Fly by Night: Michelle Reagan, #3

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FLY BY NIGHT

Michelle Reagan – Book 3

Copyright © 2020 Scott Shinberg

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ISBN (EPUB Version): 1622536681

ISBN-13 (EPUB Version): 978-1-62253-668-9

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Editor: Becky Stephens

Cover Artist: Briana Hertzog

Interior Designer: Lane Diamond

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE:

At the end of this novel of approximately 77,696 words, you will find two Special Sneak Previews: 1) SARGON THE THIRD, the author’s fourth novel from the Michelle Reagan series, and; 2) FRACTURE POINT by Jeff Altabef, the first book in the A Point Thriller series of futuristic crime/suspense thrillers. We think you’ll enjoy these previews, and provide them as a FREE extra service, which you should in no way consider it a part of the price you paid for this book. We hope you will both appreciate and enjoy the opportunity. Thank you.

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eBook License Notes:

You may not use, reproduce or transmit in any manner, any part of this book without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations used in critical articles and reviews, or in accordance with federal Fair Use laws. All rights are reserved.

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only; it may not be resold 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, please return to your eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or the author has used them fictitiously.

Books by Scott Shinberg

MICHELLE REAGAN

Book 1: Confessions of Eden

Book 2: Directive One

Book 3: Fly by Night

Book 4: Sargon the Third [Coming 2021]

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www.ScottShinberg.com

What Others are Saying about the Michelle Reagan Series:

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CONFESSIONS OF EDEN

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"Confessions of Eden by Scott Shinberg is by far the best espionage thriller I have read this year: rich in action, danger, and unexpected turns... Shinberg is a talented author who can make you feel like you are in the middle of a CIA office with undercover agents. He catches the reader’s attention with the very first sentence and holds it right to the end. I look forward to reading the next Michelle Reagan novel."

~ Literary Titan (5 STARS)

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"Scott Shinberg makes readers feel what it is like to be a covert operative and to work on dangerous missions. What makes the narrative so spellbinding is the internal conflict within the protagonist, the fear of ultimately losing her humanity. There are tight spots in the plot, narrow escapes, and also disturbing moments of intense action that have strong consequences on the characters. Both the key and the minor characters are so well crafted that they keep the reader riveted. Confessions of Eden is well written, with intense action and an interesting sense of balance when it comes to the plot points and style. The dialogues are measured and revealing and the author uses these to develop other elements of the narrative—humor, conflict, character, and plot. For fans of crime and espionage, Confessions of Eden comes across as a tour de force in entertainment."

~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Romuald Dzemo (5 STARS)

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"This novel is purpose-driven; it is written for those who enjoy action, but the strength of the characters is one of the irresistible elements of this well-crafted thriller. Scott Shinberg creates a compelling protagonist in Eden and infuses her with humanity and realism. It is interesting to follow the psychological conflict she experiences, for while she has a very difficult career, she is deeply human with a strong sense of justice and the concept of right and wrong. It is this element of humanity that adds strength to the realism permeating the narrative and it makes the story even more interesting. Confessions of Eden is told in a powerful voice, featuring streams of consciousness that plunge readers into the protagonist’s turmoil. Fast-paced and filled with action, it is one of those books you feel compelled to read nonstop."

~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Christian Sia (5 STARS)

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"The fast-paced beginning highlighted by the first person narrative voice of Confession of Eden (A Michelle Reagan Novel) by Scott Shinberg throws the reader right into the action, the first mission of this secret undercover CIA agent. ... Despite dedicating some pages to the first mission of the woman to explain in details the struggle of the first kill (a fascinating description that made me wonder if Scott Shinberg, as an Air Force Intelligence Operations Officer and a former FBI operative, ever killed someone and if he felt that way... yes, I’m dying to know), and my personal struggles with the first person narrative voice, I enjoyed Confession of Eden from the first page to the last. The approach to the story from a woman’s point of view, although not always correct in my opinion, is interesting and the author gets to the point about how most women feel in every working field except for their home kitchen. Definitely an interesting read."

