Jake Slone: Vengeance Is Mine

By Robert D. Coleman

Jake Slone tries to leave his past behind and live a quiet life. But when an old adversary kidnaps his daughter. He is sucked back in. Betrayed by friends and allies, It is a race against time, with the lives of thousands hanging in the balance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert D. Coleman
• Release date: Feb 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224328437

Robert D. Coleman

Hi, my name is Robert Coleman. I was born in Waxahachie, Texas and spent the first 10 years of my life there. My family then moved to Irving, Texas where I graduated from MacArthur High School. I have been blessed with two amazing sons that I am very proud of. I have also been blessed with two grandsons that I love dearly. For the last 25 years, I have lived in Groesbeck, Texas. That area has become the center of my fictional books. I was always blessed with a great imagination. My teachers said I was a daydreamer in class. I could always come up with great stories in my head. My problem was always getting it on paper. I sometimes struggle with the English language. (I suspect I am dyslexic.) I was always too embarrassed to show anybody my work until I met a wonderful woman, who also happens to be a writing teacher. I reluctantly showed her one of my books. She read it and told me that the story was the hard part. Spelling and Grammer could be fixed. With her encouragement, I started reworking some of my stories and making new ones. Now 20 years after I put my first story on paper and almost 4 years after I started the rewrites, I have Murder and the Cold Case. I am very proud of it! I have another one almost ready (you can preorder it now), first drafts on 7 more, and several ideas for even more. So I hope this is the first of many. So thank you, Laura. Without your help and encouragement, this could have never happened.

Book preview

Jake Slone: Vengeance is Mine

By

Robert D. Coleman

Copyright 2024 by Robert D. Coleman

Smashwords Edition

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Other books by Robert D. Coleman

Chapter 1

Jake Slone jerked awake, nightmare again. He was having them more often now. It seemed like he could not get through a night without having one. He sat up and looked at his alarm clock. 6:15 AM Well, he had gotten a few hours of sleep. Sleeping late was a thing of the past. He sat up on the bed and rubbed his face. With all the things he had seen and done in his life, he would be lucky to ever get a good night’s rest again.

He got up and looked out the window. It had stormed last night. He had felt his travel trailer shake back and forth last night. Walking to the restroom, he turned on the light and looked in the mirror. He looked kinda rough. He badly needed a haircut, and he had several days of stubble on his face. He picked up his razor and then put it down. What was the point? He had nothing to do or any place he had to be. So he just brushed his teeth.

He walked down to the kitchen area, started some coffee, sat at the table, and looked out the window. The sun was just coming up. He had been living in the Waco area for the last year or so. He moved his trailer around, not staying in one spot for very long. The current place was one of his favorites, a small trailer park on the Brazos River. He poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip. He took a long look at his left hand. He has lost the end off of both his ring finger and little finger due to frostbite. He often wondered why he fought so hard to survive after jumping into that icy river in Colorado. What kind of life was he living now? Moving from place to place, he missed his family. His daughter Michelle would be 15 years old now. She had heart problems most of her life. A few years ago, he had called in favors with the people he worked with to get her a transplant. She was doing well now and living a normal life with his mother in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He just wished he could be a part of that.

He finished his coffee and got dressed. He put on his shoulder holster, took his 9mm gun out of the safe, checked the load, placed it in the holster, and covered it with his coat. Walking outside, he felt the cold, crisp air of this January morning. It had rained last night, so everything was wet. He got into his truck and drove down the street to the Waco Suspension Bridge. It had been built in 1869 to move cattle across the Brazos River as part of the Chisholm Trail. He enjoyed coming here and watching the river. Something about the moving water and the view that he found comforting. He walked to the center of the bridge, turned, and leaned on the rail. How had his life become such a mess, and what was he going to do about it?

It all started when he and his best friend Jim Dorsey joined the Navy and later became Navy Seals together.

*

(15 years earlier. Afghanistan)

Slone had been tossing and turning the last few hours. He was finally relieved to hear the phone ring. He grabbed the phone. Commander Slone. It’s a go! The voice on the other end said. Understood, Slone said.

He sat up in his bed. He called out to his roommate, Sargent Jim Dorsey. Hey, Jimbo, Get up. It’s a go!

Dorsey and Slone had been friends for years. They had gone to school together back in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They had joined the Navy together right out of high school. They both got accepted to the Seal program.

Dorsey set up. I’m awake. Not like i could sleep with all the turning you did all night. Slone stood up and started toward the bathroom. Ya ya. Well, you were snoring. Go get everybody up. We are out of here in 45 minutes.

Thirty minutes later, all Alfa, Bravo, and Charlie team members were out front, ready to go with all their stuff. Slone did a quick count and had all of his Alfa Team. He shouted, Alfa team, all present and accounted for. Bravo team leader said. Bravo team, all present and accounted for. followed by Charlie, team leader. Charlie team all present and accounted for, Slone shouted. Everybody on the truck, and let’s move out!

They all got on the truck and made a quick trip to the hangar. They got out, and all went inside and gathered around a large map.

