SEALs of Honor: Dane Read online

  He’s one of the smartest, the best … and the baddest.

  Since Dane achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a Navy Seal, his life has been packed with action … but now he wants more. Especially after seeing several of his friends find something – someone – special.

  On a mission hunting a chemical weapons terrorist, Dane runs into a captivating woman, and everything about her touches his deepest needs. But the circumstances are suspicious, and he can’t determine whose side she’s on.

  Marielle came to Germany for a short busman’s holiday, only to end up running away from the very man she came to see, and into the arms of a man she knows she’ll never be able to keep.

  As their situation slides from bad to worse to desperate, their lives are on the line. And so are their hearts.

  Books in This Series:

  Mason: SEALs of Honor, Book 1

  Hawk: SEALs of Honor, Book 2

  Dane: SEALs of Honor, Book 3

  Swede: SEALs of Honor, Book 4

  Shadow: SEALs of Honor, Book 5

  Cooper: SEALs of Honor, Book 6

  DANE

  SEALs of Honor, Book 3

  Dale Mayer

  DANE: SEALS OF HONOR, BOOK 3

  Dale Mayer

  Valley Publishing

  Copyright © 2016

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part 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 publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-928122-78-4

  Kindle Edition

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Praise for Dale Mayer

  I love to read Dale Mayer’s books… keeps me guessing…. I am getting good though trying to figure out who did it…. I am on my fourth book….

  …Review left on Vampire in Deceit, book 4 of Family Blood Ties

  Dale Mayer’s work is always outstanding and Haunted by Death is no exception.

  …Review from Haunted by Death, book 2 of the By Death Series

  This is a GREAT series that you don’t want to miss out on!

  …Review from Broken Protocols Series

  This is my favorite author I enjoy all her books and I can’t wait for more… her books are easy to get into and I love the storyline

  …Review from Dangerous Designs, book 1 of the Design Series

  Dale Mayer is a gifted writer who now has me hooked as a new fan. She characters are complex and she shares her knowledge of energy work clearly and simply. Makes for fascinating reading…

  …Review from Rare Find, book 6 of Psychic Visions Series

  Don’t underestimated Dale Mayer. Combination of JD Robb and Heather Graham. Paranormal suspense………

  …Review left on Maddy’s Floor, book 3 of the Psychic Visions Series

  Wow! I read a lot, and I can honestly say that there a few books that I have read that I will remember for years. This is one of those books. Thank you Dale for giving me the gift of this magnificent story. It was both heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time.

  …Review left on Skin, book 1 of Broken and yet…Healing Series

  Touched by Death is an outstanding novel by Dale Mayer. Unlike her usual novels that contain paranormal activity, this novel is sheer malevolent actions from ordinary humans.

  …Review left on Touched by Death, book 1 of By Death Series

  Dale’s books are spellbinding in more ways than one. She has a unique way with words. Her characters are fun and funny and loving. I love the way the story flows. Her characters all have personality. She takes you from suspense to love, then fear love and eternal love.

  …Review left on Second Chances, book 1 of Second Chances… at Love Series

  Table of Contents

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Praise for Dale Mayer

  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

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Author’s Note

  About the Author

  Also by Dale Mayer

  Chapter 1

  THE EARLY MORNING sky blew oranges and reds over the small village in Germany. Stunning. Dane Carter waited on the hillside for the sun to come up, for the right moment to make his move. The rest of the SEALs were in position. They’d been following intel that a key man in a terrorist group had set up headquarters here. The company Hyack had far-reaching tentacles, one of which was connected to a major chemical research company in California with branches in Germany and China.

  Hawk’s cry soared over his head on the left.

  Dane pivoted, and slid down the embankment. The house was at the end of town. Secluded. It was a 1600s style stone house with small windows and a huge old stone wall surrounding it. The neighborhood was dotted with similar dividers.

  The wall backed up against a hill. His position gave little glimpses of the backyards or the inside of houses. They’d been on the road for two days tracking this guy here. He moved into the backyard of the neighboring house.

  The house in question was silent. Dark. The backyard where he stood was heavily treed. Dane slipped behind the foliage as a tall lithe young woman walked out the back patio door with a mug of coffee in her hand. She wandered the garden not twenty feet in front of him. Shit. He faded into the shadows.

  She pulled out her phone and made a call. Her voice echoed in the early morning air.

  “Good morning, Sarah. Yes, I’m here. Pulled in late last night. I did phone you, but you were out gallivanting around.” She laughed at the other person’s response. “How’s Mom this morning?”

