SHADOWS Read online

  Undercover

  Anderson Special Ops, Book One

  By Melody Anne with John Henley

  Copyright © 2020 Melody Anne

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Beeville is a fictional town.

  Printed and published in the United States of America.

  Published by Falling Star Publications

  Editing by Karen Lawson and Janet Hitchcock

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Note from the Author

  Books by Melody Anne

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Epilogue

  Note From Author Including Anderson World Read Order

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to the men and women who serve, who keep us safe, and who ensure our freedom. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

  Note from the Author

  This book has been a pleasure to work on. I, like so many others, have struggled during this odd time in 2020. We have a disease affecting all of our lives, taking people from us too soon, and scaring the entire world. We have major changes happening in our country, and we have uncertainty. So working on any project has been tough. But I sat down with great friends, and we collaborated on this book. And for a few hours a day, I got to get out of the world and work within another universe. It was a collaboration from beginning to end. We brainstormed it together, and then one of my best friends since the 9th grade worked on this book all of the way through with me, writing chapters, and outlining. I couldn’t have done it without him. His knowledge of military and the rules of something like this were invaluable.

  While I want realism in all of my books, we do have to step outside of our real zone and I always take liberties to make my worlds happen the way I think fits best with the book I’m working on. This book is no exception. In reality, this country does have a huge problem with drugs. I, personally, lost a 30-year-old cousin to a drug overdose. That should never happen. I would like more light shed on how easy it is to get these more vulnerable kids hooked on something before they know it will eventually ruin their entire lives. Addiction is real, and it does kill. A lot of us, me included, have had the mindset that it’s their problem; it’s not my fault they are hooked on drugs. While that is true, we don’t know the underlying things these people are dealing with, the traumas they’ve suffered, and their story that no one takes time to hear. I’m trying to be a more accepting person and trying to learn why they are on drugs, versus blaming and shaming. I won’t change overnight. But I hope to grow more and more and have empathy for others in this arena. That doesn’t mean I have to accept it nor enable it, it just means I can care and do what’s in my power to help those who want to be helped.

  Thank you for the team of people who help me with all of my projects, and thank you to YOU, MY FANS!! I love you so much. I know this year has been tough for all of you, and still you support me. I can’t thank you enough for that. Without being an author I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through all of this. I have never appreciated you more for allowing me my dream career. I hope you love this new series as we have some twists and turns planned along the road. And most importantly I hope you have a team of people around you to help you through all of this social isolating. To be alone too much is traumatic. I isolate a lot when I work, but I have people in my life who don’t allow it too long before they drag me out of the writing dungeon and into the light. Lately, fishing has become a passion of mine, and that’s been my greatest escape in a world gone crazy. So thankful for meeting my fiancé and having him bring this amazing sport into my life. Fishing not only gives me pleasure but feeds my family too. It’s a win, win. Take care of yourselves, those you love, and those most vulnerable. I truly love and appreciate you all.

