BooksBarbecue
Back The Neighborhood
Chapters (59)
  1. Part I Reconnaissance
  2. Chapter One
  3. Chapter Two
  4. Chapter Three
  5. Part II Incursion
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Part III Under Siege
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Part IV Course Correction
  18. Chapter Fourteen
  19. Part V Balance of Power
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-One
  27. Chapter Twenty-Two
  28. Chapter Twenty-Three
  29. Chapter Twenty-Four
  30. Chapter Twenty-Five
  31. Chapter Twenty-Six
  32. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  33. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  34. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  35. Part VI Spy versus Spy
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-One
  38. Chapter Thirty-Two
  39. Chapter Thirty-Three
  40. Part VII Winds of War and Flame
  41. Chapter Thirty-Four
  42. Chapter Thirty-Five
  43. Chapter Thirty-Six
  44. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  45. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  46. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  47. Chapter Forty
  48. Chapter Forty-One
  49. Part VIII Strong to the Finish
  50. Chapter Forty-Two
  51. Chapter Forty-Three
  52. Part IX Spy Games
  53. Chapter Forty-Four
  54. Chapter Forty-Five
  55. Chapter Forty-Six
  56. Part X What Goes Around
  57. Chapter Forty-Seven
  58. Chapter Forty-Eight
  59. About the Author

The convoy hit Arrow Drive, and Barrett’s and the second vehicle turned onto the street. The four remaining vehicles sped onward toward Windy Tree Way and Forest Edge Court. Barrett noticed several houselights blossom into white spots of illumination on upper floors as he pulled alongside the edge of the lawn in front of the driveway to the first home on the right. He stopped, put the vehicle in park, and turned off the sirens, the lights still flashing.

The second Explorer passed him and sped toward the cul-de-sac to start with the flag lots and work backward toward Barrett.

Barrett turned to his passenger. “You know the deal. Stay in the vehicle and maintain comms with the COC,” he said, using the old military term “combat operations center” that he and Griffin had decided still applied in this case.

“Understood,” said a young man around thirty who’d seen enough combat in the army to have matured him by at least a decade, which was why they’d picked him. They needed operators who could remain calm and collected under intense scrutiny and pressure, ones who wouldn’t fold like the young and immature soldiers and junior officers he’d seen cave in during combat.

Barrett nodded, left the vehicle, and dashed up the driveway, withdrawing a heavy flashlight as he did so, the blade of light cutting back and forth across the black surface as he moved. He liked the feel of the Falling Rock PD Nomex flight suit instead of the shirt and trousers. The Kevlar vest fit well, his push-to-talk radio attached to the front, and the rigger’s belt held up the thigh holster that was tight around his upper leg, the Glock 9mm 17 Gen5 secure. It reminded him of MARSOC.

He hit the front steps and prepared to knock—just as a light illuminated the porch and the door suddenly opened. A tired man in his late thirties appeared, a gray T-shirt and dark blue pajama bottoms adorning his figure. His black hair was disheveled, and he rubbed his eyes even as Barrett saw the look of concern in them. Good. The more panicked they are, the easier they’ll be to control.