Free Deep Rising (An Outside the Lines Novel) (Entangled Select) by N.R. Rhodes Page A

her any gentleness at all.
    “What set you off?”
    “The pictures.” She inclined her head to the newspapers scattered along the table in the main cabin. “So many casualties. I know the devastation a tsunami or earthquake can cause. The aftermath is unimaginable. Months pass and there’s no reprieve. Famine and disease set in. The ones who survive are never the same.
    “A college roommate lived in Saint Bernard Parish. I went to New Orleans after Katrina. There are times I wish I hadn’t. I can’t imagine losing everything. My family, my home, my friends. The memories…hurt.”
    He smiled, transforming the hard lines of his face. “We’re gonna get through this.”
    He said it like a promise, but she was uncertain of whether to believe him.

Chapter Eight
    September 9 - 10:18 am
    The island of Hawaii
    As the jet taxied along the runway, Jared glanced at Lana from the corner of his eye. He’d meant what he said about wanting to believe her. Having the acumen to determine friend from foe was a prerequisite of his profession. He’d learned early on to decipher the evidence, to view each angle, to analyze a person for signs of stress or the inclination to lie. Lana’s reaction, her outrage and fear, meshed with his previous assessment. She was either genuinely innocent or hands-down the greatest liar to make his acquaintance.
    The jet drew to a halt.
    “Follow me.” He opened the side door of the jet and waited for the mechanical stairs to reach the ground. When they reached the runway, he lifted the stairs and folded over the last portion, triggering the electronics. He backed away from the aircraft, watching as the side to the fuselage closed and the jet continued taxiing along the runway. Following the pilot’s progress, Jared noticed a man standing at the edge of the tarmac. The man, clad entirely in black, appeared to be of average height. He bore no distinguishing features. The guy’s apparent anonymity triggered immediate alarms.
    “Hang back for a minute,” he cautioned Lana.
    This could be the agent sent to brief him, Jared mused, or the most obvious hit man he’d ever seen.
    He scrutinized the messenger’s face as he drew closer. Something vaguely familiar teased his mind, but he couldn’t place it. The landing strip at this small, private airport appeared otherwise deserted, but the palms and foliage along the lanes could have concealed a small army. He’d intercepted a plane in Cambodia once, along with twenty other operatives in ghillie suits. They’d lain in wait for two days without drawing attention.
    Knowing what to look for, he scrutinized the sunny landscape. Nothing stood out as man-made or intentionally deceiving, but that didn’t negate the possibility of someone or something lurking beyond his visual scope.
    The man held out a hand. Jared clasped it, palming the tiny computer disk and keys the man extended.
    “There’s a black SUV in the employee parking lot,” the operative said. “It’s got dealer tags. In the glove compartment you’ll find all the paperwork, clearance codes, cash, and IDs to check into the Lotus Hotel.”
    “Is there anything else?” Jared asked.
    “No. My number is in there. Call me if you need backup.”
    Jared started toward Lana but turned back. “Evan?”
    The other man lowered his glasses, winked, then strolled off the runway.
    “Well, I’ll be damned,” Jared murmured.
    Evan McNally? Here in Hawaii? It must be Gordon’s doing. In any event, he had not anticipated having an old friend here, even if it wasn’t official and he wouldn’t be an active participant in the mission. Jared didn’t trust anyone, but if Evan opted to offer aid, he’d accept it.
    Meeting with Lana, he took her by the elbow and propelled her from the taxiing jet. He avoided the main terminal and instead followed the employee signs to the front of the building.
    They walked past the main parking lot. Heat billowed off the asphalt in iridescent waves. From the makes