  With Love,

  Melody Anne

  Books by Melody Anne

  Romance

  BILLIONAIRE BACHELORS

  *The Billionaire Wins the Game

  *The Billionaire’s Dance

  *The Billionaire Falls

  *The Billionaire’s Marriage Proposal

  *Blackmailing the Billionaire

  *Runaway Heiress

  *The Billionaire’s Final Stand

  *Unexpected Treasure

  *Hidden Treasure

  *Holiday Treasure

  *Priceless Treasure

  *The Ultimate Treasure

  BABY FOR THE BILLIONAIRE

  *The Tycoon’s Revenge

  *The Tycoon’s Vacation

  *The Tycoon’s Proposal

  *The Tycoon’s Secret

  *The Lost Tycoon

  *Rescue Me

  THE BILLIONAIRE ANDERSONS

  *Finn – Book One

  *Noah – Book Two

  *Brandon – Book Three

  *TBA – Book Four

  *TBA – Book Five

  BECOMING ELENA

  *Stolen Innocence – Book One

  *Forever Lost – Book Two

  *New Desires – Book Three

  FINDING FOREVER SERIES

  *Finding Forever

  TAKEN BY THE TRILLIONAIRE

  #1 Xander – Ruth Cardello

  #2 Bryan – J.S. Scott

  #3 Chris – Melody Anne

  #4 Virgin for the Trillionaire – Ruth Cardello

  #5 Virgin for the Prince – J.S. Scott

  #6 Virgin to Conquer – Melody Anne

  SURRENDER SERIES

  *Surrender – Book One

  *Submit – Book Two

  *Seduced – Book Three

  *Scorched – Book Four

  UNDERCOVER BILLIONAIRES

  *Kian – Book One

  *Arden – Book Two

  *Owen – Book Three

  *Declan – Book Four

  FORBIDDEN SERIES

  *Bound – Book One

  *Broken – Book Two

  *Betrayed – Book Three

  *Burned – Book Four

  HEROES SERIES

 
*Safe in his arms – Novella

  *Baby it’s Cold Outside

  *Her Unexpected Hero – Book One

  *Who I am with you – Book Two – Novella

  *Her Hometown Hero – Book Three

  *Following Her – Book Four – Novella

  *Her Forever Hero – Book Five

  BILLIONAIRE AVIATORS

  *Turbulent Intentions – Book One (Cooper)

  *Turbulent Desires – Book Two (Maverick)

  *Turbulent Waters – Book Three (Nick)

  *Turbulent Intrigue – Book Four (Ace)

  TORN SERIES

  *Torn – Book One

  *Tattered – Book Two

  7 BRIDES FOR 7 BROTHERS

  #1 Luke – Barbara Freethy

  #2 Gabe – Ruth Cardello

  #3 Hunter – Melody Anne

  #4 Knox – Christie Ridgway

  #5 Max – Lynn Raye Harris

  Young Adult / Fantasy

  PHOENIX SERIES

  *Phoenix Falling – Book One

  *Phoenix Burning – Book Two

  *Phoenix Ashes – Book Three

  *Phoenix Rising – Book Four

  Prologue

  Three Years in the Past

  Time: 0400

  Date: November, 18, 1999

  Location: asdfasddfadsf, Korangal Valley, Afghanistan

  Team:

  Pilots: Jeremy Rohns, Patrick Malone

  Crew Chief: Kevin Keller

  SEALs: Jon Eisenhart (“Eyes”), James Bond (“Morph”), Carl Schwartz (“Sleep”), James Bond (“Clapper”), James Bond (“Stogie”), Jonathon McCck (“Rain”)

  Operation: Mountain Anvil

  The continually furious thawump, thawump, thawump of the Blackhawk’s blades over the last thirty-five minutes was almost enough to make Sleep fall asleep.

  Almost.

  Unfortunately for everyone in the chopper, he was a high energy, mile-a-minute talking and moving team member who didn’t allow a lick of rest for himself or anyone around him. When it was time for action, though, there were few better to have at your side.

  “Hey, Eyes, do you think there’ll be enough powder on the ground to build a snowman?” Sleep asked, finding himself amusing as the pilots flew through the Korengal Valley, which happened to be blanketed in a light layer of snow. Before Eyes could formulate an answer, more words were already coming over the com system.

  “I remember a massive snowstorm we had in Philly when I was a kid,” Sleep said, a smile in his voice. “I think I was eleven, maybe twelve. Anyway, around three feet dumped from Friday night to Sunday morning. We were out of school for the entire week. Hell, the whole city was shut down for a few days. My friends and I gathered a bunch of other kids from up and down Cottman Avenue, then went over to Northeast High and made about twenty snowmen on the football field, staging them so it looked like they were playing a game.” They could hear the joy in his voice as Sleep got lost in old memories.

  “It wasn’t long before some of the kids made snowballs. One got chucked over our icy football team and hit this jackass kid from Cedar Grove smack dab in his smug face. The very well-known bully began crying, which they all do eventually, then stomped away from the field, threatening to tell his mom. We were all busting a gut at that one,” Sleep continued.

  “Dang, you’re making me homesick,” Rain said, his own memories of snowball fights as a kid being conjured.

  “Me too,” Sleep said with another laugh. “Of course, after the first snowball was thrown, it started a war. We were in the middle of an epic battle when the bully came back, but he wasn’t alone. It was worse than his mom; it was his older brother with three of his brother’s friends. These were big high school kids. They figured we’d cower like kicked dogs. I think it was in that moment I knew I was gonna be called to a life of making questionable decisions.” He got lost in his thoughts and his team waited. They all had stories like this from their past and they knew exactly what he was thinking. It was what separated them from 99.9 percent of the rest of the world.

