Shielding maya, p.1
Shielding Maya, page 1
Shielding Maya
A small-town, romantic suspense novel
GHOST Legacy
Book 6
PJ Fiala
Contents
DEDICATION
Description
Glossary - GHOST Legacy
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
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Acknowledgments
ALSO BY PJ FIALA
MEET PJ
Copyright
DEDICATION
I’ve had so many wonderful people come into my life and I want you all to know how much I appreciate it. From each and every reader who takes the time out of their days to read my stories and leave reviews, thank you.
My beautiful, smart and fun Road Queens, who play games with me, post fun memes, keep the conversation rolling and help me create these captivating characters, places, businesses and more. Thank you ladies for your ideas, support and love.
The following characters and places were created by:
* * *
Reader who named Character -Name -Description
Debbie Bonsteel - Adam Jacobs - Zara Jacob's husband, Marni's father
Judy Hamilton - April - One of the women who saw the senator
Kristi Hombs Kopydlowski - Elsie - One of the women who saw the senator
Nathalie Juergensen - Zara Jacobs - Marni’s mother, Adam’s wife
Christa Stigler - Marni Jacobs - Young girl who lives in Hickory Hills. Befriended by Maya.
* * *
Last but not least, my family for the love and sacrifices they have made and continue to make to help me achieve this dream, especially my husband and best friend, Gene. Words can never express how much you mean to me.
To our veterans and current serving members of our armed forces, police and fire departments, thank you ladies and gentlemen for your hard work and sacrifices; it’s with gratitude and thankfulness that I mention you in this forward.
Description
USAT author PJ Fiala, brings you the next generation of GHOST operatives set in the small-town of Glen Hollow, Kentucky, where a long-standing rivalry is brewing into an all out war, and love comes calling even in the worst of times.
* * *
GHOST: Government Hidden Ops Specialty Team. They eliminate the threat when no one else can.
She’s a tough as nails GHOST operative.
He’s next in line to lead his people into the future.
Life turns deadly for both of them after they witness a murder.
Maya Sager is far from being a girlie girl. She grew up preferring combat boots and tactical gear to shiny shoes and frilly dresses, much to her proper grandmother’s chagrin. Maya loved and admired her mama and daddy, and wanted to follow in their honorable footsteps. Moving to Glen Hollow, Kentucky with her family of GHOST operatives gave Maya the chance to make her parents proud while fulfilling her childhood dream. Then she witnesses something she shouldn’t and her world is turned upside down.
Jasiah Weston was born and raised on the Hill overlooking Glen Hollow, Kentucky. With his father on his deathbed, Jasiah is next in line to be President of his people. To solidify his place as leader, he must guide them through a peaceful merger with the residents of the small town below. When he and a tough yet gorgeous, GHOST operative towny, witness a murder, they are targeted for death.
Jasiah is determined to peacefully resolve old conflicts and bring the two towns together. But can he succeed while Shielding Maya from hostile factions with enough power to destroy the United States?
***
Entire series complete!
USA Today bestselling author PJ Fiala brings you the GHOST Legacy series—heroes willing to sacrifice everything in service to their country, and for the women they love. Full length novel with no cliffhanger, no cheating, and a happily-ever-after guaranteed.
Glossary - GHOST Legacy
The kids from GHOST are all grown up and living lives of their own. Meet these men and women of GHOST Legacy:
Tate Vickers - Tate is the son of Gaige and Sophie Vickers. Their story is told in Defending Sophie. Tate is a recon specialist and runs the GHOST satellite office.
Aidyn Dunbar - Is the son of Bridget and Axel Dunbar. You can find their story is Defending Bridget. Aidyn’s specialty is sharpshooter and recon.
Spencer Lawson - Spencer is the son of Wyatt and Yvette Lawson. You can read their story in Defending Yvette. Spencer specialize’s in security, recon and recovery.
Henry Delany - Henry is the son of Hawk and Roxanne Delany. Their story is told is Defending Roxanne. His specialties are recon, recovery, and anything that requires size.
Adelaide Masters - Adelaide’s parents are Josh and Isabella Masters. Their story is told in Defending Isabella. Adelaide served in the Army and is the team’s medic.
Maya Sager - Maya served in the US Marine Corps. Her parents are Dodge and Jax Sager. Their story is told in Finding His Jewel. Maya’s specialty is recon and rescue.
Myles Sager - Myles served in the US Marine Corps. Myles and Maya are the twins of Dodge and Jax Sager. Myles is an explosives expert.
