Deadly Secrets: A Scott McCully Espionage Adventure, #3

By Jessica C. Joiner

When one of his friends is kidnapped and another gravely injured, Scott finds himself alone and dangerously close to losing everything important to him.

 

The stakes rise as Scott and SATURN seek to rescue his parents before the dangerous information they're protecting is compromised. Their efforts are complicated as Snake's obsession with McCullys turns his full attention to Scott.

 

When an icy accident nearly ends Scott's life and puts his security detail in intensive care, he realizes that even being acquainted with him could have deadly consequences.

 

Staying alive just became a full time job, and the people who've sworn to protect Scott are caught in the middle.  A startling revelation and a violent attack leave Scott with secrets even the spies aren't supposed to know and put him in a race to save the life of his closest friend.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Faith, Loyalty, Adventure Publishing
• Release date: Sep 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781393256717

Jessica C. Joiner

Jessica C. Joiner is a stay-at-home mom and volunteer teacher with five kids, one cat, and one husband. She loves comic books, classic TV, and writing fiction. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest @JCJAuthor

Book preview

Chapter 1

M an, I’m beat. My roommate, Matt Marshall, yawned as he hefted his backpack on top of his shoulder. He shoved open the heavy glass door as we exited the church. Who knew Sundays could be so long?

You can’t complain. I swung my own backpack across my back and slid my arms into the straps. It was going to be a long, cold walk back to my car. Our church Christmas program had been during the morning service and the parking lot had been packed by the time we arrived, so we had been forced to park on the far side of the lot next to the church buses. I’m pretty sure you slept the whole time I was with Pastor Williams.

Hey, Scott, I’m not the psycho who threatened to shoot a deranged terrorist in front of half a dozen SATURN agents, Matt reminded me glibly, yanking the zipper of his coat to his throat to fend off the frigid December air. You’re just lucky you don’t have to meet with Dr. Macy every week.

I frowned as we started across nearly empty parking lot toward the back of the church. Matt was right. It had been nearly two months since our last run in with the Snake, the terrorist who had kidnapped my parents, secret agents Eric and Marisa McCully. The encounter had ended with a showdown between the Snake and me; me with the gun, him taunting me to pull the trigger. Matt’s secret agent brother, Chris, and several other agents had found us and assumed that I was about to pay him back for taking my parents from me. I had tried to convince them that I was just putting on an act to keep the Snake from escaping before they got there, which was true, at least by the time they finally did get there. There was certainly no way I would admit how badly I had wanted to get revenge only a short time before.

When Mr. Jackson, Chris’s boss, heard about it, he decided that it was time I saw a counselor. I was able to persuade them to let me meet with the pastor of the church Matt and I attended instead of the school counselor. Matt and I spent the afternoons at Pastor Williams’s between services on Sundays and I met with Pastor Williams after dinner. Matt usually slept, or watched football, or both.

You’re only disappointed because Melody was at a friend’s house this week, I teased. Melody was the pastor’s nineteen-year-old daughter. She was smart, pretty, and I was certain Matt had a crush on her. She usually drove home from the small Bible college she attended to visit her family on the weekends, but this week she had stayed with a friend to study for finals.

You can’t talk. Matt punched me playfully in the shoulder. What about when Trinity came with us last week?

Did you see something move? I snapped my head to our left. I’d thought I saw a shadow flit among the shrubbery lining the parking lot.

Not gonna work, Scott, Matt scoffed. The Snake is in jail and things have been quiet for nearly two months. You're just trying to get me to change the topic.

No, I just saw it again. I lowered my voice to a whisper and picked up my pace slightly. The tail of my brown sedan was barely visible at the end of the row of buses ahead of us. Someone else is out here.

Matt jogged to catch up. It’s probably just some other sucker who get here too late to get a good spot, he grumbled as he scanned the shrubbery uneasily.

How many other cars do you see out here? I suddenly wished We’d gotten there a little earlier, or that the parking lot was better lit.

Maybe one of the bus workers left something on their bus, Matt suggested weakly.

Maybe Matt was right, but the way my life had been this year, I wasn’t about to risk it. Let’s make a run for it, I clutched the strap of my backpack tightly. Ready?

I don’t think so, boys, a deadly voice hissed from behind us.

My blood ran cold as I froze in my place. Matt flashed a wide-eyed look at me as he, too, recognized the voice of the shadow that had been following us. We turned slowly to face a figure standing in the shadows of the neatly groomed shrubs bordering the parking lot. The light of a street lamp glinted off the barrel of the gun he was pointing at us.

Please, Lord, not him, not again.

You’re supposed to be in jail. I fought to keep the fear out of my voice. Chris told us you would be going away for a long, long time.

Agent Marshall needs to refrain from making promises it is impossible for him to keep. The Snake scoffed as he stepped from the shadows toward us. He was a slight, scholarly looking man with graying brown hair. Anyone who didn’t know better would easily be fooled into thinking he was a kindly professor, just as we’d been when we’d first met him. The murderous light in his cold, gray eyes and the gun gripped in his hand spoiled any illusions a chance observer might have about his character tonight.