  Dane cursed himself for not having moved a couple minutes earlier. He needed to move soon.

  The woman carried on her bright, happy conversation. “Remind her I’ll be back in a week. I’m just here visiting with my old professor, Dr. Michaels, and going over some of my work while grabbing a bit of a holiday while I’m at it.” The conversation continued for a couple of minutes while Dane sweated his position.

  Then finally, the blonde, and boy was she blonde, closed the phone and put it away. With a smile on her face, she tilted her head to the morning sun.

  And froze.

  “Who are you?” she said in a harsh whisper. Her gaze locked on him.

>   Dane was shocked. She could see him? No. Not likely.

  Her gaze narrowed.

  Damn it.

  She switched to speaking German. Her voice deep, anxious. He spoke a German dialect, but his formal German was horrible. He couldn’t tell how hers was but it sounded fluid to his ears. Hawk’s cry came again.

  Damn it.

  He had to go and now. He gave her a bright smile. “Sorry. Have to go.” And he vaulted the huge stone wall at his side.

  She gasped but that was the last thing he heard. He landed on the other side to find himself in the middle of the action.

  Just where he wanted to be.

  Chapter 2

  MARIELLE STANFIELD STOOD in the garden, her mind telling her she imagined the whole encounter. That she was still jet-lagged from the travelling and time change. Pretty damn wimpy excuse though.

  She’d frozen at the sight of him.

  Dressed all in black, and huge and hidden like he’d been, was enough to scare anyone, but it was the stillness, the intense assessment of his gaze that had gotten to her. And the surprise. What was he doing there?

  Was he hiding? And how the hell had he gone over that tall wall? She was five foot seven, and there was no way she could manage that. She’d climb it but not vault it.

  Then she remembered the gun that had appeared instantly in his hand just before he’d vaulted over, followed by…silence. That had been the eeriest part.

  The professor’s house was one of these beside her. Did he know what was going on?

  Back at the open patio door, she sipped her coffee and waited. Wondered. Hopefully that was a police organized raid and had nothing to do with the person she was here to see. Her trip to Germany had been at Professor Michaels’ insistence for her getaway. She hadn’t wanted to come as her schedule at home was brutal. Yet she hadn’t had a break in over two years and her mom’s condition was wearing her down. When the professor had offered a place to stay as well, then she’d jumped at it. She hoped she didn’t end up working instead of resting. Although a change was often as good as a rest.

  She turned to head back inside. With any luck, whatever was going on next door was minor. She’d come here for some downtime – not chaos. Only with that man and weapon – it couldn’t be too minor.

  Inside she refilled her coffee cup. This house was owned by a friend of Professor Michaels’. She’d been delighted to find it furnished and with a welcoming basket of essential foods – like coffee and fresh bread. She could do worse than just walk the village and relax all week.

  She’d been working as a chemist and finishing her Ph.D. program in chemical behaviors for years. The company she worked with, Tenesco, had an agreement with the university and had worked with several other Ph.D. candidates over the years. She’d devoted everything to her work, and her work/life balance had gone to hell.

  Then again, having a life was overrated. She’d been there – done that.

  With the heartbreak of a broken romance followed by her mother’s deteriorating condition, she valued peace over all at this point in her life.

  In complete contrast to her work that she’d set out to do as part of her Ph.D. program, but now of interest to the company she worked for, she’d been developing new chemical compounds that did all kinds of damage to a specific focused area then dispersed so fast and in such a way as to not affect anyone a few feet away.

  She’d tripped over this new behavior by accident.

  But that new direction was why she was here talking to her old professor. He’d left UCLA a year ago to specialize in chemical warfare. And although he’d pushed her to visit for a holiday, she had a feeling he wanted to offer her a job. Why would he think she’d want to work for the Germans? She didn’t get it. Michaels was American and so she couldn’t imagine him being involved in anything other than something that would help their country. But she’d been fooled before. Now she worked on the premise of trust no one.

  So why had she come?

  Finally she admitted the answer. Curiosity.

  He wanted to know what she was doing and how it related to his work. And likely how it might be of interest to his employers. She knew he was teaching here in Germany as well as doing cutting edge research on similar types of chemicals. But he worked in weapons research. And that was something she couldn’t handle herself. But she felt compelled to find out what he was doing and for whom. Had he changed so much that he’d create weapons to be used against his country?

  She wanted to know but at the same time, she didn’t. What would she do if she found out something unnerving? Unless it was to warn her own country that this type of thing was further advanced than anyone thought it was.

