Code Name: Ares

CODE NAME: ARES HEATHER SLADE K19 Allied Intelligence Team One Book One CONTENTS Code Name: Ares 1. Ares 2. Ares 3. Nemesis 4. Ares 5. Nemesis 6. Ares 7. Nemesis 8. Ares 9. Nemesis 10. Ares 11. Nemesis 12. Ares 13. Nemesis 14. Ares 15. Nemesis 16. Ares 17. Nemesis 18. Ares 19. Nemesis 20. Ares 21. Nemesis 22. Ares 23. Nemesis 24. Ares 25. Nemesis 26. Ares 27. Nemesis 28. Ares 29. Nemesis 30. Ares Epilogue Want more? Code Name: Cayman About the Author Also by Heather Slade CODE NAME: ARES K19 Allied Intelligence Team One Book One 1 ARES JUNE The investigation of a serial killer whose killing spree went on for more than fifty years had been one of the most repulsive cases of my career. Whether my next assignment—if I took it—would be any less so was a toss-up. Human traffickers and murderers were equally vile. I’d learned that firsthand while at the CIA. “I appreciate you meeting with us about this,” said Merrigan Shaw-Butler, the managing partner of the firm I worked for, K19 Security Solutions. “I know things did not end well for you at the CIA.” Didn’t end well? That was a gross understatement. While I’d initially thought the current director of the Central Intelligence Agency was a decent guy, the fact that he cleaned house the day the Senate confirmed him meant I’d lost my job. Why? I still wasn’t certain. Other than being guilty by association. Since I was a deputy director, it had to mean I was just as corrupt as my former boss had proved to be, right? Wrong. Kellen “Money” McTiernan fired me without as much as a conversation, let alone a formal inquiry of any kind. The only saving grace was, less than ten minutes after being escorted out of the George Bush Center for Intelligence, I got a call from Kade “Doc” Butler—the founder of K19 and Merrigan’s husband—asking me to come work for them. “Director McTiernan specifically recommended you for this assignment,” Merrigan continued. Wrong thing to say. I 2 ARES OCTOBER Thank God I still “officially” worked for K19. Somehow, we’d managed to cut through the typical bureaucratic red tape and got shit done. Something that wasn’t as true for my coalition counterparts. In the last several weeks—in my official capacity as the US task force’s commanding officer for the UN Coalition Against Human Trafficking—I’d assembled a team of some of the best agents I’d ever worked with. “You’re really stickin’ it to ol’ Money,” said Doc, laughing. “You’ll be happy to hear I got a call from him.” “Why would that make me happy?” “Because he’s pissed you poached Tank, Blackjack, and Atticus.” “None of them worked for him.” Doc laughed again. Harder. “You’re right, but now, he’s in hot water with the NRO since the UN told them he was the one who recommended not just you but your whole team. And since the Security Council trumps the NSA and NRO, at least officially, they couldn’t say no to letting them go.” Doc was right; hearing McTiernan was getting bitched at was the icing on the cake for me. The real prize, though, was the combined capabilities of the guys I’d be working with. “You’re doing good work, Ares. You’re the right man for the job.” “I appreciate you saying so, Doc.” “Listen, I also got a call from Z Alexander.” “I heard the UK team suffered a tough one last night.” “I made a recommendation to Marchand that this would