Chupacabra: Cryptid Ops, #3

By Jo Carey

Cassie’s feeling like everyone’s out to get her – her ex, international terrorists, and a pack of Chupacabra.

Rumors of a reorg at BITES have everyone on edge. Cassie takes her shooting skills to the next level, making some life changing decisions along the way.

Chupacabra is a fast-paced adventure set in New Mexico and far West Texas with lots of action and plenty of romantic tension as Cassie gets focused in on her targets both personally and professionally.

Chupacabra is the third book in a unique SciFi adventure series. If you like strong female characters caught up in exciting adventures with a bit of romance, you’ll love Jo Carey’s Cryptid Ops series. 185 pages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jo Carey
• Release date: Apr 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386073468

Jo Carey

Jo Carey grew up in the Midwest but her curiosity and gypsy-spirit has kept her on the move. She's lived in eight US states and spent three years living in Ireland. She has always loved creature movies, so creatures and bugs often show up in her books. Jo, a former information security compliance guru, writes fast-paced, character-driven stories in a variety of genres from medical thrillers to space operas and cozy mysteries. Her novels are filled with humor, romance, and sometimes creatures or aliens, or maybe even all of the above. She often builds her stories around a strong female lead character surrounded by plenty of hunky male heroes. Jo's been under fire on a golf course and climbed out the roof of an elevator in the Netherlands. Life hasn't been boring. Now residing in Texas, setting often plays a huge role in her stories. Jo was intrigued by the League of Planetary Systems, a world her husband, Frank, created for his science fiction books, and she now writes mysteries and other types of tales sets in that world. Jo was bitten by a cat, a fire ant, and a snake, before succumbing to the bite of the writing bug.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Cassie, if you've got a shot take it, Jared yelled as they ran into the underbrush. The creature had turned into the weeds when it heard the ATV. It was tough going. Every plant had thorns or spines waiting to snag the unsuspecting person who crossed its path. Cassie motioned for Jared to head to the left. She broke into a small clearing behind the wild hog.

Jared had told her how aggressive the hogs could get when you had them cornered. Just as the beast lunged at her, she shot it right between the eyes. Its momentum carried it right into Cassie, knocking her down. The hog was dead before they hit the ground, but Cassie couldn't move. Jared, with the help of the two ranch hands, lifted the hog off Cassie. She assumed the blood covering the front of her shirt belonged to the hog.

Jared told her to lay still and catch her breath before trying to move. He hogtied the animal, picked it up, slung it over his shoulder, and carried it back to the ATV. He left the two hands securing the hog and went back to check on Cassie. He removed his night vision goggles to check her over with the flashlight. That's when he realized the blood on her shirt was hers.

Driving back in the ATV Cassie thought about how she came to be here at this moment. It all started when she returned home from the Black Fly Op in New Hampshire.

X X X

Cassie walked into the restaurant enjoying the enticing aromas of garlic and tomato sauce. The smell of great Italian food was almost as good as the taste, she thought. She spotted Bob at a corner table. He stood to give her a hug before she sat down. They had a pleasant lunch catching up on each other's lives and reminiscing about their days on patrol together for the Bureau of Land Management. Cassie realized that so much had happened in her life in the ensuing months that her days as a BLM ranger seemed like ages ago.

Since I'm not spending my time keeping you out of trouble, I'm finding I have free time on my hands. I'm thinking of writing a book detailing our discovery of the Thunderbirds. I'd want you to be part of it, of course. What do you think? Bob asked.

I'm surprised, but it's a great idea. I've learned our experience was pretty unique. It would be good to share it. I love to read, but I've never had any desire to write. What would my contribution be? Cassie asked.

I'd like to use a few of your photographs, and I'd appreciate it if you’d edit the book for me to make sure I have everything correct. You're welcome to write some too, if you want. At the moment, it's more of an idea than a plan, I guess.

Let me know how I can help. I think it's a great idea. Maybe you could join one of those writers groups and meet an interesting lady to help you learn the ropes.

Back in town a few days and already trying to meddle in my love life. Geez, some things never change, Bob chided.

Cassie had been in touch with Bob via email during the Black Fly Op, so he knew some of what she'd been through. She looked well rested in spite of what he knew had been a difficult situation. He expected to see signs of exhaustion based on what had happened in New Hampshire. Since returning to Las Cruces, she’d spent her time catching up on sleep and letting her wounds heal.