1
Senator Pierce Jackson ran through the woods, stumbling, his lungs burned as he sucked in air as if he'd never get enough. He'd let himself go over the years. Eating and drinking as if it would never catch up to him. Wining and dining and hobnobbing with those he thought he'd impress. Now was the time it caught up to him. Now was his time.
A branch slashed his right cheek. He grunted but continued to thrash through the brush. The man stalking him moved toward him at a steady, even pace. His composure was scarier than the gun in his hand.
Tripping over a downed log, the senator fell with a thud in the heavy undergrowth. The smell of wet earth and decomposing leaves threatened to suffocate him. Rolling to his right side, he reached for the trunk of a small tree and pulled himself up. That's when the footsteps behind him stopped. The birds stopped chirping, the bugs even stopped their flight, and the utter silence around him made his heartbeat increase to a painful tempo. He should have stayed at the GHOST compound where he was safe instead of thinking he’d be able to get to his family.
Slowly turning his head to face his stalker, his eyes rounded when he saw the man standing before him. His hands at his sides, one still held a pistol, one hung free. He raised the pistol and shot once. The burning pain of the bullet as it entered his chest was dulled by his heart cramping and trying to beat. Still on his knees, he gasped.
"I didn't know you were involved," he huffed.
"You do now. Where's the recording?"
The senator hesitated. He'd set this whole thing in motion, he'd not stop it now. "It's with someone who is making changes."
The man shot once more, the echo of a gunshot rang out and disturbed the eerie silence. The senator fell back to the ground. He stared up at the trees above him, the leaves having begun to fall this year. His last on earth. The searing pain in his chest began to subside and his heartbeat slowed. Every stilted beat hurt, but not as much as the burning in his heart. In his last moment, he focused on one reddish leaf floating down toward him. He felt as though he was finally at peace. His wife and kids appeared before him. He hoped they were safe. He hoped his actions didn’t put them in danger too. His watery gaze then clouded until there was nothing.
Jasiah Weston stopped his progress across the common area used for gatherings and celebrations. The animosity of the years gone by had lifted a few months ago, and they were actually living just as the other community members in Glen Hollow, the town at the bottom of his mountain. The truce had been made, the town had honored its promises to bring water and electricity up the mountain, and they'd begun to employ many of the people of Hickory Hills in Glen Hollow. The long-held argument over unpaid taxes had been satisfied and their former president, Craig Howard, was now dead and buried. And, peace had finally fallen over Hickory Hills.
The shot filled the air, the peace of a moment ago, now felt stifling and ugly once more. Feeling a twist in his stomach, Jasiah turned and moved deliberately in the direction of the shot. It was a sound that had gone silent up here. Except during hunting season, and that wasn't due for another month.
Jasiah entered the woods, his steps as silent as if on dirt. His years as a tracker had taught him well. He found his well-worn path through the trees, easily stepping over fallen trees and branches as he stealthily slid along the narrow passageway. A woman appeared from his right. He recognized her as one of the operatives that lived
Their eyes locked. He motioned for her to join him. The direction she was heading would alert whoever carried a gun they were near. She slowly inched her way toward him. He nodded, then continued his silent trek toward the shot.
Voices carried to them and he crouched to his left knee. The woman stopped behind him. He pointed through the trees to see a man, dressed in dark pants and a black hoodie standing before a man kneeling in front of him.
"I didn't know you were involved," the kneeling man said.
The woman behind him whispered. "It's the senator."
The hooded man's voice was emotionless when he replied. "You do now."
“Where’s the recording?”
“It’s with someone who making changes.”
He pulled the trigger once more and the man with the white shirt, the senator, fell to the ground with a thud. The hooded man stared for a moment, then turned his head in their direction. Instinctively, Jasiah reached back to find the hand of the woman behind him. He squeezed her fingers, but his intent was to run like the wind if the man saw them. He didn't have his gun with him right now. The need to carry had subsided weeks ago.
The woman squeezed his fingers in silent reply and he held his breath. Turning his body, the man stared in their direction. The small copse of brush he and the woman had ducked behind would hopefully keep them hidden.
The hooded man stared for a few moments more, then turned and stepped over the dead man and moved toward the black road in the middle of the mountain.
The woman behind him stood, but he tugged her hand and pulled her back down.
"We have to stay hidden. I'm not armed," he whispered.
The smile that smoothed across her beautiful face mesmerized him. "I am."
She stood then and stepped on his path, following the man almost as silently as Jasiah would have done himself.
He spurred into action, following this brave warrior woman, as she stopped at the dead man's side, leaned down and placed her fingers to the side of his neck and waited a moment. She shook her head, her dark ponytail, swishing over her shoulders, then stood once again and followed the path the killer had taken.
