Sky Ghosts: Retaliation by Alexandra Engellmann Sky Ghosts: Retaliation (Book 3 of the Sky Ghosts series) Copyright © 2020 by Alexandra Engellmann All rights reserved This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and events are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means—including, but not limited to, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Published by Alexandra Engellmann http://www.engellmann.com/ Cover artwork and design by Alexandra Engellmann Subscribe to the author’s newsletter http://eepurl.com/geFEEj and get the link to an exclusive Sky Ghosts artwork gallery! Release and special offer updates only. Table of contents 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 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Epilogue About the author Acknowledgements To C. B. You were my shining star; you always will be. Prologue “What are you doing here?” The man’s hairy fingers grasped her jacket, lifting her from the chair. He reeked of cigarettes and rotten teeth, and she held her breath, afraid she might pass out from the smell alone. “I wasn’t doing anything,” she hissed, using what little air she had in her lungs. “I was just looking for a place to sleep, I told you. Let me go!” The big man shook her once before letting her flop back down onto the chair. She watched him pace in front of her as she restored her breathing. Behind him, two men were carrying crates out of the dim warehouse, acting as if she wasn’t there or maybe used to scenes like this one. She swallowed hard and shifted on the shaky chair when another goon joined her captor. “Still not talking?” he asked, chewing on a toothpick. “Either she’s workin’ for someone, or she’s really bad at pickin’ places for sleep. She ain’t a beggar either,” the first man drawled. He reached out and pulled at one of the straps on her stylish leather jacket, making her flinch. “I ran away from home,” she snapped. “I’m not a beggar.” The men exchanged suspicious looks. “That’s a second guest today. Something tellin’ me the boss should know about this,” the first man said. He stepped closer and gripped her chin with his dirty fingers. “That’s one ugly beak ya have. No surprise ya stick it where it don’t belong.” She glowered at him but remained silent. The other man came up to her with a chuckle. His hand closed on the back of her jacket like a claw, and he yanked her forward. “I’m telling you, she’s one of Garcia’s snoops. She’ll change her mind after a couple days in a cell,” he said as he dragged her deeper into the warehouse. She stumbled and shoved at him, and he shook her with an angry look. “Use those feet, girl, or I’ll drag you down there by your hair!” Reluctantly, she walked by his side as he headed to a low door in the far corner. He shoved her through, into a long, dark corridor. She whirled, pummeling at his chest with her fists. “Where are you taking me? Let me go, please, I want to go home!” Her shouted words echoed off the bare walls. “Quiet! You’re not going anywhere till our boss takes a look at you tomorrow. We’ll see what he has to say.” His hand shot forward, hitting her shoulder with so much force that she lost her footing and flew a few feet before falling down with a scream. Tears sprang to her eyes, and a sob escaped her mouth as she breathed in shallow, quick gasps. Before she could get up, the man was already dragging her forward, and then he picked her up unceremoniously and kicked open another door. Behind it was a big, dark room with bare walls and only two small, dirty windows. And there were cells, three on each side, barred with thick iron rods. She started to struggle again, but the man quickly opened one of them and pushed her inside, then snapped the lock shut. Eyes wide with terror, she threw herself at the bars. “Please! Let me out! I didn’t do anything!” A manic grin spread across the man’s face. In a flash, his palm slammed into her fingers gripping the bars. Her wordless cry of pain pierced the air. “Be quiet. If I have to come back here, you won’t like it,” he threatened, then looked at the cell next to hers. “Hey!” he shouted, making the man inside bolt upright from his sleeping position. “No sleeping!” He spat and stalked out of the room. She let herself slump to the floor, her face wet from tears. A couple of minutes passed, and there was no sound from the other captives or from behind the door, so she wiped her eyes and peered around. There were four of them, two on each side of the room. The man to her left, the one who’d been woken by the guard, lay curled
