Free Kill Zone: A Lucy Guardino FBI Thriller by CJ Lyons Page A

the iceberg, believe me. They’ve already infiltrated California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, moved up into Colorado and the Pacific Northwest. But the real prize is east of the Mississippi. Own that real estate and you’ve hit the jackpot as far as the cartels are concerned.”
    “Let’s leave exotic narcoterrorist schemes aside and concentrate on the threats you and Raziq received.” Lucy said.
    He shrugged. But his detachment didn’t make it to his face. He looked worried, as if he’d missed something. Something that had left two girls dead and the rest of their family in danger. “We’ve been through all this with Jenna. There’s no one.”
    He wasn’t giving her much to work with if she wanted to get Fatima and the baby back alive. Lucy ground her teeth together, a bad habit. Still too many possibilities, too many directions the threats could have come from.  
    Then Haddad asked the question she’d been dreading. “Do you think Fatima and Ali are dead already? Or would they keep them alive, use them as bait to get Raziq?”
     
    <><><> 
     
    Text message received at 1812:
    Cinqo: Ready.
    Z: Bring it down.
    Another text, this time to his man following the federales: Close the trap. Bring R to me.
    He tapped the last character and smiled. Ten men had brought the city of Mumbai, a metropolis of twenty million, to its knees during the terrorist attacks of 2008.
    He had twice that many, plus the gangbangers to use as cannon fodder.
    Pittsburgh didn’t stand a chance.

 
     
    Chapter 10
     
     
    “Nice to see some familiar faces,” Andre said when Mad Dog and his two boys were half way across the street. More to let the Doc know he had things under control than anything else.  
    Funny thing was, for the first time since being evac’d from Hajji Baba, Andre actually did feel in control. No panic, no dread apprehension as he waited for the pain of the next procedure or the next person who looked at him like he was less than human. Most of all, no sense that anything Mad Dog or the Rippers said or did could affect his life.
    He’d finally done what Grams had urged him to do all those years ago when he first began running with the Rippers. He’d risen above them and become a better man.
    Not a good man, never that, not with the voices of seven dead Marines and twenty-three dead schoolgirls rattling through his brain. But better than these street dogs? Hell yeah. Roger that.
    Mad Dog stopped a safe distance away and tilted his head, staring at Andre’s mask. Then he flashed a grin, complete with gold grill spelling out his initials. Did he have any idea how stupid he looked?  
    “Wasn’t sure you’d remember yo’ old friends,” he said, his tone one of rebuke. “Sho haven’t shown us any love since you been back.”
    “Busy. Grams needed taking care of.” Andre took two steps towards home, gauging their reaction. He didn’t want anything they were selling, so best to just part ways here and now.
    “Well, we’s gots somethings need takin’ care of, too. Darius wants to see you.”
    “Sorry, Grams is waiting.” Darius had brought Andre into the Rippers when he was twelve. Taught him everything he needed to know to stay alive on the street—including how to take a fall for the OG’s like Darius when the cops came knocking. When he’d left the Rippers eight years ago, first to Juvie then to the Marines, Darius had run this block. From the way MD talked, it sounded like Darius had moved up in the ranks to major shot caller.  
    Mad Dog jerked his chin and his two boys sidled to block Andre’s path. “She needs to wait a little longer. You don’t want to keep Darius waiting. No sir.”
    Andre didn’t move. He simply blinked at MD. He realized the advantage there was in facing another man while wearing a mask. Andre could read every emotion that crossed MD’s face but Mad Dog got nothing in return. Andre’s finger caressed the Beretta’s trigger guard. He could take them all out— pop,