Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Going Ghost (Kindle Worlds Novella) (SEALed Brotherhood Book 2) Read online

  Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.

  This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Stoker Aces Production, LLC. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Special Forces: Operation Alpha remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Stoker Aces Production, LLC, or their affiliates or licensors.

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  by

  Victoria Bright

  Chapter 1

  Myles “Ghost” Richards shuffled down the dimly lit hallway behind his SEAL brothers, senses on high alert. They all pressed up against the wall as they approached the door and listened. The target’s giggle on the other side of the wall taunted them of what they knew was to come. Ghost wasn’t quite sure this was what he signed up to do when he became a SEAL.

  “This is going to be a quick in-and-out mission,” Savage murmured over his shoulder. “Everyone should remain on high alert. This can get messy if we fuck up.”

  “Is all of this really necessary though?” Ghost asked.

  Savage cut his eyes to him. “Is it necessary? Do you want to make it out of here alive, SEAL?”

  Ghost adjusted his skull face mask with a shake of his head. “Whatever, Sav. Let’s just get this over with.”

  “Okay then,” Savage said, turning back toward the door. “We go in on three. Joker, I want you right behind me to be ready to grab and dispose of the bomb.”

  Ethan “Joker” Carlton clicked the tongs together. “Aye, aye, captain.”

  Ghost shook his head again. They’d done a lot of crazy things together, but this mission officially topped the list at being the dumbest thing they’ve ever done.

  “On my count,” Savage started.

  “This is so fucking stupid,” Bryan “Bullseye” Sterling mumbled, causing Ghost to snicker.

  “Shut up, Bullseye,” Savage hissed. “Okay, one…two…three!”

  The men swarmed the room and surrounded the target, who only looked up at their covered faces and laughed.

  “What now, genius?” Sterling “Diablo” Haughton asked, Savage took a deep breath.

  “Okay, let’s—”

  “What the hell are you idiots doing?” a voice asked behind them.

  They turned to see Savage’s wife Natalie standing in the doorway with a raised brow.

  “Oh hey, babe,” Savage said.

  “Told you this was fucking stupid,” Bullseye said with a chuckle.

  Natalie looked to Joker. “Are those tongs from my kitchen?”

  “Indeed,” Joker answered, clicking them together again.

  “Cameron, what the hell are you guys doing and why are you dressed like that?” she asked, eying their face masks and latex gloves.

  “We were changing Carter,” Savage replied, gesturing toward the cooing infant on the changing table. Her face wrinkled in confusion.

  “Let me get this straight,” Natalie started, entering the room. “In order for you to change the baby, you needed the help of your SEAL team AND felt it was necessary to put your gear on to do so?”

  Yeah, this definitely hadn’t been their brightest idea.

  “Savage can kill a man with his bare hands, but his kryptonite is baby poop,” Joker said, causing Ghost, Bullseye, and Diablo to roar with laughter.

  “Shut the hell up, bastards. The poop in that diaper didn’t come from a fucking baby,” Savage snapped.

  Baby Carter giggled and blew spit bubbles as if to tease him. His brown hair stood up on his head and his bright brown eyes watched them in amusement as he reached out to be picked up.

  Natalie crossed the room and kissed the bottom of his foot. “I know, baby. I’d laugh at these clowns too for being so ridiculous,” she said as she opened his diaper. What sounded like a gag came from Savage’s throat before he cleared it. Natalie rolled her eyes.

  “Just go, Cam. I got it,” she said.

  Ghost chuckled to himself. Who would’ve thought something as simple as a dirty diaper would bring the toughest man he knew to his knees? He had to admit that Savage had changed for the better when Natalie came back into his life, even more so when his son Carter was born five months ago. Their usual nights at bars and clubs either excluded Savage or was changed to family dinners and family-friendly venues if his wife and son decided to tag along. Used to seeing the tough side of his leader, witnessing his nurturing side with his son always reminded him that there was still something good in the world, which was hard to believe at times in his line of work.

  “I must say, out of all the shit we’ve done, this is by far the dumbest,” Ghost said as they entered the living room.

  “Yeah, when you sent an S.O.S, I wasn’t expecting to rush over here to only change a baby,” Bullseye added.

  “Take notes, fellas,” Savage said, pulling off his face mask. “That is how you get out of diaper duty.”

  “And just for that, you can take the diaper out to the trash,” Natalie said as she walked over to the couch with Carter in her arms. Savage mumbled something under his breath and disappeared down the hall as Joker took a seat next to Natalie.

  “Can I hold him?” he asked. Natalie placed Carter in his arms. Carter squeezed Joker’s cheek in his tiny hand and gave him a toothless grin. “Man, this kid gives me serious baby fever.”

  “You have to get a woman first, genius,” Ghost joked.

  Joker snapped his fingers as if he remembered something. “Oh I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Your mom and I have been talking and we wanted to know how you’d feel about a baby brother?” he asked.

  “I fucking hate you,” Ghost ground out as the others laughed. Part of him wanted to be angry at the joke, but he knew he couldn’t be. Joker didn’t know the truth about her; none of them did. It still didn’t stop his pulse from rising or his palms from sweating as he tried to swallow the annoyance and frustration brewing at the mere mention of his mother.

