Today’s
excerpt is from Assassin I Am, a standalone book featuring Jim Scott and
friends, with some new characters. Rosemary
is approved as Fred’s partner. Enjoy and
have a great day.
m.j.
After Harvey
returned everyone got a drink and sat down.
Harvey grumbled, “First order of business is…”
Fred
interrupted, “First order of business is how are Erv and Ray?”
The “Erv”
mentioned by Fred was Erwin Hartman, one of Fred’s normal pilots, who was a
former Navy pilot. “Ray” was Raymond
Hoffmeyer, the other pilot, and a former Marine pilot.
Harvey answered,
“Ray is out of the hospital. Just a
badly sprained wrist and a few other dings—he’s good to go. Erv has a broken lower leg and is here in
D.C.—actually, they both are—and Erv should be out of the hospital sometime
today. He also has other dings, but the
leg is his main problem. As to him
flying anytime soon, I don’t know. I do know both of us will be very happy
when they can fly again, in case you pull off another stunt…like that package
sitting in the middle of the floor.
Speaking of that, how much?”
“I estimated the
two larger bundles have about a million to a million two. Mine is less, I’d say about nine hundred
grand.”
“That’s one hell
of a lot of money for ‘expenses’, as approved by our bosses. I know, I know, Fred—don’t even say it. Both of those fine men have approved you
keeping a bit of the ‘found’ money you run into, for expenses—to help hide what
you’re really up to…but close to a
million is…well, never mind. Keep
it. Now, back to my ‘first thing’ we
have to discuss…”
Fred held up his
hand and interrupted again…“Hold on.” As
he stood up and went to his war bag, he took out a large manila envelope and
handed it to Harvey.
As Harvey opened
it, Fred muttered, “The one with the larger center bullseye is mine.”
Harvey took out
the four targets, looked at them, at Rosemary, then at Fred. “I’d have to see this to believe it—but since
I’m looking at it, I guess I do believe.
Okay…nice shooting, Miss Williams.
But back to my problem, Fred.
Justice is already pissed—and when they find out she’s working with us,
all hell may well break loose. I assume
it’s a done deal that Miss Williams is gonna stay with you, right?”
“You take it
right, Harv. Rosemary is with me as long as she wants.”
“Okay, I’m not
even gonna fight you on it. But Fred,
how much does she know?”
“Probably all of
it, from the little I’ve told her…and what she figured out on her own. In addition to being one fine asset in the
field, she’s sharp as a tack.”
“Okay, Miss Will…Rosemary…you
do understand Fred is in some ways a glorified assassin, don’t you? Are you comfortable with having that kind of
label as well?”
“Yes. Assassin I am. On top of being wildly in love with Fred, I
have so much respect for him, I could spit.
On top of that, I owe these stinking ragheads a large slug of
payback—they killed my father and my brother.
Both were Marines killed in action, fighting terror. Time to give the bastards a dose of their own
medicine.”
“Fine—you go
right ahead. But for now, you do so as
an unemployed side-kick of friend Frederick.
In time I’ll have the one of our bosses deal with Justice, and you’ll
become an employee of Homeland Security.
Fred, feel free to let her in on everything, I guess. Know you would anyhow, so may as well give my
blessing. If the Secretary and Director
have a cat over it, I’ll stand the heat.
One thing, Rosemary—I need your absolute pledge that you will never tell
anyone the actual truth of what we’re up to…no matter how pissed you may get at
Fred somewhere down the line.”
“You have
it. Also remember…I have already killed
a man in cold blood…which is murder, under the law. I blab, and I fry, too.”
“Glad you
understand.”
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