MEGA-AX1 The Inferno Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright © by LaShawn Vasser

  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

  sneak peek

  MEGA-AX1 The Inferno

  By

  LaShawn Vasser

  Published by LaShawn Vasser

  Copyright © by LaShawn Vasser

  All Rights Reserved.

  Cover images by Shutterstock and BPS Photography

  Thank you for downloading this e-book. This book is the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, scanned, for any commercial or non-commercial use without permission from the author. Quotes used in reviews are the exception. No alteration of content is allowed. Your support and respect for the property of the author is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents, and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual persons (living or deceased) and/or actual events is entirely coincidental.

  Explicit Adult Content

  This book is for mature audiences only.

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to my personal fan club for inspiring me to dream big. Your influence and constructive feedback has been invaluable. This includes but is not limited to my fellow Chicago authors Lolah Lace and H.Vaughn. My editor, Tajaré Taylor—thank you so much for your time, talent, and flexibility.

  Dedications

  For JB, ALuv, JB3, and Kenny. You are the reason my heart beats.

  Chapter 1

  The AX1-Hawk was waiting for them at the entrance to the cave. Once they reached it, everyone quickly climbed inside.

  As soon as they got out of range, Téa pulled out the detonator and blew the mountain-based compound to rubble and ash.

  Jessie looked confused, “I thought you said we had six minutes.”

  Téa sat back, closed her eyes, and replied with a smirk, “That was only if it took you guys too long to take care of business.”

  Two hours earlier

  It was almost midnight and the AX1 Hawk helicopter had been flying for hours, above radar detection, as it made its way across the Atlantic en route to the terrorist hideout. For more than five years, the Council had been working to gain access to the terrorists’ headquarters. That mystery was eventually solved with the creation of the AX1 Hawk. This aircraft was designed specifically for this mission and the MEGA-AX1 team. It was a helicopter with the functions of a fighter jet and the first of its kind. This aircraft was the only one that would get them close enough to the entrance of the militant’s headquarters without being detected. It used a smart technology that even the most sophisticated governments weren’t privy to.

  The AX1 Hawk had the ability to fly within yards of a target and not show up on radar, in fact, a person on the ground could be looking at it directly and the radar would still be unable to detect it. But that wasn’t the best part. The most unique feature of this aircraft was that it could literally read minds. Each Mega-AX1 team member’s cerebral cortex was tied to this technology and once activated the program would only recognize the thoughts of the individuals on the team. Subsequently, it could then assess their needs and take action accordingly. So, to simply call the AX1 Hawk a “smart” plane would be more of an insult than a compliment.

  Mega-AX1, nicknamed M-AX1 was a group of elite Black-Ops operatives who weren’t beholden to any country or ideology. Max (Beast) Jacobs, Téa (Stealth) Carlisle, Jake (Night Hawk) Freeman, Gray (Big G) Esposito, and Tony (Ghost) Li were all led by Jessica (Jessie) Ramsey, also known by her codename, Command. When commissioned, their sole mission was to prevent rogue nations or people from inflicting tragedy and tribulation around the world—and they were paid handsomely to do so.

  Tonight M-AX1 was set to destroy the leaders of a group that had been trying to reconstitute the powerful and deadly Amuruhana agency. This Militant group was well trained and well-funded. Intel provided M-AX1 information regarding a rare meeting where most, if not all, of the leaders would be present, which made this the perfect time to strike as they may never get another chance to seize such an opportunity. M-AX1 could finally determine just how close the Militant group was to reconstituting Amuruhana and bring down the head in one mighty blow.

  The night sky was blanketed by complete darkness. Even the moon and stars hid from the events that were about to unfold over the next few hours. There was only one way into the cave and one way out so Jessie and her team needed this divine cover of darkness to get inside. No one would have ever imagined that the little country of Namibia, located on the South-West corner of Africa, would be home to such a plot of destruction that the militant group was hatching.

  Getting closer to their target, M-AX1 neared the drop off point delineated by the Brandberg Mountains. Although the mountain stood more than eighty-five hundred feet high, it was surrounded by a rocky yet flat desert. AX1 could keep them invisible to radar, but there was nothing to keep Jessie’s team from being detected once security could physically see them—except for the cover of darkness. In an effort to have just a few moments with the element of surprise on their side, the team was forced to enter on the steep and most dangerous side of the mountain as it was riddled with sharp rocks. If it weren’t for their night vision eyewear, the mission would seem almost impossible to execute undetected.

  All was quiet on the AX1 helicopter. Everyone knew his or her assignment and was focused on carrying it out. Moments later a deep voice came through their earpiece, “Thirty seconds to rendezvous.”

  These were the moments that made the blood rush through their veins; however, Jessie took no pleasure in what they were about to do. But, knowing that these missions could literally save millions of lives always made everything worth it. Tonight wasn’t just about extraction it was also about complete termination.