Bob was a grounding force in Cassie life. She was happy to see him again. It was great to be home. She knew it was going to be awhile before she was back to anything resembling normal after the chaos of the Black Fly Op. She planned to spend a few days visiting her folks in Texas before she headed out on another assignment.

She and Penny, Dr. Penelope Rush, had become great friends during the Black Fly Op. Penny's home was in Colorado, and they had made plans to meet there or in New Mexico for a visit. When they discovered the secret robotics lab, Penny was asked to move her team to New Hampshire and take over the underground lab. Once she had the lab running, she planned to make a trip back West to get her belongings. Cassie hoped to go to Colorado to help her pack things up for the move.

Cassie was enjoying getting back to the shooting range and her normal routine. Although sometimes it got to be a little boring between assignments, the Black Fly Op had been stressful. It was going to be a long while before she felt bored again.

CHAPTER TWO

Hank was glad to get back home after the difficulties of the last op, but he hated leaving Cassie. They had talked about staying a week after the op ended to recover and relax, but they were both exhausted. When the op ended, everyone was anxious to get home. He spent the first couple of days at home catching up on his rest and getting his life back in order.

Today he spent the day making notes for meetings he had scheduled with his boss, the BITES Director of field operations, later in the week. Because the last op had been so complex and resulted in so many deaths and injuries, Mr. Meecham requested a complete review in person. The op had been very fluid, with new twists developing frequently. It was difficult to be sure he had the timeline straight. Once he got the details down in his notes, he'd email them to Cassie for her input to make sure he didn't leave out anything critical.

The second meeting scheduled with Meecham was to discuss reorganization at BITES. Meecham asked for the meeting, so Hank had no idea what to expect. The director had mentioned he felt ops like the Black Fly Op, which was not at all cryptid related, might become a bigger part of the BITES mission. If that were the case, there were points Hank wanted to make about changing their training processes to ensure their field agents were as prepared as possible to deal with the situations they faced.

Hank was happy to be busy. He had scheduled a call with Zuck too. Agent Zuck had recovered from his wounds and returned to active duty but wasn't doing well. It became clear during the last field op they were on together after his return that Zuck needed more help and more time before returning to the field. Hank needed to talk with him to see how he was feeling. Depending on how their discussion went, Hank might need to make a trip to Oregon to meet with Zuck in person.

While in New Hampshire, Hank and Cassie had broached the subject of living together. Now that the op was over, he wanted to give her time to think about it before they made any decisions. He knew it was what he wanted, but Cassie got nervous when the relationship seemed to be moving too quickly. She was currently assigned to the Southwest Regional BITES team led by Jim Lansing. Jim had an issue having a woman on his team, and Mr. Meecham was aware there were problems between Jim and Cassie. Hank had no idea what Meecham might do to resolve the problem. He'd be happy to have Cassie on his team but that would create its own special complications for them. Several other BITES team leaders would be happy to have her on their teams too. He was sure, Jared Dickenson, the Central team leader would jump at the chance.

Jared and Cassie had become friends, and as much as he hated to admit it, Hank was jealous of the former rodeo cowboy. His aw shucks Texas style appealed to Cassie though Hank couldn't understand why. Hank knew she had talked with Jared several times during the Black Fly Op, and he wasn't sure he could handle it if Meecham suggested having Cassie join Jared's team.

Returning to normal, after the Black Fly Op ended, was proving much more difficult than usual for Hank. The op had lasted longer and involved more emotional components than any of his previous field ops. Having all this uncertainty around his job and other aspects of his life was making normal seem like a distant memory. He was hoping, after all the meetings were finished, things might calm down again, and he'd feel back on an even keel. He picked up his phone and made his nightly call to Cassie.

Hi, Hank. Are you getting things ready for all your meetings this week? Cassie asked.

Working on it. I'll send you the timeline I prepared on the Black Fly Op. Could you review it and let me know if I've forgotten any key events or have anything out of order? Mr. Meecham wants a full debrief in person since the op was so complex.

Will do. Bob says hi. We had lunch today. I'm still not back to normal, but I think I've caught up on laundry at least. My folks want me to visit for a few days. I think they were more worried about the quarantine situation than they let on. I'll probably try to work out some travel plans before something else comes up.

That's great Cass. Say hi to Bob for me, when you see him again. Anything new in Cruces while you were gone?

