grown to a population nearing six-thousand. Pristine streets boast quaint shops, restaurants, and supply stores in addition to two traffic lights. Down-to-earth, often quirky people operate these businesses. Residents and nearby ranchers love their close-knit community just the way it is. Which is why the secret hidden deep within the cave behind the waterfalls is so closely guarded.

One of the secret’s guardians is one-quarter Apache, a local rancher, and present-day warrior, former SEAL Commander Zane ZQ Quinlan.

Currently, ZQ heads Black Eagle Ops. He’s a strong man who has devoted his life to protecting his country and those who serve under him. As his former SEAL team members drift onto his ranch, he takes them in and helps them acclimate to life back in the States. These are wounded warriors—some physically, all mentally from the ravages of war. Under ZQ’s watchful eye, his men find a place in society again. And often, this includes finding a strong woman to love.

Now, it’s his turn.

This is ZQ’s story.

CHAPTER ONE

Zane Quinlan took a healthy sip of his favorite single malt whiskey. He hissed through his teeth as he relished the familiar burn at the back of his throat and the warmth spreading through his chest. Damn, there was nothing like a glass of hootch to clear the cobwebs. Another gulp and he set the squat glass next to his laptop as he finished a report to his handler at the CIA.

Last week, his black ops team had disbanded a homegrown terrorist cell in the outskirts of Chicago. Seventeen converts recruited through a radical and far-reaching website had been arrested. One of his men lay in a hospital healing from burns from an explosion.

The minor burns and a shrapnel wound Zane had gotten, trying to get his man out of the way when his Apache sixth sense told him something was wrong, were minor. Annoying as hell, but of little consequence.

He paid to fly his guy’s wife to be with her man and saw to it their boys had a family to stay with while their parents were gone.

Zane, or ZQ as he was known, took care of his own.

Although he’d spoken to his senior advisor over a secure phone line about how things had gone down, these annoying paper details were still required to arrive in Langley by military courier, securely sealed within forty-eight hours after mission’s end.

A retired SEAL team commander, ZQ knew and had worked with the best. Now, some of those warriors were working for him in a clandestine capacity with the blessing and financial backing of the CIA.

Black Eagle Ops was home based on his Eagle Ridge Ranch in the Hill Country of Texas. Steers, horses, and highly-trained operatives were what ZQ had on the twenty-two-thousand acre spread that had been in his family for generations. There was also an underground bunker of weapons and ammo. Plus a mighty fine helicopter kept hidden under high-tech camouflage on the other side of a hill beside the house. Life was good for this former frogman with seawater and ranch dust in his veins.

His cell rang and an old friend’s picture appeared on the screen. Mitch Rockman, top notch at most everything he accomplished while in the military, was now head of a mercenary squad, Rock and a Hard Place. In ZQ’s opinion, Mitch was the rock and the hard place.

Hey, Mitch ol’ buddy, you wanna tell me why I’m talking to your ugly ass and not Ria’s pretty face?

Yeah, I fuckin’ love you too, ZQ. Got a situation. Need your help.

ZQ straightened and took another sip of his whiskey. Whatever you need, pal. You know that.

I’m emailing your private email with the details. Respond to the sender’s address, not mine. Just wanted to give you a heads up. The line went dead. Typical Mitch. Short on words and long in determination.

ZQ opened his private email account and waited. Nance, once the SEAL team’s service dog, retired after having an ear shot off in Syria, traipsed into ZQ’s office. She rested her chin on his thigh and stared at him with her dark eyes.

He rubbed her furry head. What’cha need, baby girl? You in the mood for a rawhide chew and your owner’s asleep in the recliner again?

Nance, short for Ordinance, whined and wiggled her back end.

Come on. The boss’ll take care of ya. He stood and headed for the kitchen, past his mom and JJ, Nance’s owner and trainer. Both were asleep in recliners as the eleven o’clock news droned on. ZQ opened the back door for the dog to take a quick pee run while he grabbed a chew for her and some of Mom’s homemade snicker doodles for himself. He also snatched an apple from the bowl she kept on the counter for him.

Nance ran back inside and took her snack from ZQ’s fingertips. She followed him into his office, her eyes on his cookies after he sat. Don’t get any ideas about my snicker doodles. You know they’re my favorite. I swear you’d eat anything but lima beans and hot wings. Let’s see if we got Mitch’s email.

It was waiting for him. ZQ snorted at the email address: CandyCaneLuvs2Lick. Yeah, no one would suspect the owner of said address was an expert marksman and a terror at covert ops. Or that Mitch and his fiancée ran a mercenary operation. ZQ stuffed a cookie in his mouth as he read.

ZQ...Ria’s best friend, Ivy Melrose, is missing. No one knows where she is. Believe me, Ria’s used all her former cop contacts to gather intel. Ivy is one of the Assistant District Attorneys here in Tampa. The two grew close over their desire to rid the streets of drug dealers. Most of my team is out on another mission and can’t help with this.

My woman is frantic. Scared for Ivy. You know how impetuous Ria can be over people she cares about. Be just like her to go off on her own to rescue her best friend. Got her shoved under my armpit so I know where she’s at at all times.

