Fatal Strike Read online

  PRAISE FOR DIANN MILLS

  BURDEN OF PROOF

  “DiAnn Mills never disappoints. From characters to fall in love with to those who need to be behind bars, this story is one that will tug on every emotion and wring you dry—while making you love every minute. Put on a fresh pot of coffee before you start this one because you’re not going to want to sleep until the suspense ride is over. You might want to grab a safety harness while you’re at it—you’re going to need it!”

  LYNETTE EASON, bestselling, award-winning author of the Elite Guardians and Blue Justice series

  “In Burden of Proof, DiAnn Mills pairs a traumatized FBI agent with a desperate father to create a suspense-packed story that will keep readers captivated until the very last page.”

  NANCY MEHL, author of the Defenders of Justice series

  “DiAnn Mills has raised the bar for romantic suspense yet again. Burden of Proof will hover in your mind until you finish it and are sad there is no more. Good thing she continues to write such powerful novels.”

  LAURAINE SNELLING, author of the Under Northern Lights series

  HIGH TREASON

  “In this third book in Mills’s action-packed FBI Task Force series, the stakes are higher than ever. Compelling characters and a riveting plot that fits seamlessly with current events make this novel impossible to put down. Readers can count on being glued to the pages late into the night—as ‘just one more chapter’ turns into ‘can’t stop now.’”

  ROMANTIC TIMES

  “Mills has brought cultural and spiritual differences to life. Her characters, along with their real-life struggles, will bring an instant connection to readers. Her expertise in story development guarantees High Treason will end up as a favorite.”

  CHRISTIAN MARKET MAGAZINE

  “This suspenseful novel will appeal to Christian readers looking for a tidy, uplifting tale.”

  PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  “The action-packed, romantic suspense includes the FBI, the CIA, a Saudi prince, and foreign intrigue wrapped in a mystery that keeps readers guessing until the last page is turned. . . . Fans of clean read suspense, without explicit sexual content and bad language, will enjoy the romantic chemistry, the suspense, and the conclusion.”

  MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

  DEEP EXTRACTION

  “A harrowing police procedural [that] . . . Mills’s many fans will devour.”

  LIBRARY JOURNAL

  “Few characters in Mills’s latest novel are who they appear to be at first glance. . . . Combined with intense action and stunning twists, this search for the truth keeps readers on the edges of their favorite reading chairs. . . . The crime is tightly plotted, and the message of faith is authentic and sincere.”

  ROMANTIC TIMES, 4½-star review, Top Pick

  DEADLY ENCOUNTER

  “Crackling dialogue and heart-stopping plotlines are the hallmarks of Mills’s thrillers, and this series launch won’t disappoint her many fans. Dealing with issues of murder, domestic terrorism, and airport security, it eerily echoes current events.”

  LIBRARY JOURNAL

  “[Mills] has the ability to sweep you off your feet and into the middle of an adventure in a matter of paragraphs. . . . If you are looking for a little bit of action, romance, intrigue, and domestic terrorism (and a happily ever after!), then this is the book for you.”

  Radiant Lit

  “Fans of clean romantic suspense will enjoy this well-plotted winner.”

  PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  “From the first paragraph until the last, this story is a nail-biter, promising to delight readers who enjoy a well-written adventure.”

  CHRISTIAN MARKET MAGAZINE

  “Steady pacing and solid characterization make this latest from DiAnn Mills a sure favorite among FBI procedural fans. . . . The well-crafted case takes several twists and turns along the way and keeps the pace and tension high.”

  ROMANTIC TIMES

  DEADLOCK

  “DiAnn Mills brings us another magnificent, inspirational thriller in her FBI: Houston series. Deadlock is a riveting, fast-paced adventure that will hold you captive from the opening pages to the closing epilogue.”

  FRESH FICTION

  “Mills’s newest installment in the FBI: Houston series will keep readers on the edge of their seats. For those who love a good ‘who-done-it,’ Deadlock delivers.”

  CBA RETAILERS + RESOURCES

  “Mills does a superb job building the relationship between the two polar opposite detectives. With some faith overtones, Deadlock is an excellent police drama that even mainstream readers would enjoy.”

  ROMANTIC TIMES

  DOUBLE CROSS

  “DiAnn Mills always gives us a good thriller, filled with inspirational thoughts, and Double Cross is another great one!”

  FRESH FICTION

  “Tension explodes at every corner within these pages. . . . Mills’s writing is transparently crisp, backed up with solid research, filled with believable characters and sparks of romantic chemistry.”