Not that I can tell. Bob is thinking he might write a book on the Thunderbirds. I told him I thought it was a great idea. Until I met some of the other BITES agents at the security workshop, I hadn't realized how lucky we were to see so much of the Thunderbirds. What about you? Anything new in Montana?

Hank filled her in on his upcoming meetings, and they talked about how he might deal with Zuck. As they were wrapping up their conversation for the night, Hank asked You were serious about us living together, weren't you?

Why? Are you rethinking things now that our lives aren't in danger from terrorists every minute?

Cass, you know that's not why I asked. I'd be happy if you moved in tomorrow. I wanted to make sure it was what you wanted before I bring it up with Meecham. Even if we didn't want to live in the same place, I think he's going to have to do something about your situation with Jim. I hope it works out for all of us. I love you. Sleep well.

After she ended the call, she sat thinking about Hank's question. To be honest she was no longer sure she saw a long-term future with Hank. Some of his behavior during their last op had raised concerns, but she just didn't have time to work out what she wanted to do. Now that the op was over, she knew she needed to figure out what to do about their relationship. She had delayed the discussion tonight, but she doubted her tap dancing was good enough to avoid the topic for long.

CHAPTER THREE

After hitting the shooting range the next morning, Cassie called her Mom and made plans to fly in for a long weekend. Cassie was just settling into the routine of being at home, but she got the feeling her folks needed to see her to know she was OK.

Cassie and her Mom caught up over lunch on the way home from the airport. Cassie could tell her parents had been more worried than they wanted to let on. They always tried to give her the independence she needed to make her own decisions, but she knew it must be hard for them sometimes, especially since she'd chosen a high-risk career.

As she and her Mom talked about recent events in their lives, Cassie got the feeling her mom was keeping something from her. Being an only child, she worried one of her parents would become ill, and they wouldn't tell her until it was too late. Then again, she figured this was a reaction to what she'd been through during her last field assignment.

X X X

Usually when Cassie visited, and even when she didn't, her parents went out for breakfast on Saturday morning. It was something they'd done for years, but not today. When Cassie came downstairs in her pajamas looking for coffee, she found her parents both up, dressed, and cooking what looked to be a mammoth breakfast.

What's all this? she asked. I assumed we'd go out like always.

Since you've been on the road so much lately, we thought you might enjoy some home cooking. Your Dad makes a great bacon and five-cheese frittata. Have a seat at the bar, enjoy your coffee, and visit with us while we cook. Her mom gave her a once over, Unless you'd like to have a shower and get dressed before breakfast.

Nope. I'm fine. Just surprised to see you doing breakfast in on a Saturday. I never know what to expect from you two. What's next, tai chi in the back yard?

No need to worry about that, her dad said.

Cassie was enjoying her second cup of coffee, when the doorbell rang.

Cassie, could you answer that. It's probably a package delivery or something. A look passed between her mom and dad, but she had no idea how to interpret it. She slid off the bar stool and padded to the front door.

Jared! What on earth are you doing here? How do you even know where here is? Cassie asked when she opened the door to find herself face-to-chest with Agent Jared Dickenson. He picked her up in a giant bear hug nearly crushing the air from her lungs. When her feet were back on solid ground, she realized she was a mess, still in her pajamas, hair uncombed, morning breath.

If I knew you were coming, I'd have at least gotten dressed.

I'm just happy to see you. What you're wearing or not wearing, he said, doesn't matter to me. He gave her a wink and tip of his huge Texas-sized cowboy hat.

Cassie, who's at the door? her Mom called from the kitchen.

It's a friend, Mom.

Well invite him in. Don't keep entertaining the neighbors.

Cassie led Jared into the kitchen and introduced him to her folks. Jared, these are my parents, Samantha and John Carter. Mom and Dad, this is Jared Dickenson, a fellow BITES agent who lives in Texas. I think some of you have some 'splainin' to do, she said in a horrible attempt at a Ricky Ricardo Cuban accent.

Jared shook hands with her Dad and hugged her Mom like they were old friends. Cassie looked on mystified.

Have a seat, Jared. Would you like coffee? Samantha asked as he perched on a stool at the bar next to Cassie.

Thanks, ma'am. Coffee would be great. Black is fine, he said.

Well, who's going to tell me what's been going on here? Jared, how did you find my parents' house? Cassie asked.

Cassie, I'm a federal agent, I do have some skills with a computer. It's not too hard to find John Carter of Mars. They even made a movie about it.

"I know, but I have