Need your assistance ASAP. If you have some men to spare, that would be great. We’ll also need your helo. We suspect Ivy’s been taken to Cartagena in Columbia since she was working on a drug trafficking case against a cartel there. If you can come, I’ll have more info for you. Mitch

Holy shit. He knew Mitch’s lady well enough to know she was hardcore. She barely knew the meaning of the word fear. If she was this upset, this missing woman must be a like a sister. ZQ understood that kind of loyalty and protectiveness. He had a brotherhood of SEALs he’d die for.

He bit into the apple, savoring its crisp juiciness, slid his cursor on the Reply icon, and began a response. Pausing, he gave thought to asking his CIA handler’s permission first but, hell, he was helping his friends with or without the Admiral’s go-ahead. He’d call him after he emailed Mitch. His fingers flew over the keyboard.

Absolutely. Will take off tomorrow morning. ETA noon. Will bring along a former SEAL sniper with too many kills to count, one stone-cold motherfucker, a robotic fighting machine with big feet and an even bigger mouth, a combo explosives expert, medic and K-9 handler, and one of the smartest dogs you’ve ever met. The bird will be loaded with weapons, ammo, RPG’s and whatever toys we feel we might need. Require secret landing spot with no security checks. Have 2 vehicles waiting. Tell Ria, we’re glad to help.

The last bite of the apple gone, he lobbed it into the trash can and reached for a snicker doodle. There was nothing there. He eyed the stiff back of Nance, her ears laid flat. I know you didn’t just eat my favorite cookies. The German Shepherd looked at him over her shoulder and whined.

I thought you and me were buddies. You cookie thief, you. Nance turned and slowly approached to lick his hand; her way of asking for forgiveness—something he never refused.

After a few scratches behind Nance’s remaining ear, ZQ used his secure line to call his handler.

A menacing voice barked, This better be damned good. I’m ready to crawl into bed with my gorgeous wife.

ZQ grinned. Sorry my timing’s bad. Look, I made a commitment on a mission I need your authorization for.

The Old Man grunted. Using the ‘better to ask for forgiveness than permission adage,’ are you? I’ve used it a few times myself. What’s up?

ZQ filled him in. The Admiral acknowledged hearing about Rock and a Hard Place. Does Mitch know who you’re attached to at the CIA?

ZQ hadn’t mentioned his friend’s name, only the team’s. Had the Old Man reached out to Mitch and Ria for help with prior situations? Something was always going on in this crazy world; it wouldn’t surprise him if he had. No. That’s confidential. You know I’m a tight-lipped bastard.

Let’s keep the status quo, shall we? We need to get that Assistant D.A. rescued and if you can knock out part of a drug cartel in the process, excellent. I’ll expect a full report when you get back.

Yes, sir. He ended the call.

Now that he had permission, ZQ called Dust, one of the finest snipers ever to serve, and put him on alert. Next was Titan, his fighting robot who never seemed to get tired. Then he dialed Steelhead, one fearless warrior. With those three lined up, he stalked out to the living room to wake JJ—pilot, medic, and Nance’s handler. One of those all round specialists ZQ always wanted at his back.

One squeeze of JJ’s shoulder had him awake. Whatzup? JJ rubbed his dark eyes with the heels of his hands.

We leave on an operation in the morning. Helping an old friend of mine. I’ll need all your talents and Nance. Wheels up at oh-seven-hundred for Tampa and then Cartagena probably the next day. Extracting a woman held hostage by some hellacious dirty scum.

The dog was no dummy. She barked once and leapt into JJ’s arms, licking his cocoa face as if to tell him she was ready to report for duty.

Yes, girl. You’re going, too. Come on, let’s go check my medical gear and chose my explosives. I’ll go over the Black Hawk in the morning with you, ZQ. We’ll have to refuel partway to Tampa. He tapped his fingers on the side of his leg. Let’s get ready to work, Nance.

The proud German Shepherd pranced beside her owner.

Ashley, a former military translator, rose from her napping spot on the sofa. I’ll help you Jerryl. There are a couple things you might need if it’s a woman who’s in trouble. She smoothed her blonde hair as she followed him out. More and more, she was becoming JJ’s shadow and the only one to call him by his first name. ZQ was pleased to see the growth in their relationship.

His mother, who’d woken during their conversation, stood and stretched. How many will I be cooking breakfast for? She ran a fingertip over the burns on his neck; her touch hurting more than he’d ever admit. You better make a trip to the falls before you take off tomorrow.

I plan on it. I’ll be up before the sun. He’d gone yesterday, but still needed another dip. A sign his injuries weren’t as minor as he told everyone. As for breakfast, it’ll be Dust, Titan, Steelhead, JJ, and me. Make a bag of treats for Nance.

She nodded. I’ll get some pork chops out of the freezer and peel potatoes. Stick them both in the refrigerator before I go to bed.

What? None of your fried apples, syrupy with brown sugar and cinnamon? ZQ slung his arm around her shoulders.