~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Keyla Damaer (4 STARS)

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DIRECTIVE ONE

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"Author Scott Shinberg presents an excellent addition to the action and military genres along the lines of those who enjoy Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and Andy McNab, but with a distinct twist in the central figure of a powerful and capable heroine. Michelle Reagan is a powerhouse of a woman who still retains a truly feminine narrative quality, without pandering to any particular trope of the genre. With this core strength, the novel takes shape in both the plot and the atmosphere around her. The elite soldiers and operatives of the team are well-drawn characters with realistic behavior and dialogue, which adds to the heart-in-mouth feel of the action, as though we are rooting for real people when we read about them. When this is coupled with the tense descriptive power of the action scenes, it results in a well-paced thriller not to be missed. Overall, Directive One is a highly recommended read for thriller and spy novel fans everywhere."

~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, K.C. Finn (5 STARS)

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"I found Directive One by Scott Shinberg to be a very slick and professionally-crafted read, which made it very evident that it was based on well-grounded knowledge of the intelligence aspects covered. The characters were rich and unique in their own special ways, with all of them demonstrating a depth that made them real. Michelle being in a relationship with Dr. Steven Krauss, who also worked for the CIA, set up an interesting dynamic in that Steven was probably senior to Michelle, whilst her work seemed to be more secretive in its nature. The interplay between Michelle and the Director was another important ingredient, with a similar inverse dynamic placing their relationship into unknown territory. This is one book you won’t want to put down until you read the last word."

~ Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, Steven Robson (5 STARS)

BONUS CONTENT

We’re pleased to offer you not one, but two Special Sneak Previews at the end of this book.

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In the first preview, you’ll enjoy the First Chapter of Scott Shinberg’s SARGON THE THIRD, the fourth book in this Michelle Reagan series of espionage thrillers.

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TO REMAIN UP TO DATE ON THE MICHELLE REAGAN SERIES, PLEASE STAY TUNED TO OUR WEBSITE HERE:

SCOTT SHINBERG at Evolved Publishing

In the second preview, you’ll enjoy the First 3 Chapters of FRACTURE POINT, the first book in the A Point Thriller series by multiple award-winning author Jeff Altabef.

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OR GRAB THE FULL EBOOK TODAY!

YOU’LL FIND LINKS TO YOUR FAVORITE RETAILER HERE:

A POINT THRILLER Series at Evolved Publishing

Table of Contents

Copyright

Books by Scott Shinberg

What Others Are Saying

BONUS CONTENT

Table of Contents

Dedication

FLY BY NIGHT

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

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Special Sneak Preview: SARGON THE THIRD by Scott Shinberg

About the Author

More from Scott Shinberg

More from Evolved Publishing

Special Sneak Preview: FRACTURE POINT by Jeff Altabef

Dedication

The core of the bad guys’ plans in Fly by Night came to me in a nightmare about a dozen years ago. I dreamt I was walking along a street in Vancouver, Canada, watching the terrorists’ horrific attack unfold around me. I’ve never even been to Vancouver (at least as far as you know), so I have no idea why my subconscious picked that city, but the dream certainly made an impression on me. That night, I awoke suddenly and thought to myself, Holy crap, that could actually happen, even today.

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It’s only appropriate, then, for me to dedicate this novel to those who work so hard to prevent such attacks. Brave men and women risk their lives every day and night to keep terrorists out of our country in the first place, and, when that’s not possible, they are our first responders who fly, drive, run, or crawl, into harm’s way when the you-know-what hits the fan. To each and every one of them, thank you for everything you do.

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Finally, to a firehouse captain and his team who let a half-dozen of us use their station’s basement a long time ago, my thanks to you and your team of first responders. Thank you for both extending to us every courtesy and also not asking too many questions about all the electronics we trudged into your station and the antennas we stuck to the top of your building.

Chapter 1

Mosul, Iraq

Michelle Reagan—CIA codename Eden—aimed the glow-in-the-dark Trijicon sights of her Sig Sauer pistol at the woman lying on the floor. Shadows flickered against the wall of the dark room as Michelle looked down, and said, The farmer planted seven rows of corn.

Michelle did the calculations in her head—she had only two .45 caliber bullets remaining in her pistol. The woman in the soiled nightgown had only a few seconds to answer correctly. If she did not, Michelle would send both remaining rounds ripping into her target’s chest before reloading and firing a third shot through the mop of stringy brown hair on the woman’s head to end the mission decisively. Maybe not successfully, but certainly decisively.

