Scorpion Strike. John Gilstrap

      ALSO BY JOHN GILSTRAP

      Final Target

      Nick of Time

      Friendly Fire

      Against All Enemies

      End Game

      Soft Targets

      High Treason

      Damage Control

      Threat Warning

      Hostage Zero

      No Mercy

      Six Minutes to Freedom

      Scott Free

      Even Steven

      At All Costs

      Nathan’s Run

      SCORPION STRIKE

      JOHN GILSTRAP

      KENSINGTON BOOKS

      http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

      All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

      Table of Contents

      Also by Title Page Copyright Page Dedication CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 38 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS About the Author

      KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      119 West 40th Street

      New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2018 by John Gilstrap, Inc.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

      Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2018932834

      Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

      ISBN: 978-1-4967-1815-0

      First Kensington Hardcover Edition: July 2018

      ISBN-13: 978-0-7860-3981-4

      ISBN-10: 0-7860-3981-7

      First Kensington Electronic Edition: July 2018

      To Joyce Parker Thibeault Powell.

      (May 4, 1927–September 3, 2017)

      Among the brightest, most vibrant ladies that I have ever known. She was the mom and grandmom and great-grandmom that we all wish we had. A lover of family, tennis, and whiskey sours. And books. Lots and lots of books. We miss you.

      CHAPTER 1

      “SO, LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT,” ANNIE BANKS SAID, LEANING IN A little closer. Her eyes looked less swimmy than her words sounded. “You get to stay here as long as you want, eat the food, drink the booze, and you don’t have to pay for it.”

      Tyler Stratton smiled and sipped from his Jack and Coke—his fifth of the evening. “Divorce isn’t necessarily as traumatic for children as the talk shows lead you to believe,” he said. “Paternal guilt is a powerful force.” They sat at a table for two in the largely empty lobby bar, surrounded by mahogany and crystal. While the place didn’t close for another half hour, all but the most stalwart patrons had headed off to bed. Truth be told, Tyler was ready for some tangled-sheet recreation himself, but Annie seemed resistant.

      “Your father really owns all of this?” she asked, not for the first time.

      “Stepfather,” Tyler corrected, also not for the first time. Then he added new detail. “I was barely a toddler when my real father was killed in a robbery. When Baker Sinise married my mom, he took on the daddy role all the way. When things went south with their marriage, Baker was really broken up about leaving me.” The lump that appeared in his throat surprised him.

      “Sending you to military school wasn’t exactly an act of love, was it?”

      Tyler took another sip. “Well, yeah, it kinda was. I was what you might call an ‘angry young man.’ ”

      “Angry at your