POISON IVY (POLICE AND

FIRE: OPERATION ALPHA)

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ELLISON-CLARK PARAMILITARY SECURITIES, BOOK 2

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ANNIE MILLER

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 CONTENTS

Poison Ivy
A note from the Author
Foreword

Part One
Prologue
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
Chapter 16
Part Two
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue

Afterword
Also by Annie Miller
About the Author
More Special Forces: Operation Alpha World Books
Books by Susan Stoker

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POISON IVY

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 ECP SECURITIES

TEAM ALPHA

ANNIE MILLER
www.anniemiller.net
Booksbyanniemiller@gmail.com

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 A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

This book addresses serious problems like sexual abuse, and childhood
trauma. While the sexual abuse may offend you, it’s a real problem, and not
just in the United States but worldwide. In case you suffer from these
triggers, the material is not graphic but I’ve not shied away from the subject
of child and sexual abuse.

Every nine minutes a child is sexually assaulted.

93% of Children Sexually Abused are by Relatives or persons they
know and trust. 1
Consisting of:
59% Acquaintances
34% Family members
7% Strangers

This book is dedicated to all the survivors. Your voices have not been
muted.

Reference:
1. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice
Statistics, Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law
Enforcement  (2000)

1 1
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 This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s
imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead
is entirely coincidental.

© 2021 ACES PRESS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this work may be used, stored, reproduced or transmitted without written permission from
the publisher except for brief quotations for review purposes as permitted by law.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away
to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an
additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not
purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy.

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Dear Readers,

Welcome to the Police and Fire: Operation Alpha Fan-Fiction world!

If you are new to this amazing world, in a nutshell the author wrote a story
using one or more of my characters in it. Sometimes that character has a
major role in the story, and other times they are only mentioned briefly.
This is perfectly legal and allowable because they are going through Aces
Press to publish the story.
This book is entirely the work of the author who wrote it. While I might
have assisted with brainstorming and other ideas about which of my
characters to use, I didn’t have any part in the process or writing or editing
the story.
I’m proud and excited that so many authors loved my characters enough
that they wanted to write them into their own story. Thank you for
supporting them, and me!

READ ON!
Xoxo
Susan Stoker

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 ABOUT THE BOOK

Undercover CIA agent, Ivy Brooks, has been hunting the elusive “Big
Papa,” the mastermind and ringleader in the sex trafficking industry, for the
last six years. As she closes in on him, she receives a kill order by her
handler, to exterminate her estranged father, Steve Ellison.
Justin “Ghost” Dalton, a former Naval sniper, is starting his own private
military company when asked by Steve Ellison, co-owner of ECP
Securities, to assist his daughter, Ivy aka Poison. Ghost’s mission is to
ensure her safety while assisting Ivy with the elimination of the ringleader.
Ivy will travel the ends of the earth looking for the missing girls. Her
search begins in Texas, but she and Ghost follow their movements through
Russia and Japan, in search of the elusive Big Papa. Her new mission is to
stop the monster and find the girls, all while keeping her family safe.

This is the conclusion of the ECP - Alpha Team series’ search for the
missing girls from Securing Willow. This book picks up where Crash
Landing ended.
It can be a stand-alone read but will be more interesting if you read
Securing Willow and Crash Landing beforehand.

ARC REVIEWS:
5/5 stars! - Lee Harrison, author Crimson Nation
Poison Ivy is a fast-paced, action-packed ride of intrigue, clever twists,
and endearing characters. An array of fantastic support characters make the
set-up, oh so satisfying. I eagerly await the next book in the series.

5/5 Stars!! - Renee Ramos, author Running with Scissors

This is an excellent series and I look forward to reading more from ECP
Paramilitary Securities. Crash Landing and Poison Ivy release on the same
day, so there’s no downtime, which I appreciate as a reader.

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PART ONE

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 PROLOGUE

‘Yes, he’s the one. He is exactly what I want…what I deserve in a partner.’

Ghost has so much to offer me. He’s intelligent, hard-working, kind,
respectful, and drop-dead gorgeous. In a word; he’s perfect.
‘I want him and it’s obvious he wants me too. Tonight will be exactly
what I have pictured our date to be like. After dinner, we will go back to his
place. He’ll dim the lights, start his jazz playlist, and refresh my glass of
Merlot. I’m ready, so ready to be with him.’
Only, that isn’t what is happening. He pushes me up against the door
with his arm caging me in. He slowly kisses down my neck until he reaches
that sweet spot. I’m startled when I hear a moan, only it is me making this
beautiful sound. I’ve never felt so wanted and by a partner I chose. He isn’t
a mark, a job, or a sadist. No, I’m with him because I want to be and not out
of obligation or against my will.
Wanton…that’s how I feel and I’m determined to enjoy all the pleasure
he is offering. Today I am going to live for the moment and worry about the
future later.
Ghost is feeling the same desire as he effortlessly picks me up.
Instinctively wrapping my legs around his waist, I begin my assault on
his body, kissing his throat, his cleanly shaven chin, and nipping at his
earlobes. Now he is growling, while he is carrying me to his bedroom, that
smells like him; purely masculine with just a hint of danger and sex.
He continues loving my body and whispering his desires. He promises
of a night to remember, a night where he will make me feel whole and safe.
I moan my approval of his sweet words and soft, gentle kisses.
 Trapping my hands above my head, he continues his assault with his
lips, moaning his desire.
“It’s your fault I can’t stop myself, Sweet Ivy.” I hear his words…only it
isn’t Ghost’s raspy voice I hear. It is my personal demon; my worst
nightmare. It is Henry Forbes, my stepfather’s voice.
I promised myself he would never touch me again. He would never
have power over my body. Ghost promised to protect me, to always have
my back.
Where are you, Ghost?
He didn’t answer my pleas. He has left me cold and terrified. Everyone
leaves eventually. No one truly loves me, though Forbes says he does, I
don’t want his love. I need my family and friends, but most of all, I need
Ghost. But he has abandoned me too.
I try to fight him but he was too big. I am no longer the confident
woman. Once again I am a weak, helpless child. I can’t ever run away from
him. He invades my mind just as often as he has invaded my body. He
always comes back, always punishing and blaming me for his lust.
“Ivy, my beautiful Sweet Ivy, you will be mine forever. No one can love
you the way I do.”
In a frenzy, I try to push him away, only he’s not here. I am alone. My
demon is not here, not physically anyway. I stare around the dimly lit room
and remember that I can’t sleep in the dark ever again. It doesn’t matter that
Forbes is not here. He isn’t robbing my innocence; or my childhood, not
anymore. I am strong and resourceful. For reassurance, I say the mantra I
now live by.
‘You are safe.’
Sweat coats my pajamas. Tonight’s routine does not differ from any
other night. I will shower, hoping to rid myself of his touch, his memories.
It didn’t matter how clean I was before going to bed. I always feel dirty
when I awake.
This is another bed I will never sleep in again. Just like the ones before,
my subconscious will forever taint my mattress, so it will have to go.
Knowing the routine, I gather my pillow and clean pajamas. Once again, I’ll
try to fall asleep on the sofa but I know sleep will elude me, just as it
always does after every nightmare. Looking at the clock, it was only one
a.m. and too early to start the day. Meditation will help clear my mind
before trying to sleep again, just as the therapist suggested. Only it won’t be
enough. It is never enough to calm my fears and restlessness. When will he
stop haunting my sleep or will I always have to relive the nightmares for the
rest of my life?
‘He has to die if I ever want a future with someone like Justin Dalton,
my Ghost.’
‘Forbes must die. If I want my life back, I have to be the one who ends
his life.’

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 CHAPTER 1

"Gennifer, this is Ivy Brooks. Are you on a secure line?"

"I am. Where are you?"
"I don't have much time but I'm hoping Steve found the tracker. I’m in
Canada.”
"He did, and he also found a dead body. Do you know anything about
that?"
"I took Javier out before he could do the same. I can't come in because I
have orders to execute Steve."
“By whom?” Gennifer questioned.
"Forbes gave me the order, but the CIA sanctioned the hit.”
"You have got to be kidding me?"
"No, I wish I was. I need someone to come and take out the trackers I
have from the CIA and Forbes. I need someone to trust and I believe you
are that person. Please do not bring Steve. I'm not sure he is safe around me.
I don’t know who else is tracking me.”
"Okay, Ivy. I'll come to you and I’ll bring Doc. Susan is our resident
medic."
"Is she equipped to remove ingested trackers?"
"I don't know. Probably not."
"Find Voodoo, she can. Her name is Maxie Wynn. Tell her it's for me
and not CIA sanctioned. That should be enough to tempt her. Blaze should
be able to locate her. Have him also keep my tracker active until I can
return. Thank you, Gennifer. I know you have lots of questions and frankly
so do I but I felt I could trust you when you came to Dallas and survived
Javier's roaming hands."
 "Girl, I don't know how you fended him off."
Ivy said nothing but just restated, "Get Voodoo. You can bring your Doc
but I need Voodoo here."
"On it. I will get to you as soon as possible and Ivy?”
"Yes."
"I'm glad you are one of the good guys."
Ivy just laughed, "If you think the CIA is one of the good guys, you
aren't ready to hear about the life I've led. See you soon."
Ivy hung up hoping soon she would have a life; a life without Forbes;
CIA handlers; and possibly have a life with a father and half-brother she
never knew.
She just had to survive and wait for backup.

"Girl you look like you've been ridden hard and put up wet."
"Nice to see you too, Voodoo. Thanks for coming."
“I didn't really have any other options. Soldier boy over there,” pointing
at Tyler, “never left my side. This is not how I wanted to visit Canada. What
have you gotten yourself into now?"
"A few trackers, all from different sources," Ivy said to Voodoo and
then turned to the ECP task force, "Gennifer, thanks for coming and
bringing Voodoo."
"She was difficult to find, even for Blaze. We had to call a black hat to
find her."
"Byte found me," Voodoo said, "that girl scares me."
Ivy smirked and wondered what ECP thought of Voodoo with her dark
black buzz cut and vibrant, yet eerie and all-knowing blue eyes.
“You're one to talk,” Ivy laughed and then turned to the petite blonde,
“you must be Doc. Thanks for coming.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you. You are quite the buzz around the office.
Well, not as much as Byte, but a strong second." Susan, “Doc”, shook Ivy's
hand with no reservation. Ivy’s initial thought was that Doc looked too
young to be ex-military, but she was probably the same age as Tyler. She
didn’t seem guarded, which meant she saw little carnage while in the Army.
Wholesome, was the word that came to Ivy’s mind; like a young Doris Day.
 "I guess you are my half-brother, Tyler. This was not the way I was
hoping to meet you but nothing in my life has been at my pace.”
Ivy noted their similarities. He was probably three or four inches taller
than her five-seven, but they both had brown hair and eyes, only hers were
a little lighter and thanks to her stylist, her hair wasn’t as dark with her
blonde highlights.
"I wasn't happy to learn about you, though no fault of your own. I had
more doubts than probably anyone else, but Dad was right, you are one of
the good guys."
"Thanks…I think." She laughed and then groaned when Tyler engulfed
her in a bear hug. “Can’t breathe,” she said as she patted his back.
"Sorry about that. So let's get those trackers out and move before we
play twenty questions."
"Sounds like a plan. Doc and Voodoo, here's what I have. CIA put a
sub-dermal tracker. While I was told I only have one, I'd recommend
double-checking. The CIA is not the most trustworthy employer.”
Doc grabbed her bag, "On it.”
"Byte had us bring this device she created. That girl is spooky,"
Gennifer said.
"But worth knowing. How did you guys find her, because she's harder
to find than DB Cooper?"
"Who?" Voodoo asked.
"The most notorious missing person ever. He’s even more notorious
than Amelia Earhart and the Bermuda Triangle,” Tyler answered.
"Don't know any of them," Voodoo said as she just waved him off like
he was a gnat buzzing around her head.
“No one finds Byte, she finds you. So tell me about the ingested tracker.
Those usually flush themselves out within seventy-two hours,” Voodoo
stated.
"I hope it has but with the contacts Forbes has, I would not count on it
being a wash and wear. He had the car rigged to explode if we left the GPS
preset route. So, I’m not putting anything past him."
"I just read about nano tracking. It might be what he used. It's tiny and
could be digested easily enough."
"Can it be removed?" Gennifer asked.
"I should have read that, huh? I was just thinking how much I'd like to
track my loser ex-boyfriend. Let me pull up the case study."
 Everyone stopped and looked at Voodoo as she was scrolling through
her cell phone.
"Just ask Siri," Tyler laughed.
"Not a bad idea," Voodoo said.
"I was joking."
Doc continued working on her assignment.
"I will need you to undress. You can keep your undergarments on,
unless we don't find the tracker, then we will have to delve into the nether
regions."
"UGGGHHH, did I tell you how much I hate my job?”
"Here it is," Voodoo interrupted, "it's estimated that it lasts three to four
weeks."
"That sounds about right. So can you remove it?"
"Welllllll,"
"Spit it out, Voo. What do you have to do?"
"Well, it was ingested so eventually it will pass. We can help it along
with diuretics and suppositories or I can use some Eastern herbs and
medicine that will give you the squirts but not any tummy aches.”
Tyler burst into laughter.
"Nice medical lingo, squirts."
"OMG, you are such a boy," Doc said.
"And juvenile," Gennifer smiled while punching Tyler in the arm, then
said, "it’s like when someone says poop and all the kids laugh."
"I think I will miss being an only child," Ivy said.
“Me too.” Tyler’s words were not in jest. His demeanor was serious and
contemplative. This drastic mood changed, also changed the easiness that
was in the cabin before.
Gennifer took charge, "You," pointing at Tyler, "outside and keep
watch. We didn't bring you for your personality. You are here to watch our
backs, so move it."
"Fine," Tyler grumbled.
"Is that what I'm looking forward to by having a brother?" Ivy asked.
"Don't let him get to you. He's really a nice guy, but he is also
protective," Doc offered.
After Ivy removed her clothes, Gennifer kept the conversation going as
Voodoo and Doc went looking for bugs.
Swatting Ivy's butt, Voodoo declared her bug-free.
“That's what every girl wants to hear,” Ivy growled.
Doc joined in, "I am still trying to understand why the CIA did both
microchip and sub-dermal tracking."
"I knew about the sub-dermal one, but not the microchip. If I had to
guess, it was to keep track of their agents without them realizing it."
“Spies don’t trust spies, even within the same agency,” Ivy reminded the
ladies.

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 CHAPTER 2

"I'm just glad to be out of Canada,” Tyler commented to the group.

"What's next?" Gennifer asked.
"I don't know who I can trust. I've had the same handler for six years
but the things they have required me to do are unethical. I want out but I
must to take Forbes out."
"Here, here!" Tyler cheered, lifting his glass.
"To freedom," Doc joined.
Freedom was exactly what Ivy wanted.
"Gennifer, would you be willing to be my CIA handler's handler? I need
someone to ferret out their intentions before giving me orders. I want out
and ultimately that will have to be discussed but right now I'm too much of
an asset in their eyes, which also makes me a liability. If I tell them I'm
done, I may become permanently done."
Gennifer could understand Ivy’s dilemma since she had faced similar
problems when she resigned from her commission with the Coast Guard.
She wanted out, but she had to play the game and keep her cards close to
her chest.
"I will do whatever you need. But I have two questions. First, do you
think your CIA handler is just going to break protocol and speak to me
regarding your mission, and two, how are you going to handle Forbes
without killing Steve?" Gennifer asked.
"I've been thinking about that and for the first one, we give Alicia no
choice. If she can’t find me, thanks to Doc for removing my trackers, then
they can’t intervene. However, this mean they will track you, so be careful.
As for Forbes, I think I'll use the fact that he commissioned Javier to kill me
in my favor. I took a picture of Javier and I'm going to send it to Forbes and
Alex. Then, they will make the next move and hopefully reach out to me."
“You can't trust them, any of them,” Voodoo said after sipping her
mystic-looking drink with dry ice floating over it. Voodoo was the perfect
moniker for her.
"I don't. I am keeping the earrings, well once I get the other one from
Steve, which is what brings up a touchy part of my plan. Steve can't know
about this. He will try to stop it or intercede at some point and Forbes will
kill him without a second thought."
"He knows you are CIA," Doc supplied.
"And he was quick to rub it in my face that he was right. You aren't as
slimy as your image projects,” Dodger added.
"Thanks, I think," Ivy smirked.
"He may know that I'm CIA, but he can't know about the kill plan. Then
tell him I'm on the run for killing Javier. Since he that the CIA is mad
because I shot viable source and Forbes wants to pull me in closer after
showing him my loyalty," Ivy concluded.
"Which to some point is correct? The problem is you are going to be
with Forbes with no backup. What can we do?" Gennifer asked.
"I'm still working out that plan. Any suggestions?"
“You need help outside of the agency and ECP. What about the guys
dad used to track Ivy to Maine?” Tyler asked Gennifer.
"The only one I know is Justin Dalton, who goes by Ghost,” Gennifer
replied.
"Do you know how to reach him?" She asked Gennifer.
"I can get the information. Tyler is getting married in three weeks, so we
will just invite him. Plus, we have Byte in our back pocket, and she's
friends with Ghost,” Gennifer provided.
"What about Dad? He's will not like knowing you are still chasing
Forbes, whether or not you have Ghost."
"We may need to have a clandestine meeting somewhere, so I can
reassure him that I’m okay. But I can’t, no I won’t, do anything to
jeopardize getting Forbes. He deserves to die and I plan on wielding the
knife. You do not know what life was like with him. It’s the stuff of
nightmares. I cannot turn my back on this one and hopefully, Steve will
understand, but in the end, I'm going after Forbes, with or without his
approval."
 "And the CIA?" Voodoo asked, "Please tell me you are going to leave
them holding their balls."
Tyler nearly spat out his beer and remarked, "Tell us how you really feel
about the CIA."
"Look, pretty boy, the CIA is not always the keeper of the peace they
would like for you to believe. I've experienced their cowardliness and I
have no respect for them. Fortunately, Ivy, knew to tell me this was
unsanctioned. No way would I ever help them."
Tyler held up his hands, "Hey, I'm not questioning your motives, just
asking. I just finished my time with the Navy, so I know what it’s like not
having to follow the letter of the law."
"CIA never follows the letter of the law. They make their own laws, and
those change hourly; depending on their current objective. One minute you
are an asset, 'Oh Voodoo, we love you and then you turn your back and it’s,
'Oh Voodoo we are going to love killing you.'" Voodoo spat when she said
this. It was apparent to everyone that there was some serious history
between her and the agency.
"So we have a plan. Gennifer will be my new handler, working with
Alicia, and relay my objectives. Tyler, you are going to intercede with
Steve. Gennifer is getting me Ghost’s contact information, and we'll pull
Byte in because she has no problems crossing the line. Blaze is a white hat,
an honest boy scout whereas Byte is a black hat. She has no problem
grabbing funds from a drug cartel and giving it to a dog shelter. If I'm going
to take down Forbes and his group, I need a black hat’ a rule breaker. Have
I missed anything?"
"Hardware," Doc said.
"Ah, she's more than a pretty face," Voodoo sneered. There was no love
lost between Voodoo and Doc, but they would have to dig into that one
later.
"I have a small armory and cash stored in several places, so I should be
fine,” Ivy stated.
"Identification, passports?" Tyler asked.
"Covered. I used one of mine to enter Canada. The one Alex picked up
for me is burned. It probably had an RFID tracker in it, so I tossed it. For
now, I'll continue to use my Hiedra Veneno alias. I have passports from ten
countries, all in different names."
 “Sounds like we are set with the plans, so here’s to Operation Poison
Ivy, and stopping the monster, Forbes,” Tyler said as everyone clinked
glasses in agreement.

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 CHAPTER 3

"Alicia, I know you don't understand but Ivy has been in contact with me,
not ECP, and not her father. She asked that I be her mediator. The Company
sanctioning the execution of her father disturbed her. For the record, it does
me too. I'm sure you can understand why she's uncomfortable working
directly with the CIA. That being said, she trusts you, but not the system
you represent," Gennifer told Alicia Nicholson, Ivy's CIA handler.
"So where is she?”
"She's safe. She's recovering from some injuries."
Alicia wanted to arrest Gennifer right then, but she had a role to play as
well. She decided to let Gennifer assume she was okay with being pushed
aside. Alicia promised herself that Gennifer would pay for her secrets. It
was just a matter of time.
“Does she need our assistance in getting her help?"
"No, she's seen two medical professionals, and she is on the mend."
"What can you tell about Javier Sanchez?"
"He's deceased," Gennifer responded.
"We know that. What we don't know is, who is responsible?”
"The responsible party is Henry Forbes."
"Is he the one who pulled the trigger?"
Gennifer knew she was irritating Alicia with her one or two-word
answers but Ivy had already forewarned her not to provide anything except
for vague answers to direct questions.
"That we are not sure of. However, a hit was put on both him and Ivy.
She escaped. If I had to guess, Forbes' enforcer is probably who you should
look for."
 “And that is…” Alicia would not provide her with any information.
First, Gennifer didn’t have clearance, but even if she did, Gennifer was an
end to a means in finding Ivy. Second, Alicia wanted to know how much
ECP knew. Not for a second did she believe that only Gennifer was
involved and not ECP.
“We would focus on Alex Rodriguez, again, if we were involved, which
I restate, ECP is not involved in the investigation or in tracking Ivy. I am
doing this as a personal favor to Ivy."
Alicia grinned and nearly gave away her thoughts. If by some chance,
Gennifer was telling the truth, then she had no backup. She would be easy
to pick off. Alicia hated loose ends.
“And her father. We understand you are in a sexual relationship with
Steve Ellison,” Alicia prodded.
"True, I am. However, he is not aware of my assistance to Ivy. He's not
heard or seen her since we rescued him in Odessa."
"I guess I'll have to take your word for that. This is highly irregular for
the CIA's handler to have an outside handler. However, I know Ivy, and
she's a skilled agent, so if she's worried about communication, I will respect
her." If Gennifer believed that, then she was playing way above her pay
grade, Alicia thought to herself.
"Thank you, Alicia. This is new for me too. I was a Coast Guard Pilot
and now I'm the intermediator for the CIA and my boyfriend's daughter and
without his knowledge."
"The mess we get ourselves into."
"True. Now, do you have any instructions I need to pass on?” Gennifer
asked.
"Not until I get back to Langley and discuss what I've learned. How do I
contact you?"
"Here's my card. The phone number is a secure line as well as the email
address. This information is for you only. No one else will be able to
contact me on this line."
"Sounds good. It's been interesting, to say the least. Please tell Ivy to be
careful. Our Intel shows Forbes is back in the US."
"I'll relay the information," Gennifer stood and shook the agent's hand,
ensuring to place the listening device under her elbow with her free hand.
"That went better than I had expected," Ivy said to Gennifer through her
bluetooth.
"Yeah, not sure I trust her yet, but we'll see what she does next."
"Byte, can you track and record her, and get a location on Forbes," Ivy
directed.
She was thrilled with the team she had collected. Gennifer was the lead,
Byte the bomb, and Ghost, her backup.
"Ivy, she didn't buy the Javier story," Ghost miked.
“I didn't think she would, especially since I got the gun that day but you
handled that perfectly. I would recommend you for a job with the CIA, but I
like you too much."
"I like myself too much to even consider I,” Gennifer replied.
“Hey, guys, enough chatter. I recorded a conversation Alicia had once
she left the parking lot. I'll play it back for you. It’s one-sided but you will
get the gist.”
'No, I don't know what she's up to, but she is running scared.'
'No, I don't think she is afraid of the agency, but she knows Forbes
has long arms. She is smart enough to know she can't trust us
anymore.'
'It took her long enough. I dropped a nugget about Forbes being in
the states. I’m going to have someone follow Gennifer. Either she’s
lying and ECP is involved, or she has gone rogue. Either way, she is our
link to Ivy. Also, send me updates for Ivy’s tracker. We need to know if
she’s meeting with anyone else at ECP. I don't believe for a minute that
her father is unaware of the situation. Monitor him and his son, Tyler.
I’ve got Gennifer covered.’
'What do you mean you can't track her?'
'What about the secondary tracker? It's gone too. Now what?'
‘Okay, change of plans, I’ll stay in Texas and continue my
surveillance of ECP and Gennifer; you monitor Forbes. If we have him
in our sights, we may get lucky and get her at the same time.'
'I don't care what we charge her with. She's too dangerous to leave
in the field. She needs to be exterminated.'
‘Okay, John, I'll see you in the morning.’
"That's all I have, but it’s pretty telling," Byte said.
“You were not kidding. The CIA wants you out too, Gennifer,” Ghost
responded.
 “I would be suspicious if they didn’t,” Gennifer answered.
“Initially, I was hired because of my connections with Forbes,” Ivy
stated, “and then I was to gain his trust and move my way up the food
chain. However, the deeper I was in the organization, the less they trusted
my loyalty. Sometimes that happens to undercover agents but really, how
could I be okay with the sex trade? It was the opposite for me. It was hard
to keep my disgust in check, especially when I know what those poor girls
are undergoing. I promise you, however, my loyalty was never with Forbes.
We have a history and it's not happy memories. It’s the stuff of nightmares.
I not only had to live through that, but deal with their constant pushes to get
more intimately closer to my marks. I want out of the CIA and I want
Forbes and Alex dead."
"We've got your back," Gennifer replied, with her heart heavy for the
life Ivy had lived and the things that she will never rid her mind of.
"Next plans?" Ghost asked.
"Byte, I need you to find Forbes. He shouldn't be too hard considering
the CIA knows where he is."
"On it."
"Gennifer, you watch your back. I put you in the middle, and I am sorry
about that. I need you to keep an eye on Steve. The last conversation I had
with Tyler wasn't encouraging. Steve is determined to find me. Stop him.
Please."
"I will take care of it. What about you? Who's going to watch your
back?" Gennifer inquired.
"That would be me," Ghost chimed in. "Ivy, I think it’s about time you
and I worked out how we are going to take down all the dirty agents and
eliminate the parasite, while not endangering the rest."
"I agree. I'm heading your way,” Ivy said as she hung up and put her
luggage on the tram before entering the Amtrak train for her next
destination, Jacksonville, Florida.
Her mouth dropped when Henry Forbes sat next to her.
"Hello, Sweet Ivy. I think it’s time you and I talked.”

