My Dangerous Valentine Read online

  The man snorted. though. “So that I can go to Gitmo? I don’t think so.”

  This was not good. They were at a standoff, and the guy might not have started the day in suicide mode, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t switch into it any moment. Valentine didn’t feel like dying today.

  So instead of shooting, she used her less-than-obedient right hand to unlatch her belt. With a snap, she whipped the snakeskin leather off her waist. The terrorist took a step to the left, blocking the bomb with his body.

  “What is this?”

  Valentine snapped the leather again, flinging it toward the man’s gun arm. It coiled itself around his wrist.

  “Is this some game to you?” the terrorist demanded.

  With her thumb, she pushed the belt’s tong all the way back. With a single spark of electricity, the fibers in the belt realigned. And, much like an anaconda’s myofibers, began to contract.

  “Guess we’ll see,” Val replied, as the man’s face contorted. His fingers turned a dark pink as the circulation was cut off.

  He must have realized it was only seconds until he would lose his grip on his gun, as he charged forward, squeezing the trigger. Val stood steady, though, as the shots went wide. She put three bullets in his chest, then one in his forehead, just in case he was wearing a vest. Val started taking pictures of the bomb before he even fell to the ground. She was no bomb expert. Luckily, though, they had one back at Langley.

  “Trigger, what do you think?”

  ‘That is a big bomb,” he said.

  “Yes, I got that much. Am I going to have to cut a wire?” Val asked. “Because if I do, I have to go get my knife out of a guy’s chest.”

  “No, no,” Trigger said. “That is a collapsible circuit. If you try to disable it, it will detonate.”

  “Okay, then what are we going to do?” Val asked.

  She watched the digital timer speed down from five minutes.

  “The bomb squad is ten minutes out,” Trinka added, as if reading Val’s mind. The young woman did want to work out in the field one day. Val was glad to see her starting to think like a field operative.

  “So it’s just me and no time to evacuate,” Val summarized. “Trigger, got anything?

  “The timer is the weak link,” he said. “Do you see a fire extinguisher?”

  Valentine glanced around, finding the object in question. “Got it.”

  “Fire it at the timer and timer only.”

  “And if I miss?”

  “We and everyone else at the mall will know about it.”

  Great. She grabbed the extinguisher, pointed it to the wall. and sprayed it. These things weren’t exactly precision devices. Getting a feel for how wide the foam would spread, Val turned back to the bomb.

  “Here it goes.”

  Val got down low on the floor, ripping her nylons, and aimed the hose up, trying to catch the timer from the bottom, sparing the rest of the bomb. Or, at least, that was the theory.

  The canister in her hand got cold, really cold, as the timer frosted over with white foam. Val had to reach out and wipe the screen clear to make sure it had stopped. There it was, frozen at four minutes, three seconds.

  Not bad for a run to the mall.

  “We’re good,” Val announced.

  Trinka and Trigger whooped in her ear. Val switched off her mic as she turned to the corner of the room. “You could have helped out, ya know.”

  Ukav stepped out from the shadows. “But to see you in action is, how do you say it? Poetry in motion?’

  “What are you doing here, anyway?” she asked.

  Ukav only grinned slightly. He was far too seasoned to actually tell her. She could guess, though.

  “How much do you want to bet that this bomb was made from Russian parts?”

  “I am not a betting man,” Ukav said.

  “Did you fund this attack?” Valentine asked him.

  “Russia does not engage in terrorist activities,” Ukav said, puffing out his chest. Which was a little hypocritical, since Putin was suspected of killing his political opponents with ricin.

  “But you do pay protection money,” Valentine stated. It was a new ploy by terrorists to extort money from countries in exchange for a guarantee they wouldn’t be hit by attacks.

  Ukav shrugged. Which was the spy equivalent of an emphatic ‘yes.’

  “India is your ally,” Valentine said. “Yet your ‘protection’ money paid for those attacks.”

  “So you can see why this is so awkward,” Ukav replied.

  Awkward was an understatement.

  “I can’t let you take the bomb,” Valentine said. “Is that going to be a problem?”

  “I’d prefer to head home for Christmas dinner.”

  “I’ll give you a ten-minute head start.”

  Ukav’s grin spread into a full smile, his usually severe features softening. “I won’t need it.”

  The man melted back into the shadows and was gone.

  “Everything okay, Valentine?” Trinka asked in her ear.

  Valentine reengaged the mic. “It’s all good. And let Trigger know the belt actually worked.”

  “I told you!” Trigger exclaimed.

  “You know I only wore the damn thing because it was so cute,” Valentine replied.

  “Which is why I made sure that it was fashion forward,” Trigger explained.

  Good to know that the kid could go from the CIA over to Calvin Klein if he wanted to.

  * * *

  Valentine rushed up to the toy store to find the woman who had been in front of her at the front of the line. The police had finally arrived, and she had turned the crime scene over to them, since she officially had never been there. They would credit some mall cop with the discovery. Time to get back to her real mission. Val elbowed her way back into the line. The man behind her tsked.