The woman’s faint voice answered Michelle slowly, drawing the words out as she searched through her cluttered mental filing cabinet for a memory from long ago. Black crows ate all but three.

Michelle squinted at the thirty-something woman sprawled on an inch-thick mattress. Dark streaks ran across what had probably started as a white nightgown but looked green in the tint of Michelle’s night vision goggles. Everything looks green in NVGs. The tactical operator from the CIA’s Special Activities Center—the famed SAC—continued the challenge-response exchange with the woman in the sights of her silenced pistol. His wife likes baking pies in the evening.

Anxious for a reply, Michelle shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The creak of a loose floorboard broke the eerie stillness of the house. At the sound, Michelle’s eyes instinctively glanced toward the bedroom door. Everything sounds ominous at three o’clock in the morning when you’re surrounded by a house full of corpses.

But his son doesn’t like boysenberry, the woman said resolutely. A thin smile formed on her lips.

Michelle tucked her pistol into the holster under her left shoulder, looked at her partner, Alex Ramirez, and said, It’s her. It’s Bella Cirrone.

Alex nodded, agreeing that the CIA officer who went missing two years earlier had correctly completed the identification challenge.

Michelle reached under Bella’s shoulders and lifted the frail woman to her feet. We’re Americans, Bella. We’re Agency and here to rescue you. Come with us. We’ll take you home.

"Ho-ohme? the woman’s faint voice repeated, cracking as she uttered the magic word. Home?" she repeated more clearly.

You bet. Baseball, apple pie, fireworks on the Fourth of July, and—my personal favorite—chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Here, lean on me and we’ll get you to the SUV outside.

Bella put her hand on Michelle’s shoulder. I can... walk, the drowsy woman said, and proceeded to stumble as she tried to gain her footing in the dark.

Okay, Michelle replied softly. She reached her left arm around Bella’s waist as much to control as to guide the disoriented woman.

Alex led the way downstairs and out the front door. He scanned up and down the street using his NVGs to confirm it was devoid of pedestrians or anyone looking suspicious—not always the case, even at 3 a.m. in a city rocked by interminable violence for so many years. Clear, he quietly advised his two companions.

He led the women to the SUV parked around the corner and started the engine while Michelle poured Bella’s listless and emaciated frame into the back seat. Michelle climbed in and helped Bella secure the seat belt.

The thirty-minute ride to the US military base northeast of the city proved uneventful. Alex dimmed the SUV’s headlights as they approached the guardhouse and showed his identification to the Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers protecting the base and its airfield.

Inside the compound, he parked the dust-caked vehicle outside a large green tent serving as the Air Operations Center. At a small metal table inside, two CIA helicopter pilots sat on folding metal chairs. The pilots who had flown Alex and Michelle up from the Army’s Forward Operating Base at the Tal Afar airport—FOB Sykes—the previous afternoon peered over aeronautical charts of northwestern Iraq and sipped coffee as they planned their return flight. One pilot waved at Alex as the former Navy SEAL entered.

Got our girl. Let’s get going, he advised the chopper crew.

Sierra Hotel! the pilot replied. Good job, from the looks of it. He slapped his co-pilot on the shoulder, and said, Let’s get this bird in the air.

The flight through unusually calm air lasted only forty-five minutes.

After touching down, Michelle led Bella to the female barracks where the rescued CIA case officer showered. Michelle paced the room and repeatedly looked at her watch while Bella stood in front of the bathroom mirror and attempted to brush a tangle of knots from the hair hanging over her left shoulder. After five minutes, she admitted defeat and changed into sweatpants and a plain gray t-shirt emblazoned with US Army in black letters across its front.

The shower felt good, Bella said as she sat down on the edge of a cot with a bare mattress.

While the woman’s words were positive, Michelle couldn’t find an expression on her charge’s face to match it. I’ll bet it did. Would you like something to eat?

Bella shook her head. No, my stomach’s still not sitting right from the flight. You know the way helicopters vibrate, and... Well, I’m not much for flying. I’d just like to lie down for a bit.