Jasiah offered a silent prayer to the dead man and pushed away the thoughts that this would bring bad things back to the mountain. They so needed to keep things peaceful up here. They'd learned as much after dealing with Craig these past years.
He caught up to the woman as quickly as he could, without making enough noise to wake the dead. Though he didn't mean that as a pun. Just as she reached the road, she knelt down and watched a vehicle careen down the road. She pulled her phone from her back pocket and typed something into it with such speed and efficiency it was impressive.
Since he'd only just gotten his first phone a few weeks ago, he felt at a total loss to this new skill he witnessed.
She stood and turned toward him, pocketing her phone in her back pocket as if she did it a hundred times each day.
"My name is Maya Sager." She held her hand out to him.
He took her hand in his. "Jasiah Weston."
"It's nice to finally meet you Jasiah. I'm sorry it's like this. Do you know who that man was? Was he one of your people?"
2
Maya watched Jasiah's facial expressions. He was handsome, which surprised her. She'd assumed he looked like a mountain man, all grizzly and unrefined.
He had dark hair cut short and a short beard. Basically, he was groomed, which was in contrast to her assumption of him.
His brows furrowed, then he shook his head. "No, he isn't one of my people. Are you assuming that because he killed that man?"
"No, but he's up here on the mountain, so I wanted to make sure."
"So is that dead man but he isn't one of mine either. Is he one of yours?"
She sucked in a deep breath, eager to change the trajectory of this conversation. "Yes. Sort of."
She dropped her arms and tucked her thumbs into her front pockets. Footsteps behind Jasiah had him swirling around to face Myles, her brother.
Myles' eyes locked onto hers, the set of his mouth was stern, his shoulders were stiff and slightly lifted. "Did you see the senator?" She asked.
"Yes." Myles then looked at Jasiah. "Who killed him?"
Maya took a step forward, so she stood next to Jasiah. "I don't know. We—“
she motioned between herself and Jasiah "—witnessed him being shot. The second time, not the first."
Myles nodded.
Maya motioned to the road. "He got in a car and sped down the mountain. I got the plate number and texted it to Tate."
"That's good. Maybe we'll still be able to get him."
"One of the others will have to do it. Tate asked that we stay here and guide the EMTs to the senator."
The sirens began to grow louder. She took another deep breath and turned to Jasiah. "You should tell your people everything's okay. They've likely heard the shots and they'll hear the sirens."
"How do you know he won't be back?"
"I don't. But he came to kill the senator, and he's done that. Unless he feels as though we saw him, which I don't think he does or he would have come looking for us, he'll be out of town by now, unless my team managed to get to him first."
"Why would you let him go?"
"I didn't let him go."
"You said you were armed."
"Should I have shot him down? In the back? Like a fucking coward?"
Jasiah's head jerked when she swore. She heard Myles chuckle, clearly entertained by Jasiah being affronted that a woman would swear. Or, whatever had caused his reaction.
"Of course not. But..."
Myles stepped toward them. "He was just a hired assassin. He'd likely not give us anything on who hired him, and we already know who hired him. We just have to get the proof."
The sirens grew louder and the crunch of gravel on the road signaled the ambulance was close. Jasiah turned as the ambulance stopped next to them, his shoulders were pulled back, his lips drew a straight line across his handsome face.
An EMT jumped from the passenger side and nodded at Jasiah. "Where's the victim?"
"He's back a few hundred feet. I can take you to him."
The EMT nodded and strutted to the back of the ambulance and swung open the back doors.
Maya touched his arm. "We can show them Jasiah. Please calm your residents so they aren't scared."
He turned his head and stared into her eyes. His were deep brown framed by thick lashes. The hair in his beard was dark, but not as dark as the hair on his head. There were even a few graying hairs at his temples.
"Thank you. I'll go tell them to stay out of the woods for a while."
He trudged up the mountain road, his stride purposeful and powerful. She watched him for a few steps, trying to remind herself she'd likely be leaving this town soon enough. After being here for two years and not having a single date, she was feeling a bit lonely and that's likely why he appealed to her. That was it for sure.
She turned to see Myles watching her. His brows furrowed, then his head turned to see Jasiah's retreating back.
The EMTs rounded the back of the ambulance, a gurney between them. She nodded. "Follow me."
She strutted past Myles, no words spoken, and headed toward where the senator laid on the wet earth on the side of a mountain that had been the center of her attention for the past two years. Never did she think this would be the situation she'd be in all this time. A scared senator running for his life. The idiot running from the one place he'd have been safe, their HOG. Home, office, and garage. Where they'd offered him sanctuary. But, just as he'd done in life, he'd made another bad decision which cost him his life. Some people were their own worst enemies.
