Outcast (SEAL Team: Disavowed Book 2) Page 13

  Everett reached the second-floor ballroom’s balcony when a metallic click caught his attention. He froze.

  He hadn’t worn NVGs, partly because the moon was nearly full and he didn’t figure he’d need them. Mostly, because he’d been afraid Baby Joe would have taken one look at “Uncle Everett” in scary monster glasses and freaked. Now, he wished he had them so he could make out the noise’s source.

  Only when he heard muffled voices did he start to sweat.

  June in Colombia was no joke, but up until now, adrenaline had kept him cool. There hadn’t been time to do a thorough study of guard activity, but intel said there were three rotating crews of eight-man security teams twenty-four seven. Two guards monitored the house, and six watched the grounds. Thus far, they’d done a piss-poor job, considering he had yet to see one.

  Odds were in his favor that the noise he’d heard had been one of the regular patrols making rounds.

  When he didn’t hear another sound save for a gazillion bugs’ rhythmic hums, he figured he was free to scale the last floor, then hightail it through the jungle to the Jeep he’d earlier stashed three miles from the compound.

  Antsy to make a quick entrance, Everett braced his palms on the balcony’s stone rail, then vaulted himself over.

  At that instant, a blinding beam spotlighted him.

  “¡Al ladrόn!”

  Translation? Shit.

  He grabbed for the next handhold just as shots were fired. One pinged close enough for him to see sparks.

  Blinded, pulse racing, he sucked in a deep breath and hoped for the best as he reached blindly for his next perch. What he got was a freefall, a seriously not good twist to his left knee, then, when he tried standing on it, he fell ass-backwards onto the manicured lawn.

  He tried hopping up, but screaming pain sent him crashing down again.

  Adding to the party were a circle of at least a dozen seriously armed commando-types holding M16s and headlamps aimed at him.

  He groaned. Why had he made this a solo mission?

  “What a wonderful surprise,” a smoky female voice said in a thick Spanish accent.

  The lights in his eyes made it too bright to see Jack.

  “I do love a party. Although next time, please call first.” He couldn’t see her, but her perfume was cloying—choking him with the crisp floral scent of high maintenance. “Take him away. See that he has medical attention for his knee. He’ll make a nice trade for that bitch who killed my husband.”

  Order SHUNNED

  Dear Reader—

  I can’t thank you enough for spending time with Jasper and Eden. Hope you loved their story!!

  As a huge fan of action-adventure novels by authors like James Rollins and Clive Cussler, I’ve always dreamed of creating my own high-stakes treasure hunt. In OUTCAST, my wish finally came true! But you know that old saying about being careful what you wish for? LOL!! For a while, it seemed like every line needed to be researched. Not only did I need to learn about Antarctica’s weather, wildlife, and landscape, but the scientists who make this wild and hauntingly isolated part of the world their home. To understand more about this little-known place, I highly recommend the documentary, Antarctica: A Year on Ice. I was especially intrigued by the hearty souls who “winter over”, going months without seeing sun. I would dearly love to experience this, so if anyone has connections, please let me know!!

  My favorite bit of research came about while studying Nazi conspiracy theories. It’s fact that after WWII, vast caches of stolen art and treasures were located and returned to its rightful owners. But to this day, many priceless artifacts and millions—maybe even, billions—of dollars in gold and treasure are still out there, waiting to be found . . .

  The next book in my SEAL Team: Disavowed series is called, SHUNNED. It opens with the heartbreaking realization that Nash and Maisey from ROGUE, have had their baby kidnapped by drug lord Vicente Rodriguez’s widow who is hellbent on avenging her husband’s death. With Maisey in a coma and Nash constantly by her side, it’s up to team member and friend Everett Black to rescue Baby Joe. What Everett never expects to find during this dangerous quest is forbidden love with Ruby Morales—a novice nun.

  Happy Reading—Laura Marie

  P.S. If you enjoyed OUTCAST, pretty please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. (Both if you’d really love to make me smile!!)

  About the Author

  Laura Marie Altom is the author of over fifty novels. Her award-winning work has appeared on numerous bestseller lists and worldwide, she has nearly two million books in print. Laura lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband of twenty-seven years. This former teacher has been blessed with boy/girl twins and a menagerie of dogs and cats. For fun, Laura’s content to garden, thrift-shop or curl up with a great book.

  Laura loves hearing from readers, and can be reached at the following social media outlets:

  E-mail balipalm@aol.com

  Website: www.lauramariealtom.com

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/LauraMarieAltom

  Twitter: @LauraMarieAltom

  Instagram: www.instagram.com/lauramariealtom

  Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/lauramariealtom

  Copyright © January 2016 by Laura Marie Altom

  ISBN: 978-0-9897229-3-3

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

  All characters and incidents within this book are fiction, and works of the author’s imagination.