Michelle set Bella up with clean linens, a pillow, and an olive-drab Army blanket on the bunk bed above her own. She gave her guest the sleep mask she’d saved from the commercial flight from Germany to Baghdad a week earlier.

Bella slept until after 10 a.m. Once dressed, she dutifully followed Michelle to the base’s main dining hall for breakfast and then across the street to the medical clinic where an Army physician would give the newly returned CIA case officer from the Directorate of Operations a thorough physical. Two years of captivity in Iraq had taken its toll on the field officer. A shower and shampoo may have removed the superficial grime from Bella’s pale skin, but Michelle fretted that she couldn’t find anything resembling joy at being saved in the eyes of her new companion.

Michelle checked Bella into the clinic and smiled. Closing the door behind her on that late-November morning also successfully closed out her mission in Iraq.

She got a cup of coffee with one cream and one sugar at the dining hall and found her partner at a picnic table outside.

Alex was devouring a second helping of eggs over easy and a few pieces of turkey bacon that he felt were just as tasty as the real thing, but not nearly as artery-clogging. He held up a slice of faux-bacon and wagged it at Michelle. Happy Thanksgiving.

Michelle sat down across the table and gingerly sipped her hot coffee. She put on her best John Wayne impression, and said, "Who-a, take ’er easy there, Pilgrim. Don’t eat too much turkey before football this afternoon."

You think they get the games via satellite over here?

Probably, it’s the Army, not the Vatican, but how should I know?

"You brought it up," Alex reminded her.

Don’t you men have some kind of innate football gene? Shouldn’t you know these things just from the antennas on your Y-chromosomes, or something?

"Wouldn’t that be nice!" Alex said, and stuffed the entire strip of turkey bacon into his mouth.

Michelle shook her head. "Men. Why is eating your superpower?"

"Don’t forget about leaving our clothes on the bedroom floor and dirty dishes in the sink. Those take practice."

No wonder you’re single.

Hey, partner, I don’t see a ring on your finger, either.

That’s different.

The pair relaxed in the morning sunlight for most of an hour, congratulated each other on another job well done, and debated whether they’d be able to catch a commercial flight to the States earlier than the one on which they were booked two days later.

A metallic clang reverberated from across the street as the medical clinic’s door slammed open against the side of the pre-fab building. Bella Cirrone ran into the street barefoot, wearing—barely—a green hospital gown. She skidded to a halt in the middle of the dirt road and spun frantically as she looked around her unfamiliar surroundings. Her brown hair whipped from side to side as she searched up and down the street. She made a start to her left, then reconsidered, turned about, and rushed in the opposite direction.

Shit, Michelle said under her breath.

What the hell? Alex added far louder.

Michelle jumped to her feet, knocking her empty coffee cup from the table in the process. She sprinted after Bella and caught the barefoot woman in a matter of seconds. Michelle pulled the woman’s arm and brought her to a halt.

Bella! What are you doing?

The unruly patient twisted, pulled her arm from Michelle’s grip, and started back down the street away from her rescuer.

Michelle grabbed the liberated case officer and wrapped her up in a bear hug. What’s going on, girl?

The shivering woman bent her knees, dropped her center of gravity, and shook to loosen Michelle’s grip. Two years in captivity hadn’t dulled her muscle-memory of basic hand-to-hand combat tactics.

Michelle would have none of that. She reached under Bella’s arms, wrapped her hands behind the shorter woman’s head into a full nelson wrestling hold, and bent deeply at her knees. The maneuver dropped the pair to the ground in a controlled takedown. Michelle landed roughly on her backside and sat upright with Bella practically in her lap.

Bella’s pale-green hospital gown flapped open in the back, and the emaciated woman’s bare butt bounced on the dirt road. She came to a halt with a grunt, unable to move with Michelle’s hands pressing forward on the back of her neck firmly enough to keep her immobile, but not hard enough to hurt too much.

Okay, woman, Michelle said, exasperated, "talk to me!"

Bella remained silent for a few seconds and then started to sob and shake.

Two male medical orderlies pushed their way through the thickening crowd of soldiers.

Michelle looked up at the men sporting green scrubs, and asked, "You wouldn’t happen to be missing something, would you? Or maybe someone?"