  NOVELCROSSING.COM

  “For the romantic suspense fan, there is plenty of action and twists present. For the inspirational reader, the faith elements fit nicely into the context of the story. . . . The romance is tenderly beautiful, and the ending bittersweet.”

  ROMANTIC TIMES

  FIREWALL

  “Mills takes readers on an explosive ride. . . . A story as romantic as it is exciting, Firewall will appeal to fans of Dee Henderson’s romantic suspense stories.”

  BOOKLIST

  “With an intricate plot involving domestic terrorism that could have been ripped from the headlines, Mills’s romantic thriller makes for compelling reading.”

  LIBRARY JOURNAL

  “A fast-moving, intricately plotted thriller.”

  PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  “Mills once again demonstrates her spectacular writing skills in her latest action-packed work. . . . The story moves at a fast pace that will keep readers riveted until the climactic end.”

  ROMANTIC TIMES

  Visit Tyndale online at www.tyndale.com.

  Visit DiAnn Mills at www.diannmills.com.

  TYNDALE and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

  Fatal Strike

  Copyright © 2019 by DiAnn Mills. All rights reserved.

  Cover photograph of woman copyright © Reilika Landen/Arcangel. All rights reserved.

  Cover photograph of abstract lights by Rawpixel on Unsplash.com.

  Designed by Dean H. Renninger

  Edited by Erin E. Smith

  Published in association with the literary agency of Books & Such Literary Management, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, CA 95409.

  Fatal Strike is a work of fiction. Where real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales appear, they are used fictitiously. All other elements of the novel are drawn from the author’s imagination.

  For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Tyndale House Publishers at [email protected] or call 1-800-323-9400.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Mills, DiAnn, author.

  Title: Fatal strike / DiAnn Mills.

  Description: Carol Stream, Illinois : Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., [2019]

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019012319| ISBN 9781496427090 (hc) | ISBN 9781496427106 (sc)

  Subjects: | GSAFD: Suspense fiction. | Christian fiction.

  Classification: LCC PS3613.I567 F38 2019 | DDC 813/.6—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019012319

  ISBN 978-1-4964-2712-0 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4964-2711-3 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-2713-7 (Apple)

  Build: 2019-05-28 15:36:41 EPUB 3.0
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  Dedicated to Tony and Cathy Barrett,

  my brother and sister-in-love. Thank you for your support and believing in my stories.

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  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

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Epilogue

  Preview of Burden of Proof

  About the Author

  Discussion Questions

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  MY SINCERE GRATITUDE to all who helped me during the writing of Fatal Strike. I appreciate your wisdom and encouragement.

  Todd Allen—You are the super-critiquer. Thanks for never holding back.

  Lynette Eason—Love our brainstorming sessions. We are sister-plotters!

  Guy Gourley—Thank you for taking the time to explain the psychology of my characters. Your suggestions always make my stories stronger.

  Karl Harroff—Thank you for never refusing to help me figure out weapons and ammo!

  Heather Kreke—You were my go-to person to understand Father Gabriel and Silvia. Thank you!

  Mark Lanier—Your teachings in the biblical literacy class give me insight to the spiritual growth of my characters. Thank you!

  Pastor Averri LeMalle—Your life lessons helped me all the way through this book.

  Richard Mabry—The mention of medical terminology and treatment is spot-on because of you. Thanks!

  Edie Melson—Thanks for always encouraging me and giving me tips on steampunk decor. You are amazing.

  Many thanks to the FBI for their willingness to answer my questions and help me work through plot points.

  1

  SPECIAL AGENT LEAH RIESEL scanned the headlines on her phone. A prosecutor from Galveston had been found murdered behind a construction site, the second apparent victim of gang violence in two days. Both deaths were caused by rattlesnake venom injections to the heart. Before she could pull up additional reports on the woman’s untimely death, Leah’s phone rang.

  “Riesel, hostage situation in Galveston,” the SWAT commander said. “Grab your gear. The chopper takes off in five.”

  “On it.” She took a last lingering look at the half-eaten blueberry donut and coffee on her cubicle’s desk.

  Could this have anything to do with the two murders in Galveston?

  Before most of the city began the workday, Leah boarded a Little Bird helicopter beneath whirling blades and the pressure of a critical operation. Dressed in full camo and shouldering her sniper gear, she inhaled the rising temps. Feverish Houston. With the familiar air transport sounds ushering in memories of past missions, her adrenaline kicked in.

  A pilot from the tactical helicopter unit lifted the chopper into the air for the twenty-minute ride to Galveston. She recognized him from previous assignments involving aircraft used to deliver SWAT and the elite hostage rescue teams to crisis incidents. This morning her focus eliminated any chitchat.