Everybody settled down and got quiet. Slone walked up to the map and looked back at the three eight-man teams. OK, we have good intel that a high-value target is at this location. So, let’s go over this one more time. The H.V.T. name is Omar Alead. He pointed to the picture of him on the wall. He is the number 3 man in Al Qaeda. We believe he is held up in this compound. Each team will leave by helicopter. Alfa team will breach from the front, and Bravo team will breach from the back. We expect them to be armed and to put up a fight. We also believe that there may be women and children in the compound. We will try to keep collateral damage to a minimum. But they may use them as human shields. Charlie team will be 15 minutes behind us. They will reinforce where needed or help with the mop-up. Any questions? Slone waited a moment. When nobody spoke up, he said. "We leave in 30 Minutes.

Slone walked back to the office and got all his equipment ready. A few minutes later, Sargent Dorsey Walks in. He looks over at Slone and says. When is Charlie Team going to get something other than mop-up duty? Slone smiles. Well, when your guys get more time in. They will get to rotate in. Dorsey raises his arms up and back down. Ok, where does that leave me? Slone shakes his head. Well, somebody has to lead the team. Slone walks over and sits down at the small desk. This is the night we are going to get Alead! I bet you get more than mop up. Dorsey smiles. I hope you are right. This guy has been like a ghost. Every time we get close, he is gone.

Dorsey turns to walk out when Slone says. Have the pilots made it yet? Dorsey turns and looks back and smiles as he reaches the door. Yes, they are here. Down at the other end of the hanger, getting ready.

Slone followed Dorsey out the door and walked down to the end of the hanger, where the pilots were getting ready. As he walked up, he made eye contact with Jessica. She tried not to smile when she saw him. But she couldn’t help herself. Slone walked out the end of the hanger, and a few moments later, she followed. They had not seen each other in a few days. He wanted to hug and kiss her, but he knew they could not risk it. If it got back to the Navy that they were married and had a kid. They would most likely be in some hot water and for sure wouldn’t be allowed to work together. Hey. He said in a low voice as she walked out. Hey. She said back. Have you talked to your mother? How’s Mitchelle? He moved a little closer.

Yes, I talked to her last night. She is doing good. Jessica looks over at him. As much as I want to be here with you. I can’t wait for my enlistment to be done so I can get home to her. He reaches out and grabs her hand. I know it won’t be long. She shakes her head. I got to get back. I will see you on the copter. She turns and walks back inside. He waits for a moment, follows her back inside and down to his men, and finishes getting ready.

About 10 minutes later, Slone and his Alfa team walked toward and started boarding their helicopter. Slone looked over at the pilot and winked at Jessica as he walked to his seat.

For the next hour, they flew in mostly silence. There was not much to say. They all knew what they had to do. They just needed to keep going over it in their minds.

He heard Jessica’s voice come over the com system. We will be over the drop zone in 5 minutes. Slone then pulled up the satellite image of the compound. He then looked over at his men. We have heat signatures of 10 hostiles. One of them is Omar Alead. Ok, let’s do our job, Men!"

They all got up and moved into position. When they felt the helicopter stop and hover. Slone shouted. Go! They dropped four ropes from both sides of the helicopter, and each man grabbed a rope and slid down it to the ground. Bravo team did the same thing on the backside of the compound.

Once on the ground, they ran for the door. When they arrived, they broke the door down with a battering ram and entered the compound. They fanned out four men on each side and cleared out the front room. They then entered the main room from the front as Bravo team entered from the back. They saw the ten hostiles on their knees. They spread out around the room with guns trained on them. The hostiles were not making any moves. They were praying. Slone quickly looked around the room and saw C4 explosives on the walls all around them. It was a trap. Slone yelled. Abort! Get out of here!

There was no time to get out the way they came. Slone turned and started running toward a large window. When he got there, he lunged into it with his gun out in front of him. The window shattered as he went through, and he heard the explosion go off behind him. The force of the blast propelled him forward. He hit the ground hard. Knocking the wind out of him. He lay there on the ground for a moment. His head was spinning. He rolled over and looked through the fire and smoke. He saw a man standing at the edge of the woods. He made eye contact with the man. It was O’mar Alead. He felt for his rifle, but it had lost it in the blast. He felt for his sidearm. But it was also missing. Alead then turned and ran into the woods.

He tried to get up. Then the pain hit him. His knee was hurt, and he was bleeding from several cuts from flying glass. He could feel the blood running down his face. He reached for his radio. He started to call for help. But the enemy would know he was alive if he broke radio silence. He would be a sitting duck. He put it down. Charlie team would be here soon.

He could hear a helicopter. He looked around. He saw it. It looked like Jessica’s helicopter. She must have heard his call to abort and was returning. He felt for his flare gun. But it was also gone. He needed to find a way to signal her. About that time, he looked up and saw what he recognized as a heat-seeking missile headed toward her helicopter. No! He shouted as the missile hit the helicopter. It started spinning hard and exploded and fell to the ground. He got on his knees and desperately tried to crawl in that direction. But he was overcome with pain and fell back. No, this can’t be happening! He tried again to get up. But again, fell back in pain. He rolled over on his back and slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

*

(Present Day, Waco