  Jessie would be the first of her team of six to jump. At twenty-five thousand feet into the air, she got into position. Her heart raced with exhilaration. Finally, it was time…one…two...three. Then suddenly, she was free-falling into the darkness. Every time she jumped it never ceased to amaze her how much it felt like floating or flying despite the high speed of 120 miles per hour. She felt invincible as she sliced through the darkness and maneuvered her body for optimal speed. At thirty seconds to impact, she begrudgingly pulled her shoot and glided to the top of the mountain. It had only taken two minutes for her to land onto the mountain after making the jump. The thrill of the jump was over way too soon. Seconds later, the other members of the team also landed.

  In haste, Jessie and her team anchored their ropes, attached their rappelling devices, and threw their ropes over the side of the mountain. With clocklike precision they began the long descent down.

  As soon as they were mere feet from the entrance, Jessie looked at Téa, her technology genius, and gave her the sign. Téa reached into her backpack, pulled out something that looked like a small remote control, and pushed the button. It created an electrical disturbance that would paralyze the militants from being able to use any technology during the time needed to get inside and take
out the first set of guards.

  They crashed through the cave’s entrance at the same time the electronic disturbance button was pushed. Although it was dark inside, their night vision devices made it seem as if they were in the presence of daylight. There were four men standing guard as the team entered, but the men were caught by surprise when Jessie threw two ninja stars, lodging the first into the throat of one guard and the second into the temple of another. Max followed suit, using precision-throwing knives to take out the other two. The guards immediately dropped to the ground. With guns drawn, Jessie and Max led Téa and Gray to the next area of interest while Jake and Tony verified the guards were dead. Once they had confirmation they caught up with the rest of the team.

  Now that the entrance had been neutralized, the team progressed on to the more difficult part of their mission. They made their way down the corridor of the compound, continuing to move in silence. As they approached a fork in the corridor, they noticed that there were three guards standing on one side of a corridor and three guards standing on the other side of another. They had no idea as to which corridor would lead them to the leaders. Téa and Gray needed to strategically place explosives throughout the cave’s entrance and corridors. So, that left only Jessie and Jake to investigate one corridor and Max and Tony for the other. They would try to work in stealth, but it was highly likely someone would return fire, which would bring more guards as well as tip off the leaders and possibly prompt them to destroy any information regarding Amuruhana.

  Once they turned the corner, Jessie used her Tec 9 to put a bullet into the skull of the first guard and then the second. And just as expected, the guards were initially unsuspecting but quickly recovered and returned fire. Max, Jake, and Tony then took out the four that remained. An alarm sounded as more guards descended upon them. Jessie and Jake headed down the corridor to the right while Max and Tony went down the corridor to the left. The exchange of gunfire was intense, but they each managed to take out the guards successfully. There were several rooms down each corridor and they investigated every single one. Finally, Jessie and Jake came to the last door on their side. There were no other options; the leaders had to be in there or on the other side. Jake kicked in the door and Jessie took the low position with Jake taking the top. Jackpot! All seven leaders were crouching down behind a long, wooden table. Jessie and Jake slowly entered the room. All of a sudden, one of the leaders pulled out a gun but wasn’t fast enough to fire off one shot. Jessie had put a bullet clean through his hand.

  One of the men spoke in Arabic, “What do you want?”

  Jessie responded in Arabic, “We want everything. First, tell me, has the Amuruhana been reconstituted?”

  A security guard that had been left for dead was still very alive. He snuck up behind Jessie and put a gun to back of her head. He was simply too quick for Jake to stop.

  In a thick accent he spoke to Jessie, “Drop the gun.”

  Jessie dropped the gun and raised her arms to the height of her shoulders in a show of surrender.

  “Now everyone stop what you’re doing and move to the center of the room or I’ll kill her.”

  Jessie waited for the right moment. She knew he had to be wounded. When he started to speak again she moved her head out of the way of the gun and then elbowed him in the ribs. This allowed her the moment she needed to put space between the two of them and Jake the opportunity to shoot him between the eyes.

  In the other corridor, Max and Tony terminated everyone on sight. Since they didn’t find the leaders of the militant group they must have been on the other side with Jessie and Jake.

  They hustled back to the other side just as Jessie fired the final shot into the guard. Shortly thereafter, Téa and Gray arrived. Téa stepped over the guard and went directly inside the room where there were laptops and other electronic devices sitting on tables. She then attached her equipment to extract all available information from them as Max and Tony went to search the dead bodies and leaders of the militant group for flash drives and anything else they might have on them.

  After Téa extracted all the information from the devices she yelled out, “I’ve got it. I’ve got it all.” She packed up the valuable information as Max and Tony finished their search. “Gray and I gave us six minutes to get out of here.”

  Jessie and her team started backing out of the room. Then closed the door and blew off the handle so no one could leave out behind them.