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 CHAPTER 4

“What do you want?”

“You, of course.”
“I will never be yours. I will kill myself if I have to endure one more
touch from you.”
“My Sweet Ivy, you don’t mean that. You never forget your first time.”
“Oh, I will never forget how perverted and sick of a man you are.”
“Was I better than Javier? He was obsessed with you.”
“He wasn’t obsessed enough not to shoot me, but I won’t fall victim to
your games any longer. So again, what do you want?”
“As I already said, I want you. I want you to be my partner.”
“In sex trafficking of little girls. No, thank you,” Ivy spat out.
“See you are narrow-minded. It’s not just girls who are desirable.”
“You’re sick and demented. Just leave me alone. You don’t want me to
work with you. If you did, you wouldn’t have put a hit on me.”
“That was a misunderstanding. Alex gave that order without my
knowledge, but he will not do so again. He’s learned his lesson.”
“Well, I now have one less kill.”
“He’s not dead, Sweet Ivy. I need him just as much as I need you.”
“Sick.”
“Not sexually, there is only you. As I said, you belong to me and I will
never let you go, even if you were CIA.”
That got Ivy’s attention. How did he figure that out? Had he known the
past six years?
“Who informed you? Alicia or John?” She did not know who John was.
She was bluffing her way through this conversation, hoping to get a
confirmation.
“Think higher. Alicia and John may be informants on your level, but
they have higher management to report to. You, are worth their attention,
particularly with how close you were to my organization. I am just sorry I
have to bring you in against your will. It would be much easier for you if
you just submitted but I see that you have only gotten stronger. I accredit
myself for that confidence. You knew your value at an early age. You could
have had everything, but you spied on me. That ends today. There’s no
reason to spy when you will be by my side.”
“Never going to happen. You will have to kill me before I voluntarily
accompany you.”
“You don’t mean that,” Forbes said as he applied pressure to her thigh
and a gun pressed into her side.
“Are you going to shoot me right here, in front of witnesses? Even you
aren’t that reckless.”
“You are right, but do you see that family three rows up?”
Ivy saw the parents doting on a little girl about six and their twin boys,
maybe eight.
“You are going to kill them in front of everyone?”
“Just the parents when we stop in Chicago. The children will fetch a
nice price, especially the twins. Everyone likes to double their pleasure.”
A chill crept over Ivy. She knew he wasn’t bluffing. He would without a
doubt take those children away. She looked around for Alex, not seeing
him, but she knew he was close.
“What do you want from me?”
“You see, Ivy. I knew you’d come with me peacefully. You have the
same weakness as your mother, you worry about others more than you do
yourself.”
“I don’t know what she ever saw in you.”
“She could have been by my side, but she refused and when she found
out how much you meant to me and tried to take you away, I had to take her
out.”
“She died of cancer, not at your hand.”
“Did she though?”
“Yes, I remember her going for chemo.”
“Money will get you anything, like false labs and slow action poisons.
She suffered greatly for refusing to give me what I wanted; you.”
 Ivy sat there trying to comprehend what he was saying. Her mother
never had cancer. She suffered because of him. He was sicker than she ever
realized.
“You killed my mother,” she whispered.
“I eliminated a roadblock. I don’t see it as murder. If you think about it,
it was self-inflicted, like suicide. She killed herself when she took you away
from me,” Forbes reasoned and smoothed his hand over his beard. She
didn’t know who and what he was. Some probably thought he was
attractive. He had a tall, lean body, like a runner. His hair was the perfect
blend of salt and pepper with his beard showing more salt. He dressed and
held himself with confidence and a man of power. But to her, he was a
monster that would never die. But she will be successful one day. That was
her promise each morning, he would die and by her hand.
She knew she had to leave with him. She couldn’t knowingly put those
children in danger, only she wasn’t sure he would keep his word, so she
challenged him.
“If I go with you, how do I know Alex won’t take the children,
anyway?”
“I give you my word, Sweet Ivy. I always keep my promises. Don’t you
remember that?”
She remembered it all right. After each ‘visit’ he promised there would
be another one and it would be more intense than the one before. He
promised to show her what would please him, and he did.
“I don’t trust you. I want to know where Alex is.”
“He’s in the first-class car. I have a seat reserved for you.”
“I want to talk with the parents.”
“And do what, warn them of the boogie man?”
“I want to allow them the opportunity to get off earlier. If I am with you
and Alex, then I will believe they will be safe. That’s my final offer.”
“Very well, but I will watch you. You will have two minutes and if you
give them my name, I will know. I know everything.”
She just nodded her head and stood up to bypass him, only he pulled her
down onto his lap. She struggled to get away, but she discovered he liked
that a little too well. Instead, she sat stiff and rigid.
“You take all the fun away, but not for long.” He let her stand, and she
quickly exited the row.
She had one chance to escape him, and she was going to take it.
OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 5

“You don’t know me. My name is Ivy Brooks and I’m a CIA agent. There’s
a man on board who is targeting your children for a sex trafficking ring.
Please believe me. His name is Forbes. Please get off at the next stop and
contact Justin Dalton and tell him what I said.”
The mother stared at her, unsure if Ivy was telling the truth or if this was
a horrible joke.
“How do we know we can trust you?”
“Because I’m sacrificing my own life to protect yours. He wants to
shoot you both and take your children. He’s going to pass by here shortly
and take me with him. Please don’t forget. I’m Ivy Brooks and I need you
to call Justin Dalton. Here’s my cell. Don’t look up. I’m going to leave it
behind. I’m trusting you with my life.”
Seconds after she dropped her phone on the chair, Forbes leant over and
politely interrupted their conversation.
“Ivy, honey, it’s time to leave. Sorry folks, I need to take my daughter to
our first-class seats. I’m sure you understand how important it is to have her
near, just as you want your beautiful children near you.”
“Yes sir, we understand,” the father answered.
Ivy rose from the chair and walked in front of Forbes, praying the
parents would heed her warning. Her only hope was Ghost.
“Now, that wasn’t so bad. I gave you two minutes. What did you tell
them?”
“That there’s a dangerous man on the train, and they need to watch their
children.”
“That doesn’t take two minutes.”
 “I had to build up to it, otherwise they would have thought I was nuts. I
trust they will take my warning seriously.”
“I hope you also take my warning seriously. If you give me any trouble,
I will let Alex come back and take care of them. Do you understand me?”
Forbes said as he pulled Ivy to face him. “Do you understand?”
“Perfectly! Either I go with you willingly or you murder two innocent
people while those children would beg for death because of what you would
do to them.”
“Oh, I knew you were my perfect mate. I am not saying I won’t have
other lovers but you will be my favorite.”
“What happens when I am no longer important to you?”
“You need to hope that never happens. I have clients who would love to
have a CIA agent, and they may not be as tender as I am.”
Ivy scoffed at that statement, but took the center seat between Alex and
Forbes. She knew her life would never be the same after today unless Ghost
rescued her.

“Tell me again, what did Ivy say exactly,” Ghost asked.

The mother could not speak, so she handed the phone over to her
husband.
“My name is Phil Hartman and Ivy Brooks said she was CIA and there
was a man on the train that wanted to kill my wife and me and take our
children for a sex trafficking ring. She said we had to call you and gave us
her cell phone. She said she was sacrificing her own life to save ours.”
“Did she give you the man’s name?”
“Forbes. I don’t know if that is a first or last name, but he came and
took her to the first-class car.”
“You saw him?”
“Yes. He was well-dressed, maybe fifty. He had a beard and looked like
any other businessman on the train. Was she telling us the truth?”
“Yes, she is CIA, and she’s been tracking Forbes for six years. Where
does the train stop? I know the last destination is Jacksonville but what are
the other stops?”
 “There’s one more before Jacksonville. We got off in Chicago and the
next one is in Washington DC. It has a six-hour layover.”
“Thank you and one last question, are you one hundred percent sure
they did not exit at the Chicago stop?”
“Yes, we waited on the track to see if she was telling the truth. She
never got off, nor did the man.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hartman. I will go get her. Please take the sim card out
of the phone. Drop the phone in a garbage can and the sim card down the
toilet. I appreciate your help and so does the US government.”
“I will and when you see her, please tell her how much we appreciate
her stepping up.”
“Will do.”
Ghost hung up, trying to figure out how to save Ivy. It was smart of her
to get the information out. He had Jacksonville covered but, he needed help
for DC.
‘Think Ghost! Who can you call in DC?’
Like a bolt of lighting, he thought about Onyx. She was out of
Leavenworth and could catch a flight and be there before the train arrived.

“I heard from Crash this week and now you. It’s nice to know everyone
missed you,” Ally Spencer aka Onyx stated.
“Of course we missed you. I’m sorry you had to take the rap for
Commander Willis, but he’s out of the military. I leaked the information to
the media. You should be able to contest the dishonorable discharge and get
your benefits back.”
“I am done with the military. They can have the money. I’m ready to
move on. What have you got for me?”
“You didn’t think I called just because…”
“Nope. You need me. I’m in, just give me details. I am on a secure
line.”
“Did Crash tell you he has a daughter?”
“Apparently CIA, but the clean kind must be the last one. Last I heard
she was distancing herself from him since there’s a bounty on his head.”
 “He does, and he doesn’t know that I’m working with Ivy. She’s going
after Henry Forbes.”
“Even I know who that is after being away for two years. What’s her
connection? Is this a CIA job?”
“Not CIA, she found there’s a leak within the agency and now she has a
price on her head. Forbes raised her as a stepdaughter, a very sick and
disturbing stepfather. Her mission is to end him and his enterprise, only he
now has her in exchange for saving a family with three little ones.”
“What do you need from me?”
“I need her intercepted from DC’s train station. It arrives at seven pm
with a six-hour layover. There’s still the chance he will take her to
Jacksonville, so I’ve got that stop covered.”
“Deadly force?”
“If necessary. He has a henchman with him, Alex Rodriguez, and
according to Ivy, he’s ruthless. I’ll send you over all their pictures but I
need you in DC today. Will that be a problem?”
“No, I am living in Virginia right now so it’s a quick drive over. If she’s
there, what do you want me to do with her?”
“Keep her secured and we will regroup.”
“Roger. Call you in a few.”
Ghost sent her images of Forbes, Rodriguez, and Ivy and prayed they
could rescue her in time.

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 CHAPTER 6

“What are you planning on doing with me? I’m sure I serve more purposes
than your debased needs.”
“I have grand plans for you. The last time we spoke, you wanted to join
me in Russia and fly on my plane. Still interested?”
“Depends, is this a one-way ticket?”
“So cute,” Forbes said as he grabbed her cheeks and squeezed
innocently like a father would his daughter when she said something funny.
Ivy pulled her face away, letting his hands drop. Unfortunately, they
landed on her thigh. She swept them off as Forbes began chuckling.
“Sweet Ivy, you can remove my hands all the time, but you will never
remove me from owning you in every way possible. To answer your other
question, a return ticket depends on you and what you do for me.”
Ivy cringed at his words.
“You are having naughty thoughts, aren’t you, my Sweet Ivy? I wasn’t
thinking about you taking my body. I need someone who is fluent in
Russian and who looks like you when all dolled up. I told you before, I
want you as my partner in every sense of the word.”
“I thought you spoke Russian too.”
“I’m not fluent, more conversational. I need to make a deal with a new
prospective client and I want to make sure I don’t misunderstand what his
needs are, and you can do this for me.”
Ivy sat there, not wanting to give away the plan that was developing in
her mind.
“Who is this client?”
“That’s a need to know.”
 “If you want the negotiations to go well, I need to do some research,
unless you already have a CIA dossier.”
“See that is why we are destined to be partners. Once a spy, always a
spy. I will give you my laptop to research but I track keystrokes and will
know if you are double-crossing me.”
“Fine.”
Forbes didn’t trust her, but he wanted to find out what the CIA has on
Maxim Smirnov.
“He’s originally from Kamchatka. The Karymsky Lake is a volcanic
acid pool that kills people when they enter it. That’s one way of making
people disappear,” Ivy said as she continued her search.
“Kamchatka is seventy miles north of Petropavlovsk, where he
currently lives. According to surveillance, he travels to Kamchatka at least
once a month to care for his aging parents. Ahh, a depraved sex trafficker
who loves his mommy and daddy. Bet they are proud of him.”
“Don’t worry about his parents. What else does the CIA have on him?”
“He is trafficking not just in the sex business but drug and guns. He’s
like the Russian version of you.”
“Good, then I know how to approach him.”
“What?”
“You. You are my weakness, so I believe you will be his as well.”
Ivy regretted asking her next question.
“So now you are willing to share me? I thought, I belong to no one but
you.”
“You do belong to me but I can loan you out.”
“Just like you loan a car to someone. Nice to know I’m such a
commodity.”
Forbes put his hand back on her thigh and traveled north, but when she
tried to push it off, Alex grabbed her arm and restrained her.
Ivy mentally made a note of every touch because she knew they would
get his retribution.
“Let go of my arm,” she sneered at Alex but despite her attempt to pull
away, his brute force prevented her from breaking loose.
“This is going to be a fun trip,” Alex remarked.
Forbes nodded his head, and Alex released her immediately.
Ivy crossed her legs, resulting in Forbes’ hand falling away.
“I like it when you play hard to get. Don’t you, Alex?”
 “I do, it makes my day when I get to restrain her.”
“It was your plan to use me against Steve all along, wasn’t it, Alex?”
“Yes. It was a brilliant plan and would have worked if his team hadn’t
shown up. I still can’t figure out how they knew where to find us. Do you
know, Sweet Ivy?”
“Where you and Forbes go, slime follows, so I’m sure it wasn’t hard to
track you, and don’t you ever call me Sweet Ivy again.”
“She’s right. That’s my pet name for her. Get your own. She’s so sweet
and I know you will enjoy her later.”
“I need to use the facilities,” Ivy stated as she rose from her seat.
“No handbag. I didn’t find your phone either,” Alex said as he patted
her down.
“It’s not on me. These are yoga pants, no pockets.”
“See, Ivy, you keep turning me on. Just thinking about you in the
downward dog position is driving me crazy.”
“Funny, because a kick to your balls is turning me on. Now, let me out.”
Ivy passed by Forbes, knowing in advance that he would grab her butt,
and he didn’t disappoint. Only she wasn’t expecting two hands. Turning
quickly, she nearly ran down the aisle needing to get away from those two
masochists. No matter how tired she was she would not stay in her sleeper
nor would she doze off in her chair. This was going to be a long and restless
trip.
After using the facilities, she opened the door to find Alex waiting.
“Move it,” she said as she tried to brush past him but he was too quick,
and he pushed her back into the lavatory.
“Get out of my way.”
“Not happening. You have been tempting me all day, so I have to taste
you,” he said as he yanked her into his arms and roughly kissed her, forcing
her mouth to open and pushing his tongue through.
She tried to bite his tongue, but he just moaned in pleasure. As he began
moving his hands, the door to the lavatory opened and Forbes pulled Alex
off of her.
“I told you to wait. She’s not yours yet. Once I’m done with her, you
can keep her as long as you desire.”
“You need to hurry, old man. I have needs, and she has all the right parts
to fill them.”
 Ivy continued to push Alex away, and he finally stepped aside, allowing
her to pass between them.
Ivy couldn’t hold back the tears that had threatened her all day as she
slid into the seat, opting for the one closest to the window. Having one
degenerate sitting by her was better than both of them.
After she felt the row fill, she closed her eyes and leaned against the
window, hoping neither of them noticed her tears or the gun she retrieved
from the lavatory paper towel dispenser. Her CIA training to stash weapons
in various places while traveling, would pay off. Her knife was still in the
seat she vacated, but a gun was better. She didn’t have to be up close and
personal like she would with a knife. She was fortunate Forbes showed up
when he did, or else Alex would have felt the gun and her burner hidden in
her bra.

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 CHAPTER 7

Onyx stood off to the side, as she watched Ivy exit the train with Forbes and
Alex flanking her. Her best option was to get Ivy to the lavatories where she
could exit with the crowd.
She was holding a valet sign for “Justin Dalton” knowing that if Ivy saw
it, she would know Ghost sent her.
Ivy made eye contact and tilted her head toward the bathrooms.
Onyx watched as she argued with the younger man, who had her by the
forearm. Onyx took that opportunity to place a transmitter on Forbes, as she
accidentally tripped in her high heels.
“Sorry about that man. These shoes were just too cool not to buy.”
Forbes never looked up, as he was brushing off his shoes, “Fine.”
Onyx then headed to the bathrooms and again accidentally bumped into
Alex.
“Unless you had a sex change, you are in the wrong line.”
“Shut up. I’m waiting on someone.”
“Male or Female,” she laughed as she entered the facilities, distancing
herself from Alex.
Onyx approached Ivy after seeing they were out of hearing distance.
“Ghost sent you?” Ivy asked softly.
“Yes, I’m Onyx and you need to change quickly. I have a short blonde
wig and stocking. Put that on and here’s a dress for you to change. Do you
have a gun?”
“Yes, does this dress have a pocket?” Ivy asked as she was putting on
the stocking for the wig.
 “Yes, and in each pocket are syringes, in case you need to put one of
them out immediately. Alex is right outside the door, so you will have to
make a quick exit in a crowd. I’ll go out first and try to distract him. I have
a car in the loading dock, Black Corvette. Now let’s get out of here,” Onyx
said as she exited the door, intentionally running into Alex and blocking his
view of Ivy leaving.
“You know I can change your attitude about women. You won’t need to
look for a man to quench your needs. I’m all service and free. What do you
say baby?” she asked as she pulled Alex close and put her hands in his back
pockets, dropping another tracker.
“Get off me. My woman is inside. What is taking her so long?”
“While you wait, we could…”
“Get lost,” Alex said as he pushed her away. Onyx took that opportunity
and left the train station and entered the car.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Thank you for coming. I hoped Ghost would get the message.”
“He did. Call him before he starts calling me.”
Ivy pulled out her cell and greeted Ghost when he answered.
“I’m safe. Onyx came to get me. What’s the plan?”
“I’m going to San Antonio for your brother’s wedding. You and Onyx
should come, and then we will make a plan.”
“I can’t fly right now. I left my luggage on the train and I need to pick
up some things in Dallas if we are going after them.”
Onyx interrupted Ivy and told her about the trackers, and she texted
Ghost the software link.
“Did you hear what Onyx just said?”
“I did. I’ll start tracking them now. You did good, Ivy. We will get them,
but on our terms.”
“Thanks, Ghost, for having my back. I’ll talk to Onyx and see what she
says about coming to Texas.”
“I’m in,” she said without having to hear the conversation.
“I guess we are going to Texas. See you soon.”
After ending her call, she looked at Onyx and thought she was one of
the most beautiful women she’d ever seen. Her skin was dark chocolate and
her hair was snow white, giving her an exotic appearance.
“Tell me about yourself,” Onyx requested.
 “Well, I am an active CIA operative, who is being disavowed and
hunted by someone on Forbes’ payroll. I’m the long-lost daughter of Steve
Ellison. Do you know him?”
“He’s one of the good guys. They are hard to find. He tried to save me
from imprisonment for stabbing my CO. Unfortunately, he wasn’t
successful, but he tried, which is less than what most would have done.”
“I’m learning that about him. I’ve known for over ten years that he was
my father, but I was too young to appreciate what a blessing that was. My
mother tried to get me to call him but I never did. He discovered me,
otherwise, I’m not sure I would have contacted him.”
“I’ve never met his son, but apparently we are crashing his wedding.
Steve said he had something to talk to me about.”
“You are crashing. I’m not going.”
“Why? Do you not like him?”
“No, it’s the opposite. I don’t want to bring trouble to his special day. I
will see from afar but I won’t be there in attendance. I’ve asked Ghost to
not inform my father about his involvement and I am asking the same of
you. His girlfriend, Gennifer, she’s acting as my handler with my CIA
handler, so you can tell her what happened.”
“That’s clear. Your handler has a handler,” Onyx smirked.
“Yeah, I had to once I found out that they put a hit on me.”
“Got to love the spy world. Better you than me,” Onyx stated.
“They offer early retirement, whether you want it is another story.
Unfortunately, it’s rarely on an island, usually it’s in the ground, six feet
under.”
“Tell me about Forbes. Ghost said he’s your stepfather. That’s messed
up.”
“Everything about Forbes is messed up. My mother and him lived
together. I thought they were married but on her deathbed, she told me the
truth. She was pressured into the relationship. While I don’t know the
specifics, I do know her assignment was to have a pseudo-relationship with
Forbes, so she could feed the FBI information. She wasn’t an agent, but an
informant who they preyed on. Once she found out he was sexually abusing
me, we left. She made me promise never to trust Forbes, but I refuse to let
him live. Today, he told me he killed my mother slowly for taking me away.
I have nothing but hatred for him. If I could have killed him already, I
would have, but he’s slippery.”
 “I’ll help you any way I can. I hate pedophiles and men who think they
can take whatever they want because they have a penis. I stabbed my CO
because he thought he could take me on. I am an adult and could fight back,
but children…they don’t have a chance.”
“No, they don’t. Forbes is in several lines of work; money laundering,
gun-running, prostitution but children being sold into sex trafficking was
why I joined the CIA. They promised me I could take him down but
apparently, his reach is pretty far and it has backfired on me.”
“Not with Ghost and me helping you. We will stop him and Alex
permanently.”
“Done,” Ivy smiled for the first time that day. She had a team to back
her, and she felt confident that together they would take out Forbes and his
henchman.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 8

“I want to know how you lost her,” Forbes demanded as he grabbed Alex’s
shirt.
“All you had to do was escort her to the bathrooms. You stood guard,
and you missed her slipping out. How?”
“A woman hit on me, she must have slipped out then.”
“What woman?”
“Just some random chick. She was black with white hair, but that could
have been a wig.”
“No, she was back-up. She approached me first. Check your clothes and
see if you have a bug.”
Alex ran his hand down his shirt and then remembered her putting her
hands in his back pocket. He reached back and showed it to Forbes.
“Imbecile.”
“How was I to know that she would be here? How did she even know
Ivy was with us?”
“The family I let her talk to. She tricked me,” Forbes said smiling.
“What is so funny?”
“She’s clever. I like clever women. She likes to play games, a little cat
and mouse. I am ready to claim my pussycat.”
Alex saw the humor in that too and chuckled as he walked back toward
the station.
“Are we still heading to Russia?”
“She has Maxim’s name and knows where and when we are scheduled
to meet, so yes, we will be there and I will set my trap with a big bowl of
cream. Meow, Meow come to papa little mouse.”
For the first time, Ivy realized how badly she wanted a family. She watched
her father dance with Willow, then Gennifer and wished the third dance
could’ve been with her. She watched her father through her binoculars.
Gennifer appeared to make eye contact when she lifted her champagne
glass towards Ivy. She now understood her moniker, Eagle. She had an
impressive ability to focus on an area and know someone was there, which
the thousands she helped rescue are thankful for that skill.
Ivy could understand why Justin and Onyx missed being on the inside.
As an undercover CIA, she had no friends. Her only contact outside of her
mark was her handler. There was a time Ivy thought of Alicia as a friend,
but that assumption ended the day she heard Alicia planning her execution
or turning her over to the FBI. No, she was all alone. The only one who was
actively looking for her is the monster she left in DC a week ago. The other
tracker placed on Forbes showed them at the airport. Knowing that Forbes
would meet Maxim Smirnov in three days, giving her a who and when, but
he never gave her the where. Ivy’s best guess would be Kamchatka. That
was where she was going in two days.