The shorter orderly raised an auto-injector in his hand, and said, Sorry, ma’am. After I finished her lab work, the doctor was examining her, and she bolted out of the room. I can sedate her if necessary.

Michelle put her mouth close to Bella’s ear, and quietly said, "Bella, you get to choose how you want to do this. It can go down in one of three ways. One. This nice gentleman with the big, scary needle can jab it into your thigh and you can sleep off your attitude problem. Two. I can put you into a wrist lock, and we’ll walk back to the clinic like you owe me money, and I’m going to take this opportunity to collect it as the proverbial pound of flesh. Or three. You can remember how to be a lady, calmly walk with me to the clinic, and if you run again, so help me, I’ll catch you and break your right kneecap. After that, you’ll be begging for the sedative. I’m down for whatever. It’s your choice, my friend. What do you say?"

Bella choked back another sob. I’m sorry. I got... scared.

Michelle comforted the panicked woman. "I get it. I do. I might have reacted the same way. But now we’re going to go back to the clinic and take our medicine like big girls, right?"

Bella paused and then agreed. Okay. I’ll go with you.

Option two or three?

Bella tried to turn her head to see if Michelle was joking or not, but the gaunt woman was being held too tightly to turn her head far enough to make eye contact with Michelle. After a short pause, she simply said, Three.

Michelle released Bella, and they stood up. Michelle pulled the rear-opening hospital gown closed around Bella’s dirt-caked bottom. The two women returned with the orderlies to the clinic at a slow but steady pace.

Two male doctors stood in the entryway and watched the foursome walk into the reception area. Michelle stopped and gestured for Bella to go with the medical team.

Bella turned, and the drawn look on her face surprised Michelle. Would you come in with me?

Michelle protested. This is not my area of expertise, I—

"Please?" the scared CIA officer pleaded.

Michelle dipped her head in resignation. "Fi-ine, but I’m going to miss my spa appointment for a mani-pedi."

Bella furrowed her eyebrows, and asked, They have a spa here on base?

Michelle shook her head. "No, you id—umm—silly girl. I was joking. Never mind. Lead the way."

The shorter of the two orderlies led the women into an examining room. Michelle plopped herself down in the chair next to a countertop stacked high with medical supplies.

White paper crackled as Bella climbed onto the dark blue examining table. She brushed dirt from her bottom, then folded her arms around herself as the doctor and an orderly entered the small room.

The doctor greeted Michelle. She tried to figure out by his accent if he was from Brooklyn or the Bronx. Sometimes she had a difficult time differentiating the two.

The doctor pulled a rolling stool from under the counter, sat down, and addressed Bella. It’s perfectly fine if you want your friend to be here as a chaperone during your exam. I just need your permission to discuss your medical condition with someone who’s not a family member or in your chain of command.

Bella nodded.

Good, he replied, and turned toward Michelle. How do you know Bella?

I was on the rescue team that recovered her last night.

Ah, I see, he said. Maybe you can shed some light on the living conditions you observed there.

I’ll tell you what I can, Michelle said noncommittally.

The doctor flipped open a metal clipboard and reviewed Bella’s lab results. "Bella, your tox screen came back negative, which is good, but you have a severe vitamin deficiency. That’s not surprising considering how malnourished you are. I rarely have to tell people to gain weight, but you should add a lot of leafy greens and protein to your diet—poultry and fish mostly, several times a day. Some red meat is fine, on occasion, just not too much. I’ll prescribe some multivitamins and iron supplements for you to take with you. Finally, Bella, you have a slightly elevated white blood cell count, which means you may be fighting a low-grade infection. That’s not too serious, and, before you leave, I’ll give you a blister pack with a full regimen of Azithromycin. Make sure you finish all the antibiotics over the next five days."

Bella shrugged.

Your X-rays show mixed results. At some point, you had two fractured ribs which left some scarring when they healed improperly. It must have happened quite a while ago. I’m guessing you didn’t get your rib cage wrapped when you were injured, did you?

Bella shook her head but didn’t elaborate.

Well, there’s nothing we can do about that, now, and they shouldn’t bother you in the future unless you reinjure the same ribs. Do they hurt anymore?

Bella shook her head again.

All right, the doctor said as he closed the file and set it on the counter. "That’s the good news. Now for the bad part, Bella. I need you