Get Back Jack by Diane Capri Read Free Book Online Page B

it to the first video we acquired.” Last week, they’d seen and studied a better quality video in Margrave, Georgia. A man they’d thought was Reacher impersonated a U.S. Marshall to break an inmate out of the local jail.
    “And?” Gaspar asked again.
    She shook her head slowly. “Definitely not Reacher on the Margrave video.”
    “Because?”
    She shared each comparison point slowly, even though she felt confident in her conclusions. The knowledge might save both their lives. “Reacher’s taller, broader, looser limbed. His posture’s better and his hands are bigger. Gestures more contained and defined. No wasted motions.”
    The server brought Gaspar’s pie, a piece big enough to feed Kim for a week. Then she refilled their coffee mugs and left them alone.
    Gaspar dug into the pie like a man who hadn’t eaten in decades. His appetite amused and amazed Kim every time she witnessed it. If she ate in one month the amount of calories he consumed in one meal, she’d be as big as one of her mother’s Buddha statues.
    As it always did, her mind returned to Reacher. He was starting to feel very familiar to her, even though she had uncovered only a limited number of data points. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
    In a moment of unanticipated confrontation, such familiarity might save her life, or cost it. Impossible to tell in advance.
    But when there’s only one choice, it’s the right choice.
    The only thing she could do was keep working on the puzzle, one interlocking piece after another, until she could see the entire picture. When would that happen?
    “Any flashes of brilliance over there, Sunshine?” Gaspar asked, talking around his mouthful of pie and ice cream, as if she’d solved their knotty problems when he knew damn well they’d acquired precisely nothing of use this entire, miserable day.
    She smirked. “Absolutely. I figure Reacher will be joining us for dinner three days from now at 7:32 p.m. at the Capital Grille in Chicago.”
    Gaspar’s right eyebrow shot up in a perfect demonstration of his quizzical nature. As if she’d been dead serious, he swallowed and replied, “I’ve got fifty bucks that says you’re right.”
    She laughed out loud, which, strangely enough, made her feel a bit more normal. Finally.
    “Is Dixon with Reacher?” Kim asked.
    “Too many variables to hypothesize at this point, don’t you think?”
    “I don’t like it.”
    “Like what?”
    “Probably two and maybe three of Reacher’s special unit left, and we can’t find even one of them. It’s not normal.”
    “There is nothing normal about this entire assignment. We established that a long while back, Sunshine.”
    “This is beyond abnormal.”
    “How so?”
    “Nine soldiers survive long stints and tough jobs in the Army. They get out and survive a long while. Later, in no special order, one disappears off the planet and five are dead, none by natural causes.”
    “As far as we know,” Gaspar reminded.
    “Right.”
    “Like I said, it’s beyond abnormal. Weird, in fact. Outside of Mafia crime families and gang wars, I can’t think of any reason why that many members of a single group of any kind would find themselves in this situation. Can you?”
    He seemed to consider her question and finally said, “No.”
    “Right,” she said again. “If we have any prayer of learning anything useful about Reacher from his Army buddies, our last clear chance is Frances Neagley in Chicago.”
    “And we need to get to her before she ends up dead or missing, too.”
    “So you agree that Reacher’s on his way and has a three-day head start, then?”
    Gaspar shrugged. “Who knows if he’s with Dixon or Neagley, neither or both?”
    Too many mysteries, unanswered questions, unbelievable situations. All of them revolved around Reacher. That was the only part lacking surprise.
    The server came back with the coffee pot, the check, and unwelcome if not surprising news. “You folks aren’t flying