Ivy heard her name being called but she wouldn’t slow down. She couldn’t
be caught here, but he didn’t give her a choice to slow down. A large
masculine hand wrapped around her upper arm. She swung around to
preempt his attack, but he dropped his hand and stepped back. Ivy stared at
this Herculean man, with sun-bleached hair and breath-taking eyes.
“Ivy, I’m Ghost. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I didn’t want you to
leave without introducing myself.”
Ivy shook out her anxiety. His name was fitting. She didn’t hear him
until he was right up on her.
“I was hoping to see you here. You could come and join the party,”
Ghost suggested.
“No, I can’t. I’m sure this place is crawling with the Feds. The last thing
I want to do is put anyone else in danger. Speaking of which, thanks for
helping me out in Washington.”
 “I told you, I’ve got your back. What’s next?”
“Interested in going to Russia?”
“I’ve never been there, so I’m game. When and what do I need?”
“Monday. Do you need a fake passport?”
“I have several. What country are you using?”
“Mine is French.”
“I have Canadian or British.”
“Use the Canadian one. I have several backstories ready to go, but we
could always use Byte to upgrade them. If you can talk with her after the
reception, I’d appreciate it.”
“No problem. Watch yourself, Ivy. After DC, we know Forbes is
watching you and is not afraid to confront you in public.”
“I have been. I feel like Byte, only I move every day or so.”
“She can give you pointers, I’m sure.”
“I’m sure she could. Please let Tyler know I was here and wish him and
Willow the very best. I wish I could talk with Steve but it’s too dangerous.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. What if I tell him we are working
together? That might relieve some of his anxiety.”
“I think that would be better than him looking for me and inadvertently
blowing my cover.”
“I’ll take care of it and I will wait for your travel details.”
“Thanks, Ghost. You are a lifesaver. Bye.”
“Goodbye Ivy, I will keep my ear to the ground to see where Forbes is
right now.”
“Good, because he will not live much longer. The sooner I can find him,
the quicker I can come home.”
Before he left, he handed her a piece of paper.
After settling in her rental, she read the note and smiled.
‘I’ve got your six,’ followed with cell phone number.
Ivy pocketed the note and as she left San Antonio, she wondered about
her instant attraction. Sex was not something she enjoyed and she had valid
reasons, but she found herself thinking about what it would be like with
someone like Ghost…or maybe just with Ghost.
‘Slow down your hormones, Ivy. You have one mission and it’s not to
seduce a man. It is to kill a threat to everything I hold dear.’

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 9

Ghost saw Ivy at the airport, even if she was trying to be incognito. She was
one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Her lean, tall body was
just one of her attributes but it was her deep brown eyes that one could lose
themselves in. They reflected her emotions, both when she was happy and
when she was trying to solve a problem.
While they were traveling together, no one would be the wiser since
their passports were from different countries. With a flight as long as this
one, most people slept as much as they could to avoid jet lag but Ivy wasn’t
a comfortable flier. She flew a lot with her job initially, but since they
assigned her to Forbes, she spent much of her time in Texas. Ivy looked up
when Ghost approached her row and smiled at her. She could feel the blush
move up her neck. They trained her to control her emotions, but being fair-
skinned; she had no control over how her body responded. Ivy couldn’t
have stopped the blush, even if she had wanted to. Her emotions were
always easy to read, and he could see how he affected her.
“Is this seat taken?” Ghost asked while he stored his bag in the
airplane’s overhead compartment.
“No, it’s free.”
“Good, it’s a long flight and it would be nice to have a travel buddy,” he
said as he sat next to her. “Sorry, my name is Sawyer Reed,” Ghost said as
he extended his name.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Reed. I’m Rose Leblanc.”
“Ahh, named after a beautiful wine.”
“I am French, it’s better than a baguette,” she laughed.
“I suppose it is. Are you going to Russia for business or pleasure?”
 “Business. I am looking for manufacturing help and I’m hoping they
can compete with the prices in China. Russia has opened many new
factories in the past ten years. You?”
“Also business, but I’m hoping to take in some sights.”
“So you’ve been here?”
“No, I’m an English professor and I’m co-oping with another professor,
so our students are well read in both Eastern and Western arts.”
“That sounds interesting.”
“I’m glad you think so. I think others see it boring.”
“No, it’s intriguing. Do you speak Russian?”
“I have a conversational understanding but can’t read it at all. You?”
“Fluent, reading and writing. My parents were huge advocates of being
multilingual.”
“Mine were fans of hockey. Maybe I’ll get to catch a game here.”
Once the plane had taken off, Ghost moved over to the empty seat.
“Enough small talk,” Ghost said.
“I think we have done enough to show we are strangers. So I agree, we
are good.”
“It’s not a role for me, I enjoy your company. I hope we get to know
each other a little better. How are your arms? Did everything heal correctly,
after Alex broke them?”
“I’m okay. Mostly, they don’t bother me but I’m sure I’ll do something
later to remind me. Now you…what is your backstory and how are you
connected to Steve?”
Ivy wasn’t ready to call Steve ‘dad’ but she hoped there would be a time
she would be.
“He was my CO in the Navy.”
“Were you a pilot too?”
“No, I operated the drones. Many Navy operations are now done with
the help of a drone, surveillance and at times deploring them to take out a
tango.”
“Did you like doing that?”
“I like computers and so drones were perfect for me. I had a harder time
getting along with others so the isolation was great.”
“You seem easy to talk to.”
“That’s in part to your father, I mean Steve.”
 “He’s my father so you can call him that, we just have had no time
together, except when he was being tortured.”
“Not the homecoming you’d expect.”
Ivy just laughed, “No, it wasn’t. It was my assignment to make him talk
by any means. I didn’t know he had a broken rib when I did a roundhouse
kick to his chest.”
“If it wasn’t broken before, it happened then.”
“Yes, and I regret it.”
“Don’t worry about it. He’s a big boy, and he’s suffered more pain than
that.”
“I get there’s more to the story of you and Steve,” Ivy prompted.
“As I said, I like computers. When there was no mission, they leave you
to do your own thing. A friend of mine told me about a sleazy CO and how
he was getting away with sexual harassment. They had no evidence, but I
figured there had to be something, so I dug, and he was right. He had
pictures of his female soldiers in private situations, like taking a shower or
changing clothes. I sent the images to your father asking how to handle it.
He took charge of it and the CO was eventually charged and sentenced for
sexual harassment, illicit pornography, disorderly conduct, and several other
charges. However, this just opened the door for me. I discovered his
‘buddies’ were just as sick. That’s how I met Onyx.”
“Was she being harassed?”
“You could say that. Her CO tried to have his way with her by force,
and she stabbed him with her K-Bar.”
“Good for her. I hope he paid.”
She watched as Ghost just shook his head with it bowed. “He should
have, but he had friends in the right places. Onyx was charged with
aggravated assault and sentenced to five years in Leavenworth.”
“You have got to be kidding.”
“I wish I was. Your father argued on her behalf. He didn’t even know
her, but he knew injustice and misuse of power. He had me pull everything I
could about this CO, and he even presented the court members with copies,
but he still could not get Onyx from being court-marshaled.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Nor could Steve. He became disillusioned with the Navy and when his
wife got sick, he resigned from his commission. I think even if Ann Marie
hadn’t been sick, he probably would have left.”
 “Onyx seems okay now.”
“That’s how she got her moniker. The stone, onyx, becomes stronger the
more pressure that is applied.”
“What became of the commanding officer?”
“I took everything I had gathered and anonymously sent it to the news
media, and he was tried and sentenced by the public first so the Navy had
no choice but to sentence him. This eventually resulted in Onyx getting
released three years early.”
“Did they make restitution for her?”
“Not that I know of. I’ve tried to persuade her to get her back pay and
her dishonorable discharge reversed, so she gets her monthly stipend, but
she refuses to deal with the military, at all.”
“I can understand that, but she can’t let them win. I believe in an eye for
an eye.”
“Is that why you are going after Forbes?”
“Yes, he was very abusive and I can’t let him get away with it. I’ve tried
the legal ways, but he has too many ‘friends’ that protect him within the
government, so now I’m doing it without sanction.”
“And if you get caught.”
“It will be worth it if he’s dead and can’t hurt anyone else.”
“We will get him.”
“I finally think that is true. I just have to watch for traps. He knows I’m
coming here.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know him. I tricked him into giving me details about this operation in
Russia, and he knows I will follow him.”
“We will get him. I may not be a sniper but I’m good with a rifle,
handgun, or knife.”
“So am I and I have a few contacts in Russia who will provide us with
the essential hardware.”
“You trust this person.”
“I don’t trust anyone anymore but I believe he’s not corrupt, at least not
against the US. If you are asking me if I trust him completely, that would be
a big fat no. Watch your wallet. He’s an identity thief, but he also provides
me with excellent passports, so we both have something to lose if we
double-cross each other.”
“Those are the kind of assets you need.”
 “Agree. So do you know what you are going to do now that you are out
of the Navy?”
“I’ve been kicking around an idea for starting a mercenary operation.”
“Brute force only?”
“No, I think there has to be Intel gathering, hacking, arms expert, and of
course brute force.”
“And your focus?”
“That’s where I am struggling. I am thinking of operating out of the
West coast. It’s the perfect coast for easy transport but I don’t want to
compete with similar operations. I have a lot to work out, not just the
logistics but an operating budget.”
“Sounds interesting. I’m sure it will be successful. Unfortunately, there
will be a need for brute force, as long as there are people as sick as Forbes.”
“I know. I admire your father and what they have accomplished. He
initially offered me a job, but I am not interested in working for someone
else, even if it is as great as Steve’s company. When I told him I wanted to
start my own company, he offered to help me get started. ”
“I recommend getting any assistance you can, especially upfront costs
and expectations. My suggestion would be to branch out from strictly hiring
veterans as my father does. There’s nothing wrong with that, mind you, but
there are also a lot of excellent agents from all government branches.
Imagine getting an NSA expert. They would know how to work around the
government watch-list.”
“I need my own Edward Snowden.”
“Exactly. Someone interested in the greater good, not just occupying a
desk.”
“Do you know of anyone specifically?”
“I might. I need to think about it.”
“Thanks. So tell me about yourself. Besides hunting down Forbes, what
do you do?”
“Nothing,” she said as he just shook his head, not believing her.
“I’m not lying. My entire focus for the past six years has been to stop
Forbes. I have no friends, no boyfriend. I’m a homebody when I’m not
working. I don’t shop, Amazon is my best friend. I’m boring.”
“Not boring, focused. That’s admirable but it also can be dangerous and
lonely. What are you going to do once Forbes is eliminated?”
 “Live. I’ve not had a life from the day he entered our lives. I have no
peace, no good memories of my childhood, no happy memories. I just want
to start living. I’m twenty-eight and I have nothing to show for my life. I
want to settle down and just breathe.”
“Marriage? Children?”
“I don’t know if I can ever really trust someone. Our government, my
estranged father and my sick and demented stepfather, manipulated and
used my trusting mother. I am not sure I have the ability to be just myself.
I’m not even sure I know who I am. I want a healthy relationship with
someone who knows my background but doesn’t hold it against me.”
“Why would he hold it against you?”
“What if I can never be intimate? I am not sure how messed up I am.
Forbes and the CIA used me for their pleasure or their objectives. I am
afraid that I may never be normal.”
“Do you mind if I hold your hand?”
“No.”
Ghost took her hand and threaded their fingers together, trying to
comfort her without being assuming.
“Has anyone ever held your hand before?”
“Not like this. I’ve had my hand held by my mother, otherwise it’s only
been to stop me from fighting back.”
“You deserve every single experience by having a say in what you will
or will not allow. If I overstep the line, please let me know.”
Ivy didn’t know what to say, so she simply rested her head on his
shoulder, enjoying the intimacy she felt just by holding hands and leaning
on someone. With her other hand she wiped away a stray tear. When Ghost
squeezed her hand, she knew he was aware of her emotions but he never
called attention to her breakdown. Ivy had learned a long time ago that any
weaknesses would be used against her. She hoped Ghost would not use her.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 10

Forbes knew he couldn’t personally be there to see Ivy arrive, so he hired a

local thug to keep watch for her arrival.
“She’s here,” Markus told Forbes.
“Is she alone?”
“Looks like it. She was talking to a guy but I think he was just her
seatmate. There are no special looks or touches between them.”
“Follow her to the hotel and let me know where she’s staying and her
room number.”
“Yes.”
Markus ended the call and fell in behind Ivy. She was standing at the
taxi line, which was perfect for him.
“Lady, you need ride?” The man asked in broken English.
“I need a Taxi.”
“I am what you Americans call an Uber driver.”
“Can I see your identification?”
Markus pulled out his Yandex card. After she snapped a picture and sent
it to Ghost, she followed Markus to his car.
Markus had just opened her door when Byte reached out and pulled Ivy
into a hug.
Speaking Russian, Byte said how sorry she was for being late, and that
she had the car parked.
Markus stopped and told Byte to get her own fare.
“She’s a friend,” Ivy told Markus. “I wasn’t sure she would make it.
Thank you anyway.” Walking away from Markus, she wondered what Byte
was doing there and why she pulled her from the driver.
 Markus pulled up his cell and called Forbes.
“She left with a friend,” he said as soon as Forbes answered.
“What friend?”
“I don’t know. A little pixie with blue hair.”
Forbes thought back. He couldn’t picture anyone like that in Ivy’s life.
“Where did they go?”
“To the garage. Pixie said she had her car waiting and was late getting
here.”
“Did she speak Russian?”
“Pixie did, but the woman did not when she apologized.”
“Follow them and report back.”
Forbes threw his phone onto the bed, trying to figure out who Ivy was
with. He looked at the young girl tied to his bed and lost interest. He untied
her and threw her out of his hotel room with her clothes following.
‘What game are you playing, little mouse?’
Forbes put his pants back on and ran his hand over his neatly trimmed
beard, trying to plan his next move.
‘You can’t run from me forever. I will win. There’s no way you can stop
me from making you mine.’

“Byte, what are you doing in Russia?” Ivy asked once she closed the car
door.
She saw Ghost in the back seat, “What is going on?”
“The taxi driver is working with Forbes. I intercepted a call he had with
Forbes. You were being marked.”
“How did you get into Russia so quickly?”
“I’ve been here for a week. It was pure luck that I am still here. There’s
been a lot of chatter about Big Papa being here to make a deal with
Smirnov, so I figured you’d come. I have been following Forbes for a
couple of days and saw him meet with Markus, who’s some local gang
banger. I figured if he was talking with Forbes, then he would eventually
look for you. When I saw him approach you, I sent Ghost to the car and
intercepted him from taking you away, most likely to Forbes.”
 “Thank you. I sent a picture to Ghost, but I thought he was legit. I’ve
not been in the field in a long time. I need to sharpen my skills or else I’ll
be dead before I kill Forbes and Alex.”
“We’re good. I know where Forbes is staying. I was going to drop
Ghost off there. I have a room already, but we need to change your
reservation in case he has other goons watching for you.”
Ivy looked back at Ghost and for the first time, she realized she may
truly be over her head. She wasn’t as slick as Forbes. She couldn’t screw
this up, to many lives were in danger. Ghost immediately saw the
transformation and touched her shoulder.
“Look at me, Ivy. You have this. Don’t kick yourself too hard. Just be
vigilant. He’s playing for keeps and you need to think like him. What would
he expect your next move to be?”
“Go to the meeting site tomorrow.”
“So we get there earlier and track him instead of the other way around.
Byte, can you get us the Intel? I think you both should head to Kamchatka
and I’ll stay here in Petropavlovsk and follow Forbes. I promise to keep in
touch with you. He’s expecting you to tail him but you don’t have to.”
“Right. Yes, you are right. Byte, are you free to join me?”
“I go where I can be helpful. I’ve done as much as I can here in
Petropavlovsk, so I’m free.”
“Not anymore,” Ghost confirmed, then asked, “what were you doing in
Russia?”
“Tracking down a hacker, rumored for the interference with a
presidential election.”
“I don’t understand how the Russian can interfere with a vote. It doesn’t
seem possible,” Ivy interjected.
“It’s not the actual voting booths, but they are undermining the
candidates. So let’s say we look at the 2016 race with Trump and Clinton or
the allegations between Russia and President Biden. These ‘emails’
discovered were most likely leaked by Russian hackers. This weakens the
candidate’s standing with the voters, so these hackers or troll farms, are
affecting the voting outcome through social media, dirt, and protesting.”
“Why do they care?” Ghost asked.
“It’s a power struggle for countries like China and Russia. They are a
dictatorship so when someone rejects their ideology, they become
threatened and appear weak. Their goal is to distract and divide, thereby
creating confusion and distrust,” Ivy said.
“I still don’t understand why they would even care who the United
States President is,” Ghost interjected.
Ivy continued with her explanation, “That’s right and the more
disillusioned the people are, the less likely to have faith in American
institutions. They make it look like the system is rigged, and isn’t servicing
the people who put them in office.”
Byte continues, “It’s like a gigantic shell game. You are looking at one
hand, while the other is under the table letting the pearl drop. It’s a sleight
of hand and it works. My job was to find this troll farm and try to shut
down their social media sites and give them false information and see
where it lands.”
“How old are you,” Ivy asked.
“Nineteen, why?”
“You are brilliant. I’m surprised no one has scooped you up for
themselves.”
“They want me, but they don’t know how to handle me, so they leave
me alone if I’m working with them, but once I bring to light something they
are trying to hide, I become enemy number one.”
“I know that feeling,” Ivy muttered.
“The difference is that I can refuse a job. This week it could be the NSA
or next week a low-level crook, but either way, it’s my choice. You don’t
have that option. I’ve still been listening to Alicia, thanks to Gennifer
cloning her phone. She’s got it bad for you. I don’t know what her beef is,
but watch yourself. She’s setting you up right now for taking out Javier and
the attempts on Steve.”
“Wait, what? What attempts?”
Byte looked back at the rear-view mirror and saw Ghost shake his head
no, but Ivy wasn’t having anything censored.
“Either you tell me or I will do this alone. Ghost, you told me we were a
team. You need to prove that you are. What happened to my father?”
Neither Byte nor Ghost missed her reference to Steve as her father. He
had wanted to keep this from her as long as possible.
“After the reception, they attacked him in his home. He wasn’t harmed.
They underestimated him, but he took the assailant down and waited on the
police to show up.”
 Byte jumps in, “Only the perp had no fingerprints. They had been
burned off.”
“Sounds like a spook.”
“That’s what we initially thought.”
“And where is the guy?”
“Gone. Someone released him from the Harris County jail. I can find
out who, if you want me to.”
“Steve? Is he okay? That’s more important than who, because it really is
a shortlist.”
“He’s fine. He has been strength training every day since his surgery
and that may be what saved him. The perp thought he could overpower
Steve because of his injury but in the end, that proved untrue.”
“No idea who he was, Byte?”
“Steve took his picture and Blaze and I have been trying to link him to
an agency but right now he’s a ghost,” Byte said and then smiled at Ghost,
“sorry to use your name in vain.”
“It’s fine, kid.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have shown up at the wedding. How did they find
me?”
“They didn’t find you. They followed the wedding and laid in wait.”
“How do you know they didn’t find me?”
“Because the perp kept asking where you were, and he needed Steve to
stop hiding you.”
“We know the CIA was keeping tabs on him but I don’t think they
would go to these lengths, so it has to be Forbes.”
“I agree. He’s getting desperate, and that’s great for us. Just like having
a known mobster pick you up. He’s sloppy, so he will be easier to pick off.”
“I hope so. I’m ready to get this all behind me.”
Byte looked at Ivy and continued, “You have to take him out here. You
can’t do it on US Soil. They will crucify you.”
“I know and I will. I don’t want to spend any time in the penal system,
they will have me killed.”
“We will not let that happen, Ivy. We are going to end this while we are
here. One thing is for sure, Forbes will not have a return flight home.”
Ivy just nodding her head, hoping that would be the truth.
Turning back to look at Ghost, she asked, “Did you tell my father you
were with me?”
 “I did. He doesn’t know we are in Russia, but he knows you are tying
up loose ends. He offered his help or his teams, but I explained that the CIA
was watching him, and he has to have plausible deniability on this. I
promise you, Ivy, he’s good. He’s not hurt and Tyler is in Hawaii. Everyone
is safe and soon you will be too.”
“Thank you both. It’s nice to have a team. I’ve had to do everything by
myself since I was sixteen. I am so tired.”
“We know, and we will end this,” Ghost assured.
“We’re here, Ghost. This is your hotel. Forbes is in room two-fifteen.
You are booked in two-seventeen. I’ve already drilled a hole and pushed the
camera wire through. You have audio and visual. You know how to reach
me. Ivy and I are going to continue and will call when we arrive,” Byte
confirmed.
“Thanks, kid. You guys be careful.”
“We will,” Ivy said.
“You may not if you keep calling me kid. I can move all your money
and you won’t be able to start up your company.”
“How did…never mind? If you get bored, find me good real estate
property in California. It needs to be twenty minutes or less to the airport
and a stand-alone building big enough for ops training, weight rooms, and
apartments for personnel.”
“Done. I’ll have you some options today or tomorrow. You will need to
have a place for me to crash when I need to hide.”
“Always, just be careful,” Ghost said and squeezed Ivy’s elbow before
exiting the car.
“Lover-boy has a crush on you,” Byte teased.
“No way, he’s just helping me out.”
“You keep thinking that but I’m telling you, I know Ghost pretty well.
He’s like a pain in the butt older brother and I’ve never seen him like this
with anyone else. You are different, it’s not a job, but personal.”
“He’s friends with my father, Steve. That’s why he’s helping.”
“Believe what you want,” Byte finished.
Ivy thought about Byte’s words and wondered if she was correct. Was
she more than a job to Ghost? He was more than that to her, but she wasn’t
sure how to feel about that. Tonight would not be the night for self-
examination. She had an execution to plan.
OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 11

Ghost sat by his laptop listening and watching the disgusting man who had
infected the most beautiful, strong, and loving woman he had ever met. She
was unsure if she could love anyone, but he saw her reaction when she
thought Steve was hurt. She longed for the family she had been deprived,
and he was going to make sure that happens.
He scrolled back and viewed earlier footage and the poor child tied to
Forbes’ bed. It was pure luck that he lost interest and threw the girl out. He
prayed she ran and never found herself in his clutches or anyone like him.
Returning to the current footage, he heard Forbes talking to someone on
the phone. He would go back later and translate it but the gist of it was he
was meeting Smirnov in Kamchatka as they suspected and the invitation
was for four; two from each side were to meet at the Lake.
After hanging up, Forbes called Alex and told him they needed to leave
in an hour to be there before Smirnov. There’s no honor among thieves nor
deviates and Forbes knew better than to have blind faith in Smirnov.
Ghost texted Ivy with the information.
‘Forbes meeting pushed up for today. Changed once he found you in
Russia.’
‘Thanks, we are an hour out and will scope location.’
‘I’m leaving now and will see you soon.’
Using his hacking skills, he searched the grounds and found the cabin
on the Northern side where they were meeting. There was a boathouse also
on the property. It was large enough to house girls, but not many.
‘Those must be the ‘sample’ Forbes was talking about.’
 Packing up his equipment and removing the camera, Ghost exited the
room and headed to pick up his rental. He needed to exchange the car for a
windowless van. If there were hostages there, he needed a way to transfer
them out of the area. Twenty minutes later he was en route to hopefully
rescuing some of the missing girls from Montana. He knew it was unlikely
the girls set aside for the sampling were from that raid. But he would rescue
any that were there and hopefully find out where the rest were.