Not that there’s anyone around to observe anything that happens out here tonight. Only a scattering of cars remained in the lot, and most of them were parked closer to the building.

How did you get out? Matt asked, his voice gruff and his eyes on the gun.

Good lawyers and a lot of money, not to mention friends in high places. The Snake circled between us and the safety of my car and aimed his gun directly at my chest. All that’s important now is that I’m out, and you have something I want.

I swallowed hard and tore my eyes from the gun, forcing myself to focus on his face. You’re nuts, I snapped, infusing boldness into my response. What could I possibly have that you would want?

The key I have been searching for these past four years. He stepped toward me again, the barrel of his gun only a foot from my chest.

I took a step back and bumped into the first bus parked in the row behind me. My heart pounding, I tried to maintain my defiance as I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about. What key?

Matt took advantage of the Snake’s preoccupation with me to slip silently behind the crazed terrorist, his heavy backpack lifted above his head.

The key to Operation Orwell. The Snake switched his aim to Matt suddenly.

Matt checked his advance and let his arm - and his backpack - drop to his side, sweat beading on his forehead as he stared down at the nose of the gun touching his breastbone.

The Snake faced me with a threatening look as he kept the gun pressed to Matt’s chest. I will get it from you, Cadet McCully, even if I have to kill Agent Marshall’s kid brother right here to prove how serious I am.

What key? I don’t know about any Operation Orwell. I didn’t even know my parents were spies until you kidnapped them three months ago, I insisted desperately. Please, God, help us. The Snake wouldn’t hesitate to kill Matt to get what he wanted, or me either for that matter.

At that moment, a car parked near the building started up with a growl. Its headlights shined on us for only a moment as the driver turned and headed out of the parking lot. The Snake glanced up, distracted by the unexpected interruption. Quickly, I let the straps of my backpack slide from my shoulders and into my right hand, swinging all the weight of Senior textbooks into the Snake’s unprotected stomach.

The Snake doubled over with a grunt as Matt followed up by landing his own backpack on the back of the Snake’s head. The two of us crouched and ran from the stunned terrorist. We’d never be able to get my car started before he recovered, so I dashed back into the parking lot, hoping to cover the ground between us and the first parked car before he started shooting. We reached it and ducked down to catch our breath just as a shot rang out. A bullet shattered the windshield of the car with a crash. Keeping our heads low, we scrambled to the next car as we tried to zig-zag closer to the building.

He didn’t stay down long, did he? Matt panted as he leaned back against a red coupe. Who do you think was in the car?

I don’t know. I glanced around the front of the coupe, trying to get a glimpse of the Snake. But I hope they call 911. We’re never going to make it inside without making targets of ourselves. These cars are just too far apart.

Another gunshot echoed across the parking lot. I jerked my head back behind the hood of the coupe just as the bullet slammed into the grill of the car with a dull thunk. The back door of the church building was only a hundred feet away. It may as well have been a mile. We were behind the last parked car in the lot and there was nothing between us and the door but open space.

What about the window? Matt nodded to the window on the side of the building. The door is probably locked by now anyway.

It’s worth a try. I shrugged. There were three more cars between us and the window and only twenty feet from the last car to the side of the building. If we moved fast, we might make it.

Ducking again, we dashed across parking lot, pausing behind each car as the Snake fired off more shots from the seemingly endless supply of his semi-automatic clip. Reaching the last car, we dodged into the shadows against the building, our backs pressed against the rough bricks as we inched toward the window. No more shots were fired once we reached the shadows, and a brief glance into the parking lot didn’t reveal our deadly adversary.

Do you think he’s gone? Matt whispered as we crouched in the shadows directly under the window.

Somehow, I doubt it. I hefted a softball sized rock in my right hand. The window would be locked, but I hoped Pastor Williams would forgive me for breaking it, considering the circumstances. We’ll need to work fast, he’ll be onto us as soon as he hears the glass break.

I reached just over my head and slammed the rock into the glass. I smashed the glass with the rock rapidly until the lower pane was free from jagged shards.

Hurry up, Matt murmured as a bullet chewed into the window frame beside us.

You first. I dropped the rock and locked my fingers together, making a sling for Matt to place his foot in so I could boost him through the window. Matt gripped the windowsill and placed his foot in my hands. I heaved him toward the opening and he scrambled through, landing with a grunt on the other side.

I’ve got you now, the Snake crowed behind me.

I resisted the urge to look back at him. The nearness of his voice told me I only had a few seconds before he would reach me and I couldn’t afford to waste any of them.

Come on, Scott. Matt leaned out the window and reached out to me.

Don’t even think about it! the Snake screamed, his voice bordering on maniacal. I’ll shoot!

I lunged toward the window as the Snake fired again. Pain seared through my left thigh even as Matt’s hands closed around my own. My leg gave out beneath me, leaving me dangling from the window as the Snake closed in for the kill.

Chapter 2

My arms ached from the strain of my own weight as Matt tried to haul me up by