  “The kid’s brother began calling out for who had dared hit his brother. He wanted the person to step forward and take his punishment, whatever the hell that meant. I looked at my boys: Roger, John, and Jeff. They knew trouble was about to show up when I gave them my famous shit-eating grin, shrugged my shoulders, then yelled back at the bully’s brother that it was me who threw it. I stepped forward, making sure they saw me, and then I winked at the bully who was cocky now that he was hiding behind his big brother. I finished up by asking what the prob was.”

  Clapper, one of his teammates—an overly hardened type who didn’t laugh at much—had his funny bone hit hard by that and gave an actual belly laugh. Sleep, happy with that reaction, smiled because, though they were tough as nails, deep down they were also kids who enjoyed an epic adventure.

  Sleep, looking back at Clapper, kept the story going “I started walking toward the teens while taking off my gloves. Nearly to them, I pretended to trip, which made the asses laugh. I was glad their defenses were down, because they were a lot bigger than me, and I knew I’d need any advantage I could get.”

  “The bigger they are, the better it feels when they fall,” Stogie chimed in. Sleep’s entire team was giving him their full attention as he continued his teenage tale of woe.

  “Big brother began mocking me as he closed the gap between us. Just as he reached me, I stood, gave a look over my shoulder — not surprised to see my buddies close behind — then faced the brother and threw a super tight snowball straight into his smug face. I immediately followed that with a punch to his stomach. When he bent over, I was ready, and punched him hard in his nose, making it explode like a water balloon dropping from a ten story building,” Sleep said.

  Clapper started laughing loud enough they didn’t need the headpieces to hear him. The story really hit Clapper deep. Sleep was trying not to laugh himself while continuing on with his reminiscing. “Big brother went down, and his friends rushed over. They were so shocked they weren’t sure what to do. They weren’t even looking at me as they moved to their friend. The bully was standing back gazing at me with shock and fear. Man, for a moment there, I felt as if the hand of God had reached down and touched me, making me invincible. As we all know, confidence can turn into stupidity on a dime, though,” he said with a sigh.

  “Hell yeah, but it gives us some crazy ass adventures and memories to talk about as we soar over barren lands,” Rain said with a smile.

  Nodding his head in agreement, Sleep kept going. “I lunged at the kid to my right, but he was far more ready than his buddy. He took my head in his beefcake hand and shoved, throwing me to the side, making me land face first, completely disorienting me. Before I could so much as twitch, big brother was on me, punching the back of my head. Everything was happening quick, but I still heard the baby bully egging on his brother, telling him to kill me. I was wondering if it was going to end that way. Flashes of light were sparking behind my eyes, and my ears were exploding with each slam of his meaty fists against my skull, which I thought for sure was cracking.” Sleep paused for a moment, and his team knew he was back in that place as he told his story.

  “This kid had at least fifty pounds on me, but my adrenaline was flowing. I got myself turned, and just as I flipped sunny side up, I took a shot to my left cheekbone. That one got my attention. Hell, it hurt bad. I wasn’t even thinking anymore. It was the epicenter of fight or flight — and since I wouldn’t have run even if I could, I knew I needed to get back in the fight. He was holding the front of my jacket with his left hand, so I leaned forward, and bit down hard on the bottom knuckle of his thumb. I was a pit bull on crack as I clenched skin, muscle, and bone between my teeth. It must’ve hurt like hell, because his eyes widened with surprise and pain as he
tried pulling from me. I tasted blood but refused to let go as he screamed and thrashed his arm about like a wild banshee. I was thinking I might not die when he slammed a fist into my jaw, managing to yank his hand away. Before even a second more passed, his fist slammed down again, straight into that sweet spot at my temple. The world went black for a second, maybe two. And it could’ve been the end for me, but when I opened my eyes again, my friends were in the middle of a chaotic battle,” Sleep said, more than a hint of pride in his voice.

  “Hell yeah, for the ones you can count on,” Rain said with a fist half-cocked in the air.

  “Amen, Brother,” Sleep said. “My friends were just a single step less crazy than I was, and they rushed forward, rabbit punching, kicking, and screaming at the top of their lungs as they connected with the high schoolers. They weren’t ones to look for a fight, but they never backed down if one came at them. Their fists and feet flew in every direction along with snow and ice pelting us from all sides. If one of us went down, we all did what we could to pick them back up, even if it meant getting a busted lip or a black eye.”