Ivy hung up with Ghost and knew exactly where the boathouse was. Byte
and she had scoped it out earlier. From what they could see there were no
guards, which made no sense.
“Let me do an infrared search,” Byte said when they were back in the
car.
Byte flew over the keyboards and three minutes later she looked at Ivy.
“Heat signatures in the boathouse,” she showed her on the laptop. Ivy
counted thirteen bodies.
Byte then flipped the cursor, and another infrared showed three large
images in the cabin.
“Looks like they are not following the rules. There are three. There’s no
way it’s Forbes or Alex because they left a few minutes ago. These are
thugs most likely hired by Forbes. What do you want to do? Ghost is at
least a half-hour away,” Byte asked.
“First, I need visual confirmation that the girls are there. Three tangos
are not unmanageable. If I can take them by surprise, then it would be
better. I want to check on the girls first and prepare them for Ghost’s arrival,
then I’ll head to the cabin.”
“Did your contact give you enough weapons?”
“Yes, I have a Glock-19, a Beretta, and a sniper rifle, which can be used
on the Russians meeting Forbes. However, I want Forbes and Alex to see
who is killing them. If Ghost can take out the Russians, I will take out Alex
first, then Forbes.”
“I wish you’d wait on Ghost to get the girls.”
“How do you think they would react with him going in there? He’s not
screaming milk and cookies. He’s a beast, a kind beast, but nonetheless still
a beast. His size alone would send someone in shock. I have to go in there
first. Just keep your phone on and be prepared to assist Ghost with the girls.
I’ve got the rest.”
Byte still didn’t like it, but this wasn’t her area of expertise. She had to
trust that Ivy knew what she was doing.
She watched as Ivy snuck up to the boathouse and used her pick set to
unlock the door and slip in out of sight.
Byte called for an update from Ghost.
“What’s your ETA?”
“Ten.”
“Go straight to the boathouse. There’s a wooded area where Ivy will
meet you with the girls. She’s getting them now.”
“She’s alone?”
“Yes, she wouldn’t wait. There are three in the cabin. It’s either Forbes’
men watching the girls or they are Smirnov’s and it’s an ambush. Either
way, we have what appears to be thirteen innocents.”
“Fine, I’ll be there quickly. What is Ivy planning on after securing the
girls?”
“She’s taking out the three in the cabin and wants you to use the sniper
rifle I have with me to take out Smirnov and his men. She wants Forbes up
close and personal, not from a scope.”
“She’s going to get herself killed,” Ghost whispered.
“Trust her Ghost. She knows what she’s doing, and she has to be the one
to do it. It’s personal. He is her monster, and she has to be the one to end
this.”
“I know. Okay, when the girls are loaded, you drive the van to the safe
house. If for any reason you deviate from the plan, let us know, otherwise,
we will meet you there.”
“Got it. Stay safe.”
“You know it. See you soon.”
Ghost tossed his cell phone on the passenger seat. He knew Byte was
right. This was Ivy’s fight, but he didn’t want her injured. Alex and Forbes
were hard targets for a reason.
Ivy creaked the door open slowly and used her penlight to look around the
room. It was empty. But she had seen the images. She knew the girls were
here. She slowly crept around looking at the floor for a trap door but
nothing.
She knew she had limited time, so she took a chance.
“Girls, I’m an American. I work with the CIA and I’m here to take you
home. Please knock and let me know where you are.”
She listened, but nothing.
“I know you are scared, and you should be. I will not lie. There are four
men arriving shortly to take you away and not to a good place. I’m trying to
get you out before the three men in the cabin realize you are gone. Please
trust me.”
Still silence. Perhaps they didn’t speak English, so she repeated the
same message in Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian, hoping
one of those languages would reach them.
She heard a tiny knock on the wall. She hurried over and found the
seam. It was well hidden, and she slowly opened it. Inside there were girls
in all states of dress from ages ten to eighteen, if she were to guess.
An older girl walked over and looked Ivy over, then in perfect English
asked if she was really CIA.
Ivy pulled out her credentials and after the girl looked at it, she turned
back and nodded for the remaining girls to come out.
After they had all exited, she closed the door back.
“I have two other associates outside. One is a man, but he’s on our side.
Does anyone need me to translate to another language?”
The older girl spoke for them, “We are Americans. How do we know
we can trust that man? We’ve all been taken by whom we thought were
good guys.”
“Fair enough. His name is Justin Dalton, but he goes by Ghost, because
he is in and out before anyone finds him. He’s ex-military, so he is big, and
he is with a girl not much older than you. She’s nineteen. She goes by Giga-
Byte but we just call her Byte. You’ll recognize her easily, she’s got bright
blue hair. She will be the one driving you to the safe house on the Russian
border, a few miles from Alaska. Ghost and I are staying behind to take out
the men who hurt you. Now we need to leave.”
The older girl led the younger ones out. They crept out quietly, and as
hard as they tried, they wanted to run. Ivy slowed them down. Once they
reached the woods, it was a mad dash to where Byte and Ghost were
standing by the van.
“Girls, this is Byte. She will drive you to the safe house.” Turning to
Ghost, she continued, “This is Justin or Ghost. Now let’s get you all in the
van so you can leave.”
One by one they entered the van until one of the older girls stopped and
turned to Ivy.
“I don’t know who sent you, but thank you. We have a lot of questions
and I’m sure you do too. There’s one thing you need to know. There are
more of us here in Russia. I am not sure exactly where, but I saw a man
looking at a spreadsheet on his computer. If you get the computer, you may
find the others. My name is Ariel. My sister, Jasmine, is one of those
missing.”
Ivy couldn’t promise Ariel more than she would retrieve the laptop.
Ivy just gave her a hug and quickly ensured that all the girls were
secured in the van.
After a quick nod, the girls and Byte left.
The keys were left in the ignition of Byte’s rental, for a quick in and out
extraction.
“Ready?” Ghost asked.
“So ready.”
They walked out of the clearing, and she walked toward the cabin while
Ghost took a perch with the sniper rifle in his hand.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 12

Once Ghost was in place, Ivy took out her Glock 19 and Beretta. She was
now prepared to double-tap the perps.
She quietly opened the door and saw two men were watching television
and the other was on a laptop. She took out that one first. With the silencer,
they may have not heard the taps but when his head hit the table, the gig
was up.
The two men turned and reached for their guns at the same time Ivy
struck each one, two shots center mass. They both fell to the floor.
However, she wanted confirmation that they were down permanently.
As she bent down, she heard Ghost whispering in her ear.
“Forbes is here. Alex is heading to the boathouse. I will take him, you
get Forbes.”
It wasn’t what she had planned but her primary target was Forbes, so
she was fine with Ghost taking out Alex, as long as he stayed down.
Forbes opened the door and stood in front of her with a smile.
“I should have guessed you would be here already. You really are smart,
but I’m smarter.”
“I doubt that. You just have the money necessary to cover your tracks.”
“That’s true but I also have more men outside, so regardless of what you
do to me, you will not escape, and they will see the value you will bring to
their operation.”
“It is so nice of you to think about my safety but I know for a fact that
the only other person out there is Alex, and he should be down by now.”
“You’ll never find those girls.”
 “Are you talking about the ones you stashed in the boathouse? I’m so
sorry, but they are on their way across the Bering Sea about now. What else
have you got to say, Forbes?”
He was quiet for a moment and then lunged for her. She dodged his
attack and hit him with the grip of her gun, causing him to fall on the floor.
“Get up, you worthless man. You have to see what I have in store for
you, daddy dearest,” she said as she kicked him in the ribs, only he grabbed
her ankle and tried to pull her down. She refused to let him drop her. She
took her other foot, encased in a steel-toed boot, and kicked the wrist
around her ankle. She smiled when she heard the crack.
He yelled out, and she kept smiling. “Does that hurt?”
“Get it over with. I know I’ll never leave this place.”
“Oh, you are right about that but you are wrong if you think I’ll just get
it over with. You have prepared me for this day over the last twenty years.
Get up!”
When he didn’t move fast enough, she kicked him in his kidney.
She heard a groan from the other side of the room and turned to take the
Russian out for good, when she felt the back of her knee give way and
landed on the floor. He had hit her with something she missed. She knew
nothing was broken but when she tried to stop the fall, she felt immediate
pain her recently healed arms. The jarring sensation ricocheted through her
body.
She flipped onto her back and watch as Forbes reached for the gun
nearest him. She could see her spare but couldn’t reach it. Ivy knew he
would not hesitate in taking the shot, but she had a plan. She just needed
him to get closer, and she knew he would. It was just as personal to him, as
it was to her, and he could not resist getting up close and personal. He
wanted to see her eyes when he took her life.
“Oh, Sweet Ivy, if only I had enough time to really appreciate your body
one last time. hope you know how much this hurts me. I don’t enjoy seeing
you hurt.”
“There’s nothing you could ever do to hurt me like you already have.”
“Are you sure about that?” Forbes said as he began unbuttoning his
pants and pulling down his boxers.
“Are you cold?” Ivy asked while looking at him.
“You are going to pay for that. I’ll let you know just how hot I am,” he
said as he pushed her against the table and tried to subdue her, but his pants
were around his ankles. He pushed her head down, bringing her closer to
him. She took that opportunity to unsheathe her K-Bar from her ankle, and
drove it straight up into his balls. Forbes screamed and tried to pull the
knife out, but she had already kicked his legs out from under him. She stood
there watching him struggle on the floor with his dangling bits covered in
blood.
Ivy reached down and pulled the knife out and ran the tip along his most
prized area. Blood followed the blade.
“Ivy, don’t! You don’t want to do this. Please, Ivy, you aren’t a
murderer.”
“I knew I would be since the day you first touched me. I remember
begging for you to stop, but you just put your hand over my mouth and did
what you wanted. Well, I think it is payback time.”
Ivy took the knife and one in one quick move slashed off his balls,
stuffing them in his mouth as he was struggling to scream.
Ivy stood up and grabbed her guns from the floor. One of the Russians
was trying to crawl to the door. She hated shooting someone in the back,
but she didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. She knew firsthand the damage
these men could cause and none would walk out today.
She turned her attention back to Forbes, who was turning blue from the
lack of oxygen. She stood over him, watching as he choked on his own
body member. Ivy watched Forbes’ life leave his eyes and felt no remorse.
‘Does that make me a monster?’ she asked herself.
‘What would my mother say?’
She knew the answers but she still questioned her willingness to seek
vengeance. They trained her to let the justice system handle people like
Forbes, but revenge was all she could see. After looking at her tormentor
one last time, she grabbed the laptop and checked in with Ghost.
“Status?”
“Clear. Alex and Smirnov and his man are out.”
“Roger, coming out.”
Ghost met her at the door, pulling her into a hug. He wanted to kiss her,
but he knew that would be her decision. He looked inside the cabin and
cringed at the scene.
“That’s a painful way to go. Are you ready for the extraction?”
“Not yet. I need these bodies dumped into the acid lake. No bodies can
be found. There can be no way of tracing this hit back to me.”
 She watched as Ghost picked up two men at a time, while she went to
Smirnov and began dragging him over.
“I’ll go get Alex, you get the other Russians,” Ivy said.
When she entered the boathouse she saw Alex sitting there in his blood
and urine, but he was still breathing. How was he was still living, with the
huge through and through gunshot in his chest.
“I guess you are harder to kill than Forbes but don’t worry. I won’t
make you suffer as badly as he did.”
“Please Ivy, I am DEA. My identification number is RT-Y-3268. I’m not
lying to you.”
“Even if you are DEA, you are a monster. I don’t understand how the
DEA was even involved. What are you not telling me?”
“Nothing. They placed me with Forbes because of his connection with
the cartel,” Alex forced out.
“Did you forget your oath to protect and serve? How much was he
paying you to look the other way?” Ivy demanded.
“I wasn’t. I was providing Intel against him.”
She didn’t trust him. When Ghost came in, Alex repeated the same
message.
Ghost looked at her, wanting her to decide. This was her mission.
“Give me your phone, Ghost.”
After taking her gloves off, she called her father.
“Ivy, are you okay?”
“I’m fine but I need your help. Are you still partnering with the DEA?”
“We do jobs off the books for them occasionally. Why?”
“I need you to call and get me details on a possible agent. ID number
RT-Y-3268. Repeat, Roy Tom Yellow 3268.”
“Got it. Can I call you back?”
“If you could just put me on hold. I have my own questions for this
man.”
“Okay, Ivy, just be careful. The CIA is actively searching for you.”
“I know.”
“Ok, give me a minute.”
She gave Ghost the phone to wait for her father to get back to them. She
then turned her attention back to Alex.
“Just a few questions while we check your credentials.”
“Anything,” Alex choked out.
 “Did you know I was CIA?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell Forbes?”
“At the end, but not earlier.”
“Why tell him at all?”
“I needed to regain his trust after putting a hit on you.”
“Which begs to ask, why put a hit out on an undercover agent if you
knew I was CIA?”
Alex wasn’t as quick to answer.
Ivy put the gun to his heart and unclicked the safety, “I am waiting.”
“You had too much Intel on me. It was either you or me that would
make it out. I chose to live.”
“Who’s your handler?”
“John Sinclair.”
Was he the same John that Alicia was talking to about exterminating
her?
Ivy had more questions than answers. “John is working with my
handler, Alicia. Why?”
“I paid them off.”
“Why?”
“I needed you out. I couldn’t get caught up in this mess. I knew
eventually you would take Forbes down for everything he had done.”
“You are no saint. Do you remember?”
“I do. I was trying to keep my cover.”
“Who did John and Alicia report to? Forbes said there was someone
higher up the food chain protecting him. Who is it?”
“I don’t know. He never told me.”
“If you were doing your job and gathering Intel, how did you not know.
I don’t believe you.”
“I promise. He never told me. I am the one who paid off John and
Alicia.”
“You were in Montana.”
“Yes.”
“Did the DEA let you go?”
“Yes, they wanted me to return to Forbes and continue the mission,”
Alex paused, taking a deep breath, “I had a job to do, just like you did. We
don’t get to pick our assignments.”
 Ivy walked around trying to close the link.
“Let me make sure I understand everything, Alex. You were deep
undercover and got lost in your cover and became a pedophile, just like
Forbes. When you were captured in Montana, you promised you would get
more Intel if you were allowed to work directly with Forbes. You knew I
was CIA and closing in, so you put a hit on me with Javier, and when that
failed you paid both of our handlers to kill me or give me over to the Feds.
Did I miss anything?”
“I have never had sex with children.”
“I find that hard to believe. Let me rephrase it, did you have sex with
minors under the age of eighteen?”
He didn’t answer, so she continued, “I know how hard it is to keep your
cover if you don’t live up to the cover story. I had to sleep with Javier to
keep him close, so I could find out who Big Papa was. So I would imagine
if your cover was an enforcer for a child sex trafficking ring, you had to
‘sample’ the goods, as you so eloquently said before.”
Silence again, so she walked over and put the gun to his temple, “I
asked you a question. Did you sample the goods?”
“Yes,” those were his last words as Ivy pulled the trigger. She didn’t
care if he was an agent. He crossed the line.
She looked over at Ghost, but he just stood there with his arms crossed
over his broad chest with no expression.
He walked over and handed her the phone and reached down, putting
Alex over his shoulder, and left the boathouse.
“Ivy, are you there?”
“Yes, sorry. I was distracted.” She would not tell him her distraction was
watching Ghost walkout, wondering if she ruined any hope of them having
a future. “What did you say?”
“He is DEA, but they believe he’s dirty. He was part of the Montana
raid and after he was sent back out, he never checked back in with his
handler. Do you have him in custody?”
“No, I heard a rumor he was an agent, but I never got confirmation.”
“Have you seen him?”
“He was here in Russia but since I’ve not been to Moscow, I’m not sure
if he was there.”
“Okay. Just be careful. He doesn’t sound stable.”
 “I don’t think anyone who molests children is stable. If he is truly
undercover, then he is not following the rules. I would say he has crossed
too many lines and is dirty. To change the subject, I have thirteen girls that I
need to get over the Russian border. Do you know any fishermen who
would transport us across the Bering Sea without documents?”
“I have a buddy who lives in Alaska, in the fishing industry. I’m not
sure how big his boat is, but I’ll call him. When will you be leaving?”
“As soon as we get transportation.”
“I’ll call you back in half an hour. If he doesn’t have a way, I will get
you and those girls out of there as soon as possible. Good job, honey.”
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll see you soon.” Ivy couldn’t stop the tears she heard
when he took an intake of breath when she called him dad.
“Ivy, I know we have a lot to work out, but I am looking forward to
learning more about you.”
“Same here,” Ivy said quickly, trying to avoid any more tears. “Call me
back when you have an extraction plan.” After hanging up, Ivy reached
down and picked up the laptop, and walked to the lake to watch her
nightmare disintegrating.
“Ready to go?” Ghost asked as the last gurgle of water floated to the
top.
“More than ready. Plus, we look horrible. You have blood all over your
shirt.”
“You have blood and other things in your hair. Next time you blow
someone’s brains out, do it from the front, there is not as much blowback.”
“Let’s hope there is never a next time.”
“I agree. Let’s get out of here.”

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 13

“It’s been a very long day,” Ivy said to Ghost as they were walking up the
path to the house.
“It has, but it’s been very productive. How are you feeling after…?”
Ghost wasn’t sure what label was appropriate for Forbes’ death.
“Execution? I’m okay. I hope I can move on and stop having
nightmares. I know you probably have things to say about what you saw but
I don’t have any regrets.”
“Hey, I’m not judging you. I think you showed a lot of restraint
considering what he put you through. That being said, I would never cross
you,” he said as he lifted his hands in the air.
She walked past him and punch him in the gut and laughed. It felt good
to laugh and not look over her shoulder.
Byte met them at the door with a frazzled look.
“Hey, are you okay?” Ivy asked her.
“There are thirteen girls in there, all freaked out and at the same time
happy. I don’t do emotions, and they are either crying or laughing. I’m
going to sit in the van.” Byte said as she passed them with the keys in her
hand.
Ghost looked at Ivy and they both smiled.
“I guess we have babysitting duty,” Ghost acknowledged.
“I guess we do.”
The girls had bathed, eaten, and changed into new clothes by the time
Ivy and Ghost arrived. Ivy was relieved to have a place to lay her head.
Once the two walked in, the girls flanked them, asking questions left
and right.
 Ghost whistled and told everyone to have a seat, and they would answer
all the questions they could. They would also need the girls to fill in some
blanks.
Ivy began the discussion.
“Girls, as I told you earlier, my name is Ivy Brooks and I work with the
CIA. I have been trying to take down the sex ring leader from the United
States. We tracked him here, but he’s no longer a threat.”
“Is he dead?” one of the younger girls asked.
“Yes, he can’t hurt you again.”
Ghost spoke up, “Do any of you need to see a doctor?”
Ariel answered for the group, “We haven’t eaten enough or had enough
to drink but I think overall we are okay.”
“Can you tell me how long you’ve been held?”
“We’ve all come from different areas. I’m from Montana and the two
over there are from California,” Ariel said.
A small voice said, “I’m from Dallas.”
“That’s where I live too,” Ivy said.
“I want to go home,” the small voice said.
“I know, honey. What’s your name?”
“Bethany, I’m eight years old and I want my mommy,” she said through
her tears.
Ivy went and picked the little one up and held her against her chest. “I
know you do, and we are working hard to get all of you into the United
States. We have to do it without documents. We will know when that will
happen. We are waiting for a call from my father, and he will make sure you
all get home.”
“Is your daddy with the CBI?” Bethany asked.
“No, he’s not with the CIA. He owns a company that has been working
to find some girls that were taken in Montana.”
Ghost looked over at Ariel, “You said you are from Montana. When
were you taken?”
“Nearly a year ago, I think. We were living in some tunnels. I only
knew it was Montana because I heard one guy say it. My sister and I lived
in Bozeman. They tried to take her, and I fought them and wouldn’t let her
go, so they ended up taking both of us. They separated us when we went
into the tunnels. I have to find her. I can’t go home without her.”
Ghost looked over at Ivy and knew what he was thinking.
 Ivy excused herself and called Steve.
“Hey, I was just about to call you. I can get you all over the border
tomorrow morning at 0400. My guy, Buddy, can only get you on US soil,
but he has a cabin that he will stock with food, clothing, and a satellite
phone. I’m working on getting a jet out there.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you getting this coordinated. I have a question
for you about Montana.”
“Okay.”
“I have a girl here who sounds like she may have been in the compound.
She mentioned Montana and tunnels. She said they separated her from her
siste, about a year ago.”
“Is her name Ariel?”
“Yes. What do you know?”
“Her sister was recovered during our raid. They moved the older girls
before we got there.”
“Thank God. She’s worried about her little sister.”
“You need to know what we were told by the younger girls. They were
not sexually assaulted but the older ones were. I don’t remember how old
Ariel was, but she was around eighteen if I remember correctly. You might
want to pull her aside and talk to her about getting help.”
“God, this is a mess. If Ghost and I turn the girls over to the authorities,
they will hold us for questioning. I don’t want to involve Ghost or Byte in
this mission, especially if the Feds are looking for me. My only mistake was
telling the girls that Forbes was dead. I needed them to rest easy knowing
he would not hurt them again.”
“Do I want to know who killed him or how?”
“Trust mem you don’t want to know, but no one from the meeting is still
alive, and they will never find their bodies.”
“You made the right decision. Let me work out a solution to the
problem. Since it initially started as an ECP investigation, we could have
you transition everyone to our care and wipe your hands and not get pulled
into an interrogation.”
“I’ll talk with Ghost and see how he wants to handle it. Byte is hiding in
the car right now. She was having sensory overload with thirteen girls. It’s a
big slumber party and right now, I’ve left them in Ghost’s hands, so I
should relieve him before he joins Byte.”
 “Sounds like you have your hands full. Do you mind if I meet you in
Alaska? I need to see with my own eyes that you are okay.”
“That would be nice. I’ll call you when we get over the border. We will
stay in the cabin until we hear from you.”
“Okay, good night Ivy. I’m proud of you. It’s not always possible to
confront our demons but you sound lighter, so I believe you have.”
“I am. My hands are dirty but my conscience is clean and for the first
time, my heart is lighter.”
“I’m glad. Now get some rest, you have a lot of people to get moving
for a four a.m. transport.”
“Thanks, dad. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Girls, I just found out we can catch a boat tomorrow, but we have to be
there at four a.m. Since we aren’t very familiar with the area, we need to
leave around two a.m. I suggest you get some rest, and we will talk again in
the morning. Have any of you ever been to Alaska?”
A chorus of no’s filled the room.
“Well, you won’t be able to say that tomorrow. We are going to stay at
least one night and Alaska, maybe two, but it will be safe, and we are
another day closer to getting you all home.”
She laughed when the girls all started screaming, laughing, and dancing
around. She could now understand why Byte was in the van.
She motioned for Ghost to follow her, and she gave him a rundown of
what Steve said.
“So we don’t know how long we will be in the cabin. I will have to get
out before the Feds hear about the rescue mission. Since ECP started this,
they have offered to take it from us, if you are okay with that.”
“Sure, whatever we need to do to protect you. I think we should tell the
girls, at least the older ones, so they can talk with the younger ones.”
“I agree and I need to relay a message to Ariel. I believe my father’s
team saved Jasmine from ever being transported.”
“That’s fantastic news.”
“It is. He also told me they sexually abused the older ones, however the
younger ones, were not raped. That may not be the same with this group.
Most of them aren’t talking and I get it. If they were sexually assaulted,
they will need time to understand that they didn’t did nothing to provoke
the bad guys.”
“You are the right person to talk to them about this. It may give you
some closure too. Why don’t we bring Ariel in and you talk to her while I
go check on our little blue rabbit?”
Ivy just laughed because Byte was like a rabbit. She just bounced out of
there.
She nodded and Ghost told Ariel to go see Ivy, on his way outside.
“Ariel, take a seat,” Ivy suggested. “My father owns a company in
Texas that went to Montana to rescue the girls in the underground tunnels.
From what I’ve heard, the girls were split into two groups, probably by
age.”
“Yes, that was how it was for us. I was separated from my sister. She
was with the younger ones.”
“When my father’s company came to rescue them, they could only help
the younger ones. The older ones were being shuffled out.”
“That was us, wasn’t it?” Ariel said through huge tears.
“I believe so. If it was, then your sister would have been rescued that
night and was never shipped off.”
“Oh my God, she’s fine. She wasn’t hurt. No one touched her, did
they?”
“If she was part of the rescued group, the girls said they weren’t. But
Ariel, I can’t confirm this. I wasn’t there.”
Ivy had to stop because Ariel was sobbing so violently that her chest
was heaving.
Ivy reach over and pulled Ariel into her arms.
“It’s okay, cry all you want.”
“She’s okay. I’ve prayed every day that she was safe and wasn’t being
hurt.”
“Like you were?”
Ariel didn’t answer, she just dropped her head in shame.
Ivy picked her chin up and met Ariel’s eyes.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“I couldn’t stop them. There were so many, and they were so big,” she
sobbed and put her head against Ivy’s chest.
Ivy just kept rubbing her back.
 “Ariel, the man who took you, sexually abused me for years. I tried to
fight him, but I was a child. I didn’t have the strength. When I was older, I
was ashamed, and I never told my mother or anyone. I ran as far as I could
away, but he was always there in my nightmares. I still have nightmares and
you will too but you need to talk to someone about it. I didn’t, and it led me
on a very destructive and vindictive path.”
“But it led you to us. I hate that man, and all the other men that were
there, but you saved us. They would have sold us, wouldn’t they?”
“Most likely. I don’t want you to ignore your feelings. When your
parents think you need counseling, please do it. Be stronger than I was. I
seeked vengeance, not help. I’m so screwed up but you don’t have to be.”
“I wanted to kill him.”
“I understand that but I’m glad you didn’t have to. Tell me about the
other girls. Do you know if any of them were sexually assaulted?”
“I think they all were, maybe not at the degree that I was, but they have
been fondled and messed with. We are all pretty screwed up.”
“No, you are not. You have been traumatized, but you can get past this.”
“Have you? Is Ghost your boyfriend?”
Ivy just laughed, “Ariel, I’ve never had a boyfriend. That’s what I’m
trying to say, get help from professionals, otherwise, you will live a lonely
life and you are giving your past the power to take over your future.”
“I will. I was supposed to be in college right now. My sister and I were
leaving Walmart after buying some snacks. A man in a police uniform came
up to us and asked if we were okay. I didn’t know what he was talking
about, so I said sure we are fine. He asked if my parents were around
because there had been an attack, and he wanted us to be safe. I feel so
stupid for not realizing he wasn’t a cop. What was I thinking?”
“That you needed to get Jasmine in the car and get away quickly. You
had no reason to question his warning.”
“It was a regular Saturday afternoon. Our parents were even at home.
This was the middle of the day, with hundreds of people around. I never
thought he was a predator. He offered to walk us to our car. I accepted his
offer, and he took the grocery bag from Jasmine. I thought he was just being
nice, but he was emptying her hands so he could grab her. When I saw him
pulling on her, I grabbed her waist and pulled her back. I started yelling at
him, but he took the stick they carry and hit my arm. It hurt so bad but I
refused to let go. No one came to help us, not even when he punched me in
the face. Some were recording it on their phone, like I was resisting arrest. I
can’t believe no one helped us. Someone that was with him came and
grabbed me and threw me and Jasmine into the back of a car that had sirens
on it. It wasn’t a cop car, but one of those unmarked ones.”
“I am sorry you went through that because it will make you
uncomfortable around the police. It was, unfortunately, a smart way of
scaring bystanders away. It also kept them from going to the police for help.
You were very brave.”
“I didn’t feel brave. Jasmine was crying and curled up against me. I
tried to keep her with me, but they sent me into another room by myself
with a mattress on the floor. So many men came in there. I was a virgin
when I went there and a slut when I came out.”
“You were not! You may have lost your virginity in the most horrible
way, but you fought for your sister and I saw you protecting those girls. You
are a hero, Ariel, with nothing to be ashamed of.”
“I don’t think I can face my parents.”
“Oh girl, that sounds like how I was ten years ago. I stayed away from
my family and I missed so many years when I could have been supported,
helped, and healed. You rely on your parents, your friends, your counselor,
and most importantly, you rely on your instincts. If something feels off,
then back away.”
“I don’t think I’d ever say this because of how I was kidnapped, but I
think I want to go into law enforcement. I want to be like you.”
“Just do it for the right reasons. I didn’t. I wanted vengeance, not
justice. I’m going to ask you to not tell anyone about me. I killed those
men, and I wasn’t authorized to do it. But there was no way I was leaving
them to come after you or anyone else. My father will handle the FBI, who
will take the lead on this. He will talk to you girls before he brings in the
agents. He’s a good man, you can trust him. He’s the one who found and
rescued me, and we had never met. I refused to contact him. We are
strangers, even now but I’ve tried to bridge that. He will help you navigate
the police and your parents and will have a nurse on staff to help all of you.
Get a rape test, even though you know you were raped, get it anyway. There
are still men out there that we didn’t catch. Their DNA may match. Get
tested for STDs and get on birth control so you feel comfortable.”
“I will because they didn’t always use condoms. I was so afraid that I
would get pregnant, but I haven’t yet. What if I am?”
 “Honey, that’s something you will have to talk with your parents about
when or if it ever comes up. Trust them. I’m sure they are worried about
you, especially if Jasmine got rescued. Your family will understand that you
suffered worse than Jasmine and will need their patience. I wish I had the
right words to help you but I just want you to get help and not close
yourself off from others. I did, and it’s hard to trust anyone when you have
not allowed yourself to be close to anyone in twenty years.”
“I will, I promise. Agent Brooks, I don’t know why you were there,
even if it was just to kill the man who captured us. I’m glad he’s dead and I
know we are one of the lucky ones. For so many, their nightmare is still
continuing.”
“I got the laptop you told me about. I’m sure Byte is all over it right
now. I will continue to find girls like you and me. I will not stop until I take
my last breath. I would appreciate it if you do not tell the Feds about the
laptop. This is a personal mission I have to do.”
“I understand. Can I tell my parents about you?”
“Yes, of course, I just don’t want the FBI to know we were here. My
father will have a plan and I just need ya to follow it. Do you think you can
help the other girls understand?”
“Yes, once I explained who the CIA was, they think you are a spy. If I
tell them, it will put you in danger as a spy, they will be all over that and
your identity will be kept a secret.”
“Good thinking. Go get some sleep, and we’ll talk again in the morning.
I’m sure I’m going to need your help to get everyone out of the house. I feel
Byte will cause the biggest fight about getting up.”
“She’s way too cool.”
“Yes, she is. She’s only nineteen. Isn’t that your age?”
“While I was being held, I turned eighteen. It’s not a birthday I ever
want to repeat.”
“I understand. Get some sleep.”
Ivy walked her back into the room where the smaller ones were already
asleep. The safe house had three bedrooms. The girls were split between
two. Ivy and Byte were supposed to have the other one and Ghost was to
sleep on the couch, but she didn’t see either of them.
She walked into the kitchen and Byte had her head in the laptop she
recovered. Ghost was behind her, pointing at a certain line on the
spreadsheet as Byte swatted his hand away.
 “Dude, back up. I will let you see it after I’m done.”
Ivy leaned against the door jamb and watched as her team worked and
smiled.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 14