  Chapter 2

  The past forty-eight hours had been hell. Most missions were hell and that’s why after every assignment, someone from MEGA-AX1 always chose a place in the good old US of A where no one knew them to decompress. This was a necessary step to feel somewhat normal before everyone went home to their friends and family. Nothing said all-American like this little old town that Gray chose in Alabama. Jessie just wanted to crawl into the comfort of her bed and sleep forever. But she’d let the guys talk her into a celebratory drink at a place on the outskirts of town, Frank’s Bar and Grill. Thank goodness it was early afternoon. She hoped that less people would mean less smoke and less everything else that went along with being in a bar.

  Jessie didn’t feel like dealing with onlookers today. Whenever they went out anywhere together, which wasn’t often outside of work, other people seemed to find them a bit intimidating. Although the six of them were wearing street clothes, they still made for an unsavory looking group. And, given that Frank’s was more like a country and western bar, Jessie knew it was going to be nearly impossible to blend in.

  When they entered the bar, it was mostly empty, except for a rowdy group in the back left corner and a gentleman sitting at the bar; however, the further inside they went, the patrons started to stare and fall silent.

  Jessie knew they looked like a bunch of vagabonds especially since none of them had any sleep over the last couple of days. Jake, Max, and Gray wore two days’ worth of growth on their faces. Lucky for Tony, he had a baby face and couldn’t grow facial hair if his life depended on it. Yet, he still managed an intimidating presence. Actually, all of the guys were intimidating. They stood at least six feet tall with muscles bulging from underneath their shirts with striking sun-darkened skin courtesy of the last assignment. Except for Max, his skin was always a smooth chocolate Mocha. All of them were built like an Adonis. Max and Gray liked to keep things low key, but Jake and Tony were like bulls in a china shop.

  After working together for so long, Jessie didn’t think the guys even noticed that she and Téa were women. They treated them like one of the guys. But, unlike Téa, Jessie was more reserved. Jessie, for example, kept her hair tucked underneath her cap and pulled down over her eyes. She would have been content with taking a seat in a private corner to sip on her beer for the next hour. Téa on the other hand was more likely to let her blonde hair down and tell the bartender to turn the music up while dancing on tables. It wouldn’t matter that it was early afternoon or that there was no one to dance with her. If no one else was dancing, she’d dance all by herself. If Jessie were honest, aside from the fact that Téa was sometimes over the top, she secretly admired her spirit.

  Jessie put her backpack on one of the chairs, and from her vantage point she had a good view of the entire bar. She took a good, long look at her team and smiled. This group was rowdy, loud, and so much more but they were her family. She wouldn’t trade them for anything.

  Téa walked over to the table and swept her snapback off her head. As she shook out her mane of honey-blonde hair, she yelled, “Hey bartender, what’s up with the music in this place? Can you turn the station to some hip-hop?” It was at that moment the gentleman sitting at the bar decided it was time for him to go.

  Jake and Max walked over to the bar to order the first round of beers. Tony and Gray walked back toward the tables at the back corner opposite that rowdy group of people.

  The sheer presence of Jake and Max had the bartender changing the radio tuner until he found a hip-hop station. Of course, everyone else sat down b
ut Téa. Once she heard Jay-Z’s “Dirt off Your Shoulder” she couldn’t help herself. It must have been contagious because Gray and Tony started rapping the lyrics before getting up to dance and dusting the dirt off their shoulders, too.

  Jake and Max got in on the celebration when they got back with the beers. Everyone was rapping and dancing.

  As tired as Jessie was, she even found herself dancing in her chair until Gray reached out and pulled her to her feet, “Come on, Jessie. We just saved the world! I think we’re entitled to brush our shoulders off.”

  It was probably a weird looking scene, the six of them losing their minds wherever they stood instead of the dance floor.

  All of a sudden the group of people on the other side of the bar started shouting out the lyrics, “You got to get that dirt off your shoulder.”

  Of course Gray, Téa, and Tony took that as a challenge and screamed even louder, “You got to get that dirt off your shoulder!”

  Not to be outdone, the other group got up out of their seats and yelled even louder, “You got to get that dirt off your shoulder,” while moving closer and closer toward the middle of the bar.

  Jake, Max, and Jessie joined in the battle, too. It went back and forth for a minute between the groups rapping and dancing. They were having their own private party in the middle of the afternoon.

  It was clear the bartender wasn’t used to a hip-hop environment. He just stood behind the bar wild-eyed, as if at any moment gunfire was going to erupt.

  When the song ended everyone laughed and went back to their seats. Except for Téa, she lingered just a moment longer to talk to one of the guys from the other group. After a few more minutes, she made her way back to her friends.

  Tony was shaking his head at her, “So, did you get his number?”

  Téa smiled like a Cheshire cat, “Now Jake what do you think?”