  Not that anyone would listen.

  Still, if the opportunity presented itself, she’d find out what Michaels wanted – and what he was up to – if she could.

  As she turned around to head back into the garden, unable to forget what was going on beside her, the phone rang. There he was. She smiled. “Hi, Professor. Where are you?”

  “I’m coming over,” Professor Michaels said. “You up and awake?”

  “I’m both.” She glanced out the window for the dozenth time to stare at the house beside her. “When?”

  “I’m here already,” he said. “I’m outside and walking toward the front door.”

  The house was huge, so it took a moment to reach the front window and look out. He was indeed coming her way – and he’d been coming from the direction of the house beside her.

  The house where the intruder had jumped over the wall into the back yard.

  Odd. Then maybe he’d come from the house on the far side. But at least now she could tell him what she’d seen, if he didn’t already know. As she watched him sneak a look behind him and quicken his pace, she wondered just what the hell was going on.

  She opened the front door for him.

  His face lit up. “Marielle,” he called out. “How good to see you.”

  He rushed inside and closed the door. “How are you?”

  All the right words were coming out but the tone was off. Too forced. Too fast. Too jovial. And his eyes swelled as if searching the room around her.

  “I’m fine,” she said, studying him careful. “What’s going on?”

  His feigned surprise finished setting off her bullshit meter. “Nothing at all.” He motioned at the house next door. “There just appeared to be some odd goings on over there.”

  “I thought that was your house,” she said, quietly walking back to the kitchen to retrieve her coffee cup.

  “No, not at all. I’m several houses over,” he said glibly. Too smooth. And that information didn’t jibe with the information she knew already. In fact, it was just different enough, she wondered why he was lying.

  “Never mind all that,” he said, giving her a big smile. “The real question is how are you? You’ve been working too hard again, haven’t you?”

  She laughed. “I always work hard, you know that.”

  “I do indeed. And you get paid such lousy wages. I do want to talk to you about an exciting opportunity here if you’re interested, and I do hope you are,” he said earnestly. “I’ve been watching your career for years now.”

  “I’m not sure I’m ready for anything different,” she said with a small smile, her heart sinking as he confirmed her suspicion. She hadn’t needed to make the trip for a job proposition. “You know how much I love my life in California.”

  “Ah, sorry your engagement didn’t work out – do you have a new boyfriend by now?”

  She shook her head. “Single and happy that way, thanks.”

  “So there’s nothing to keep you in California then, is there?” he said, an overly bright smile on his face, his arms moving in such an expansive motion she had to laugh.

  “Well, my mother for one, and I have a job and my Ph.D. is in progress. So moving is out of the question right now.”

  He chuckled. “Nothing is ever out of the question.” He motioned to h
er coffee, “I don’t suppose you have more of that, do you? It’s been a bit of a rough morning.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” She walked to the far counter where the very modern coffeemaker sat on the very old looking but restored countertop. “I seem to have forgotten my manners.” She poured him a cup and turned to hand it to him.

  And dropped it.

  She stared at the gun in the professor’s hand.

  “What are you doing?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.

  “Taking care of business. Not my usual style and pretty poor timing,” he said. “But you weren’t supposed to see this morning’s incident next door – yes it’s my house, but I escaped and now that I have you here, I get to really see your research. I’m so glad you came, my dear.”

  She shook her head. “What are you talking about? I didn’t bring my research. I came to discuss it with you, but of course I don’t have it with me.”

  “Not a problem, the company I work for is making arrangements to get hold of it as we speak.”

  What? “I thought you worked for ChemTech?”

  “Oh, I did. Technically I worked for two companies at the same time. I stole secrets from ChemTech until I gained the information my current employer needed. Now I work exclusively for the one. A company whose name I won’t be sharing until you are with them. Tenesco has been good for you but they aren’t your future. Come to my company. You’ll work for me. They have big plans.”

  Blindly she reached behind her for the cloth to clean up the mess on the floor. She crouched down, trying to think, but fear choked her throat. And his words reverberated in her head. Her work was being picked up? How was that possible? It should be locked down on the server, except for the copy she kept for herself.

  She shook her head. All she’d wanted was to discuss her work and some down time. Lord, how did this shit happen?

  “Do you even live next door?” she asked as she worked to clean up the spill. “It’s such a beautiful looking house.”

  “Of course it is,” he snapped. “That house has been in my family for hundreds of years.”

  Figured.

  “Forget the damn floor,” he snapped. “I need you to grab your luggage and anything you might have had time to unpack so we can leave the house as if you were never here.”