Threat Zero Read online

  He stood and walked from the Oval Office carrying his iPad, watching the real-time streaming video satellite shot of Sloane Brookes pulling up to Jessup’s dock on Tangier Island.

  When she shut the engine, the boat exploded and fire engulfed the sun-bleached planks of Jessup’s pier and house in seconds.

  No survivors.

  President Smart smiled and tucked his iPad under his arm as he watched Maximus Anon’s tweet boil around the world.

  Passing a young staffer working the midnight shift, he pointed at her and said, “And that’s how it’s done.”

  EPILOGUE

  Harwood looked down at Monisha, whose eyes were staring at Samuelson’s casket. She reached up and grabbed his hand, an uncommon gesture for her. He was wearing his blue army uniform, like many in the large crowd of Rangers, family, and friends.

  Hinojosa sat in the corner right chair next to her parents. The Ranger Regiment colonel knelt on one knee, handing a flag to each of them, saying, “On behalf of a grateful nation…”

  When the colonel was done, seven sergeants from the Third Ranger Battalion stood erect, like statues, tan berets folded over their right ears, jump boots black and glossy, crisp blue uniforms creased and perfect, white gloves holding M1 rifles glistening with wood oil.

  One sergeant commanded, “Ready, aim, fire.”

  The shots rang out as if they were one. Seven rifles fired with military precision. Port arms, charging handle jacked, rifle back at the shoulder, another volley. And another.

  Three volleys, seven rifles, twenty-one-gun salute.

  Tears cut fresh paths over Harwood’s cheeks. He stood next to Monisha, who held his left hand tightly. She jolted at each volley, showing uncharacteristic vulnerability. By now, she was weeping openly, convulsing even, unable to hold back the flood of emotions. Perhaps the tough exterior had been penetrated, but to what end? He wondered if she could grow from the trauma of losing a close friend like Samuelson, or if she would further tighten the shutters, sealing herself off from the pain.

  He saluted when the bugle belted out taps, the final note of the service. The Rangers marched away. The crowd dissipated. Hinojosa approached Harwood and Monisha, clutching to her chest the flag that had been draped over Sammie’s casket. Her makeup was destroyed from crying.

  Monisha squeezed Harwood’s hand so tight he felt a bite of pain, not only his own, but hers as well.

  Hinojosa stepped into him and laid her head on his shoulder. She wept quietly, the flag pressing into his chest. Monisha folded into them and put her arm around Hinojosa’s back as she released Harwood’s hand and hugged him as well.

  With her head just above the folded flag, Monisha whispered, “Be okay. Yeah, this will be okay. We’ll make it okay.”

  He felt her squeeze tightly and quit wondering about her emotional maturity. They stood there for several minutes, embracing, reinforcing, and holding each other up, most likely. Each had suffered a singular, unique loss: Hinojosa a brother, Harwood a Ranger buddy, and Monisha an adult friend who had been a rare role model in her life.

  As the sun set, they walked from Arlington National Cemetery and found a restaurant nearby. As they found a table, Harwood sat next to Monisha, who was seated across from Hinojosa.

  Harwood ordered three beers and Monisha said, “Damn, Reaper. Going all rogue on homegirl. Letting me drink beer?”

  “I need two,” Harwood said.

  Monisha smiled, the best she could do.

  Hinojosa sighed and then smirked. “You can have a sip of mine,” she said.

  “I don’t know, Hinojosa. You look like someone out of a zombie movie. Your makeup is trashed.”

  “Ha! You don’t look any better!” Hinojosa shot back.

  Harwood leaned back and thought, Yeah, we’ll make it okay.

  The beers came and they toasted.

  “To Sammie.”

  ALSO BY NICHOLAS IRVING

  Reaper: Ghost Target

  The Reaper

  Way of the Reaper

  Dark Winter

  ALSO BY A. J. TATA

  THE CAPTAIN JAKE MAHEGAN SERIES

  Foreign and Domestic

  Three Minutes to Midnight

  Besieged

  Direct Fire

  THE THREAT SERIES

  Sudden Threat

  Rogue Threat

  Hidden Threat

  Mortal Threat

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  NICHOLAS IRVING is the New York Times bestselling author of The Reaper and Way of the Reaper. He’s spent six years in the Army’s Special Operations 3rd Ranger Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment, serving in positions from assaulter to Sniper Team leader. He was the first African American to deploy in the GWoT as a sniper in his battalion and is now the CEO of his own company. He also appeared as a mentor on the Fox reality show American Grit, Discovery Channel’s Master of Arms, and has consulted on various films and TV shows. He lives in San Antonio, Texas. You can sign up for email updates here.

  A. J. TATA, Brigadier General, U.S. Army (Ret.), commanded combat units in the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and the 10th Mountain Division. His last combat tour was in Afghanistan in 2007, where he earned the Combat Action Badge and Bronze Star Medal. He is a frequent Fox News, CNN, and One America News military analyst and is the author of nine bestselling novels, including the Threat series and the Captain Jake Mahegan series. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Epigraphs

  Acknowledgments

  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

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Also by Nicholas Irving

  About the Authors

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.

  REAPER: THREAT ZERO. Copyright © 2019 by Nicholas Irving. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  Cover design by Ervin Serrano

  Cover art: texture © Krasovski Dmitri/Shutterstock.com; bullet holes © Andrey Kuzmin/Shutterstock.com; Salimgor/Shutterstock.com

  The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 978-1-250-12736-5 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-1-250-12737-2 (ebook)

  eISBN 9781250127372

  Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].

  First Edition: May 2019

 

 

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