  Leah grabbed sound-canceling headphones and contacted the SWAT commander already on the ground. “Riesel here. Special Agent in Charge Thomas briefed me on a home invasion that’s turned violent.”

  The SAC would be watching the operation at the Crisis Management Operations Center.

  “Negotiations have gotten us nowhere.” The SWAT commander’s voice rose above the chopper’s blade-snap. “Two unidentified men are holding two women and three children at gunpoint. Galveston PD estimates they’ve been inside the home for at least an hour. Demanding we leave the area after giving them five hundred grand and a gassed-up speedboat. Clock is ticking with forty minutes max. We’ve backed off as far as they know.”

  Leah swiped through pics taken with telephoto lenses and sent to her phone. Each ski-masked man held a child as a shield. Leah detested the savagery and the horrific emotions the hostages must be feeling.

  “We’re located on San Luis Pass Road on the western section of the island. Nearest house is five hundred yards away. Owners are in Europe. We’re in contact with the agency managing it.”

  She didn’t need a key to access the home.

  The SWAT commander continued. “One of the hostages is the owner of the home, Amanda Barton.”

  “Is there a Mr. Barton in the picture?”

  “Divorced. Lives in California.”

  Unlikely the ex-husband was behind this.

  “Agent Jon Colbert will be on scene shortly,” the commander said. “He had a deposition early this morning in Texas City and drove on to Galveston. Over the weekend, his SWAT partner had emergency knee surgery. Out for six weeks.”

  And Leah’s partner had left the city yesterday on vacation. The luck of the draw meant she and Jon would be working together. “I’ll contact you as soon as we land.”

  Jon Colbert, a sniper who had excellent marksmanship and a stellar reputation, also worked organized crime. But she and Jon had never worked together. The idea of teaming up with an agent she barely knew made her uneasy. If a sniper mission required a partner, she preferred an established relationship where she would know how the person processed information.

  Shoving aside her doubts, she narrowed her thoughts on what lay ahead. The precarious situation and local law enforcement’s inability to negotiate added up to why she and Jon had been assigned to the case.

  She grasped her backpack, lighter than usual with only a spotting scope, ammo, water, communication equipment, extra batteries, granola bar, and a handheld radio. Her Glock, as comfortable in her right hand as a toothbrush, found its spot in her back waistband. She touched her H-S Precision heavy tactical rifle.

  The sooner she got to Galveston, the sooner she could provide intelligence and help neutralize the circumstances. Her priority was seeing the women and children freed from these ruthless men.

  Jon received a text from Special Agent in Charge Thomas that Leah Riesel had left the Houston FBI office and was en route to Galveston. He’d met her a few times, and they’d qualified together. Attractive woman—dark-brown hair, light-olive skin, New Yorker with the accent to prove it. Her professionalism in the violent crime division wavered between exceptional and extraordinary. A touch of toughness. Jon had heard not to make he
r mad—she had earned the nickname Panther for a reason. He remembered her stats—number three in the US for distance shots. Good thing he wasn’t easily intimidated.

  Once the chopper landed, Leah would be transported in an unmarked car to a vacant house more than a quarter of a mile away from the Barton home. No point in making the two men more trigger-happy when they’d warned law enforcement to back off.

  The SWAT commander spoke through Jon’s radio attached to his collar. “Thermal imaging confirms four adults and three children inside the Barton home. The men claim they’ll kill the children first. We have fifteen minutes.”

  In Galveston, Jon stopped at Broadway and Sixty-First Street. Tourists persisted in the middle of the thoroughfare, pushing strollers, riding surrey bikes, and enjoying the day. Some were dressed for the beach and others clutched what they needed for their excursion. All hindered his turn. Obstacles in his mission. If they knew the situation not far from them, they’d grab their loved ones and speed home. Each moment delayed his shot and shoved the hostages closer to death. A chilling composure took over his emotional, mental, and physical reactions.

  The busy street finally cleared. Jon turned west onto Seawall Boulevard and drove on to San Luis Pass Road. The hostage site was four and a half miles beyond there.

  Were the two men inside the Barton home wannabes looking to make a name for themselves? Strung out on drugs? Was this a personal vendetta? No matter how this ended—either a surrender or he’d be instructed to take a shot—their moment in history would likely be the lead story on tonight’s news.

  His phone alerted him to an incoming call. He responded before the first ring ended. “Colbert.” The chopper’s rhythmic whir reverberated through his phone.

  “Riesel here. Landing in five at Galveston Island State Park. SWAT commander has given me a location on the west side of the Barton home.”

  “I’ll be on foot by then. Taking a position on the east, beach side.”

  “I’ll need seven minutes to get into place,” she said.