The Big Burn. Terry Watkins

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      “Go, go, go!” Brock screamed.

      The pilot took the chopper airborne and as they raced up over the canopy of trees below, Anna caught a glimpse of the second helicopter coming up behind them.

      Brock sat down beside Anna.

      “I’ve had bad dates before, Quick,” Brock yelled over the roar of ammunition firing, “but this is ridiculous.”

      “Sorry about that,” she yelled back. “I’ll try for dinner and a movie next time.”

      “I’m going to hold you to that.”

      “I hope you do.”

      Suddenly, there was an intense shudder in one of the engines, followed by violent shaking. It didn’t stop. Brock’s eyes widened.

      Anna could hear the pilot shouting into the radio before he turned to them and hollered, “We’re going down. Hang on. It’s gonna be a rough—”

      Dear Reader,

      I’m surrounded by Bombshells so it was easy for me to write about one. Between my wife, daughter and daughter-in-law, I had plenty of material to draw upon to create Anna Quick. She’s a combination of all three of these dynamic women, with a touch of mama-bear-defending-her-cubs just for fun.

      I hope you enjoy reading about Anna and her adventure as much as I enjoyed writing about her.

      Best,

      Terry Watkins

      The Big Burn

      Terry Watkins

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      TERRY WATKINS

      as a high school student spent time tracking and camping in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Later he would do just about everything, from serving his country in the military to earning an MFA in writing from the American Film Institute. He’s credentialed in industrial firefighting and has carried a top secret clearance for work as a security officer. Settled now in San Diego with his wife, author Mary Leo, Terry is busy putting his love of action-adventure into novels.

      For Aaron: beloved son, friend and teacher.

       1970–2005

      Contents

      Prologue

      Part One: The Smoke Jumper

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Part Two: Warrior

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Part Three: The Strait of Malacca

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      Chapter 17

      Part Four: Operation Fierce Snake

      Chapter 18

      Chapter 19

      Chapter 20

      Chapter 21

      Chapter 22

      Chapter 23

      Chapter 24

      Part Five: Operation Blowback

      Chapter 25

      Chapter 26

      Chapter 27

      Chapter 28

      Chapter 29

      Chapter 30

      Prologue

      Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

      Jason Quick pulled the laptop from the bloody hand of the dead Malaysian, then rifled through the man’s pockets until he found the keys. They were in the right-hand pocket of his jacket. The key ring held the JumpDrive memory stick Jason was hoping for. A backup for the laptop. He quickly yanked it off the ring and started down the alley where a car waited.

      The nervous-looking Malaysian standing beside the car yelled at him in Malay, urging him to hurry. Another man, sitting behind the wheel, also insisted that he hurry.

      Jason was about ten yards away from the car when he heard shouts behind him. He turned just as a man came after him, firing his weapon.

      Jason felt the searing pain of the bullet as it went through the inside of his left thigh.

      He spun, dropped to one knee and fired three rounds.

      His pursuer went down—only to be replaced at the mouth of the alley by two more men trying to stop him.

      More gunfire erupted.

      The Malaysian waiting for him at the car returned the gunfire, while Jason rose and limped toward him. Bullets screamed both ways, pieces of stucco flew from the walls, men yelled obscenities in Manglish, the Malay’s version of English, and a perfect description of the mangled combination.

      The passenger car door opened and Jason dived inside.

      His Malaysian partner, now hunkered down on the ground beside the passenger door, was hit twice. As Jason tried to get him inside, the car lurched forward and the man slipped from his grip.

      He had no choice but to leave him.

      “Get the hell out of here! Go! Go! Move it!” Jason yelled while turning to look behind them as their car blasted out of the alley and then swerved through the clogged streets of Kuala Lumpur. He could see the great towers behind him, tallest buildings in the world. And he could see a black car, a Mercedes, battling traffic to catch up.

      He had to get to the dock. The speedboat was waiting. There was no chance of making contact now, of delivering the laptop to the right people. He’d have to get to the island and wait there until someone could manage to extract him.

      Every terrorist in Jemaah Islamiyah would be after him. And every pirate looking to cash in. And the vast, well-organized crime syndicates working the Strait of Malacca, with its seventeen thousand islands in the waters of this, the most important oil and goods shipping route on earth, would be looking for him.

      He held the coveted laptop against his chest with the protectiveness of a man who thought he was holding the living heart of Western civilization.

      “We need to find