Read Operation Zulu Redemption: Hazardous Duty - Part 3 for Free Online Page A

Fourth of July in Manson. When the tank detonated, ladies had screamed and rushed in all directions. Annie seized that chaos and sprinted around the terrace, clinging to the javelin-shaped shrubs and ornamental hedges to get out of sight. At most, she knew she’d only have a handful of minutes before they realized she’d escaped.
    Though the fire still raged and spread to one level of the home, the flames looked small. Like a hearth fire instead of a blaze. She regretted that it had done so much damage to the property. That hadn’t been her intention.
    Distant but strange, a sound filtered through the trees, tickling her awareness. Leaves rustled. The fingers of the branches seemingly brushing the sound closer. And then it hit her—dogs. Barking. Howling.
    Hauling in a panicked breath, Annie shoved onward. Where the heck did they get dogs? Twigs and rocks pocked the soft pads of her feet. She plunged through the trees, catching the trunks and using them to propel her onward. Though she ran and pushed herself, she wanted to collapse. Give up. The fight for her life had taken a ridiculous turn. In the mountains. . .in Greece. . .barefoot.
    Only you, Annie. Only you.
    If she could find a creek or small river or lake, she might lose the dogs. But the chances of that were slim. What other recourse did she have? She’d seen the impressive snouts of tracking dogs work in Iraq and Afghanistan with the military working dogs. She’d seen a gorgeous Belgian Malinois catch the scent of explosives buried a couple of feet deep and save an entire unit. How was she supposed to evade the nose that knows?
    Legs weak, she stumbled. Pitched forward into the grass and rocks.
Just want to sit. . .for a minute.
She slumped against the ground, breathing hard, her pulse whooshing across her eardrums.
    Keep going. She had to keep going.
    Annie pushed herself up.
    A bark trumpeted success. He was close! Too close.
    Tripping over a gnarly root system, Annie whimpered. Pushing up on all fours, she glanced over her shoulder. Saw something moving through the dark shadows. Dogs. They were right on her.
    On her feet again, she ran. Dodged fallen trees. Avoided root systems. Rocks that threatened to snap her ankle.
    But she heard them. Heard the dogs’ barking and snapping. She looked back. Saw them. Springers. Labs.
    Panic stole her breath.
    A dog flew from the side, a blur of glowing eyes and fangs. She scrabbled backward, terror ripping through her as the powerful jaws dived at her.
    A blaze of fire and torment tore through Annie’s right ankle. She cried out and kicked at the dog, whose thousand pounds of jaw pressure crunched against her flesh and dug into her bone. Hot tears streaked down her face, the agony numbing her brain, shutting her down.
    Annie fell backward, clamping her teeth against a primal scream. Her fingers fell against something cold and hard. She glanced through tear-blurred eyes and spotted a hefty rock.
    Bite intact, the dog growled and jerked.
    Tearing the muscle more.
    But the beast wasn’t trying to eat her. His mission was to take her down until his master arrived.
Sorry. Not waiting.
    She brought the rock down against the dog’s snout.
    He yelped but didn’t release.
    Tenacious bugger. She hit him again. This time, she must’ve nailed him right. He yelped and broke away. Annie jerked her mangled foot toward her, grinding her teeth against the agony.
    To her surprise, the dogs broke off. Sprinted away from her.
    She didn’t know what happened, but she was glad for it. Glad for the relief. Reaching down to the hem of her navy-blue dress, she searched for a frayed section. Caught one. And tore. Ripped a length off. Adrenaline must be thick in her blood right now because she almost couldn’t feel what had to be agonizing pain in her ankle.
    Bending over, she wrapped the silk fabric around her leg a few times. Growling through the pain, she tied the ends, the final cinch exploding a searing pain. Her stomach heaved, bile