Talon: Combat Tracking Team (A Breed Apart)
Read Talon: Combat Tracking Team (A Breed Apart) Online
Authors: Ronie Kendig
PRAISE FOR
TALON
(A BREED APART BOOK 2)
“Action, intrigue, and romance the way only Ronie Kendig can write it—this is an author who knows her stuff. With characters you can’t help but love—and a canine you can’t help but fall for—
Talon
is an intense ride punched with high-octane drama that will have you bolting through the pages in a single, sleepless night.
Talon
is Kendig at the top of her game. Whatever you do, do not miss this one.”
—Tosca Lee,
New York Times
bestselling author of the Books of Mortals series
“Talon
was a nonstop, heart-pounding adventure full of twists, turns, and romance. Every time I picked it up, I was transported to Talon and Aspen’s world and felt every emotion that they experienced. It has a little bit of everything to capture the hearts of all readers!”
—Lisa Phillips, Founder/CEO of Retired Military Working Dog Assistance Organization
“Now I know why they label Ronie’s novels ‘Rapid Fire Fiction’! With inimitable style, this book hooks you from page one and machine-guns you to a satisfying finish. Bravo, Ronie!”
—Creston Mapes, bestselling author of
Fear Has a Name
“Ronie Kendig brings more than action and intrigue in her newest release,
Talon
. She reveals the soul of a man, a woman, and a dog—deep characterizations that bring each one to life. The story, the characters, and the plot twists engaged me from the beginning.
Talon
is another winner in a long list of excellent fiction by an exceptional writer.”
—Miralee Ferrell, multi-published, award-winning author of historical romance
“Ronie Kendig has done it again! Jump into
Talon
for a fast-paced ride through exotic locales that will leave you breathless. Kendig’s ability to weave a story that combines action and adventure with a love story is unmatched. Readers who love military stories, especially those featuring military canines, will find
Talon
a book that lives on well after the final page is turned.”
—Kathleen Y’Barbo, bestselling author of
Flora’s Wish
and
Rocky Mountain Heiress
“Ronie Kendig rocks another story. Action-packed and riveting,
Talon
is a book you won’t be able to put down until you reach the end. Breathtaking, nerve-wracking, and heart-inspiring, you’ll keep this one on the shelf so you can read it again and again.”
—Lynette Eason, bestselling author of The Women of Justice series
“[
Trinity: Military War Dog
] is one of the best Military War Dog novels I have read in years! Thank you, Ronie!”
—Elgin Shaw, former Air Force handler to MWD Max J216
THER
B
OOKS
B
Y
R
ONIE
K
ENDIG
Trinity: Military War Dog
(A Breed Apart #1)
Nightshade
(Discarded Heroes #1)
Digitalis
(Discarded Heroes #2)
Wolfsbane
(Discarded Heroes #3)
Firethorn
(Discarded Heroes #4)
© 2013 by Ronie Kendig
Print ISBN 978-1-61626-601-1
eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62416-086-8
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-62416-085-1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.
Scripture quotations are taken from the H
OLY
B
IBLE
, N
EW
I
NTERNATIONAL
V
ERSION
®
.
NIV
®
. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
™
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Additional scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
For more information about Ronie Kendig, please access the author’s website at the following Internet address:
www.roniekendig.com
Cover design: Müllerhaus Publishing Arts, Inc.,
www.Mullerhaus.net
Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, OH 44683,
www.barbourbooks.com
Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses
.
Printed in the United States of America.
To all military working dog handlers and their amazing K-9 counterparts.
Dedicated especially to Vietnam-era handlers who were forced to leave behind their best friends
.
Special thanks to military handlers, who prefer to remain anonymous, for their help and direction.
Thanks to Elgin Shaw, a former Air Force handler and reader, who has encouraged me and shared his story of MWD Max in
Trinity: Military War Dog
.
Thanks to my agent, Steve Laube, who remains steadfast and constant in an ever-changing industry. For *not* pushing me off the ledge but holding me back when I wanted to jump.
A million thanks to Julee Schwarzburg—editor extraordinaire!
Thanks to the Barbour team, relentless in their efforts to make our books successful: Rebecca Germany, Mary Burns, Shalyn Sattler, Elizabeth Shrider, Laura Young, Linda Hang, and Ashley Schrock.
Rel Mollet of RelzReviewz—tireless supporter of fiction but also one of the truest and most genuine people I have ever met.
Special thanks to Heather Lammers for helping me connect with MWD handlers.
Special thanks to MWD handlers/trainers 1st LT Brian Sandoval, SSG Jeff Worley, and SGT Andrew Kowtko for sharing a glimpse of the MWD world with readers. You are all heroes!
In writing about unique settings, specific locations, and invariably the people residing there, a certain level of risk is involved, including the possibility of dishonoring the very people an author intends to honor. With that in mind, I have taken some literary license in
Talon: Combat Tracking Team
, including renaming some bases within the U.S. military establishment and creating sites/ entitles. I have done this so the book and/or my writing will not negatively reflect on any military personnel or location. With the quickly changing landscape of a combat theater, this seemed imperative and prudent.
ACUs—Army Combat Uniforms
AK-47—Russian made assault rifle
CLU—Containerized Living Units
CTT dog—Combat Tracking Team dog
DIA—Defense Intelligence Agency
FOB—Forward Operating Base
Glock—A semiautomatic handgun
HUMINT—Human Intelligence
IED—Improvised Explosive Device
JAG—Judge Advocate General
Klicks—Military jargon for kilometers
Lat-long—Latitude and longitude
M4, M4A1, M16A4—Military assault rifles
M203—A grenade launcher
MIA—Missing In Action
MP—Military Police
MRAP—Mine Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle
MWD—Military War Dog
ODA452—Operational Detachment A (Special Forces A-Team)
RPG—Rocket-Propelled Grenade
SCI—“Sensitive Compartmented Information” security level
SOCOM—Special Operations Command
SureFire—A tactical flashlight
TBI—Traumatic Brain Injury
UAV—Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Prologue 