Muerte Resurrected (Muerte Series Book 2) - John W. Wood

Muerte Resurrected (Muerte Series Book 2) by John W. Wood

Book excerpt

The Pentagon

Deep within the Pentagon, four high-ranking men sat at a conference table in a briefing room. They listened intently to a fifth man, Senior Agent Stephen Boyd of the Central Intelligence Agency. “That’s it, gentlemen. Many Americans will die if these terrorists get their hands on this device. The President has tasked us with finding these terrorists and neutralizing them and the device. We need a team capable of operating within the terrorist community and or the Russian mob if need be. They must be both diplomatic and intelligent but ruthless if necessary. They must not hesitate. Too many lives are at stake.”

General Callahan replied, “I know of a team that meets all of your requirements. If you meet with me in my office, I can fill you in.”

“If you would fill us in now, General, it would save time,” suggested Agent Boyd.

“I can’t. The operation and the people involved are still highly classified. Before I can speak with you about them, I will have to obtain permission.”

Boyd studied the broad face of General Callahan. At first, Boyd was upset that the general thought he had to get permission to talk to him. ‘Hell, I hold the highest clearances… the General isn’t showboating,’ Boyd thought. “Will half an hour be long enough?”

“Make it forty-five, and I’ll be ready.”

Forty-five minutes later, Stephen Boyd entered General Callahan’s office. The General sat behind a large desk covered with neatly stacked files. “Come on in and have a seat. Can I offer you something to drink?”

Taking a seat in front of the desk, Boyd shook his head and replied, “No, thanks.”

“I have permission to speak to you about an operation you may have read about in the papers.”

“The operation was in the papers, and you couldn’t speak to me without permission?”

“The papers only carried the outcome of the operation. Only a select few know what happened.”

Boyd sat back in his chair, “Let’s hear it.”

“To start with, about fifteen years ago, we discovered a young Marine in Force Recon who possessed unique talents. I selected him and several others with similar abilities to form an elite group I developed within MARSOC (Marine Forces Special Operations Command). Out of twenty men tested, six made the team. They were classified as MOS 2666, Speed-Killers. Their speed and agility were something to see. They became proficient at everything we threw at them. They have language skills, can fly several aircraft types, and are skilled with foreign and domestic weapons. But one of them, Rico Garcia, was the best of the best. His handle was Muerte.”

Boyd sat up and said, “I’ve heard that name. I was working in intelligence in Afghanistan. He often worked alone, if I remember correctly.”

“That’s him. Well, we received orders for a special operation. Garcia was to infiltrate the Mexican Cartel and destroy it from within. Garcia not only infiltrated the Cartel, he became the head of the Cartel. He and his team were responsible for hundreds of arrests in Mexico, Columbia, and the United States.”

“This Garcia, is he still operating?”

“No, Garcia and two of his team died in a plane crash. But, if necessary, Garcia and his team could be resurrected.

Chapter 2

Spain, The Resurrection

Colonel Ethan Wade, USMC, retired, watched a man and a woman as they shopped in the Spanish open-air market. Wade stealthily made his way through the market. He covertly observed the couple through the bustling crowd. Customers handled the fruits and vegetables, smelling and gently squeezing the produce, checking for quality and ripeness. Wade picked up a piece of fruit and pretended to examine it. But it was the man and woman who held his interest. The man had shoulder-length black hair and a thick, full beard. He stood head and shoulders taller than most people in the market. He wore white cotton slacks and a black polo-type shirt that accented his broad shoulders and muscular arms. In his left hand was a woven bag filled with fruits and vegetables.

The tall woman had short black hair that enhanced her handsome features. She wore a brightly colored print cotton dress that highlighted her deep brown tan. As the couple left the market and walked toward an area of luxury villas, Wade followed them. Up ahead, the street made a sharp left turn around the corner of a building, causing Wade to momentarily lose sight of them.

Speeding up his pace, Wade turned the corner, nearly running into the man.

Ready to strike, recognition showed on the man’s face. “Colonel Wade?”

“Hello, Rico,” replied Wade. “Hi, Ramona,” Wade said to the woman standing behind Rico. “I was on my way to your home when I saw you in the market. I didn’t want to draw attention there, so I followed you home. I see you haven’t forgotten your tradecraft.”

A concerned Ramona moved to Rico’s side, “What brings you here?” she asked Wade.

“I need to talk to the two of you.” Seeing the alarm on Ramona’s face, Wade said quickly, “You are not compromised. There is no danger.”

“Come to our home, where we can talk.”

Wade was impressed with the Villa. Its shiny tile floors and bright white walls gave a feeling of coolness to the interior. Rico led Wade through a hallway out to a patio. The dark green, tiled patio floor stopped at the edge of an infinity pool that looked over Valencia's blue Gulf. “You have a beautiful place here, Rico,” said Wade.

“The weather is perfect year-round, and our families are close by.”

Ramona came out of the house and said, “Please, have a seat. Refreshments are on the way.”

The three moved to a glass-topped table and sat down. Rita brought out a tray of fruit and cheese and a decanter of refreshing tropical fruit juice. She then retreated back into the kitchen.

“Please, have something to eat,” said Ramona to Wade.

Rico asked, “Why, after all of this time, have you decided to visit us?”

Wade unbuttoned the first three buttons of his shirt and reached inside. He removed an envelope from a flat fabric case and handed it to Rico. “This explains why I’m here.”

Rico took the envelope, opened it, and removed a single piece of typewritten paper. Silently, Rico read and then handed the letter to Ramona. After reading and rereading the letter, Ramona said, “You have to be shitting me! The President of the United States?”

Wade laughed, “It’s no joke. He is asking you to reactivate. Not only you but the entire team, including me.”

“What happened that’s so important that we need to reactivate?” asked Rico.

“We have information from a vetted source that a terrorist group is about to receive a nuclear device. The device is Russian-made, similar to our suitcase bomb, but larger and powerful. We need to find out who is selling and who is buying. Then neutralize them and the bomb. It was General Callahan who recommended our team.”

“Have you talked to the other team members?”

“Most of them. I have contacted Wolf and Benny. They both agreed to the reactivation. Wolf is arranging transportation to meet Chang and Brody in Wyoming. Brody and Chang don’t know we’re coming. I wasn’t able to contact them before coming here.”

Rico turned to Ramona, but she said, “We’ll do it before he could speak. Rico and I have kept up with our skills, and he has been acting like a caged lion since the last mission.”

Wade looked at Rico, who had a lopsided, guilty grin. Reaching out, Rico wrapped his arm around Ramona’s waist. “Yeah, count us in. What are you calling the mission?”

“Resurrection,” replied Wade. “After all, you guys have been dead for several years.”