Heroes STRIKEs Back 3B Heroes/STRIKE Series'

9

**** Beau and Brett both stood side by side on Apple Tree Hill looking over the ranch. Night had long since fallen, and the fall frost glistened in the moonlight. "Bro, ever consider that maybe it's time we retired?"

Beau glanced at his older brother, "Yeah, Drina's been telling me it's time for a while now. I'm over 60, I'm not exactly a young man anymore. Nor are you for that matter."

Brett chuckled, "I have to admit that I've been feeling my age lately. However, I have to make sure my girls are safe before I throw in the towel."

Beau was about to answer when a breeze smelling of apple blossoms wofted around them. "We're not alone." He whispered.

"No. You're not."

Both men turned, hands on their sidearms, "Show yourself!" Brett ordered.

A man dressed all in black melted out of the darkness.

When he spoke, it was in broken English. Some of the words were in some kind of Asian dialect. "You won't be needing those. If I wanted you dead you, you'd be so already."

Beau narrowed his eyes, "Who are you?" He raised his flashlight, he was young, mid-twenties maybe. He wore a cap pulled low over his face, and the dark glasses just added to the mystery of the man.



To hide his identity even more he pulled the hat down further, and lowered his face.

"Lower the light." He ordered. When Beau did as he was asked the young man went on. "All you need to know is that I'm a friend."

Beau looked at Brett who nodded, "He's being honest."

Beau who wasn't as trusting as his brother kept his hand firmly on his pistol.

The man in black nodded, "Look, if I didn't want you to know I was here, I never would have spoken to you."

Beau forced his hand to relax slightly, "That was a warning."

The stranger nodded, "Bingo."

Beau tilted his head to the side. The way the kid pronounced the word 'bingo' sounded much the same way Taec did. Then it hit him.

"Korean. You're Korean."

The stranger nodded.

Brett was the one to get straight to the point, "What do you want?"

The younger man tilted his head, "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to do a job."

Beau studied him, "The human trafficking ring?"

The man pointed at him, "Maybe you should wait a little longer to retire. Your instincts are still pretty sharp."

Beau wasn't sure what to say to that. The man in black went on. "I've done some digging and found similar cases in other parts of the US, Asia, and Africa. The ring leader is here, but I can't locate her. She's covered her tracks far too well. Even for a man with my sources."

Brett studied the man, "It sounds like she is more than the ring leader to you. What is the connection between you?"

The stranger turned the full attention of his gaze on the former SEAL. Brett noticed that the intensity of the younger man's gaze would be intimidating for individuals without the training and experience he and his brother had. Whoever this kid was, he wasn't to be taken lightly, nor did he intimidate easily.

After a long moment, the man answered him, "She helped kill someone very dear to me."

Beau crossed his arms, "What do you need from us?"

The man huffed, "Your people's eyes and ears. I've contacted an informant of mine. He's an agent with Interpol. He'll be the one to get the messages to me."

Brett chuckled dryly, "Do you really think we're that stupid? How is Ash..."

"Agent Park has never met me face to face. I never tell anyone who I am. He's no exception. He has what info I allowed him to have, just as you will."

He dropped a dark bag on the ground between himself and the other men. "You'll find the burners are new and working. If you need my help, just text SOS. Don't use them for any other reason."

Brett slowly knelt down and opened the bag. Seeing what was inside, he turned to look at his brother and nodded. Then, when both men turned to look up at the stranger... they weren't surprised to find him gone.

Brett flipped one of the burners over and found a typed note. Lifting it, he read aloud and about choked on his own words.

"Just in case you need a little help. Yeou."

Beau looked at his brother in disbelief, "I've heard Gabriel mention a man called Yeou. Apparently, he was referred to as the Fox. He's Strike's best Operative. According to Gabe, not even the founder knows who he really is. They just have an email to use, and that's it. Gabe thinks very highly of that man. Where most agents work full time, the Fox picks and chooses his cases. They send an email, and if he accepts the case, Yeou emails back for the data."

Brett shook his head, "But, why is Strike's best agent here on his own? Someone of his caliber has to have someone helping him. He's no idiot, so he has informents set up."

Beau nodded, "Like a hacker, or a plant."

Brett stood and looked at his brother. "Exactly."

***

Sasin took a deep swallow of water and wiped the sweat from his face, "You really should knock before entering." He tuned to face the team leader kneeling on the window sill.

"You should know me better than that by now." Yeou dropped to the floor and pulled off his hat and glasses. "I forgot how much I love working under the radar."

Sasin grinned, "Is that what you call it? You're still on the payroll."

Yeou nodded,"True. My team arrived earlier today. I also dropped a few burners off. I'm sure they'll bring Agent Ivonof in on this soon. I've worked with him before."

Sasin crossed his arms, "Does he know who you are?"

The man shook his head, "Yeou is well known within Strike, but no one knows just who he really is. I'm safe for now.

Also, there was another body found. This one, at Rebecca Blanton's apartment. That's what forced me to come in on the case much sooner than planned."

Sasin scowled, "Why wasn't I told about this?!"

Yeou leaned into the wall, "No time. I needed to get the ball rolling. No that I have taken care of setting things up with the Blanton brothers, we should have an information netword et up pretty quickly. Are you glad you came back yet?."

Sasin scofted, "You already know the answer to that, Yeou."