Ivy watched Ghost pull Byte’s ponytail as she tried to swat him away. She
realized she was smiling; her first genuine smile in a long time.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“Emotional but good. She’s a strong woman.”
“Just like you.”
Ivy ignored that comment and turned her attention to Byte and the
laptop. She joined them at the table and after a full minute, Byte looked up,
“What?”
“Nothing. I’m just waiting to hear what you’ve found.”
“I don’t know which is more annoying. Him,” she said, pointing at
Ghost, “with his constant questions.” In a deep tone, Byte mimicked Ghost,
while using air quotes, “‘What is that?’ ‘Slow down,’ or ‘Byte, can you
move that line up?’ or you stare at me being all patient. It’s just weird.”
“Says the girl with blue hair,” Ghost said as he pulled her ponytail
again.
“I agree with you, Byte,” Ivy said laughing.
“About?” Ghost asked.
“That you are like a pain in the butt older brother.”
Looking at Ghost, Byte stuck out her tongue, “Told you.”
“Whatever, brat. Tell us what you’ve found since you won’t let me look
at the spreadsheet for myself.”
“Well, the girl that told you to get the laptop is my new best friend. This
is their records. The buyers, the dates, the locations, and the names of the
girls or their descriptions. They listed the girls by age, appearance, and
sexual experience. They have listed which girls have been resold and in
what condition they were received. There’s a column that they are to check
yes or no if the girl was damaged. Of course, they were damaged.”
“That’s not what they are getting at. They want to know if there are
scars or markings that were not there before,” Ivy explained.
“Sick.”
“You got it. When was the last shipment?”
“A week ago. They sold the girls in bulk to a Japanese man named,
Hiroto Nakamura. Have you ever heard of him?”
“No, have you?” she asked Ghost.
“No, but I think we are going to get to know him.”
Byte looked up and smiled, “I’m in.”
“Well, I guess we better get some rest. We have to leave here in six
hours.” Ivy said as she closed the laptop lid. Byte grumbled and stomped
away.
“Oh my goodness, it’s like having a teenager,” Ghost remarked.
“Technically, she is a teen. I wonder what her story is. Do you know?”
“Just rumors. She doesn’t talk about it but from what I heard, she was in
an orphanage most of her life until she emancipated herself and began her
Giga-Byte life. I don’t know her given name. She’s a mystery.”
“Aren’t we all, to some degree, Ghost?” She said stressing his name. G-
H-O-S-T.
“I guess we are. Go to bed. I’ve got the watch. I don’t expect any
problems but you never can be too safe.”
They got up from the table, and she turned into his arms and hugged
him.
“Was it that bad talking to Ariel?”
“It was like seeing a mirror. The guilt, the shame, the denial of needing
help. I told her about my experience a little and told her she has to be
smarter than I was. Forbes or one of his men was dressed like a police
officer when they snatched her in the Walmart parking lot at midday. She
will have a hard time ever feeling safe again.”
“That’s horrible. No one tried to help her?”
“No, she said ones either looked the other way or brought their cells out
and recorded it thinking she was being arrested and fighting with the cops. I
wonder if anyone there felt horrible when they found out someone
kidnapped them. I hope it keeps them up at night.”
 Ghost just held her and brushed his hands down her long chestnut
brown hair. “I’m so sorry you are having to relive this but I do think it will
help her. She may not feel comfortable talking to her mother about some of
the things she endured.”
“I told her to go to a doctor’s office and get a rape test and a pregnancy
test. She’s worried about pregnancy and I understand that.”
“We already know they raped her. What’s the use of the test?”
“She needs to take back some of the power she lost. There were several
men and the rare possibility that there’s DNA left, maybe under their nails.”
“What about when they showered? Wouldn’t that have diluted the
sample?”
“Yes, and it’s unlikely they would find any DNA. But I’d never deny
those girls their need to get clean. We need to bag all their clothes for
evidence.”
“I’ll do that. You get some rest.” He wanted so badly to kiss her, even
the top of her head, but he would not take any liberties. It surprised him
when she wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt good in his arms. It
felt right.
“Okay. I told Ariel about not outing me and she understood. She was
going to talk with the other girls and let them know that I’m a spy and if
they mention me, I may not be able to help other girls. She’s very smart and
if she gets the help she needs, she will do well in life. She won’t be like me
and thirst for revenge.”
“That’s because you took her demon out, and she knows she’s safe. You
may have wanted revenge, but you wanted the children safe. That was your
first priority.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Ivy, you have been working for him for six years but never got close
enough to find out where the girls were. If it was just revenge, he would
have been dead years ago. You waited until you had a lead. That’s putting
others above you. You are not bloodthirsty. I am not sure I could do what
you did. You amaze me,” he said as he made eye contact with her. She had
to see his desire for her but more importantly, she had to see his respect for
her.
“Thank you, Justin. I needed to be reminded of that. Today, it felt all
about revenge.”
 “Let me ask you something. What was the first thing you did when you
got to the meeting site?”
“I went for the girls.”
“Exactly. You could have gone and taken the guards out first, ensuring
you had enough time to extract the girls but your priority was getting those
girls away. You are strong and focused on what is right, not what is right for
you. Your ability to channel your own need for revenge is admirable.”
“Thank you,” Ivy whispered, looking into his eyes. Ghost could see the
torment she was waging, and he didn’t want her to feel pressured.
Pulling away from her, he lifted her hands and kissed the back of them.
“Get some rest.”
She blushed and said goodnight and fled the room.
He had no problem staying up and bagging the girls’ clothes because he
knew the minute he closed his eyes, he would dream about Ivy. She was his
poison. His poison Ivy.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 15

Minus a few bouts of seasickness, the crossing from Russia to the United
States went seamlessly.
As planned, Ivy’s father contacted his friend, who had a cabin an hour
away from the border, fully stocked with warm clothes, non-perishable
food, and firewood.
The cabin wasn’t what you would traditionally think of. Although it was
a log cabin, the amenities and vastness of it were modern with four
bedrooms and two baths. An enormous kitchen and family room took up the
entire downstairs.
“I could rough it in the winter with a place like this,” Ivy told Ghost.
“If they consider this roughing it, they should come see my apartment,”
he responded.
After giving Ariel the go-ahead to schedule showers and room
assignments, Ivy and Ghost started a late breakfast. The girls were
exhausted, both mentally and physically. They were not used to getting up
at two a.m., plus factor in the seasickness, and Ghost decided on a light
breakfast.
The three adults were all solitary individuals, so having thirteen children
dine with them was an experience none of them had experienced before.
“When can we call our parents?” Ariel asked.
“When my father gets here, he will have a plan. I spoke with him before
he left, so he will probably arrive after everyone takes a nap. I promise you
girls, we will try to make this transition as easy as possible.”
They all nodded while struggling to remain awake.
 One by one, the girls exited the dining room and ascended to their
rooms. When all thirteen girls had gone to bed, Byte opened the
conversation.
“What are we going to do now?”
Ivy looked at Ghost and then Byte, “I don’t know about you two, but
I’m going to Japan.”
“I’m in,” Byte offered.
“So am I,” Ghost agreed.
“Great. My father offered to handle the situation here, but we may also
need to bring in a few ECP operatives in Japan. Would any of you have a
problem with that?”
“I am fine with that,” Ghost said, “I’ve worked with a few of them over
the years, and they are well-trained and since most of them were Special
Forces, they know how to get in and out without detection.”
Byte agreed, “I’ve worked with Blaze, so I have no problem with the
joint mission.”
“Are we waiting on Steve before we make a plan?” Ghost was curious,
but knew Ivy had something brewing in her beautiful head.
“I have a rough idea, but I’d like your input. We know the name of the
buyer, so Byte, I’ll need you to dig up everything you have on Hiroto
Nakamura. I want to know where he lives, what other properties he owns,
what his cover is, most likely a high-powered businessman, but in what
industry and how far is his reach. Does he have the authorities in his back
pocket? Once we have this information, we will form a plan. I’m not sure
we can do much until Byte does her part.”
Ghost agreed, and Byte began her research.
“Ghost, do you have any contacts in Japan?”
“None in Japan but a couple of contacts in South Korea.”
“That’s a pretty good distance away, even if they are from the
Southwest part of South Korea.”
“Yes, but I’m hoping they can provide me some reliable sources. It’s the
best I have. What about you?”
“Not really. I’m fluent in Japanese and spent some time there perfecting
my skills, but none of my contacts are in the espionage business.”
“If you give me their names, I can deep dive into them. It’s not like they
would tell you, ‘hey I’m a spy, want to join me in a government
overthrow?’” Byte snickered.
 “You have a point. I’ll write down their names and perhaps that will
help.”
“So without known allies, what do you think will be our first step?”
“I still have my cover as the Financial Director for Freedom Fighters.
This background will provide me access to Nakamura. Since no one knows
about Forbes, I will act on his behalf.”
“What if news got out about Javier?”
“That would strengthen my cover story, by letting Nakamura think it
was a hit ordered by Forbes. If he sees me as an assassin, then I might be
able to align myself with the organization.”
“What do you have in mind for my cover story?” Ghost asked.
“I need to rough you up, but you can take over Alex’s role, as the
enforcer.”
Byte rubbed her hands in excitement, “I get to make a new dossier for
you and beef you up. I’m thinking ex-military, which obviously you can
pull off, mixed with some illegal activities. You will be Javier 2.0.”
“I never want to hear you call me that again. Alex was a sick and
disturbed man. However, I agree the backstory would be perfect.” Ghost
said, as he pulled her ponytail.
“Do you have any aliases not used yet or one that we can build on, with
an American passport?” Ivy asked.
“I do. Ian Foster. I am an MMA street fighter, always looking for
trouble. Some time at a biker club and a few stints in prison.”
“Do you street fight?”
“I do. After I left the military, I had so much anger that Steve
recommended finding an outlet, so I learned Krav Maga, Jiu-Jitsu, and
Mixed Martial Arts.”
“You are cooler than I thought,” Byte surmised.
“Thanks, I think. I’m not sure if it was a compliment or put down.”
“Just an observation,” she responded.
“Either way, those are impressive skills to have. I know a little Krav
Maga and Mixed Martial, but I would not win in a battle against someone
with your skills. That’s why I carry a gun,” Ivy joked with an exaggerated
eye roll.
“Guns are more effective, but they are harder to get across the border.”
Flexing his muscles and kissing each bicep, he continued, “but these guns
are international weapons.”
 “OMG, how long have you been waiting to say that? Forget what I said
earlier, you are not cool,” Byte said as she continued typing on her laptop.
They now had a rough plan on what to do once they entered Japan.
“I’m going to go get some rest. It’s been a long day and soon, we will
be overrun with ECP personnel and I need my head on straight for that. I’ve
not seen my father since I beat him up.”
“Not quite the ideal situation for a family reunion.”
“Nope. See you in a few.”
As Ivy walked up the stairs, Byte didn’t miss the hunger in Ghost’s
eyes.
“You should go for it,” she told him.
“What? I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“I may not know how to read all the sexual clues like a normal person,
but I can identify lust when I see it. And you, Ghost, are lusting after Ivy.
So do something about it.”
“Not going to happen. First, we have a mission to finish, and secondly,
I’m not sure she’s ready for a relationship. I don’t want to endanger the
working relationship we are developing.”
“Men are so stupid.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because all work and no play makes Ghost a dull boy. How will you
know if she’s interested unless you let her know you like her?”
“You sound like a teenager for once. She’s got a pretty ugly past and I
would never want to trigger any of her demons. Slow and steady wins the
race.”
“Ugh, you are so old.”
“I’m heading upstairs. This conversation is futile. Do you need anything
before I leave?”
“Red Bull. Did they stock it up for me?”
“I don’t think so. We didn’t give them an actual grocery list. I’ll see
what’s in there and bring you something and I promise you will get a Red
Bull before we leave the country.”
Ghost shook his head before leaving the room.
‘God, I hope I never get like that when I’m old,’ Byte thought to herself.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 16

When Steve arrived, he brought with him Gennifer, Doc, Gunny, and Tyler.
He had never been so happy to find his tormentor alive. He looked at his
daughter and was overwhelmed with emotions he wasn’t ready to explain.
“Steve, I appreciate you and your team taking this over. We really don’t
want to be found connected with this rescue. I am going to use my Freedom
Fighters cover when we arrive in Japan. Having someone leak my
involvement in the rescue, would blow our cover.”
“There’s no need to thank us. We are thrilled to have these girls back,
and it seems only right that we take the heat for an off-the-books rescue in
Russia. Now tell me about your next target and how we can help.”
Since she had worked with all four of them, in one degree or another,
she felt comfortable outlining their next move. Doc ventured upstairs to
assist the girls, while the rest sat at the dining room table discussing the
next steps.
“Thanks to Ariel, who I believe was part of the Montana mission, we
recovered Forbes’ laptop that contained a wealth of information. Byte is
going to make copies for your team and together with Blaze, they will try to
locate the other cells. The data is heartbreaking but I do not want to turn it
over to the authorities just yet. Eventually, we will but I don’t know who I
can trust in the CIA or the FBI, for that matter.”
“We work with an FBI agent in San Antonio, Cruz Livingston, and we
can schedule a time for you to meet with him. We also have contacts with
local DEA, that we work with nearly daily.”
“I’m worried about the DEA since apparently, Alex was an agent. This
seems to reach into all sectors of the government. Also, Forbes stated that
there were high-level government agencies and operatives involved with the
sex trade. Until we know who we can trust, I’m asking that this stay locked
up with your team.”
“Not a problem.”
“The files show a shipment of girls that were purchased last week by
Hiroto Nakamura. The documents we discovered have a list of buyers and
who they purchased by name and when. It’s a very troubling list. Since
Nakamura was the most recent buyer, we are hoping to find these girls and
move on through the list, as far as we can go before turning it over.”
“What do you know about Nakamura?”
Ivy looked over to Byte and let her fill in the ECP team.
“He’s a fifty-three-year-old Japanese national multibillionaire. So far,
I’ve discovered his links to Forbes through Freedom Fighters and another
LLC, Unheard Voices. I don’t know how they come up with these company
names, but they are sick.”
Tyler asked, “How is he linked to Freedom Fighters?”
Ghost responded, “He’s a silent board member.”
“This will benefit us, because only those in Forbes circle would be
aware of his partnership. This will be our in.”
“What are your plans?” Gunny asked.
“I will keep my cover and Ghost will be my new enforcer. With Javier’s
death, I will inform Nakamura that Alex is in hiding since he put an
unauthorized hit on me and Forbes in retaliation has put a hit out on him.
My backstory of being his stepdaughter and his predecessor will build a
powerful reason for my arrival. My objective is to warn him from assisting
Alex.”
“I like it,” Gennifer added. “It would make sense that you would contact
everyone in the network to advise them for their need to be loyal to the
cause and not to Alex.”
“And I can use the list of buyers to pad my cover story.”
“What can we do?” Steve asked.
“Byte is doing a full background on Nakamura and is also putting out
reports of where Alex was last seen and a hit order on the dark web.”
“We are hoping this will also push the Feds to look for Alex and move
their focus away from Ivy,” Ghost added.
“What we need are contacts, if you have any in Japan. I would like
Gunny to join us. He’s fluent in Russian, so he will understand anything
said in that foreign tongue.”
“I’d be happy to join. I have a Russian passport and because of my
coloring and dark hair, I could easily pass as a citizen. Do I need anything
specific to be added to my alias?”
“What is the alias?” Ivy asked.
“Alexi Kovalyov. He’s a thug, no scruples and wanted in several
countries, including the US.”
“That’s perfect. You can be Ghost’s backup, in the event he needs one
and the transitional person for the Director of Operations since Javier is
dead. Make sure you have a few links to Javier, Alex, Forbes, and myself.”
“Are you comfortable using your birth name?” Gennifer asked.
“It’s not my birth name. My legal name is Stephanie Violet Brooks.”
Steve sucked in a breath when hearing her given name.
“I know,” she said as she reached over and held Steve’s hand, “Mom
told me she named me after you since your legal name is Stephan.”
Steve couldn’t form any words and just squeezed her hand back.
Gunny stepped in to fill the silence, “So the CIA created Ivy Brooks?
Are you afraid they will track you?”
“Not anymore,” Byte said without looking up.
When no one responded, she looked up, “What? I took care of it.”
“How?” Tyler asked.
“Look, soldier boy, do you want to know how bologna is made? No, so
I don’t need to tell you how I took care of it. Just know that I did.”
Tyler just shook his head. She was unlike anyone he had ever met. He
just held up his hands in defeat.
“Byte is the best at making someone disappear. When I enter a country,
she wipes it out of their databases.”
“You should have my moniker, Ivy,” Ghost suggested.
“No thanks, there’s too much pressure with that name. I’ll stick with
Ivy.”
“It suits you,” Steve acknowledged.
“I never went by Stephanie. My family called me Violet or Vi. For the
past eight years, I’ve been Ivy and I like that my job isn’t a constant
reminder of my youth. As Ivy, I feel powerful.”
“When I spoke to your grandmother, she knew you by Ivy.”
“Not really. She knows me only as Violet, and she just assumed you
said the wrong flower. She’s not a fan of yours, and she would not correct
you.”
“Good to know that she protected your cover, even if out of spite.”
Ivy just smiled because she knew he was right about her grandmother.
She had nothing but venom and spite for her father.
Doc returned and gave them an update on the girls.
“I spoke with them as a group and then individually. Out of the thirteen
girls, it appears they sexually abused three, the youngest being twelve. The
rest are scared and want to go home. I assured them that we would leave in
a few days once we knew they were safe.” Turning towards Ivy, she said,
“They were very protective of you. When I asked about those that saved
them, all but the youngest mentioned Byte and Ghost and were unsure of
their actual names. Only the youngest one, said there was a nice lady with
brown hair, but she couldn’t remember your name. When I threw out a few
options, including Ivy, her eyes got big like she knew she wasn’t supposed
to say anything, and shook her head saying no one by that name was there.”
“They have your back,” Ghost said with pride.
“I owe Ariel for that. She emphasized how dangerous it would be for
me if anyone found out I was there. The only ones they could tell were their
parents and hopefully, they won’t spill it to authorities.”
“We’ll take care of that. We had an alias made for you. In the event the
FBI or CIA tracks it to you, we have a doppelgänger set up as Rose
Campbell. If the girls remember it’s a woman with a floral name, we are
set.”
“Perfect. Well, we are going to leave tomorrow, if you guys have this
taken care of. Gunny, do you need to stop and pick up anything? It would
be best if we all left on the same flight, so we can keep our covers intact.”
“I’ll have Blaze send my documents to a drop site in Anchorage”
“Perfect.”
“I think we have our orders,” Ghost said as he rose from the table and
the others left as well, giving father and daughter some alone time.
“How are you doing?” Steve asked, then said, “I’m not sure what to call
you. Stephanie? Violet? Or Ivy?”
“Ivy is fine. I’ve sort of grown used to that name. Only my grandmother
and aunts call me Violet.”
“Didn’t Forbes wonder why you changed your name?”
“No, one time he asked, and I told him Violet was dead, thanks to him.
In part, why I go by Ivy. She’s stronger than Violet ever was.”
 “I hate he ruined your childhood,” Steve responded.
“Me too. I am also sorry that I didn’t listen to my mother and contact
you when I was sixteen. I was just so angry. I thought Forbes was my step-
father, and he was a cruel and horrible man and I had no desire to bring
another man into my life.”
“I understand, and I am just thankful that you are allowing me a chance
to get to know you better.”
“It will take me some time to let you know all of me. I need you to be
patient and just learn who I am now, CIA agent, Ivy Brooks.”
“I can do that. I like this version of you. You are strong and not afraid to
strike when it’s needed.”
“I really didn’t know they broke your ribs when I kicked you. However,
I can’t say with any certainty that I would have held back. I was under
scrutiny.”
“I understood, and I knew you were being watched. I hate you had to
kill Alex and Forbes.”
“I’m not. It was personal for me and I can sleep just fine knowing they
are out of my life and can no longer hurt another child again.”
“Please be safe. I brought you the other earring. Will you please wear
them, for my peace of mind?”
She reached over and put the earring in and pulled her hair back to show
that she was already wearing the other one.
Relieved that she was taking the necessary precautions, Steve simply
said, “Thank you.” I wanted her to know he had her back,
“You are welcome. Let’s get dinner on for this crew. Having thirteen
girls at the dinner table differs greatly from what any of us are used to.”
“It will be fun.”
The two left the room and told them they were going to make dinner,
and Gennifer and Doc offered their assistance.
The kitchen was large enough for all four of them, and they worked
together seamlessly to take care of the ever-growing brood.
After dinner, everyone paired off with Doc sharing a room with Byte
and Gunny and Ghost bunking downstairs in the living area.
Tomorrow would be a new adventure for both teams.