  I just saved your life, Val thought, but how could she ever say it?

  The woman in front of her grabbed the three bags from the counter, leaving her little girl hanging, literally hanging from her mother’s neck. Kids. The girl hadn’t wanted to be held, and now that her mother’s hands were busy, she couldn’t get the little girl off of her.

  With fond memories of her own girl at that age, Val walked up to the counter and purchased her Baby Gaga doll. Val didn’t quite get why this toy was all the rage. She guessed that the fact that each time you squeezed the baby, a Lady Gaga song played was the attraction. You could also upload your own playlist, as well. What a little girl needed with this feature, Val wasn’t quite sure.

  Taking the bag, Val headed for the exit. There was the little old woman again, ringing her bell.

  Val walked up to her and handed her the bag. “Here’s a donation.”

  The woman accepted the bag, and when she pulled out the doll, her eyes widened. “You could get a thousand on eBay for this.”

  “I know, but I want to give it to you.”

  “I thought you had a daughter?” the woman asked.

  “Had,” Valentine said.

  Her husband and little girl had been killed in a terrorist attack over six years ago, although at times like this is felt like six days. She honored her daughter’s memory each year by buying a gift, then giving it to the underprivileged. “I just want someone who really needs it to have it.”

  “I will deliver it personally.”

  The thought of some little girl’s beaming smile as she opened the doll helped take the edge off the grief. “Thanks.”

  Val headed toward the door. Opening it, she was blasted by the frigid winter wind. She didn’t mind.

  Because, you know what? It felt pretty good to have saved Christmas.

  Afterword

  Thank you so much for reading My Dangerous Christmastime. Hopefully you are looking forward to the new series as much as I am writing it. My Lethal Valentine will be out in the fall of 2013.

  Looking for more thrills until then?

  Check out the next section.

&nbs
p; * * *

  Other Works by Carolyn McCray

  Got Thrills? A Boxed Set With Your RDA Allowance of Thrills

  From the Carolyn McCray, #1 bestselling author in Technothrillers, Men’s Adventure, Action/Adventure, and War comes a pack of thrillers to get your blood pumping!

  AMBUSH

  The prequel short story to the extremely controversial 30 Pieces of Silver.

  ANATOMY

  See where the Harbinger Mystery series began.

  HACKED

  The prequel short story to the #1 action packed Encrypted techno thriller

  GAUNTLET

  The action packed prequel short story to the bestselling Mystery/Horror novel All Hallow’s Eve.

  DEVIOUS

  The shocking prequel to the blockbuster 9th Circle.

  THE RUSH

  Carolyn’s action-packed techno-thriller prequel to MoonRush.

  ROOK

  Let’s avoid the Apocalypse, people! Occult Thriller.

  CLUB DEATH

  (Bonus – The 1st Episode)

  Come for the Dancing. Stay because, well, a madman has you trapped inside.

  SUPPER

  (A bonus short story)

  The horror short story you’ve been craving.

  Praise for Carolyn’s thrillers…

  “I found this book to be just as the title said an action packed techno thriller. I read at least a book a week but this was one of those impossible to put down books. It was well worth the money and based on this book I bought her other book and will be placing the next in her series on my wish list.”

  Scott Powner

  Amazon Reviewer

  To purchase or sample Got Thrills, simply click here.

  * * *

  30 Pieces of Silver – Extremely controversial historical thriller

  If you loved the thrills, and excitement of Hacked, you should check out Carolyn’s #1 Bestseller in Men’s Adventure /War/Techno-Thrillers, 30 Pieces of Silver.

  Be warned, however, that 30 Pieces of Silver is an EXTREMELY controversial historical/religious thriller. Please be sure to read the warning on the Amazon page before purchasing!

  Unabashedly controversial, 30 Pieces of Silver has been described by NYT Bestselling author James Rollins (author of Bloodline) as…

  “Part minefield and all roller-coaster ride, here is a story as controversial as it is thrilling. Hunker down for a long night, because once you start reading this book, you won’t be putting it down.”

  We could go on and on. However, it is probably best if you sampled some of 30 Pieces of Silver for yourself. However, be forewarned! The ending is so controversial that New York would not put it into print! #youhavebeenwarned

  To purchase or read a sample of 30 Pieces of Silver on Amazon, click here.

  * * *

  Encrypted – Carolyn’s action–packed techno–thriller

  If you enjoyed the adventure–filled romp of The Rush, you might also enjoy Carolyn’s action–packed techno–thriller, Encrypted.

  “Dan Brown blinked, and Carolyn McCray took over. Encrypted is the best thing that I’ve read in the thriller genre, hands down. It’s got history, mysticism, and shadowy organizations manipulating world events. Oh, and did I mention the most incredible opposites–attract relationship EVER? This novel knocked my socks off.”

