Men and women who have sacrificed their personal identities to live in the shadows and uphold justice for all–no matter the cost.

 

Network 5^th in Command, Hunter Savage is nearly at death’s door when he turns renegade to save his sister, kidnapped by the Black Pope, Rex Kovac, leader of the covert terrorist organization R.E.D. Hunter’s only means of saving Celine? Steal Kovac’s most prized possession–his wife.

Renowned belly dancer, “the Spanish Rose”, Tanya Kovac is nowhere near as innocent as she seems…and Hunter is nowhere near as indifferent to Tanya’s charms as he wants and needs to be to save his sister.

GENRE: Romance: Contemporary Intrigue/Espionage     ISBN: 978-1-925191-44-8    ASIN: B078QMJS7H     Word Count: 55, 524

Ebook and Print versions currently available exclusively from Amazon:

Chapter 1

 

“We’ve got him,” Hunter Savage said under his breath. Instinctively, his hands clenched in victory. “We’ve got the Black Pope. And he’s mine.”

“Alpha and Beta Teams?” Lona Reznik guessed, knowing as well as he did that only the best would do for this mission.

Hunter shook his head without glancing up at the Head of Network Analysis. “Just Alpha. I don’t want Kovac catching even a whiff of us.”

“I’ll call over to Comm.”

“I want the teams assembled in under two hours,” he said, already stalking away.

“Who do you want reassigned to the Michum mission?” Lona called.

He turned back for an instant, and she said, without betraying a hint of emotion, “Justine will ask.”

The thrill of victory brought with it an intense desire he knew better than to indulge.

Later.

“Green Team.”

Trying to tamp down on his growing excitement, Hunter made his way out through the underground compound where the Network was headquartered. As the most covert organization in the world, sanctioned by the American government, though known only by the highest officials, their primary mission for the past four years had been to bring down their arch enemy, R.E.D.–Revolutionary Echelon Defenders.

Little was known about the terrorist group, but their Remote Command Centers (RCC) were heavily guarded and always mobile, to throw the Network off their location. The head of R.E.D. was believed to be a notorious figure aptly named the Black Pope. Rex Kovac. Only the highest level operatives within the group claimed access to him. Kovac had his hand in everything from Mexico politics to banking and sports, and, of course, terrorist activities. As his nickname implied, the man followed his own code of ‘morality’, requiring that everyone around him do the same. Both worshipped and feared by the people of Mexico, the man’s only Achilles’ Heel seemed to be his scandalous, public affairs with the crème of the crop. His wife, former renowned belly-dancer, now a recluse, Tanya Kovac, turned a blind eye to his indiscretions. She’d stood beside him mutely since the two had begun making headlines together–the Black Pope always fully masked while in public.

Captain Shannon McKee and Angelo Pluzetti–the Head of Network Operations and 3rd in Command, waited for Hunter in McKee’s office.

“You got a solid location on Kovac?” McKee, 2nd in Command and Liaison between Oversight in Washington, D.C., said the words in disbelief.

In the four years they’d been aware that Kovac headed the elusive group, they’d never gotten more than a fuzzy photograph of the man’s back. He was that well insulated.

“We’ve verified that Kovac is in one of his secure retreats in Haiti.”

“How accurate’s the intel?” Angelo asked.

“Within ninety-nine percent. We’ll get him this time.”

Once upon a time, Angelo had both intimidated and inspired Hunter. He’d been the one to bring him and Celine into the Network long ago…so long ago, Hunter no longer thought about it. But he’d never forget. Now that Hunter had moved permanently into Level 1 status, 5th in Command as Head Team Leader/Mission Coordinator, he no longer felt the same intimidation he once had of his mentor. Yet he’d always feel grateful to Angelo, who’d believed in him and helped him find the confidence to succeed in a place where only the elite rose to power.

“My team will be mobilized to move out in under two hours. I’ll lead them myself. Our window of opportunity won’t be open long.”

“Kirsten can lead the team. We need you in Comm,” Angelo said.

Hunter shook his head. “I can’t risk it.” There was too much riding on this. If they got the Black Pope…if he did…

“Then I’ll take Comm.”

Hunter nodded toward his mentor.

“How soon can you have the mission parameters established?” McKee asked.

“An hour.”

She nodded. “We’ll be in Tactical at that time then.”

Hunter noted as he left that neither of them tried to remind him what was at stake. Did they trust him to handle this? He’d been only too aware that his predecessor had been called the most dangerous man in the world. The title had fit Roan Emory accurately. But Emory was dead. R.E.D. had put a hit out on him three years ago. In the process of relentlessly pursuing and taking out the Network’s best operative, R.E.D. had nearly disabled them beyond repair.

Hunter was now in the role of the most dangerous man in the world. His superiors had bestowed on him a responsibility he’d taken seriously. He’d been training for this since childhood. He couldn’t fail to recognize his destiny. Since Emory’s death, Hunter had gone after R.E.D. with a vengeance, taking out half of the organization and reducing their power considerably. But not enough. Emory had said it four years ago: Kovac was the key to toppling the organization.

Now Hunter had a chance to do just that. He could prove to himself and anyone who doubted it that he was equal to his predecessor. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he would earn the title of the most dangerous man in the world.