Ghost Sniper by Scott McEwen Read Free Book Online Page B

as she sat back down.
    Vaught looked at her, at her unbridled nipples pressing through her T-shirt, wishing he could see her naked just once. “How do you like Mexico compared with Cuba?”
    She shrugged. “Probably less than you like looking at my nipples.”
    His face reddening, he averted his eyes and stood near the corner feeling stupid.
    Crosswhite came back into the room chuckling. “Sit wherever you want, Chance.” He kissed Paolina on the lips and whispered something in her ear. She looked up at him, and he kissed her again, whispering something else to her.
    Paolina was less cold during dinner—not much, but a little.
    After dinner, she bathed Valencia and put her down to sleep. Then she joined Crosswhite on the couch in the living room, where Vaught was protesting his circumstances.
    â€œ. . . but I work for DSS. I’m not CIA, and I sure as hell don’t work for the ATRU. I don’t care what Pope says.”
    Crosswhite leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You don’t get it. You’ve been disowned. You’re an embarrassment. DSSdoesn’t want you anymore. Your career with them is over. Even if they keep you on, you’ll never be in charge of another security detail. Hell, an incident like this can even follow you into the private sector. Your entire team was wiped out, man. Whether you want to accept it or not, Pope is doing you a favor.”
    â€œOh, bullshit!”
    Crosswhite chuckled. “I didn’t say he was doing you a favor out of the kindness of his heart—he doesn’t do those kinds of favors. He only does favors for people who are useful to him.”
    â€œIf I’m such a fuckup, how am I useful?”
    â€œWell, there’s different kinds of fuckups,” Crosswhite replied. “Some can be rehabilitated. Some can’t. Pope’s looked you over, and he’s seen something he likes. He’s asked the president to let him bring you aboard, and the old man’s given his consent.”
    Vaught sat up straight. “Fields told you that?”
    Crosswhite nodded. “So you can either get with the program or tell the government to stick it. If you do the latter, you’ll never work security for anything more important than a football game. Pope will see to it.”
    Vaught smirked, seeing the picture. “He sounds like a real prick.”
    Crosswhite sat back and slid his arm around Paolina, pulling her close and kissing her hair. “I think of him more as a god—kinda like Zeus: indifferent if he has no real use for you, but generous if you excel at his favorite pastime.”
    â€œWhich is?”
    Crosswhite smiled. “War.”

7
    MALBUN SKI LODGE, LIECHTENSTEIN
    02:30 HOURS
    Gil was in the lodge lounge, drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette, when Blickensderfer’s fiancée came striding into the room. She wore a black dinner dress, with her blond hair flowing to the small of her back and a pair of diamond pendant earrings. Her blue eyes piercing, she was tall and stunning and seemed to possess the room the moment she entered. Gil watched her as she crossed to the bar, noting her black heels and the slit of her dress that extended halfway up her thigh.
    He knew from the mission dossier that her name was Lena Deiss, a Swiss national, age thirty, and that she came from a wealthy family. A member of the jet set, she valued a man who could accommodate her lavish lifestyle and keep her entertained. In addition to alpine skiing, she enjoyed other adrenaline sports such as skydiving and car racing.
    The harshness of her gaze this evening was a change from what Gil had seen over the past few nights around the lodge. She was nother usual happy self. She looked pissed, and Gil guessed that she and Blickensderfer had argued. He didn’t care. Blickensderfer wasn’t going to be a problem for anyone a whole lot longer.
    Lena accepted her cocktail and turned from the