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  “Yes, sir, we’re well aware of what this gang has done.” He smiled thinly. “And we’re lookin’ forward to settlin’ some scores.”

  Giving him a wry smile, Nolan said, “We’ll be dropping you off at a leveled shopping mall in the center of area five. It’s my understanding you’ll be meeting a policewoman by the name of Kerry Chelton? She’s with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and according to my sources, knows this piece of real estate like the back of her hand. You’ll be working with her.”

  Scowling, Grayson said, “Yes, sir, we’ve been told that she’s in cell phone contact with Logistics here at the base. She’s been asking for help because she can’t take on Diablo by herself.”

  Nolan heard the derision in the marine’s deep voice. “Just because she’s a woman,” he told the leader lightly, “doesn’t mean she can’t do her job as a law enforcement officer. Right now we need every able-bodied man and woman in the basin to help us out of this mess, Corporal.” He sensed the man’s prejudice against this woman cop. Nolan laughed to himself. Hadn’t he been against Rhona at first? And judging from the flash of well-disguised anger in the towering corporal’s eyes, Nolan knew that Kerry Chelton would have her hands full with this marine.

  “I hear you loud and clear, sir,” Grayson said, trying to sound sincere. Privately, Quinn disregarded Chelton as nothing more than a cardboard cop whom he had to work with. She had information. That’s what he and his fire team needed. What he didn’t need was her. He knew that they were going into a hot zone where Diablo shot first and asked questions later. Wartime maneuvers were no place for wimpy females who weren’t as physically strong as he and his team. No, he’d meet this woman, get rid of her as quickly as possible and then go put some hurt on the Diablo. His team was more than ready to sink their collective teeth into this renegade group that was adding to the misery of the civilian population.

  “Okay…” Nolan said, a warning in his voice. Looking around, he said, “Get onboard, men. Strap in. And we’ll take off for area five.”

  “Yes, sir,” Quinn said, barely disguised excitement in his tone as he lifted his hand and ordered his men into the Huey.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-4028-9

  RIDE THE THUNDER

  Copyright © 2002 by Lindsay McKenna

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  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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  ΔMorgan’s Mercenaries: The Hunters

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  ††Moments of Glory Trilogy

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