OceanofPDF.com
PART TWO

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 1

Tokyo Japan - Two days later

Park Hyatt Hotel
“Byte, did my passport trigger any response from Nakamura’s team?”
“Yes, we’ve tagged two of their associates following you from your
hotel.”
“Good, it shouldn’t be too long before he comes to visit. Can you send
me hard copies of the surveillance shots? I want to make sure he knows we
are aware of his precautions.”
“On it,” Byte replied. She enjoyed working with Ivy. She was not afraid
to put herself in harm’s way if the good outweighed the bad. Byte thought
they were similar in that way. She had no problems stealing or, as she says,
‘reallocating’ someone’s accounts, if it stopped them from perusing
something that would inflict pain. While most thought she was a Black Hat
hacker, she saw herself as a Grey Hat. If she was a Black Hatter, she
wouldn’t care if she stole from anyone and everyone, but she had limits.
She never went out of her way to harm others, but she also didn’t turn a
blind eye to where corrections might be needed. That was why she emptied
Alex’s accounts since he should be on the run and set up an account for Ivy
to manage. She’s also been slowly sinking Forbes’ accounts, just enough to
make it appear that he was traveling but not enough to raise red flags,
unlike Alex. She would have done it with Javier’s accounts, but she decided
the Feds can claim those dollars, which were minuscule compared to the
others.
Speaking through her mouthpiece, Ivy asked for an update from Gunny.
 “All is quiet down in the lobby. I’ve spotted a tail but nothing we
couldn’t lose if we wanted to.”
“Which we don’t,” Ghost replied.
Ghost watched Ivy as she reapplied her lipstick and wondered what it
would taste like. Could he take just one kiss? Ivy noticed him staring from
the mirror and wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but she knew how she was
feeling. His singular concentration on her was sensual and left her feeling
warm inside. She wondered if she could flirt and genuinely mean it, or had
the CIA ruined that as well. Flirting was always part of her cover, especially
with Javier, but he wasn’t in the picture anymore, and she wanted to try it in
earnest.
After smacking her lips together, she caught Ghost’s eyes and smiled,
hoping he would know that she was aware of his interest. He smiled and
began walking toward her.
“You look beautiful every day, but seeing you apply that red lipstick has
made my imagination work overtime.”
“What were you imagining?”
“Kissing it off your lips, until they were pink and naturally plump.”
“Oh,” was all she said. She wasn’t sure if she could kiss him without
feeling dirty, but she wanted to try.
Mustering all the courage she had, she whispered, “Maybe you should
see if my lipstick lives up to its claim.”
“And what claim is that?”
“It stays on for eight hours,” she softly teased, as Ghost began lowering
his head.
“Are you sure about this, Ivy?”
“Yes, I think so.”
Ghost took that as a green light and tentatively pulled her closer and
lowered his lips onto hers. He felt her stiffen immediately, and he was about
to extract himself, when she put her arms around his waist, locking them
together.
He deepened the kiss, never seeking entrance. He wanted her to make
the next move when she was ready.
He pulled her tighter against him, and she moaned when she connected
with his body.
He felt her run her tongue at the seam of his mouth and as he was
opening it, their coms went off. “Sorry for disturbing your research but
Nakamura’s number one guy, Sato, just entered the elevator,” Gunny
relayed.
Ghost and Ivy pulled away quickly, as if stung by each other’s kiss.
“I’m sorry. I forgot about the mics,” Ghost said immediately.
“Good job there, Ghost,” Byte said. “You never tell a woman you are
sorry after kissing her. My question is if the lipstick stayed on?”
“Shut up, Byte,” Ghost bit back.
Neither said a word, and then Ivy burst into laughter with Ghost
following.
“I did not know we were having an audience or a focus group. Thanks
for the heads up,” Ivy said while dabbing her lipstick. “Oh, and Byte, it
stayed on, but it is a little smudged.”
“Good to know.”
After rearranging himself, Ghost answered the door before Sato could
issue the first knock.
“Mr. Sato, please come in. Miss Brooks is expecting you.”
Sato wasn’t sure how to respond, as he thought he had the upper hand
but Ghost took that away, making him immediately self-conscious.
Ivy walked into the sitting room and offered him a seat.
“Mr. Sato, you can invite your protectors in the lobby to stand down.
We mean no harm with our visit.”
“Miss Brooks, you have us at a disadvantage. We were not expecting
you.”
“We know, but we are making courtesy calls to our clients. When will
Mr. Nakamura be able to speak with me?”
“May I ask what is the nature of your visit?”
“I’d prefer to speak directly with Nakamura but you can relay a
message to him. If he chooses to respond, we will arrange for your
upcoming purchases and if he chooses not to meet with me, last week’s
shipment will be the last we supply.”
“You have us at a disadvantage. We have made no purchases with you.”
“True, not with me but with Forbes and Alex. That is the reason for my
visit to all of our buyers. We have new leadership.”
“Forbes is out?”
“No, he’s still at the realm, but once I meet with Nakamura, I will
provide him with the necessary details for your future purchases, should he
cooperate.”
 “Why isn’t Forbes here?”
“For the same reason, Nakamura isn’t here. Some things are between
second in command.”
“Then you can speak with me.”
“I could, but those were not my orders and you and I both know what
happens when orders are not followed.”
“Did you arrive today?”
“You and I both know we have been here two days,” Ivy said and then
nodded to Ghost who left her side, retrieving the envelope and handing it to
Sato.
“As you will see, we have been aware of your arrival, just as you have
been of ours. Now that the games are done, when will I be able to meet with
Mr. Nakamura?”
Sato opened the envelope and pulled out the surveillance photos of his
team. He made a mental note to make his team less visable.
“He will meet you tomorrow at three pm.”
“Where?”
“I will provide you with the location tomorrow.”
“Very well. I look forward to hearing from you,” Ivy said as she stood
up and escorted Sato to the door.
“Miss Brooks,” Sato said with a half bow and then exited the door.
“That went well,” Ghost stated.
“I think so too. At least we know he came here with the intention of us
meeting Nakamura.”
Byte jumped in, “Why didn’t he just give you the location today?”
Gunny answered, “So we couldn’t get surveillance up or a hit team
ready.”
“There’s no honor among thieves,” Ghost interjected.
“Okay guys, we can stand down. I don’t perceive any problems tonight.
Enjoy yourselves and check in tomorrow morning, please.”
After sending everyone on their way, she removed her earpiece and saw
Ghost doing the same. When their eyes met, they both wore matching grins.
“So, what would you like to do now, boss?”
“Boss, I like that,” she smiled knowing he was also referring to their
earlier encounter and the fact that she would have to make the first move.
“Would you like to join me for dinner?”
“Ivy, I’d join you anywhere and anytime.”
 Ivy wasn’t sure what their future could be, but she liked the way he
made her feel and that was a rare occurrence for her.
“Let me change and I’ll meet you downstairs,” Ivy confirmed as placed
her coms on the entrance table.
“Sounds good, say in half an hour.”
“Perfect.” She heard him shut the door to her room and began stripping
down for her much needed shower.
As she turned the hot water on, she heard the door open and wondered if
Ghost had forgotten anything, but instead she came face to face with Hiroto
Nakamura.
“Miss Brooks, I understand you wanted to meet with me. I think now
would be a perfect time as I have already contacted Forbes, and he wonders
why you are even here since he never sent you.”
Still standing in her bra and panties she just smiled, “You and I both
know that is not true, however, you deserve an A for effort. My stepfather
sent me and I can prove it. Now, if you’d like to meet me downstairs, we
can dine together or I can call room service, but I am not having our
business meeting in my underwear. It’s your call.”
“I have plans for us already,” he said as he pulled out a pistol. “If you
want to dress, I will wait, but either way, you are leaving with me.”
“As you wish, have a seat and I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
“Leave the door open, so I know you are not contacting your security
team,” he said as he sat adjacent to her bedroom.
Ivy couldn’t reach her coms, she needed to leave a message. As she
began dressing, she took out six pairs of thongs and laid them on the bureau
in the shape of an H and N, hoping the team would recognize the initials of
Hiroto Nakamura.
After finishing her attire, she walked out and saw him holding her coms,
which he put on the floor and smashed.
“Now there was no need for that. I liked that set,” she tsked.
“I want time with you without listening ears. I want you all to myself.”
“Fortunately, I don’t take that as a threat to my safety, since we both
know I am too old to satisfy your needs.” After she finished clasping her
bracelet, he reached for her hand.
“Excuse me if I seem cautious but you will not wear this. It most likely
has your tracker.”
 “As you wish,” she said and walked out of her room, knowing that
Ghost would search for her when she failed to meet him in half an hour.
Once again, she was thankful for the gift her father gave her. The earrings
had proven their value on multiple occasions. She would ask her father if he
could arrange a meeting with their creator, Tex.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 2

“Do you want to talk now or when we get to our eventual destination?” Ivy
asked Nakamura.
“Are you in a hurry?” he asked.
“No, but I was planning on having dinner and I’d still like to eat. Is that
part of your kidnapping plan?”
“I’ve not kidnapped you, Miss Brooks.”
“So if I had decided not to leave, mind you at gunpoint, you would have
been okay with that.”
He smirked, “You are a clever one. No wonder Forbes likes you, Sweet
Ivy.”
Ivy had to bite her tongue at that. Who else had that parasite told about
her?
“Then you know you may not call me that. The last person who did is
on the run for his life.”
“Alex Rodriguez.” It wasn’t a question, but a very pointed statement.
“Yes. Have you spoken to him?”
“I may have.”
“Then it’s a good thing you and I are going to chat because I’ve been
sent to deliver a message.”
“Then sit back and relax. Our trip should be another half hour, and then
we can discuss this so-called message.”
“As you wish,” she stated and looked out the window, wondering when
she could expect to see her team.
“Have you found her?” Ghost barked at Byte.
He had waited downstairs for forty-five minutes and then began to
worry. They had been working on borrowed sleep this past week, and he
wouldn’t have faulted her for drifting off but there was something that was
bothering him.
As her security, he had access to her room and once he opened the door;
he saw her coms crushed on the floor. He began calling out for her but
silence met him. After checking all the rooms in the suite, he entered her
private quarters, and lying on the top of the chest were the initials H.N.
spelled out in her panties. He wanted to smile at the brilliance of her
message, but he needed to locate her quickly.
Immediately he contacted Byte and Gunny who joined him in her suite.
As Byte went about looking at surveillance footage, Gunny snapped a
picture of her calling card.
“Why did you do that?” Ghost asked, irritated.
“Because it’s brilliant and I can’t wait to show the team. She really is
quick on her feet.”
Ghost just grunted and went in search of Byte.
“I’ve got her. Nakamura escorted her out. She doesn’t look like she is
distressed, but she makes eye contact with the camera and pulls on her ear.”
“I can’t believe I forgot. She is wearing trackers. Pull up the application.
We can find her down to the longitude and latitudes.”
“I’ve heard they have already helped locate her, and we used them to
locate Steve when he was in Odessa. Maybe I need to get my ear pierced, so
I can have one too,” Gunny stated.
Byte stopped what she was doing and gave Gunny a hard look. He
could pull it off. He could pass for a Russian with his olive skin and tribal
tattoos. He was a beauty to look at but she also knew he was a sniper and
could just as easily fade into the background.
Shaking her head at her thoughts, Byte pulled up Ivy’s coordinates and
called them out while Ghost added the longitudes and latitudes into his sat
phone.
“Why is she in Enoshima Island?”
“Where is that?” Gunny asked.
 “About seventy kilometers from here. Why would he take her there?
Byte, pull up the property he may own in the area. Let’s pack up and head
that way. We are already an hour behind.”

“I wish I had known we were going to take so many stairs, I wouldn’t have
worn my favorite Jimmy Choo’s,” Ivy grumbled. They began their descent
some two hundred steps, after walking upstairs to reach the top of the
island.
“It’s the beauty of my country. Before you can go down, you must first
go up. That describes me perfectly.”
“Because you are at the top of your business enterprises, but low
enough to be in the sex trade.”
“You are pretty witty, Miss Brooks.”
“Since we are going to be spending a lot of time together, just call me
Ivy or Brooks, drop the Miss.”
“Does anyone call you Brooks?”
“No, just Ivy.”
“Then I will call you Brooks.”
She continued down the next hundred steps before entering a cave.
“These are beautiful. What are they called?”
“Iwaya Caves. They date back about fifteen hundred years ago. Over
the years monks and influential samurai soldiers made this their home. Now
it’s a tourist trap.”
“I can see why people want to see it. Why are we here?”
“Because we are now hundreds of meters down and if you are wearing a
tracker or bug, it won’t pick up the signal. I know you killed Javier
Sanchez, a man you were rumored to have been sleeping with, so you’d
have no issues killing me. If I decide to kill you, no one will know until you
are found in place of the goddesses.”
“It’s so poetic.”
“It is and you aren’t trying to justify or deny you killed Javier.”
“No need because I did. However, it wasn’t an execution, if that is what
you are wondering. Alex put a hit order out on me, without Forbes’
approval. He tasked Javier to execute me, promising him a higher take of
the revenues.”
“So you killed him before he could.”
“Yes.”
“How did you learn of the hit?”
“I wish I could have said it was my intuition or I heard about it from
Forbes, but Javier was telling someone on the phone, in Spanish, and didn’t
know I was bilingual.”
“I would say more like polyglot if the stories I’ve heard are correct.”
“You are being too kind, but I am not quite at the ten-language
requirement to be a true polyglot. I only speak eight languages, so the
correct term would be multilingual.”
“True, but I think learning Mandarin and Arabic should count higher
than say, French or Spanish.”
“Well, thank you, that’s very complementary. So anyway, poor Javier
outed himself. I didn’t shoot him until I knew he would carry out the hit. I
guess the money was more tempting than I was.”
“So why is Alex on the run? Was it just for ordering your hit?”
“Well, I’d hope that would be enough, but we found he’s not as loyal to
Forbes as we had expected. We put a hit on him because of his other
employer, the DEA. He was able to escape but not without a large hole in
his gut.”
“From you, I suspect.”
“No from Ian Foster, our new Enforcer. He is taking care of Alex’s
termination.”
“Is that why you are here?”
“Partly. Forbes has given the green light to exterminate Alex, which I
am communicating to all the buyers but also a warning. If we find any
buyer harboring or assisting Alex, we will drop them from the organization
and most likely will find themselves like Javier.”
“How did you know to contact me?”
“Obviously, you know how close Forbes and I are. I am his successor,
when and if the need should arise. I have access to everything. For instance,
I know that last week, you purchased ten girls, or what we term bulk, for
eighteen million dollars and are scheduled to purchase another ten next
week.”
 “I guess you are in the know. Forbes always said you would take over,
but I seriously had my doubts. It’s rare to find a woman who voluntarily
works in the sex trade business.”
“I suppose so, but Forbes has been grooming me for the sex trade since
I was eight. These girls have no different fate than I did for eight years. The
only difference is now I am wealthy beyond words.” Ivy wanted to vomit at
her filthy words, but she had to keep true to her cover, regardless of how
repulsed she was.
“So you have delivered your message and have my assurance that I will
not assist Alex, should he contact me. My contact with him was only at the
transfer. However, I am concerned to learn that he was a US Government
spy. Do you think this will affect our next order?”
“No, we are good. Are you wanting to increase your order?”
“Perhaps, I need to sell off the ones I purchased last week.”
“What is your procedure? We give you the girls and then what? I would
think you would have sold them already and gotten a return on your
investment.”
“Generally, we have a week turnaround. First, we prepare them.”
“Drugs and sexual partners, I’m assuming.”
“Yes, unless they are virgins, then it’s just the drugs. We need them
compliant, what happens after the sell, is no longer my business.”
“Do you have enough storage for another bulk order, if you still have
those from last week?”
“I will make the necessary arrangements. Would you like to see our
operations, Brooks?”
“I would, but tomorrow. I’d prefer to eat dinner first and I wouldn’t be
surprised to find my security team waiting on us.”
“As I said earlier, that wouldn’t be possible because of the caves.”
“We’ll see,” Ivy said and began her ascent up the stairs, hoping her team
was in fact waiting above for her.

“We’ve lost her signal, but we know she was in the area. Either Nakamura
found her tracker or she’s in an area where the signals are restricted,” Ghost
told Gunny.
 The two were driving in the area while Byte worked from Ivy’s suite
trying to isolate her signal.
‘Where would I go, if I was trying to mask a signal?’ Ghost asked
himself.
“Byte, tell me about the landmarks in the area,” Ghost requested.
“There’s a shrine,” she responded.
“Of course there’s a shrine and probably a Buddha temple,” Gunny
growled.
“Anyhoo, like I was saying, there’s a lighthouse called the Sea Candle.”
“That’s a possibility because of the isolation but it shouldn’t mask her
signal. What else?”
“There’s an aquarium, but that doesn’t sound promising. Oh, wait, I
found it. She has to be at the Iwaya Caves. They are five hundred feet
below sea level. The caves are closed for business at this hour but I can’t
imagine that would stop Nakamura.”
“That’s got to be it. Triangulate her last known location to the caves and
send us the coordinates.”
“Will do, it’s on the backside of the island, so head that way.”
A few moments later Gunny relayed the coordinates to Ghost, and they
pulled up to the site and saw Nakamura’s driver waiting.
“What’s the plan?”
“If the driver is still here, we know he’s not planning on staying but that
doesn’t mean he won’t shoot her.”
“But? I hear a but in there,” Gunny guessed.
“But, I think we should park, stand outside the car and give Nakamura a
chance to show his hand.”
“Let’s do it. If Ivy doesn’t come out with him, we take him and the
driver out.”
“Agreed.”

“Nakamura, the next time you want to speak to me and ensure I’m not
wearing a wire, do a strip search because I am exhausted from climbing
these stairs,” Ivy said as she finally breached the caves, feeling the sea air
and took a deep breath.
 “Let’s hope that doesn’t become necessary,” he said, also short of
breath. “Let’s have my driver take us for dinner. After that jaunt, I’m
hungry…”
But Nakamura stopped in his tracks when he saw Ivy’s two security
men waiting beside his driver.
“How?”
“If I tell you, I’d have to kill you,” she smiled but the reality was she
had never been so happy to see Ghost and Gunny.
She walked up to them both and nodded her thanks and turned back to
Nakamura, “So what time tomorrow?”
“Six pm. If that works for you.”
“It’s fine. Just send me the address and I will meet you there.”
“Come alone,” he instructed.
She laughed, “Really? If this hasn’t shown you enough to know that
they will not be kept away, then I don’t know what else they need to do to
prove their loyalty to me,” she said and then turned to Ghost, “Any
suggestions, Ian?”
He simply shook his head with a resounding no.
“Fine, I will send you the information and I will expect just you and
your enforcer, Ian.”
Ghost then spoke up, “How many guards are on site?”
“You need to know this why?”
“I need to know how many bullets to pack, in case this is a setup.”
“This is not a setup.”
“Prove it. How many?”
“Eight.”
Ghost just nodded and turned to open the door for Ivy.
“Thanks for the tour,” she said as she entered the car, followed by Ghost
and Gunny taking the front seats.
Once they left the area, Ivy blew out a hard breath.
“What happened?” Ghost asked.
“He walked right into my suite and found me in my undergarments.
Told me to come with him, or else.”
Gunny turned and smiled, “I liked your message. Brilliant.”
“Thanks. I left my phone and coms in the living area. He crushed the
coms but I’m not sure where my phone is.”
 “It was not in the suite, but Byte said he tried to download your phone
log.”
“Tried but wasn’t successful.”
“No, he downloaded it, but what he got was anime video clips.”
“Oh, that will piss him off,” she laughed.
“So what is happening tomorrow?”
“We are going to his location where the girls are kept.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Nope. I couldn’t believe he turned so quickly but the information Byte
littered the dark web with worked. He already knew about Javier and Alex.
I told him that Alex is on the run because he was an undercover DEA, and
he tried to have me assassinated.”
“Any questions about Forbes?”
“Not enough to make me worry. He thinks of himself as an untouchable
businessman.”
“He won’t be after tomorrow,” Gunny stated.
“True. We need to contact Steve and see about getting an extraction
team here and the soonest they can come. He’s planning on selling the girls
at the facility by the end of the week.”
“Will do. Byte checked the room for bugs, and we found two from
either Nakamura or Sota.”
“I’d think it was Sota and that after listening to our conversation
Nakamura felt safe enough to enter.”
“Did she remove them?”
“Yes, why?”
“Let me think about it. There’s some benefit to him listening in. I could
have a one-sided conversation with Forbes.”
“True, but he would expect you to have swept for bugs.”
“He would but I’m thinking we leave just the one and after I finish the
call, I ask for you to sweep, and then the bug is ‘accidentally’ found.”
Gunny agreed and said that they needed to call Steve before entering the
hotel.
Twenty minutes later, an extraction plan was made, and a team was
leaving San Antonio in an hour for the fourteen-hour flight.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 3

The next morning Ivy decided to see some of the sights since she had time
to kill until her meeting at six.
Ghost accompanied her on the excursion.
“I want to go into this herbal shop. I need to pick up some things not
available in the states.”
“You are a big believer in herbs and potions?”
“Potions?” she laughed, “Not witches brew if that is what you are
asking. Certain natural herbs help me.”
“How do you get them if they aren’t sold in the US?”
“I have a friend who comes here and to China frequently, and she keeps
me in supply. I wonder if I should call her and see if she wants me to bring
her something back.”
Ivy was reaching for her phone, as Ghost opened the door for a woman
exiting the building.
“Ivy?” the woman asked.
Ivy looked up and laughed, “I was just about to call you. What are you
doing in Japan?”
“I will tell you if you tell me why you are here? Please tell me it’s for
fun and not work.”
“I wish. Voodoo, this is Ghost.”
“Kinky,” she smiled and extended her hand. Ghost had to wonder about
his and Ivy’s friends. This woman was just as flamboyant as Byte, with her
close-cropped dark buzzed hair and translucent blue eyes. At nearly six feet,
she was not someone anyone would ever forget seeing.
“Voodoo,” he smirked, “nice moniker.”
 “Who said it was a nickname, and I think Ghost is just as mystical,” she
said and then turned to Ivy, “new boy toy?”
“Voodoo, seriously, I already told you I’m here on business. Ghost or
Justin, is helping me out with a project.”
“Please tell me you aren’t CIA also,” she directed her question to Ghost,
who was completely taken back. How does she know Ivy and why does she
know she’s CIA? He gathered that Ivy trusted her since she called him
Justin and not Ian.
“No way, I’m an independent asset.”
“I love that. Maybe that is what I will call myself. But seriously, what
are you doing here? I just saw you a few weeks ago in Canada.”
“Ladies, could we have this conversation somewhere else, perhaps with
fewer ears?” Ghost said, as he ushered the women out of the thorough-fair
and led them to a sushi bar.
“Sorry, that was not good,” Ivy said, not believing she had such a frank
conversation in the open.
“It’s my fault. I’m the one that outed you. What if he didn’t know about
your job? I am so sorry. I will work harder not to blow your cover. I just
hate your employer.”
“I know and I understand. This is not a government-sanctioned
assignment.”
“You seem to have more and more of those. Thank God.”
“Guess who’s also here,” Ivy asked her friend.
“Doc?” This caused Ghost to do a double-take. Surely she wasn’t
speaking of Susan from ECP. How would Voodoo know Doc? What was
her link to ECP?
“Nope. Byte.”
“You have got to be kidding. How’s the elf?” Voodoo asked.
“You know she would seize all your assets if she heard you say that.”
Ghost just remained silent, trying to figure out their connection. Their
new guest was as unique as her name. Her short buzz cut and mystical blue
eyes added to her exotic aura. Eventually, Ivy looked over and saw his
confusion and answered some of his unasked questions.
“Voodoo is a holistic health practitioner, who works with both Eastern
and Western treatment.”
“Hence the Voodoo moniker,” he reasoned.
“Something like that plus, she is freaky scary.”
 “Thank you,” Voodoo responded.
“I met Voodoo back when I was a newbie with the CIA, and she had a
few run-ins with some higher-ups. Regardless of why she was at Langley,
we became friends and allies for each other. She was part of the team
Gennifer brought up to meet me in Canada, including Doc and Tyler.”
“Yeah, I liked Gennifer,” she said but both Ghost and Ivy didn’t miss
that she didn’t seem to be a fan of Tyler and Doc. Ivy knew that was the
case back in Canada but didn’t know why.
“She’s a good person. She’s dating Steve, Ivy’s father, and they are cute
together. It was a little rocky at the time,” Ghost remarked, “but they
seemed to have worked out the kinks.”
“Aren’t you in the know?” Ivy bumped Ghost in the waist.
“Just a few nuggets I got from the ECP guys who were talking about it
at the wedding.”
“So anything I can help you with on this ‘mission’?” Voodoo offered.
“Possibly. ECP is sending a team over for an extraction. I am not sure if
Doc will be in attendance, but either way, you might be able to assist the
girls we are extracting.”
“Sex traffickers?”
“Yes. From what I can tell we have ten girls we are picking up, but until
we get there this evening, we won’t know for sure.”
“I’m in. I was going to leave tomorrow, so I can leave with them if
that’s doable.”
“I’m sure they can make it work. Where are you staying?”
“At a hostel in the square. You?”
“Park Hyatt,” she said and waited for Voodoo’s response.
“How much does the Government pay you? Maybe I will have to
reconsider working with the Feds?”
“It’s a mission self-funded by an outside source. Plus. I need to play to
my cover.”
“A cover I hate.”
“Me too, but someone has to do it. I want you to move from the hostel.
Check out early and come stay with Byte. You two will scare anyone away.
Her blue hair and your crazy blue eyes. Together you both make up the
female version of the band, Blue Man Group.”
“Ha Ha, you are hysterical.”
“Call Byte.”
 “Oh, wait, let me check her ninety-nine different cell numbers.”
“Smarty. Just call her at the hotel. She’s registered as Raven
Darkholme.”
“She’s scary smart.”
“Using X-Men’s Mystique’s actual name is pretty funny,” Ghost added.
“And are you registered as Voodoo?”
“You know I’m not and I’m not telling you because I like the cover I
have and I don’t need you blowing it.”
“Got it. Well, mine is still intact and Ghost is Ian Foster, just in case you
look for us at the hotel.”
“Will do. You guys watch your back.”
“Always,” Ghost said as he led the women out of the restaurant with the
two of them going their own way.
“Do we need to still go to the herb shop?” Ghost inquired.
“No need if Voodoo was in there. She knows what I like.”
“She’s different. We seem to attract some unique friends.”
“Like Onyx?” Ivy questioned. “I really like her.”
“She’s pretty special. I want to hire her for my new company, but I think
ECP made their pitch already for their new Bravo team.”
“She would be a great asset for either. So any more details you want to
share about your future company?”
“Not much since the last time we spoke. I need to check with Byte after
this job is finished, to see if she located any properties for me.”
“I hope she finds you something. I hate it will be on the West coast but I
understand the reasons.”
“Right now, I’m pretty fluid but a lot depends on the cost of living and
how easily it is to entice future associates to relocate.”
“You know, Texas has a lower cost of living than most states, no state
tax and it is close enough to the border to make quick trips down south. You
have three international airports; San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas.”
“Well, I think I might need to look into that,” he said with humor in his
eyes.
“Well, Loverboy, we should head back to the hotel and hopefully Byte
has already received contact from ECP.”
The pair took the taxi service and entered the hotel. Nakamura was
waiting at the elevators for them.
OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 4

“Mr. Nakamura, what are you doing here?” she asked as she opted for the
main lobby seating instead of inviting him into her suite.
“I know you found our listening device.”
“I did.”
“I heard your call to Forbes and need some clarification.”
“About?”
“You said that you had taken care of me but would get confirmation this
evening. Confirmation about what?”
“First, I told him I had everything taken care of. I relayed his message
regarding Alex. As far as getting confirmation, that was whether or not I
could trust you. Your goodwill will prove whether we will continue to have
dealings with you.”
“Thank you for being honest. After the site visit, would you and your
team join me for dinner?”
“That sounds wonderful. Please give Ian the location, so we can ensure
that we are not being set up. Also, we need the location for this evening.”
“Fine, the sight is at the Sonsol Temple.”
“You are housing the children in a Buddhist Temple?” Ian asked.
“It’s inactive and has been marked for demolition but the believers are
protesting it. We have been assisting the protesters, providing us with
unlimited access into the temple.”
“I am assuming there are caves or tunnels beneath this temple, like the
other sites?”
“Yes, I’m sure you have already reviewed the blueprints and identify
blind spots, but my goal is not to kill you. We are here to build our
relationship and ensure future business.”
“Good to know. We will be there at six pm. Before that, I will send my
security team in, to make sure there are not any traps. We don’t need to see
the facilities, just a broad sweep of the exterior and potential threats. If the
building is authorized for demolition, I want to make sure there are no
explosives that could land on our heads.”
“I understand. You are thorough, and I can see why Forbes has you as
his successor. He’s trained you well.”
“I will take that as a compliment. It will take a strong person to fill his
shoes.”
“Okay, I will see you this evening.” Nakamura stood to exit when Ghost
stopped him, “You are supposed to give us the restaurant location, so we
can scout.”
“Garden Hibachi Steakhouse in Yokohama.”
The three said their goodbyes and Ghost gave her his observation while
they were in the elevator, “With the location and advance notice of our
arrival, we have the best of two worlds. Let’s see if ECP is available for a
consult. With Byte at your suite, you know we are bug-free.”
This was great to hear, and she was ready to get this job done, so she
can take a break and hopefully sleep.