  Joker’s chuckle brought him back to the conversation. “Yeah, I love you too, son.”

  Ghost rolled his eyes and glanced down at his watch. “I'll catch up with you guys later. It's almost time to pick Jojo up from her French club meeting,” he said.

  “Oh yeah, you two leave for Paris tomorrow night. I'm so jealous. Make sure you take lots of pictures and be safe,” Natalie said as she got up to hug him.

  “If I don't take them, I'm sure Jojo will,” he said, shaking hands with the rest of the SEALs before slapping Joker behind the head.

  “Later, guys.”

  ***

  Baby Sis: Can you come inside? Ms. Barrera wants to go over a couple of things.

  Ghost strolled down the hallway of the high school, looking for the class number his sister, Josephine “Jojo” Richards, had texted him. Although he used to be a student at this very same high school years ago, it looked nothing as it did back then. Three teen girls giggled as they passed him, glancing back over their shoulder as they whispered amongst each other. He chuckled to himself, remembering how the girls used to do the very same thing back in the day when he and his friends would walk the halls before class.

  “Come on, slow poke, we don't have all day,” he heard Jojo call from down the hall. He quickened his pace and met her at the entrance of the classroom, seeing that it was nearly empty aside from two other students packing their book bags and the teacher shuffling through papers on
her desk.

  And damn was she beautiful.

  Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, a few loose strands framing her face. Her white buttoned up blouse fit her like a second skin along with the black knee-length pencil skirt she wore. Her full lips were pulled into a frown as she continued shuffling through papers, mumbling something to herself before releasing a frustrated sigh. A part of him wanted to kiss her frown away as well as other things that may or may not involve in stripping her, but he needed to be on his best behavior. Giving Jojo the ammo to tease him with later was going to make an annoying time in Paris.

  Ms. Barrera finally looked up and gave Ghost a small smile. “Mr. Richards, hi. Thanks for stopping by today,” she said, coming around her desk with her hand extended.

  He firmly shook it, noticing how soft her skin was against his. “Just call me Myles. And it's really no problem. Was there something you needed from me?”

  She ran a frustrated hand down her ponytail. “I was trying to find the chaperone packet to give you since you were unable to make the meeting, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Hold on a second and I'll see if I can locate it for you,” she said and turned to walk back to her desk.

  “Take your time,” Ghost said idly, his gaze moving down to her round backside. The things I'd do if she ever gave me the chance…

  “Geez, take a picture, why don't you?” Jojo teased under her breath with a snicker as she passed him.

  “Found it!” Ms. Barrera exclaimed before he could react to Jojo’s last comment. She strolled back over and handed him the packet.

  “I like to hand these directly to the chaperone myself so that I'll know they received it. One year we mailed them and somehow they ended up back at the school and not with the chaperones,” she said.

  He nodded as he flipped through the packet, noting checklists for packing and rules and regulations for the trip as well as what was expected of the chaperone. “Cool. I'll give it a read tonight.”

  “Great. And thanks so much again for volunteering. The other teacher who was going with us received the call for her kidney so she had to back out suddenly. Josephine tells me you tend to be pretty busy with your job, so I'm very grateful that you're able to give us a few days of your time,” she said and smiled, her perfect white teeth and adorable dimples on full display.

  Ghost returned her smile and shrugged. “Kidney transplants are a big deal. That’s good for her,” he said. “But it’s really no issue. Any time I get to spend time with my little sister—”

  “More like any time you get to ruin my life,” Jojo interrupted across the classroom, causing Ms. Barrera to giggle. He almost wanted to glare at his sister but if her snide comments would produce that sweet sound from her teacher again, he'd deal with it for now.

  “Anyway, spending time with her is always a win, so it's really no problem,” he finished.

  “Well, do you have any questions about anything?” she asked, her hazel-green eyes gazing up at him. Words stuck in his throat, her eyes seeming to pull him into a trance that he couldn't seem to get out of.

  A light jab in his ribs pulled him out of his reverie, revealing Jojo standing at his side with a smirk on her face. He already knew he was in for it on the ride home.

  “No, I think I'm good,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

  Ms. Barrera nodded. “Okay then. If you do have any questions, my cell number is on the last page of the packet as well as the other two teachers who will be going if you can't reach me. I'll see you tomorrow night at the airport then,” she said with a smile.

  “Sure thing. Have a good evening,” he said and exited the classroom with Jojo on his heels.

  No sooner than they'd exited the high school, Jojo began skipping and singing.

  “Myles and Ms. Barrera sitting in a tree,” she started.

  “Shut up.”

  “K-i-s-s-i-n-g,”

  “Shut. Up.”

  “First comes love, then comes—hey!” she shrieked when Ghost put her in a headlock and ruffled her hair. “Cut it out! You're messing up my hair!”

  He chuckled and let go of her, watching as she frantically smoothed her hair with her hands. “Well, it's not like aren't obvious about liking her. Every time you pick me up and you see her, you get all googly eyed.”

