Lethal Liaisons (Willful Women Assassins Series) by Randall S. Smith Read Free Book Online Page A

exit door.
    “This is Raoul, who
helps us out with our auditions from time to time. He already has his
black-belt, and will take you through a few script lines and some
basic moves to see what you can do. Okay?”
    She tensed up as she
anxiously looked him over and as Marie turned on the camera.
    “Sure, bring it on,”
she said as she scanned the lines to read that they had just handed
her.
    The reading went well, and
every time Raoul made a move, she counter-moved him, usually with him
ending up on the floor.
    “Thank you, ladies,”
said Marie and Howard. “We'll be in touch.”

    The next day, Karlee got a
message from Alexei. It was her first contract. She was discussing it
with her sister.
    “Kristie, I can't
believe I'm doing this.”
    “Be careful, sis.
When you dance with the devil, it can change you.”
    “Oh, it's not so
devilish, it's actually more angelic. This time it's one of those
damn bankers. You know, one of the ones who nearly destroyed society
as we know it. Those bastards privatize the profits and socialize the
losses. They leveraged to the hilt and when the shit hit the fan,
we're the ones who had to cover it, and then they paid themselves big
bonuses. It was so egregious, Kris. No, no devil this time, I'll be
doing our country a service!”
    “So who's putting out
the contract?”
    “I don't know. My bet
is it's his wife. She's probably anxious to get her hands on his
billions.”
    “Let me come with
you, Karlee! You could use some back-up, and I hate those guys as
much as you do.”
    “Okay, I guess I owe
you that. What about Randolph?”
    “He's busy with his
dad. Besides, this will give us some quality sister-time together.”
    “I don't know about
'quality', but I do know I'd like someone with me I can trust my
first time out.”
    “First time?”
    “Well, first time as
a pro,” she said with a wink.
    It was a few days later
when they approached the man's estate in the middle of the night.
Both girls were dressed in black, had night vision equipment, and
were well-armed. It was a rural area on a large section of land, with
no nearby neighbors, lots of security and the property was surrounded
by a barbed-wire fence.
    “Be careful, sis,”
Karlee said as they approached. “He has sound-activated sensors
mounted in the trees. Don't speak unless you have to, and don't even
step on any twigs.”
    “Yeah, yeah, I know
the drill, now hush.”
    There was a chill in the
fresh night air as several dogs began to bark. Someone stepped out
from the home and took a look around. The girls tensed up and
exchanged a nervous glance. The man yelled at the animals to shut-up
and returned inside.
    “Kristie, you stay
here and cover me,” Karlee whispered in her ear. “If
things go bad, do your sniper thing.”
    “Okay, sis. Good
luck.”
    Just as she started to make
her move, security flood lights came on and a siren started going
off. A half-dozen men came running out of the home.
    “Oh shit!”
shouted Karlee. “Run, Kristie!”
    The men began firing and a
round hit a tree just inches from the girls. Then the dogs were
released.
    “What's the matter,
sis?” Kristie calmly inquired as she lay prone and took aim.
“I'm glad I spent the extra money for top-of-the-line
equipment. This thermal imaging scope really lights up these guys!”
She squeezed the trigger and fired off a shot; one of the shadowy
figures fell over. Then in rapid succession she fired off six more
rounds. Three more men and two dogs went down. “I can see
someone in that upstairs window, sis!”
    “Take the shot!”
    “Maybe it's not him.”
    “Maybe it is.”
    “What if it's the
wife and what if she's the one paying us?”
    “Let me see,”
Karlee said, looking through her binoculars. “It's definitely a
man, I think.”
    Kris nonchalantly fired off
two more rounds at the approaching threats. Two more figures fell
down. “It's your contract; tell me what to do.”
    “We need to be sure.
Stay here. You've obviously