Byte was ready for them. When Ivy and Ghost entered the suite, she began
shooting out information.
“Wait, take a breath,” Ghost laughed.
Once they took a seat, they looked at a bouncing Byte.
“Spill it.”
“When I heard Nakamura was in the lobby, I tapped into the hotel
CCTV’s and I overheard the two locations and started digging.”
“What did you find?” Ivy prodded.
“A lot. First off, not only is the Temple abandoned but it’s scheduled for
demolition tomorrow.”
Ivy and Ghost looked at each other in bewilderment.
“Do you think he was planning on blowing it up with us in it?”
 “My guess is he fears you double-crossing him. This must be his
contingency plan; the building would explode and the girls would already
be gone.”
“So the girls need extraction either while we are dining with Nakamura
or before we arrive. The problem with doing it earlier means we cannot
exterminate him. Any suggestions?”
“That’s where I come in,” Voodoo said, holding a glass of water.
“What do you have in mind?”
“You see this glass? It looks like water, but it has enough toxin to take
the pervert out and it is undetectable in the blood system and appears as a
heart attack. We can get it into his system with no issues. You two need to
ask for water without ice; this would the easiest way to identify that you
have the right glass and don’t accidentally digest it.”
“Any idea how we will get it into the restaurant?” Ghost asked.
“Byte, you have this,” Voodoo said.
“So I went in and looked at most recently terminated employee, and we
had one scheduled for tomorrow. The manager has already written up the
termination letter. So I contacted her and showed her the document and
offered her ten thousand dollars to wait your table. I will provide her a vial,
and she is going to add this to his water. Once she does, we will pay her the
balance of the money.”
“You trust she will follow through?” Ivy asked.
“Yes. When she saw why he was terminating her, she knew it was
legitimate and not something I could have made up. He’s terminating her
because she propositioned a customer.”
“Sounds right,” Ghost said.
“Only the customer was her husband, and the manager knew it. When
she rejected all of her boss’s advances, he became jealous of her making
googly eyes with her husband. The vindictive prick got approval to
terminate her on her off day. I just have to make sure she doesn’t put some
of this in her boss’ drinks. She is going to quit after she closes out your
table.”
“With her leaving immediately, she will be a target once Nakamura’s
team learns of the girls being extracted. Is she aware of the risks?”
“She is, and she’s planning on relocating. As far as she is concerned,
this will make Nakamura ill, and will be okay if he gets medical care.”
“Is that true?” Ivy asked.
 “Nope,” Voodoo answered.
Ivy looked at Ghost and then Gunny for their input.
“I don’t know Voodoo but I need to know if you trust her enough to not
backstab you and give you the toxin instead,” Gunny asked.
Gunny looked at Voodoo and just lifted his shoulders, as if saying,
whatever.
Ivy looked at her team; the most dysfunctional team she had ever
worked with, and said without a doubt, “I trust her with my life, the same as
I trust you, Ghost and Byte.”
“She’s not the CIA agent I would kill,” Voodoo said as she walked over
to the wet bar and poured the liquid down the sink and then crushed the
glass into a napkin, tossing it in the garbage bin.
After everyone watched her destroy the evidence, they sat down and
finalized their game plan.
Gunny asked about ECP and Byte told him that they had arrived and
were staying at the Tokyo Marriott near the airport. They were calling in
thirty minutes on a secure line to get more updates.
Gunny then inquired who made up the team, “Steve, Doc, Bama,
Dodger and a new guy, Bench.”
Ivy shared a look with Ghost, “Do you know who this Bench guy is?”
“Never heard of him. Byte, any details?”
“I think Onyx and him were in Leavenworth together.”
“Another convict,” Gunny stated.
That earned a reprimand from Ghost, “Hey, just because someone spent
time in prison, does not make them dangerous. I would trust Onyx with my
life, and she was sent to prison for attempted murder. My only regret was
that it wasn’t murder.”
“Sorry, dude. It’s hard when you hear ‘dishonorably discharged’ and not
think the worst initially.”
“If Steve hired him and brought him on this mission, we have to trust
that his team is prepared for whatever comes our way,” Ivy stated.
“It’s three p.m. and we have three hours before the meet. Once the call
with ECP is finished, you guys need to go look at the location. I want them
to see we are armed and ready. “
“We will,” the team replied as they started pairing off. Byte and
Voodoo; Gunny and Ghost; and Ivy walked over and took out a bottle of
water, deciding to rest as much as she could. Tonight was going to be just as
fast-paced as Russia was.

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 CHAPTER 5

“Who’s on the call on your end?” Ivy asked.

“Dodger, Bama, Doc, and Bench are on the line,” Steve answered.
“We have Gunny, Ghost, Byte, and Voodoo.”
“Voodoo, I’ve not met her yet,” Steve remarked with a little reservation
but Ivy put a damper on that. “Nor has anyone met Bench, so we will just
have to trust that our teams are solid.”
“Agreed. Give us an update.”
Ivy told the ECP team about the rigged explosives and their expected
inspection and Nakamura’s impending ‘heart attack’.
“So tonight is our only chance.”
“Yes, I believe he has the girls stored there because he has revealed his
location and needs to burn it. Tell us about your extraction plan.”
“We have Doc manning the van. Bama, Bench, Dodger, and I will go
directly for the girls while Gunny covers us. Once we are certain that all
guards are taken out and any surveillance removed remotely by Byte, then
we will remove the girls, load them up and head straight for the airport. We
have a private plane, gassed and ready to go. Depending on how long you
take to wrap up your end, you could join us on the plane, otherwise, I have
a backup ready in Seoul if we need it.”
“We have flights scheduled at midnight tonight. Gunny, you can either
go with ECP or stay to leave with us. We should have no problems on the
commercial flight. If we run into trouble, we will contact you for the
secondary plane.”
“Sounds good. We are ready to leave for the site check when you are.”
“The sooner the better. We are running out of time quickly.”
 They agreed that the ECP group would join Ghost and Gunny for their
site inspection. Doc was staying behind at their hotel, preparing for what
medical attention the girls might need.
“It’s go time,” Ghost said, as they disconnected the call.
Seeing Voodoo’s reaction to Doc, Ivy pulled her outside on the balcony.
“Okay, what is up with you and Doc?” Ivy asked directly.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do, Voo. Every time I say her name, you either roll your eyes
or groan. So spill.”
“I don’t know. We just don’t mesh. She just gets under my skin and it’s
mutual.”
“Well, put it away for the evening. We have a lot of moving parts, and
we can’t afford any screw-ups. As it is, I am not happy about having to use
a civilian, especially in such a pivotal role.”
“I know but you have to trust that Byte dug up everything about this
girl, probably down to her natural hair color.”
They just laughed, and Ivy knew she was right. She was just nervous
about tonight. Not only was she going to be responsible for her team’s
safety but ECP and the girls, nearly thirty lives rested on her shoulders, and
she didn’t know over half of them.
After warning her to play nice with Doc, she went and laid down for
some much needed rest.

An hour later, Gunny and Ghost returned to the suite and updated the team
on their findings.
“We saw the detonators, they weren’t hiding them, so we aren’t sure
how that was supposed to play out. Also, we encountered eight guards, but
the surveillance was top-notch. We took pictures to show Byte to make sure
she can get in,” Gunny stated.
“There’s not a system out there that I can’t hack.” Byte growled.
Gunny threw his hands up and apologized for underestimating her
skills.
“We were greeted by Nakamura himself. I am not sure how he knew
what time we were going to arrive, so either he was looking at a close
circuit of the hotel, or he had been there waiting for us.”
“Did you ask about the explosions?”
“Yes, and he said he should have disclosed that earlier when we were
talking but didn’t want us to suspect him of double-crossing him.”
“I think seeing them and him not disclosing them would show a lack of
trust,” Ivy responded.
“That’s what I told him, but he said that was why he showed up
himself.”
“How many ECP associates walked the grounds with you?”
“Just Dodger and Bama.”
“Good, I was afraid they were going to show their hand too early but I
should have trusted them.”
“We are just learning to trust each other, so it will take time to
appreciate each other’s value,” Gunny stated.
The group began preparing for the night. If this mission was successful,
the girls would safe. If something went wrong, the would be lucky to live
through it.

Just as earlier, Nakamura greeted them at the door. Ivy expressed her anger
regarding the explosives.
“You know, when I mentioned not being blown to pieces, it was a
hypothetical situation and yet you are demolishing this building tomorrow.
Why did you omit that?”
“I didn’t want to spook you,” Nakamura said.
“I think you realize that not telling us, and possibly hiding that from us,
does not lend itself to trust each other. Your only saving grace is that my
men said the C-4 was clearly identifiable, and the detonators were not
connected. Alexi will check to make sure that hasn’t changed before I enter
this building,” and with that, Gunny left to make sure they would be safe
while in the temple.
A few minutes later Gunny came back and gave the all-clear signal,
knowing that Steve and his team would watch for it, as well.
“Very well, let’s get this started, so we can go toast to our partnership
with some sake.”
 After discussing this further, Voodoo recommended sake because it
would blend better with the toxin, plus it would ensure consumption.
Gunny took the lead, with Ivy and Nakamura in the middle and Ghost
bringing up the rear.
“Where’s the rest of your team? There were two more during the
inspection.”
“They are securing my next visit in China. We will leave the day after
tomorrow. They are going up this evening to verify the meet is safe for me.”
“I guess you have become target number one now that Alex is on the
run.”
“I am the next one up on the chopping block. So I do as much as I can
to ensure my safety.”
“My team never saw them. The only ones visible were these two. It
surprised them when the other two joined them.”
“There’s a reason for that. That is how I knew you were having me
followed.”
After the guard unlocked the iron gate leading into the tunnels, they
entered a large room that housed cages, where the girls were kept.
Ivy wanted to demand they be released, but she had a part to play and
put her personal feelings aside and stick with the plan.
“There seems to be more than the ten you received from us. You have
another provider?”
“Just as you have other clients, we have other sellers, however, you
provide us with the best product.”
“I see. There seem to be four per cage, so twenty-four girls. They also
look to be from locations other than the US.”
“Yes, we purchase girls from Russia, the Philippines, and we have some
Japanese here as well.”
“Let me guess, you offer reward money if anyone finds these missing
girls.”
“I haven’t but that’s brilliant.”
“Glad I could help,” Ivy supplied and then tried to think of how much
more she could relay to ECP through their coms.
“The cages reduce the amount of oversight you need. I was wondering
if eight security men would be enough but you could even cut back and not
have too much overhead.”
“How many would you suggest?”
 “One outside, like you already have. One inside the gate and one
standing guard. So three, four if you need another one walking around the
grounds. Having three inside the gate is overkill. It’s not like your girls can
escape. Then having two outside the gate is redundant. If the visitors get
past the front guard, the gate would stop them, so two guards are
unnecessary. So yes, you could reduce your costs.”
Nakamura was proud of his facility and continued to brag.
“We have someone in a sniper nest ready to take out any unauthorized
visitors.”
“That’s smart,” turning to Ghost, she asked, “Did you spot him?”
“No, ma’am. I wasn’t looking.”
Ivy gave her most disappointed look at Ghost, who dropped his head to
avoid eye contact.
“Don’t be too hard on him Brooks. Our sniper is on a building on the
West. We have eyes on anyone coming that way nearly immediately.”
“That’s some consolation, but what about on the East. Couldn’t
someone come in that way?”
“They could but it’s unlikely. The local police watch for intruders.”
“It’s always nice to have the authorities on your side, provided you can
trust them.”
“I pay handsomely, so I can trust them until the money stops.”
“That is how it is in all the countries we ship to as well. I’m impressed
with your operation and hope you can sell the product before next week’s
shipment. Do you have another area already prepared, since this one will be
in ruins tomorrow?”
“We do. It’s not as great as this location but it’s close to the airport. We
haven’t used it in the past, so it’s clean.”
“That’s good. Are you ready for dinner? I am ready for some sake and
hibachi.”
The foursome exited the building and made it to their vehicles.
“We have the directions, in the event, we lose sight of each other,” Ivy
told Nakamura as she was entering her car.
“Byte, can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear.”
“Check on the girl, let her know we are en route, and please remind her
to only put the toxin in his sake and not mine.”
 Ghost and Gunny would be at the next table over and decided to not
drink sake, in case the waitress forgot who’s cup had the toxin.
“Nice,” she said to Ghost and Gunny just laughed.
“Steve, are you good?” Ivy asked through her coms.
“We are great. We will breach in twenty. Nice way of getting your target
to reveal their security, giving him recommendations, to boot.”
She could hear the pride in his voice. This has been her life for eight
years. She was a pro at playing her role and was not ashamed to use lies and
manipulations to complete her mission.
“Good, we will reconnect after the takedown. Good luck and be safe,”
Steve told his other offspring.
She could hear Tyler grunt and only caught the end when Tyler said he
didn’t need luck.
Ivy shook her head and figured there was going to be a little sibling
rivalry in her near future.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 6

“Is this your first visit to Japan?” Nakamura asked after he placed his dinner
order and two cups of sake.
“No, I have been here several times. Being in the country of the dialects
I speak, helps me become more fluent with slang speech. If all I spoke was
proper English, ones would question my origin. It’s the same with Japanese,
Italian, and Spanish. There’s a difference between Spanish speakers who
live in Mexico versus Spain. The language reads the same, but the dialect is
different.”
“I am impressed with your language skills. What was the first language
you learned after English?”
“Spanish. Since I live in Texas, there’s a need for bilinguals, and
Spanish is spoken in probably seventy percent of the state and forty percent
worldwide. Forbes had me tutored in additional languages and the rest I
learned while at university.”
“I read somewhere that you went to MIT. That’s impressive, especially
for a sixteen-year-old.”
“Thank you. At an early age, I knew what my career path would be, and
I knew it would involve Forbes. He was my driving force.”
“I am sure he is proud of you.”
“I am sure he is as well. In many ways, I’ve surpassed his goals. I’ve
tried to be proactive and demonstrate that I will stop at nothing to reach my
goal.”
“He speaks very highly of you. He wasn’t lying when he described your
beauty. You are a deadly combination, brains, and beauty.”
 “I have the trifecta if you include determination. I do not quit until my
job is done.”
The waitress returned with their drinks and Ivy was thankful that her
cup was empty, reducing the odds that she was given the wrong cup.
Nakamura could not see the missing contents because of the design of the
cup.
She lifted her cup and offered a toast, “To the perfect duo; health and
wealth.”
“Cheers,” he commented and downed the sake.
Ivy faked a cough and put the cup down and reached for her ice water
but decided against drinking it and instead used her napkin to cover her
cough.
“Too strong for you?” Nakamura asked.
“I rarely drink sake, it’s a potent wine and best if sipped, in my opinion,
but I know that is not the custom here, so I tried to impress you. Obviously,
that was a mistake,” she joked.
Nakamura smiled and reached across the table to rest his hand on hers.
When she looked up, she saw him leering at her and was once again happy
to know that this mission was ending shortly.
“You could invite me up to your suite tonight. Forbes would not have to
know.”
“Forbes would have to be dead if he didn’t know what was going on
right now. He’s very protective of me,” Ivy said as she extracted her hand.
“But speaking of hotels, I think I will head back. I’ve not gotten enough
rest over the last few days. The worst part of traveling is the jet lag. Since I
will be in China next, I need to be alert. I hope you understand.”
“I do and I hope you will tell Forbes how comfortable you are with our
operations.”
As they were rising and walking out, Nakamura stumbled.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, dear. I think the sake is going to my head as it did yours.”
“Well, at least I didn’t embarrass myself if you are having problems
with it too. I will make the preparations for shipping next week. Just have
Sato call with final numbers and when you expect to come to retrieve the
goods.”
“I will and again give my appreciation to Forbes.”
 “Good night,” Ivy said as the car up and Ghost reached for her door. “I
hope you start feeling better. Maybe lying down will help ease your
stomach.”
“I am sure you are right. Tell Forbes hello for me.”
“I’m sure you will see him soon. Take care.”
It didn’t take long for Ghost to report that the raid was in progress and
the toxin had been placed in Sato’s home. “Byte had all the falsified bank
records and poison research sitting in the Cloud, ready to release to the
police and media. He will be executed for killing a well-respected
billionaire.”
“Perfect. Let’s head home. I’m so done with this country.”

In full combat gear, Gunny took out the sniper, grateful that Nakamura
outed him.
After giving the all-clear, Bama disarmed and neutralized the guard at
the entrance. Dodger entered the tunnel and began his trek to the interior
room. Steve took out the first guard in the tunnel with a silent K-Bar
assault. After gently letting the tango fall to the ground, Bama approached
the guard at the gate. Before he could sound an alarm, he was double tapped
by Bench, who then unlocked the gate, allowing Bama, Steve, and Dodger
access into the room. With four guards unprepared for the breach, the ECP
team neutralize the group easily.
“Gunny, status?” Steve asked.
“Clear.”
“Doc, we are ready. We have twenty-four innocents heading your way.”
“Gunny, calm those from Russia before escorting them into the van.”
“Roger,” he answered.
Steve watched as his team unlocked the cages, allowing the women to
exit.
The girls were scared, as one would expect. Steve calmed as many as he
could.
“Ladies, I am from the United States and have been sent here to bring
you home.”
 None of the ladies moved. They were unsure if they could trust their
rescuers.
“We are on an unsanctioned mission coordinated by a CIA agent, who
you will meet at the plane. We will work on returning you to your families
as quickly as possible. However, we need to leave before any more of
Nakamura’s men arrive.”
Saying Nakamura’s name brought the girl’s attention back to them and
slowly, one by one, they walked over to the gate.
“Let one of us take the lead, just in case.”
Steve took the lead with Dodger in the middle and Bama and Bench
taking the rear position.
“Gunny, we are nearly at the entrance. Still clear?”
“Affirmative. Doc is ready and air transport home is secured.”
With confidence, Steve continued to lead the ladies out where Doc was
standing outside the cargo van.
Her disarming smile invited the ladies to rush to her side, where she
quickly loaded them in with Steve joining her in the passenger seat.
“Ghost, are you there?”
“Here.”
“High-value targets (HVT) are all accounted for and heading to the
extraction site. Will you and Ivy be joining us?”
“Negative. Since the girls have seen Ivy with Nakamura, she decided it
would be best not to confuse or frighten them any further. You will,
however, have two additional passengers; Byte and Voodoo are on their
way.”
“Roger. See you in the States and Ghost, take care of my girl.”
Steve knew if she was listening, he would probably pay for that remark,
but he meant every word. She was his girl, his daughter, and his ally.
Forty minutes later ECP and their passengers were in the air and
Nakamura was covered with a white sheet, waiting to enter the morgue.
It was a great day for the good guys.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 7

