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Back The Neighborhood Save as PDF
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

Zack nearly snarled at the man. “I thought I had, at least until tonight. It’s been six years, six years. I now have two kids and a wife, and none of them know the life I lived at Langley. My wife knows parts, but I never wanted her to know it all. Like you said, the past is the past.” How could this be? Was God mocking him from the heavens for trying to build a new life—one without violence and bloodshed? Zack believed in second chances, desperately, but maybe real ones were never truly given, just various shades of personal growth and forgiveness for the sins of the past.

Brandon nodded. “I hear you. I really do, but sometimes, especially for people like us, the past is always there.” He turned to his wife and son. “Please allow me to introduce you to Zack Chambers, our neighbor. Also, he’s one of the best operatives Special Activities Division ever had. Now, we don’t have much time, and there’s plenty to talk about. Let’s get back inside so we can figure out the next move. Zack, I need to know what you know, what you’ve done, and then I’ll tell you what this is all about. Better yet, I’ll make my son do it, since he’s the one who caused it, although unintentionally.” Despite the relief that his son was alive and unharmed, the note of accusation was evident.

Yup. That’s the Brandon Harper I know, Zack thought as he followed the legendary CIA officer back into his house.

Chapter Twenty-Five

ChapteR
TWENTY-FIVE

The four Hidden Refuge rebels sat around the Harpers’ kitchen table, a large white oval that could comfortably accommodate six. On top of the table were the assorted weapons they’d acquired from the two members of the enemy occupying force, including two M4s and two Glock 17 Gen5s. Between Zack’s SIG MPX and the other Glock he carried, they had more guns than people, reminding him of a Texan—one of two—he’d once worked with, whose motto was simple: the more guns, the better. He wondered where Texas Pete, whose nickname created itself, was today. It had to be somewhere better than in a neighborhood under assault.

Zack had dragged the unconscious surviving gunman and zip-tied him to the railing on the back porch, gagging him with the Gorilla duct tape he’d brought from Sam’s house. You could also never have too much duct tape.

Zack looked at the Harpers, trying to soften the anger he felt for the patriarch of the family, focusing on the son and wife, whom he knew had been terrorized and were frightened by the prospect of what might have happened had Zack not arrived.