  “I do not,” he mentioned. She rolled her eyes and opened the passenger door of the Jeep Wrangler.

  “Yeah, sure you don't.”

  ***

  “Jojo, dinner’s ready!” Ghost called from the kitchen as he plated the lasagna and garlic bread. After a few moments of no response, he called out to her again, puzzled by the silence that greeted him. He glanced at the clock on the stove, seeing that it was 6:43 in the evening.

  “Jojo?” he called out again, wiping his hands on a towel. When he still didn't get a response, he moved out of the kitchen and through the house to get to his sister’s bedroom.

  “Hey, dinner’s—” he started but stopped, surprised when he finally laid eyes her.

  Jojo turned from her mirror and beamed at him. “We just got it today. What do you think? Do I look like a graduate?”

  He knew the time would eventually come, but he didn’t predict the emotions that coursed through him at the sight of her in her cap and gown. Her black gown swished around her legs as she moved and the gold tassel on her cap swung back and forth as she posed and turned.

  “Yeah, you definitely look like you’re ready to graduate,” he finally said. “Should I go get dressed for the ceremony right now or something?”

  She giggled and waved him off. “You’re such a dope, Myles,” she said, turning back to the mirror. After a few moments, her smile faded away, filling Ghost with dread for what he knew she was about to say. She met his gaze.

  “Do you really think mom will come?” she asked.

  He sighed and crossed over the room, taking a seat on the corner of her bed. “We sent her a ticket and invitation. All we can do is hope that she does.”

  She joined him on the bed, sadness imprinting into her features. “I wish it wasn’t like this. I miss her.” She was quiet for a moment before she added, “at least who she was.”

  He wrapped an arm around his sister and gave her a squeeze. She should be excited about graduation and the trip to Paris they were leaving for tomorrow night, but instead she was worried about whether or not their mother would show up or be sober enough to be at her graduation. He couldn’t tell her the truth of the situation. He honestly didn’t know if she’d be there or not. He hadn’t heard from her since she walked out of the drug rehab facility a month ago. For Jojo’s sake, he hoped she’d pull herself together to watch her daughter graduate.

  “I know you miss her, but she has to get the help she needs so we can get her back. She’ll show up. I’m sure she wouldn’t miss it,” Ghost said.

  Jojo looked up at him and gave him a small smile. “You think so?”

  “Of course,” he said, wishing it were true. He looked around the room. “Enough about serious stuff. Have you packed for the trip yet? It’ll be time to head to the airport before you know it.”

  She got up in a huff. “We don’t leave until tomorrow night; I have plenty of time to pack. Plus, I still can’t believe you’re chaperoning. Just when I thought you couldn’t ruin my life anymore, you go and volunteer to come on this trip.”

  There’s the Jojo I know, he mused with a grin. He gasped and clutched his chest in faux shock. “I’m offended! I give you the foods, the shelter, the clothes, and the monies! How dare you say I ruin your life?”

  She folded her arms across her chest with a smirk. “Do you really want to go there, Myles?” she asked. “Let’s see. You tell any guy I try to date that you’ll blow them up with heat seeking grenades—”

  “Yeah, if they try anything suspicious,” he interrupted and motioned an explosion with his hands. “Kaboom!”

  “Then you and your buffoon SEAL team follow me around like a bunch of steroid-inject
ed creeps when I’m out on a date or with friends—”

  “Wait, do you think I’m swole then?” Ghost asked, flexing his arms. “I have been putting more time in the gym lately.”

  “Oh my god, you’re not even taking this seriously!” she exasperated, throwing her hands in the air. Ghost chuckled and moved over to give her a hug.

  “I’m messing with you, Jojo. I just want to make sure you’re safe. We’re all we got, right?”

  She looked at him for a few moments before sighing. “I guess. But don’t try to ruin my love life just because yours is dry,” she teased as she pushed him away.

  “Who said it was dry?” he asked with a cocked brow.

  “Don’t kid yourself, Myles. You haven’t brought a woman here in months.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I know everything. It’s probably those satellite dishes you call ears that’s scaring them away,” she joked with a giggle. Ghost touched his ears with a scowl.

  “Don’t you even start. There’s nothing wrong with my ears.”

  “It’s okay. Your French teacher girlfriend will love those flying saucers. I’m sure you’re only going on this trip because you have a crush on her, which is gross,” she said and smirked.

  “I do not,” Ghost retorted, lying through his teeth. When he’d learned that the French club was looking for a couple of chaperones for the senior trip to Paris, he quickly jumped at the chance to spend a few days with the sexy Adrienne Barerra in the city of love. Their interactions were usually hi and bye when he’d picked Jojo up from their club meetings and he hoped this trip would allow him to get a little closer to the woman he was curiously intrigued with.

  “Whatever helps you sleep at night, big brother,” she said, ushering him out the door and closing it in his face before he could object.

  “Well, hurry up and change before dinner gets cold!” he exclaimed outside the door, hearing her mumble “yeah, yeah” on the other side.

  He chuckled to himself as he headed back to the kitchen with thoughts of the trip on his mind. These next few days would definitely be an interesting one.