Resting in her first-class seat, Ivy looked over at the man sitting next to her.
During the past month, she began to rely on Ghost, and she discovered, if
nothing else, that she found him attractive and her body responded to her
desire. She wasn’t sure she could mentally go there.
Feeling her eyes on him, he turned to face her, “It went well. Byte
flooded the documents showing Sato’s role in murdering Nakamura. I
thought it was smart of you to set him up and take any focus the police
might have had on the waitress.”
“I hate I didn’t think about it until the last minute but Voodoo and Byte
worked together to get it done.”
“We make a wonderful team,” Ghost acknowledged.
“I think so too. I was looking at everyone in the hotel suite and thought
we were a ragtag group but collectively we are magnificent. Is this the kind
of team you are thinking about having?”
“Yes, I want a team of misfits,” he laughed.
“Well, I’m glad we could show how misfits can be victorious.”
Ghost knew he wanted Ivy by his side once he got the company up and
running, but at that moment, it felt so far off, as if in a dream. He planted
the thought in her head, regardless.
“What are you going to do when we get back?”
“I have to work with the Feds and get the kill order taken away from the
CIA. Once I accomplish that, I am retiring from the spy business.”
“Any thoughts about what you will do next? Will you work for your
father?”
 “I’ve been wondering that too. Financially, I’m set for life. I wasn’t
going to keep the income I earned while undercover but I decided I’d be
able to put it to better use than the government.”
“Such as?”
“Maybe I’ll partner with an up and coming mercenary group, if he’s
looking for a partner,” she hedged.
“If he doesn’t, I do,” he smiled and covered her hand with his.
“It will take me some time to extract myself from the Feds.”
“I will wait.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to. I can front the necessary funds and once I’m
free of the Government, I’d join you. Perhaps while I’m still working
through the transition, I will work with ECP. I need to better understand
what the benefits are to being an independent asset, as you called it.”
“I was thinking the same. Steve is looking for another hacker and I
would like to beef up my skills. Blaze would be more patient than Byte.”
“You think?” she laughed. She could not see Byte teaching Ghost. She
would kill him before the day ended.
“I do. I think there are some skilled operatives out there and together, I
believe we could create a group that would rival ECP.”
“I do too. I’d love to be partners,” she said and bit her lip, deciding to
finish her thoughts. “Ghost, I am attracted to you and I’d like to act on that
attraction but I’m not ready yet. Are you sure you want me as your partner?
I can’t guarantee that we will be partners in all aspects of our lives.”
“I know you aren’t ready, but I’m relieved to know that you are
attracted to me. I don’t know what our futures hold as a couple, but either
way, I’d like you as a business partner.”
“And you would be okay as business partners and nothing more?”
“Okay? No. I honestly like you and would like to pursue a personal
relationship with you, but if all you can commit to is business, then I will
respect that.”
“Do you know what I thought when I first saw you in the parking lot at
Tyler’s wedding?”
“That I was a handsome guy?”
“Yes. My first thought was Herculean.”
“I was just joking.”
“Regardless, the sun was shadowing your features initially and your
silhouette only outlined your height and width. But once the sun fell behind
you, your eyes captured me. They are beautiful.”
“When I was a kid, I was picked on because of the two colors. Of
course, I didn’t know what heterochromia iridium was. I knew only that my
eyes didn’t match.”
“And when you were older? I’m sure the girls flocked to you in high
school.”
“I had my fair share of girlfriends. Only a few seemed uncomfortable
looking me in the eyes.”
“I could stare at them all day. Does anyone in your family have different
eye color?”
“No and that’s surprising because it is hereditary but from what my
parents have told me, I’m the first one. My children may inherit the same
gene.”
“You want children?”
“Maybe. We see so much and it scares me. I’m a very protective person
and I am afraid that I would smother my child because of what we know is
lurking around the corner.”
“I understand that. I’m not sure I’m mother material. Like you, I would
be a helicopter mom and that’s no way for a child to grow up.”
“You said once that you would like to get married but wasn’t sure if you
could find someone who understood you.”
“Yes.” Ivy hesitated, unsure what he was asking.
“I want you to know that when you are ready, I’m your man,” he said
and pulled her knuckles up to his lips and kissed them.
Ivy could only close her eyes, imagining what that future would look
like. She didn’t want to miss getting to know this man more intimately.
“I’d like that too,” she whispered.
The flight attendant made her apologies when she came and assisted
them in transforming their seat into single beds. Ghost pushed the divider
down so they could speak to each other without a barrier. As she laid there
looking into his eyes, she realized she would do whatever it took to have
him in her life, even if it meant undergoing therapy. However, because of
the nature of her employer, she’d have to find one that had military and
federal clearance. Perhaps she would have Byte investigate this further.
Even though Ghost’s eyes were closed, he reached over and held her
hand. Just these small innocent gestures warmed her heart. Yes, she was
determined to fix her past, so she could have a future.
“Sato has been arrested,” Steve said once Ivy and Ghost entered his office.
“And the girls?” Ivy asked.
“A physician has seen them all, and those in the United States have
been debriefed by the Feds and are on their way home. The foreigners are
still in Federal custody, awaiting the United Nation’s Human Rights
Advocate to work with their countries to get them safely returned.”
“That’s splendid news. What about the Fed’s search for Ivy? Do you
have any updates?” Ghost asked.
“I have contacted Cruz, and he has questions for you. Are you up to
talking to him?” Steve asked.
Ivy knew she was going to have to talk to the Feds, but she really didn’t
want to meet with them.
“Can we do it over the phone?”
Steve nodded as he dialed his friend.
“Cruz, hey buddy, I have Ivy here. Do you have time to talk with her?”
“Absolutely. Hello Ivy. I’ve heard great things about you. How are you
holding up?”
“If you think being hunted by the CIA, threatened by the FBI, attacked
by a disavowed DEA agent, and working in the sex trafficking industry,
then yeah, I think I’m doing okay.”
“Well, when you put it like that, I guess I should be glad that you are
even willing to talk with me,” Cruz replied.
“Only because Steve trusts you. So what have you found out?”
She could hear Cruz blowing out a breath before saying, “Nothing
positive. Your CIA handler has built quite a case against you. She has
audiotapes where she gave specific instructions forbidding you from killing
Javier, and they tracked you to Russia with CCTV images in the airport.
Since they also have Forbes in Russia, they assume he is dead since he’s not
been seen after he arrived in Russia.”
“I should have had Byte take care of that,” Ivy said as she pressed her
fingers to her forehead and blew out a breath.
“Please don’t tell me what that means. So, Ivy, when can we meet in
person?”
“When my name is cleared.”
 “Even if you agree to meet with me, I would not arrest you. While I
don’t know you, I know Steve and Ethan very well and if they believe in
your innocence, then I trust them.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“Cruz,” Steve interrupted, “Blaze is currently doing a deep dive further
into Alicia and John’s backgrounds. Once I have the information, I will
hand it over. You and Ivy can decide how best to handle it.”
Ivy appreciated that Steve wasn’t taking her voice away from her. She
needed to feel comfortable with who she was now.
Ivy continued, “I’m not familiar with Blaze but after he’s done his
research, I’d like for him to work with Byte if that’s possible.”
Steve smiled and joked, “Nothing would make that boy happier than
have her work with him. I think he has a little idol worshiping going on for
her.” Knowing how closed off Byte, Ivy knew she wouldn’t lead Blaze on.
She couldn’t see Byte dating ever, and especially not another hacker.
Cruz expressed his concerns with using Byte, who he knew by her not
so legal reputation.
“I will make sure she colors within the lines,” Ivy proposed, knowing
that would be a full-time job in itself.
“My friend, Tex, has already offered his services, should we need it,”
Steve added. After saying their goodbyes to Cruz and promising to meet up
soon, Steve earnestly felt a bond developing with his daughter, realizing it
was still a work in progress.
“What are you planning on doing right now?” Steve asked.
Ghost gave him the cliff notes of starting his company and Ivy being his
partner.
“That sounds good. I like the expansion of hiring others outside the
military. When do you expect it to be operational?”
“We aren’t sure. We were hoping we could work with you until we are
ready,” Ivy said.
“I would love that. As I told Ghost earlier, he will always have a place
here, and that goes without saying for you. It will give me time to get to
know you better.”
“Of course, it will be on the down-lo until I get this CIA and FBI
situation resolved.”
“Either way, I’m happy to have you here, for as long as you want to
stay.”
 The three continued discussing the extraction and housing options since
neither Ivy nor Ghost lived in San Antonio.
“We are looking at purchasing an apartment building and housing any
interested operatives. Blaze will work on installing all the necessary
security systems and Willow has agreed to work on the decorating and
getting the furnishings.”
“Sounds good. Do you need funds?”
“No, apparently we had a secret donor who gave us a quarter of a
million dollars electronically. Any idea where Byte found those funds?”
Ghost and Ivy exchanged smiles, and both shook their head as if to say
no.
“I didn’t think so. Come on, let me introduce you to the team members
you have yet to meet.”
They spent the rest of their visit talking with the ECP Alpha and Bravo
teams. Over lunch, the discussion changed and revolved around their
unexpected cash landfall and how they were going to use the funds.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 8

Gunny enjoyed working with Ivy and Ghost. In a lot of ways, Ghost
reminded him of his best friend and fellow sniper, Cake. He rarely allowed
himself to dwell on his friend. His death shook Gunny’s confidence. When
Steve pitched the job at ECP to him, he never thought he would be actively
involved in taking out sex traffickers, drug lords or coyotes, yet over the
past eight years, that had been his life.
He watch and unfortunately even heard the relationship Ghost and Ivy
were developing and it made him rethink his decision to remain unattached.
There was only one woman he ever thought of marrying but she was the
past, a very, very distant past. He sought her out when he left the Army but
she had relocated and he decided to not dredge up some rather painful
memories.
“It was great working with you,” Ivy said revoking his daydreaming.
“Same here. Any thoughts about how you are going to rid yourself of
the CIA and FBI?”
“Perhaps. I’ve been throwing out some ideas with Steve, but he keeps
putting his foot down, refusing to use me as bait.”
“He’s a good man. I’m glad you are giving him a chance.”
“I can tell. I let my pride stop me from contacting him. I can’t believe I
could have had him in my life all this time, if only I had made one phone
call.”
“Ironically, I was just thinking the same thing, but about a girl.”
“Oh, now let’s here this story.”
“Not much to tell. We were high school sweethearts until I broke her
heart. I regret everything I said to her those last few days before I went to
Basics.”
“It sucks to have regrets.”
“You aren’t kidding.”
“So have you tried to contact her?”
Gunny wasn’t going to give Ivy the details surrounding his departure or
how he had treated Evie.
“Not in years. When I returned from the Army, I tried reaching her but
she had moved. I never pursued it after that. I figure she must be happier
without me in her life. I can’t imagine her ever forgiving me for what I
did.”
“You cheat, steal or kill?”
“No, no, and yes.” There was no humor in Gunny’s answer and while
Ivy should have been shocked, in some way, she recognized another lost
soul.
“Well, whatever the reasons were, I can tell you from my own
experience, that perception isn’t always reality.”
Gunny thought about those words. Perhaps Ivy was right. His
perception or recollection of the events may not have been as painful as he
suspected. It would be a huge risk.
“Perhaps, but it’s been nearly twenty years. Our expiration has long
past.”
“Think about it.”
“I will. Dodger told me you were going to stick around. Did you find a
place to live yet?”
“Not yet. Any suggestions?”
“The complex I live at is safe enough and the rents not bad. The best
part, it’s ten minutes to the office. I’ll give you their website and you can
see if you are interested.”
“Perfect. Well, I’m headed out for dinner with Steve. It’s bonding time.
It’s been easy with Steve but Tyler seems pissed by my existence.”
“Pride. Seeing you, reminds him of his father’s affair and then by
extension, his mother. Give him time. I’ve not worked with him much, but
from what I’ve seen thus far, he’s a stand up guy.”
“This is all new for everyone. I am just wanting to know Steve better
and hopefully Tyler and Willow will accept me.”
“I’m sure they will.”
Steve approached them and asked if she was ready.
 “Sure. Gunny was telling me about some vacancies in his apartment
complex. I will need to have Byte create me a new alias, something the
Feds have no record of.”
“Starting over is no fun,” Steve joked.
“It’s much easier when Byte does all the work. My only job is to
remember my new alias.”
“Speaking of Byte, she’s coming to train Blaze and Ghost on some
hacking. I’m not supposed to know anything about this.”
Gunny looked from Steve to Ivy and burst into laughter. From his little
experience with Byte, he could not see her as a teacher.
“Sorry, I was just imagining Byte teaching those two. Blaze won’t be
able to pay attention, with his crush and Ghost will do everything in his
power to irritate her.”
Ivy offered to bring popcorn, because she agreed, it was going to be a
show not to be missed.
The group dispersed with Ivy and Steve heading out for drinks and
Gunny lacing up his sneakers for his run that evening. On nice days he ran
to and from the office. As he told Ivy, it’s a ten minute drive but a forty-five
minute run. This time allowed his mind to clear and was cathartic for him.

Ivy sat across from her father, replaying her conversation with Gunny. She
knew the danger of having too much pride. She was sitting across such
danger. She could have had a family all this time, but she was too angry.
“I owe you an apology,” Ivy stated.
“What ever for?”
“I knew about you for over ten years and I never sought you out. I kept
tabs on you and your company but I always remained in the background,
hating you, without truly opening myself up.”
“I wish for nothing else than to have taken you away from Forbes’
control, however, that didn’t rest solely on your shoulders. You had the right
ask why I didn’t seek out your mother.”
“Why didn’t you? I mean, after your wife died, you could have.”
“Before Ann-Marie died, she made me make a few promises and I have
tried to live up to those promises. One was to never tell Tyler about my
affair. She felt it was important that he not be touched by our decisions
early on.”
“I can see that. Speaking from experience, as a child it’s a lot to take on
the sins of your parents. My mother was my world, but because of her
choices and the pressures from the FBI, she introduced Forbes into my life.
If she had contacted you about me, perhaps all of this would never had
happened. On one side, I’m glad it played out as it did because we
eliminated real threats, which might not have happened otherwise. The flip
side of that is, if he wasn’t in my life, I wouldn’t be as screwed up as I am.”
“And if I had not cheated on Ann-Marie, you wouldn’t be here. This
cause and effect thing really can play havoc on your psyche.”
“You said there were several requests. Can you share more?”
“She asked that I not date your mother. Of course, I didn’t know where
your mother was, or even if she was alive. Sadly, your mother and Ann-
Marie died around the same time.”
“Did she say why you couldn’t contact mom?”
“Not directly, but if I had to guess, I’d say jealousy. Your mother was
the other woman and to Ann-Marie, if I went back to Emma, it was like
cheating on her all over again.”
“So she wouldn’t like you being with Gennifer?”
“The opposite actually. She wanted me to remarry.”
“Just not with mom.”
Steve nodded.
“Thanks for telling me. Mom loved you, you know. I was still young
when she told me about you, but there was genuine happiness when she
spoke about you. You weren’t a household name or anything, but once we
got away from Forbes, she mentioned you more often.”
“I am sorry about her death, and worse to know that it was not natural
causes.”
“I am still in shock about Forbes killing my mother. Honestly, there was
no reason. We were already gone and according to him, I was too old for his
liking.”
“It was revenge, pure and simple. How are you sleeping at night? Are
you still having nightmares?”
“Sleep is not my friend. We haven’t been for many years.”
“Have you given any further thought to seeing a doctor?”
 “Byte is working on a list for me. I have to be careful about who I go to,
but yes, I am going to seek help. For too many years, I have kept my life a
secret…living in the shadows. I don’t want that anymore. I want to live. I
want to laugh. I want to sleep. I want to love. And the only way these things
are possible, is if I get professional help.”
“I’m there for you anyway you need me. I just want you to know, you
are not alone.”
“I know,” Ivy said, as she reached across the table to hold her father’s
hand. Each day they spent together, the closer their bond was growing.
Steve told her once that he had wanted more children but Ann-Marie wasn’t
able to have anymore because of her health. Finding her was like an answer
to an unspoken prayer. She understood that perfectly. Steve was her answer
too.
“Enough sappy stuff. Show me pictures of Tyler as a baby. I need some
serious leverage on him.”
Steve blew out the breath he had been holding and eagerly pulled photo
albums down. He watched his daughter, looking at his son’s life, and
thanked Emma and Ann-Marie for the two blessings he know had. Both
women would forever hold a special place in his heart, but it was Gennifer
who owned it. Soon he would make her his wife and the four of them would
at last be a family.

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 EPILOGUE

Ivy enjoyed working with her family, and after six months, she even
enjoyed having a brother. He wasn’t the easiest person to get to know but
Willow was instrumental in pulling everyone together.
“Any updates from the CIA?” Willow asked, while the family was
having dinner together.
“No, we are still digging into who could have been Forbes’ inside man.
I have a few leads, but so far, nothing concrete.”
“And the FBI? Have they dropped the pending charges for Javier’s
death?”
“They have. I met with Cruz a couple of days ago. Without Alex or
Forbes to identify me as the shooter, they have no choice but to take the
word of a decorated CIA agent. While I don’t trust that I’m not on some kill
list, so far it would be unsanctioned, not that that means anything.”
“Plus, Byte is monitoring the dark web,” Ghost interjected.
Ghost and Ivy had been casually dating, even though Ivy still wasn’t
able to be intimate. She knew this was frustrating him, just as it was her, but
he never voiced his disappointment.
Gennifer was Ivy’s first genuine friend. She had friends that she could
count on, like Voodoo, Byte, and most recently Onyx, but her relationship
with Gennifer was different. She was helping Ivy and Steve build new
memories and she had no problems calling Tyler out if he was being a jerk.
“Ghost, any idea where you are going to set up your company?” Dodger
asked.
“Byte pulled some properties in San Diego but I’m not sold on it yet. I
think we may expand our search and not solely focus on the West Coast.”
 “Really, like where?” Steve asked.
“Well, we’ve talked about Texas, so Ivy is close to her family. We’ve
also looked at the top ten states where there’s a higher number of retired
military and government employees.”
“Oh, that’s interesting,” Gennifer said and then asked what they were.
“Alaska is the number one location. It seems mountains and vast open
spaces are the primary assets offered.”
“Was Texas on the list?” Steve asked.
“Austin was the fifth. Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio were in the
high twenties.”
“Austin isn’t far.”
“That’s what we were thinking too. It’s on our preferred area.”
Ivy agreed, “Yeah, as much as we enjoyed the cabin in Alaska, it’s not
where I want to live.”
Steve had hoped his family would all remain close, and it warmed his
heart knowing that Ivy was searching for places nearby.
“Have you given the laptop to the Feds?” Dodger asked.
“No, we still have it. Byte has the actual laptop because she is the most
secured vault available. She has made thumb drives for ECP and Ghost and
myself. We will target that ring. Although, we most likely will never
recover the girls on the spreadsheet, the buyers are just as crucial.”
“That’s why we are keeping a copy. That will be our initiative when the
company gets started,” Ghost added.
“Like how we primarily work with the DEA on stopping the drug
cartels,” Dodger commented.
“Exactly, also Ghost and I don’t want to compete with you. We have
decided not to tie ourselves with any government organization and use a
different means of getting requests.”
“How is that?” Willow asked.
“We will tell you once we know ourselves,” Ivy laughed.
Ivy sat back and watched the six of them enjoying each other’s
company and openly talk about sensitive topics. She had never had this type
of connection while actively working with the CIA. She would never
separate herself from her family again.
‘You were right mom. Steve is a good man and I’m glad he’s in my life. I
just wish you were here.’
 She wiped a stray tear and smiled as Steve reached for her hand and
squeezed it in silent support.
Her next mission was getting him, and her mother’s family reconciled.
‘That will take disarming her grandmother, literally,’ she thought as she
squeezed her father’s hand in response.

On the other side of town, Gunny stood dumbfounded with the door wide
open. What was she doing here? It’s been nearly twenty years since he had
seen her. Why now and how did she find him?
“Matt, we need to talk,” Evelyn said as she walked past him into his
hallway.
“Come on in, why don’t you Evie. What are you doing here?”
“Our son is missing.”
All Matt could think was, ‘what son?’ Before he could ask, Evie spoke
up, “I never got an abortion and Caleb is now seventeen years old.”
Gunny shut the door to his apartment; looking at Evie he wondered if
she had just opened a trap door.

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Dear Reader,
As you already know, Poison Ivy was book two in the ECP Paramilitary
Security series.
In this book, you were introduced to several new characters and the
outlined a new mercenaries’ series, which I will continue to develop in July
with, ‘Black Hat’ - Blaze’s story.
If you have missed the previous books in this series, download your
copy today of Securing Willow and Crash Landing.

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ALSO BY ANNIE MILLER

Intro to the ECP series:

Securing Willow

ECP Series - Alpha 

Crash Landing
Poison Ivy
Unravel  (May 11)
Black Hat  (July 20) 
Feathers & Lace (Dec 1)
Bama Boy (Nov 9)
Search & Rescue (2022)
Night Stalker (2022)
Kill Shot (Oct. 2022)

ECP Series -Bravo

Bench Press (Aug. 2021)
Missing in Action (2022) 
Winter Hawk (2022)
Pretty Boy (2022)
Fallen Angel (2022)

Mercenaries - New Series 

Ghosted (Nov 9)
Giga Byte (2022)
Black Listed (Nov 2021)
Voodoo (2022)

O’Malley Series:
Happenstance
Serendipity
Hope
 Stand Alone:
Stormy Weather
Light through the Broken Glass
Full Circle
Destiny
A Kiss in the Dark (2022)

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annie Miller is an award-winning contemporary romance and dramatic author, including Stormy
Weather, Broken Lives, and Destiny. She launched a new genre with her military romance; Securing
Willow and her ECP Securities series, Crash Landing. Texan born and raised, she appreciates the
importance of family and dear friends and great wine. When not writing Annie spends most of her
time reading, cooking, traveling, and watching her guilty pleasure, reality television.

Keep in touch with Annie and subscribe to her newsletter to receive a FREE book.
Website: www.anniemiller.net
Email: booksbyanniemiller@gmail.com

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There are many more books in this fan fiction world than listed here, for an
up-to-date list go to www.AcesPress.com

You can also visit our Amazon page at:

http://www.amazon.com/author/operationalpha

Special Forces: Operation Alpha World

Christie Adams: Charity’s Heart
Denise Agnew: Dangerous to Hold
Shauna Allen: Awakening Aubrey
Brynne Asher: Blackburn
Linzi Baxter: Unlocking Dreams
Jennifer Becker: Hiding Catherine
Alice Bello: Shadowing Milly
Heather Blair: Rescue Me
Anna Blakely: Rescuing Gracelynn
Julia Bright: Saving Lorelei
Cara Carnes: Protecting Mari
Kendra Mei Chailyn: Beast
Melissa Kay Clarke: Rescuing Annabeth
Samantha A. Cole: Handling Haven
Sue Coletta: Hacked
Melissa Combs: Gallant
Anne Conley: Redemption for Misty
KaLyn Cooper: Rescuing Melina
Janie Crouch: Storm
Liz Crowe: Marking Mariah
Sarah Curtis: Securing the Odds
Jordan Dane: Redemption for Avery
Tarina Deaton: Found in the Lost
Aspen Drake, Intense
KL Donn: Unraveling Love
Riley Edwards: Protecting Olivia
PJ Fiala: Defending Sophie
Nicole Flockton: Protecting Maria
 Alexa Gregory: Backdraft
Michele Gwynn: Rescuing Emma
Casey Hagen: Shielding Nebraska
Desiree Holt: Protecting Maddie
Kathy Ivan: Saving Sarah
Kris Jacen, Be With Me
Jesse Jacobson: Protecting Honor
Silver James: Rescue Moon
Becca Jameson: Saving Sofia
Kate Kinsley: Protecting Ava
Heather Long: Securing Arizona
Gennita Low: No Protection
Kirsten Lynn: Joining Forces for Jesse
Margaret Madigan: Bang for the Buck
Trish McCallan: Hero Under Fire
Kimberly McGath: The Predecessor
Rachel McNeely: The SEAL’s Surprise Baby
KD Michaels: Saving Laura
Lynn Michaels: Rescuing Kyle
Wren Michaels: The Fox & The Hound
Annie Miller: Securing Willow
Kat Mizera: Protecting Bobbi
Keira Montclair, Wolf and the Wild Scots
Mary B Moore: Force Protection
LeTeisha Newton: Protecting Butterfly
Angela Nicole: Protecting the Donna
MJ Nightingale: Protecting Beauty
Sarah O’Rourke: Saving Liberty
Victoria Paige: Reclaiming Izabel
Anne L. Parks: Mason
Debra Parmley: Protecting Pippa
Lainey Reese: Protecting New York
KeKe Renée: Protecting Bria
TL Reeve and Michele Ryan: Extracting Mateo
Elena M. Reyes: Keeping Ava
Deanna L. Rowley: Saving Veronica
Angela Rush: Charlotte
 Rose Smith: Saving Satin
Jenika Snow: Protecting Lily
Lynne St. James: SEAL’s Spitfire
Dee Stewart: Conner
Harley Stone: Rescuing Mercy
Sarah Stone: Shielding Grace
Jen Talty: Burning Desire
Reina Torres, Rescuing Hi’ilani
Savvi V: Loving Lex
Megan Vernon: Protecting Us
Rachel Young: Because of Marissa

Delta Team Three Series

Lori Ryan: Nori’s Delta
Becca Jameson: Destiny’s Delta
Lynne St James, Gwen’s Delta
Elle James: Ivy’s Delta
Riley Edwards: Hope’s Delta

Police and Fire: Operation Alpha World

Freya Barker: Burning for Autumn
B.P. Beth: Scott
Jane Blythe: Salvaging Marigold
Julia Bright, Justice for Amber
Anna Brooks, Guarding Georgia
KaLyn Cooper: Justice for Gwen
Aspen Drake: Sheltering Emma
Alexa Gregory: Backdraft
Deanndra Hall: Shelter for Sharla
Barb Han: Kace
EM Hayes: Gambling for Ashleigh
CM Steele: Guarding Hope
Reina Torres: Justice for Sloane
Aubree Valentine, Justice for Danielle
Maddie Wade: Finding English
Stacey Wilk: Stage Fright
Laine Vess: Justice for Lauren
 Tarpley VFD Series
Silver James, Fighting for Elena
Deanndra Hall, Fighting for Carly
Haven Rose, Fighting for Calliope
MJ Nightingale, Fighting for Jemma
TL Reeve, Fighting for Brittney
Nicole Flockton, Fighting for Nadia

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As you know, this book included at least one character from Susan
Stoker’s books. To check out more, see below.

SEAL Team Hawaii Series

Finding Elodie
Finding Lexie (Aug 2021)
Finding Kenna (Oct 2021)
Finding Monica (TBA)
Finding Carly (TBA)
Finding Ashlyn (TBA)
Finding Jodelle (TBA)

Delta Team Two Series

Shielding Gillian
Shielding Kinley
Shielding Aspen
Shielding Jayme
Shielding Riley
Shielding Devyn (May 2021)
Shielding Ember (Sept 2021)
Shielding Sierra (Jan 2022)

SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series

Securing Caite (FREE!)
Securing Brenae (novella)
Securing Sidney
Securing Piper
Securing Zoey
Securing Avery
Securing Kalee
Securing Jane

Delta Force Heroes Series

Rescuing Rayne (FREE!)
Rescuing Aimee (novella)
 Rescuing Emily
Rescuing Harley
Marrying Emily (novella)
Rescuing Kassie
Rescuing Bryn
Rescuing Casey
Rescuing Sadie (novella)
Rescuing Wendy
Rescuing Mary
Rescuing Macie (novella)
Rescuing Annie (Feb 2022)

Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series

Justice for Mackenzie (FREE!)
Justice for Mickie
Justice for Corrie
Justice for Laine (novella)
Shelter for Elizabeth
Justice for Boone
Shelter for Adeline
Shelter for Sophie
Justice for Erin
Justice for Milena
Shelter for Blythe
Justice for Hope
Shelter for Quinn
Shelter for Koren
Shelter for Penelope

SEAL of Protection Series

Protecting Caroline (FREE!)
Protecting Alabama
Protecting Fiona
Marrying Caroline (novella)
Protecting Summer
Protecting Cheyenne
Protecting Jessyka
 Protecting Julie (novella)
Protecting Melody
Protecting the Future
Protecting Kiera (novella)
Protecting Alabama’s Kids (novella)
Protecting Dakota

New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author
Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Tennessee where she lives,
but this all American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in
Missouri, California, Colorado, Indiana, and Texas. She’s married to a
retired Army man who now gets to follow her around the country.

www.stokeraces.com
www.AcesPress.com
susan@stokeraces.com

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