  ThrillersRockT

  Book Reviewer

  More praise for Encrypted…

  “I found this book to be just as the title said an action packed techno thriller. I read at least a book a week but this was one of those impossible to put down books. It was well worth the money and based on this book I bought her other book and will be placing the next in her series on my wish list.”

  Scott Powner

  Amazon Reviewer

  To purchase or read a sample of Encrypted on Amazon, just click here.

  * * *

  Plain Jane – A Patterson–style thriller with a dash of Hannibal

  If you enjoyed the twists and turns of Club Death, you might want to try Harbinger’s first novel the #1 Bestselling (Police Procedurals and Hard–Boiled Mysteries)…

  In the words of New York Times best–selling author, James Rollins (Altar of Eden and Bloodline)…

  “Wickedly macabre and blisteringly paced, Plain Jane marks the debut of a thriller for the new millennium. Brash, funny, terrifying, and shocking, here is a story best enjoyed with all the lights on. Don’t say I didn't warn you!”

  More praise for Plain Jane: Brunettes Beware.

  “This book is so creepy. I made the mistake of starting in one night before bed. Not only did the story line keep me turning pages, it freaked me out to the point that I didn't want to turn off my light.”

  The Book Goddess

  Book Reviewer

  “This one had me flipping pages until 2 in the morning. I knew when I saw the quote from James Rollins (one of my favorites) that I would get at least my money's worth out of the book, but I had NO idea what laid in store for me.”

  Mimi

  Novel Ideas

  The purchase or sample Plain Jane: Brunettes Beware simply click here.

  * * *

  9 th Circle – 9 Circles. Infinite ways to die.

  From the wicked mind of Carolyn McCray comes another taut, fast paced hunt for a serial killer.

  Praise for 9th Circle…

  “The first episode of this serial grabbed my attention immediately, and I couldn’t turn my Kindle pages fast enough! The sharp sensory detail drops you into every scene, and the superb characterization adds unexpected layers to the storyline. Detective Robi Darcmel is simply fascinating, and the characters around him are the perfect foil for his brilliant peculiarities. 9 th CIRCLE is vividly cinematic. I can’t wait for the next episode to be delivered to my Kindle!”

  Stephanie Bond

  Author- Licensed to Thrill

  Overview:

  A madman terrorizes Seattle, attempting to recreate the nine circles of hell using the blood and bodies of the innocent… and not-so-innocent. Detective Darcmel, a gifted savant with Asperger’s Syndrome, is the only one standing in the path of this pathological killer. As the timer runs down on the fate of the entire city, it is the love of a little girl that can lead to either his salvation or utter destruction.

  To sample or purchase 9th Circle click here.

  * * *

  About the Author

  Carolyn has had a long and extremely interesting road to become a bestseller.

  When she head to veterinary school those many years ago she had no idea decades later she would be writing controversial historical thrillers, gut wrenching mysteries and roller coaster-style action/adventure tales!

  Born in San Francisco and raised in the beautiful Napa Valley, Carolyn always had an overactive imagination. As a child you could usually find her dragging the neighborhood children out to the haunted barn to make her Nancy Drew-style audio tapes. Oh and did she mention, there was an entire life-sized recreation of the nativity scene in the rafters? Yeah, that wasn't just a little creepy.

  Which of course was great practice for writing such blockbusters as Plain Jane: A Patterson-style thriller with a dash of Hannibal and 30 Pieces of Silver: An Extremely Controversial Historical Thriller.

  With over 250,000 books sold, Carolyn now lives on a beautiful lake in the Pacific Northwest where the fog rolls in over the water, snuffing out all signs of life around her. Yep, she still loves the creepy!

  Contact Info:

  Website

  [email protected]

  Acknowledgments

  So many people contribute to any book that it is hard to list them all. However, I intend to try!

  This book would never have come into existence without, of course, Jim. Ever cool. Ever there.

  Ben, who faithfully edited the manuscript through its many, many, many incarnations.

  Dee Dee, who has believed in me for so long it is almost impossible to remember a time without her. #andnothatsn
otadissonyourage

  Carrie, my editor, who knows of my love for sentence fragments and run-on sentences, yet who still patiently edits them to the point where they are readable!

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, places, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  My Dangerous Christmastime

  An Off Our Meds Project/published by arrangement with the author

  FIRST EDITION

  Copyright 2012 by Carolyn McCray

  All rights reserved

  Kindle Edition

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Any inquiries can be made to:

  3524 South Star Lake Rd

  Auburn, WA 98001

  [email protected]

  Table of Contents

  Main Menu

  Start Reading

  About the Author

  Afterword

  Other Works by Carolyn McCray

  Got Thrills? – A boxed set with your RDA Allowance of Thrills

  30 Pieces of Silver – Extremely controversial historical thriller

  Encrypted – Carolyn’s action–packed techno–thriller

  9 th Circle – 9 circles, infinite ways to die

  Plain Jane – A Patterson–style thriller with a dash of Hannibal

  Copyright