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Bret Lee Series
Bret Lee Series
Category:
Action/Thriller
Publisher: Independent
Type: Fiction
Pages: 260
Copyright: July 4, 2019
ISBN-13: 9781099219993
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
Bret Lee must capture or kill a terrorist about to shoot down passenger planes.
The word among spook circles is that someone wants to buy ten surface-to-air missiles. Known illegal arms sources won’t risk it. Citizen-spy Lee gets recruited to find him and shut him down.
His plan is to fool the terrorist into believing that Lee can supply the missiles, if he can be found. Bret play-acts as a rich playboy arms dealer, gambling in Monte Carlo, Macao and South Africa casinos, waiting to “be found” by the terrorist’s associates. Bret’s wife, Chu-lin, plays the logistics and social media role for the gambit back in the states, while Zhu, her brother, joins the field mission as well, acting as Bret’s bodyguard.
Bret and Zhu are eventually escorted to a jungle hideout in the Central African Republic for a missile demonstration. The end may be near for the terrorist if Seal Team 7 and the Green Berets have their way.
Excerpt
Bret put a stack of ten chips on the table in front of him as his first bet, and said aloud, “One thousand euros. Come on baby.”
The dealer placed first one, then another card in front of him. He picked them up, looked at them, and laid them down face up, an Ace of Hearts and Jack of Clubs. “Blackjack,” he yelled. A winning Blackjack hand pays 3 to 2, or €1500. He now had €2500 in play.
Each squealing girl gave him a kiss on the nearest cheek. One of the other players at the table left, grumbling to himself in French. A nearby casino security guard moved to a table’s length away. Many “shhhhs” emanated from nearby tables.
After the dealer pointed at the table in front of Bret, advising him to make his next bet, he slurred, “Let it ride,” loudly enough for all to hear three tables away. The crowd grew in number, laughing at his jokes, waiting for the big bets, big wins, and to see if he’d soon be thrown out.
But he won that €2500 bet with three cards totaling 20. And before anyone could quiet him down, he slurred out again, “Let it ride, all €5000.” Some of the onlookers exclaimed delight; others whistled; all crowded closer to watch every card fall.
Two cards dropped into place in front of Bret. He announced aloud, “Now we’re gonna see how Lady Luck treats Steffan Doevendans.”
As he turned the cards over, a 10 and 7 of clubs lay in view. The onlookers held their breaths as the dealer turned over a King of Diamonds, then a 6 of Hearts, and then an 8 of Spades. 24. The dealer had busted.
“She loves me!” Bret shouted. “Thank you Lady Luck. When I’m good, I’m really good.”
His hand paused above the €10,000. The crowd gasped as he said, “Let it ride one more time.”
The dealer reshuffled the cards, and when the first card came to Bret, he smiled. When the second one came, he threw both cards face up on the table: a pair of Aces.
“Split the aces,” he said, as he moved his €10,000 over the first ace, then took €10,000 in bills out of his wallet, and covered the second ace. “Hit me,” said the gambler. The dealer laid a King of Hearts over the Ace of Hearts. A Blackjack. The crowd roared in delight.
“Hit me again,” yelled Bret. “A Queen of Diamonds! Another Blackjack!”
The onlookers went beserk. Women screamed. One fainted. Celeste and Gabrielle hugged him and covered his cheeks with kisses. Three security men joined hands to push the gathering onlookers back. Zhu clicked away silently to catch it all. Bret smiled.
The hand paid €15000 for each ace, €30,000 total, plus the €20,000 he had bet. Bret casually picked up the €50,000, tipped the dealer €2000, and got up from the table, saying, “A good gambler knows when it’s time to fold ‘em. Besides, I’ll need the €50,000 as my stake for Baccara, where I’m heading now. Y’all are welcome to follow me.”
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